[FrancesHinden]

Scoring: IMP

P 1♣ 1♠ P
2♣ 3♣ 3♦ P
?

---

48-board KO match against expert opponents

Pass = you don't open horrible 11-counts, particularly vulnerable
1♣ = 5-card majors/4-card diamond suit/weak NT style
2♣ = 3-trump high card raise to 2S or more
3♣ = natural, but they don't play good/bad 2NT

[pbleighton]

3S. Pd has declined the invitation by bidding 3D.

Peter

[SoTired]

4S
Your partner has asked you to reevaluate your hand for game based on overcaller with a 2nd suit of diam. Your ♦Q10x will fit nicely there. Your only possible wasted point is the ♣J. Although you are 4333, your honors are well placed. 4S has good chances opposite likely min hands like KQxxx Qx AJxx xx or KQ10xx xx KJxx Ax

[P_Marlowe]

3S, I have done enough.

I dont understand the comment regarding
2C, does it translate to a good 2S raise, in
case of min?
If this is the case, I'd say you have to bid 3H,
but I certainly dont force to game.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mgoetze]

P_Marlowe, on May 8 2007, 12:49 PM, said:

I dont understand the comment regarding
2C, does it translate to a good 2S raise, in
case of min?

2♠ would presumably be a more distributional raise, with less HCP and more ruffing values.

[hatchett]

Looks clear to bid a game. The QT♦ is a nice holding and you have goodcards in the majors too.

While 3NT could be right, 4♠ looks normal.

[Halo]

3NT

I seem to have a good hand for the auction so far and I'm the one who can see that 3NT might make. With my balanced hand I think 4S usually goes off when 3NT goes off.

[Fluffy]

no wasted clubs, maximum on everything except distribution, I think this is worth game at elast, 4 ♠

[gwnn]

i'd bid 4♠ at the table but 3nt could be much much better

[whereagles]

4♠. I cannot understand playing 3NT when a double fit is available, but ok.

[mikeh]

We have to bid game. We cannot have a better hand, and our ♦s are gold. So the question is: which game?

We can get to 4♠ after bidding 3N, when 4♠ is best. We cannot get to 3N after bidding 4♠, when 3N is best. And, as Justin pointed out, there are ♣ holdings with which partner will pass 3N... and my guess is that those holdings are going to be a problem in 4♠.

So 3N... contrary to conventional wisdom, 3N does NOT end all auctions.

[SoTired]

Personally, I always bid 4M. Maybe in the circles mikeh and jlall play in where their partners will pull 3N to 4S with the right hand, I have too many partners that think just because I am a good player, I am clairvoyant.

[mikeh]

SoTired, on May 8 2007, 10:19 AM, said:

Personally, I always bid 4M. Maybe in the circles mikeh and jlall play in where their partners will pull 3N to 4S with the right hand, I have too many partners that think just because I am a good player, I am clairvoyant.

I have played with partners like that, but that view of me rarely survives the first session ... heck, I'm lucky if it makes it by the first round!

[jdonn]

I say 4♠, 3NT is right if partner is pulling it a lot, but I don't see why he wouldn't just play me for better clubs than this. Anyway 3♠ is clearly all wet.

[bid_em_up]

pbleighton, on May 8 2007, 06:39 AM, said:

3S. Pd has declined the invitation by bidding 3D.

Peter

He did no such thing. Pass is the only bid that specifically declines the invitation.

By taking a free bid over 3♣, 3♦ should show good values and a willingness to play 4S. It is just a further description of his hand. It is now up to responder to decide if 3N or 4S is the correct contract. I'll pick 3N for now, as I do have a club stop and a heart stop (but only if played from my side).

4S may well be defeated by the opening going thru the Kxx of hearts instead of running up to it.

[pbleighton]

Quote

He did no such thing. Pass is the only bid that specifically declines the invitation.

By taking a free bid over 3♣, 3D should show good values and a willingness to play 4S. It is just a further description of his hand. It is now up to responder to decide if 3N or 4S is the correct contract. I'll pick 3N for now, as I do have a club stop and a heart stop (but only if played from my side).

I disagree strongly. 3D is a game try in diamonds, in my partnerships.

Peter

[pclayton]

3♥; counter-accept, i.e., blame transfer.

In my partnerships, pard has two game tries available: 3♦ and 3♥. They really aren't that specific, but they tend to show 6 loser hands and emphasize one red suit over the other.

I have reason to believe pard has a little length in diamonds, since I think pard is short in clubs. My ♦QTx certainly fills up that suit nicely. My ♠J is useful, and even my club sequence may come into play.

What I'm not sure about is the value of my heart King. It could be a cover card and it could be totally worthless.

Here's 3 hands pard could hold:

KQxxx
Axx
Axxx
x

Qxxxxx
Ax
AJxx
x

KQxxxx
xx
Axxx
x

I think all of these fall within the genre of game tries, but the key to the hand may be hearts.

[awm]

4♠ for me. On this auction we usually get a club lead. I'd rather see a club lead than a heart lead, which makes bidding 3♥ somewhat unappealing (lets LHO get the double in).

If partner is always pulling 3NT with a singleton or two small clubs, then I agree with a 3NT call. But I don't see why partner won't play me for a more robust club holding (KJTx?) and leave 3NT in. I agree that 3NT doesn't "automatically force partner to pass" but I agree with jdonn that it's a stronger suggestion to play there than Justin and Mike seem to indicate.

[Halo]

The worrying start is club, club ruff, heart - one off, 3NT making.