[inquiry]

As conventional on BBF, you are south holding:

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South
                  1N    2♦!
  3♣    3♥!   3N     ?

At imps, you are playing an aggressive syle DONT overcall. Your 2♦ bid showed ♦s and a major. Your partner's 3♥ showed a choice of two contracts, ♥'s and either ♦ or ♠. Your non-vul opponent now ventures a 3NT bid.

What do you bid?

[Free]

Lets think this over. The real meaning of 3♣ isn't given, so I suspect it's natural NF, but with some values. If it's otherwise, I'll have to make a new analysis.
So on what kind of hands will opener bid 3NT? He has support in ♣, that's for sure. He also needs a ♦ stopper, so that gives him J10xx or better (so max 4♣s). That leaves partner with short ♦ and long ♠s (and ♥s). If he's prepared to play 3M Vulnerable, what kind of hand does he have? At least 1 stiff or void, and some length in one of the Majors, because he won't have lots of values. Distribution it is, and my stiff ♣ is pretty fine! So we should lose about 3 tricks in the majors and perhaps one in ♣s, for -1 at the most. Will they make 3NT? They have about 6-7 tricks ♣, a stop in ♠s and a stop in ♥s. If they make about 3 tricks in the majors when we play, they'll get to 9 tricks! Otherwise 4M will make. So 4X is a good defense.

Now the question is: what will we bid? We can eliminate Dbl and pass already. I guess 4♣ is the best bid: it should show ♦ and ♠ with ♥ tollerance. If partner has a length (6+) ♥ he can bid 4♥, otherwise he should choose if he wants to play 4♦ or 4♠. Second best bid is 4♦ imo, to show ♦ and ♠, but it kills the possibility to play 4♥.

4♣

[hrothgar]

Free, on Feb 27 2004, 01:04 AM, said:

(remark: in the poll, I think "3♣" must be "4♣")

Lets think this over. The real meaning of 3♣ isn't given, so I suspect it's natural NF, but with some values. If it's otherwise, I'll have to make a new analysis.
So on what kind of hands will opener bid 3NT? He has support in ♣, that's for sure. He also needs a ♦ stopper, so that gives him J10xx or better (so max 4♣s). That leaves partner with short ♦ and long ♠s (and ♥s). If he's prepared to play 3M Vulnerable, what kind of hand does he have? At least 1 stiff or void, and some length in one of the Majors, because he won't have lots of values. Distribution it is, and my stiff ♣ is pretty fine! So we should lose about 3 tricks in the majors and perhaps one in ♣s, for -1 at the most. Will they make 3NT? They have about 6-7 tricks ♣, a stop in ♠s and a stop in ♥s. If they make about 3 tricks in the majors when we play, they'll get to 9 tricks! Otherwise 4M will make. So 4X is a good defense.

Now the question is: what will we bid? We can eliminate Dbl and pass already. I guess 4♣ is the best bid: it should show ♦ and ♠ with ♥ tollerance. If partner has a length (6+) ♥ he can bid 4♥, otherwise he should choose if he wants to play 4♦ or 4♠. Second best bid is 4♦ imo, to show ♦ and ♠, but it kills the possibility to play 4♥.

4♣

I like an immediate 4S bid.

A 4-4 fit in Spades should play better than a 5-3 in Hearts, especially given the expected trump lead.

The immediate 4S bid puts maximum pressure on the opps. A 4C bid gives them too many options during the auction.

[Chamaco]

What is the meaning of LHO's 3♣ ? (i.e. constructive in a Lebensohl-ish scheme ?)

[Trpltrbl]

4♠, pd comes in Vul at 3 level, so he must have at least 9 cards in majors and probably 10.

Mike

[WGF_Flame]

Mp i would double, this is because i think 3nt will be a vgood score for them anyway, if they make it.
the resson im not bidding 4 is because there is a good chance that this 3nt will not make, yes east would like to have j10xx in D and both majors As and a runing club, but in real life he might bid this 3nt on maney other hands which he hopes will give him a good score, for example he doesnt have to have the A of spade.
Imp i would bid, vul game is possibe, 2 down is less possible, so i want to be there, what exactly is parnership agrement, imo this 3h shows hearts and spades, it doesnt show better hearts then spades, and i will therefore bid 4sp.

[luis]

Pass and I hope to write something in my column.
There're a lot of inferences in the bidding:
First of all 3c is game forcing with a club suit so LHO does have value for game and the 3h bid from my pd doesn't promise a single honor, just the distribution needed to play at the 3 level in hearts or spades or the 4 level in diamonds.
So our side has a very good 9/10 card fit in spades or diamonds so LHO is short in spades or diamonds and has a club suit.
Pd has also hearts so I don't think we can make 4s or 5d because we will lose 1c and 3 hearts or maybe 1c, 2h and 1 spade.
If I bid something I force them to double because of the vulnerability if I pass they may have a losing option. Maybe they find 5c, maybe they have a slam but maybe they will pass 3N and I can run 5 diamond tricks.

[mishovnbg]

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Hi All!

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Playing with paradox bids is not easy. I played it many time in Lambda system (alternative 2 suited openings, now forbidden). Bid like 3♥ deny ♦ support and show better support for ♠ normally. Interesting bid is X after 3♣. What it tells to partner here? In my opinion, like NT it show equival support for ♥ and ♠, not enough distribution for 3NT. I think same meaning of X in paradox responses structure, can be accepted as general agreement.

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My choice will be 4♠, because expecting of superfit ♠, good fill of my ♥ and because I don't like when opps steal my games by mistakes or superagressive bidding in not vul .

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Misho