[cjames]

Sitting West in fourth seat with only N/S vul, the scoring is matchpoints.
You hear the bidding go: 1♥(11-15 5+ ♥)-3♣-(P)-?

What do you bid with the following collection?

J43
A876
A754
A9

Is it an obvious pass or obvious something else?

[miguelm]

Just to make sure I got it right...

1H......3C......P.....?


If this is it, then I believe this is an obvious Pass... well, at least obvious for me

[cjames]

Yes, you got it right. Opener opens 1♥ partner bids 3♣ RHO passes.

[Codo]

white against red pd tends to have nothing, so I should pass.

He has 5-8 clubs zero- 5 HCps, or so. Well maybe a little more if he is disciplined to day.

If he thinks that he should bid more solid over their limited openings, so be it, but he should have told me before.
With my standard pard, I am not sure that 3 Club will make opposite my hand.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

It is either pass or 3NT, since we are green vs. red
and our preempts at this vulnerability are trash,
the answer is pass, at any onther vulnerability 3NT.

With an stranger, pass is probably the percentage call.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[ArtK78]

You have two choices - Pass or 3NT.

For 3NT to be right, partner needs at least:

1) Qx or better in spades, AND
2) Kxxxxxx of clubs

If partners clubs are KQxxxxx or better, you have 9 tricks if you do not lose 5 spade tricks. Kxxxxxx of clubs is sufficient if clubs are 2-2. Obviously, KTxxxxx would be better, KJxxxxx better still and KQxxxxx better still.

It is not unreasonable for partner to have those cards, even at white against red. But I would not play for partner to have them.

Unless you play with a partner who is a very sound preemptor, and you can count on him to have a good club suit headed by the King, you must pass 3♣. Even if partner has KQJxxxx of clubs, you might still lose 5 spade tricks. But it is probably worth the risk to bid 3NT if you can count on partner for good clubs.

If partner doesn't have 7 running club tricks, you might take only 3 tricks in 3NT.

[P_Marlowe]

ArtK78, on Jan 14 2008, 11:26 AM, said:

You have two choices - Pass or 3NT.

For 3NT to be right, partner needs at least:

1)  Qx or better in spades, AND
2)  Kxxxxxx of clubs

Partner holding xx will be enough,
if spades break 4-4 or they do not
attack spades, sometimes they
wont attack spades if holding only 3.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: It is a bet, and maybe not with the
right Odds playing MP.

[pclayton]

I'd probably try 3N. Hands like ♣KQxxxxx and little else make it excellent. Even ♣KQxxxx and another card give me a good chance.

We haven't exactly made 3♣ yet, and we might have the same tricks in 3N.

[gwnn]

3NT, apologize to pd if wrong.

[bhall]

3N may be a good sacrifice against 3M.

If you pass (which seems prudent), opener is likely to re-open with a double, followed by 3♥ or 3♠ from his nearly-broke partner. It could easily make 140, while 3N goes down for 50 or 100. True, 3M could also fail, but your defensive prospects are not great.

[cjames]

Thanks for the answers. At the table I did bid 3NT, and partner tabled KQTxxx of clubs and Kxx of hearts. Too bad opener started with AKQxx of spades and QJ9xxx of hearts (strange opening?), xx in diamonds and 8 of clubs singelton..

[pclayton]

cjames, on Jan 14 2008, 11:15 AM, said:

Thanks for the answers. At the table I did bid 3NT, and partner tabled KQTxxx of clubs and Kxx of hearts. Too bad opener started with AKQxx of spades and QJ9xxx of hearts (strange opening?), xx in diamonds and 8 of clubs singelton..

It's strange because LHO has 14 cards.

[cjames]

Ooops, one too much x in ♥ there..

Oh, and I just got to know that the opps play Flannery. Presumably opening ♥ and rebidding ♠ to show 5-5.

[han]

Huh?

[jugarul]

PAS

[the hog]

Thrunt for me.

[joker_gib]

3NT