[ArtK78]

You pick up, at equal nonvul at IMP pairs:

Scoring: XIMP

(1♦) - 2♦ - (3♦)-3♥
(4♦) - ?

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You have agreed to bid on shape, not strength, so you could have anything from a weak hand to a strong hand.

3♦ was limit.

Do you bid over 4♦?

[rogerclee]

Very easy pass.

[Echognome]

Tough call in my view. I also agree with the idea of bidding michael's on a wider range of hands and, alas, this is one of the problems we face. I think our hand is pure enough that i'll take the push to 4♥ with no great conviction.

[cwiggins]

I also agree with showing shape and also agree that this hand is on the cusp.

Given the S-AK, you might try a double. If partner has only two spades, then you may well have three defensive tricks off the top, and if partner can scramble a fourth, then they are down, even on some minimum hands. The double will also encourage partner to bid 4H with appropriate hands.

The double seems to work okay with these in between hands with defensive strength. Partner is reasonably well positioned to determine whether to pass or bid.

[655321]

Pass.

Swayed by the doubleton diamond, and the fact that partner could have bid 4♥ and didn't.

Agree that whether to raise on these in-between hands is often just a guess, and for that reason I usually play the weak-or-strong version of Michaels (sure, that comes with its own problems too).

[pclayton]

I bid.

I have more than a minimum and the upside for making 4♥ is pretty large.

[jdonn]

gnome?? clayton?!?! I don't even think 4♥ is a logical alternative. Sure we could have less but not that much less, if this is what pard needs for game he should have bid game.

How is this even an in between hand? I would think the low range is something like 7-11 and high range 16+ or along those lines.

[skjaeran]

jdonn, on Apr 13 2008, 08:18 AM, said:

gnome?? clayton?!?! I don't even think 4♥ is a logical alternative. Sure we could have less but not that much less, if this is what pard needs for game he should have bid game.

How is this even an in between hand? I would think the low range is something like 7-11 and high range 16+ or along those lines.

I agree with this.

[gnasher]

I too am horrified that anyone is considering bidding 4♥. The fact that I'm pure doesn't mean that partner is. He has to be allowed to compete with something like xx Kxxx xx KQxx. Just as in auctions like 1♥ (3♦), or (1♦) 1♥ (3♦), if partner had real invitational values he would have bid game himself.

This problem could be avoided by playing that (1♦) 2♦ (3♦) dbl shows a game-try in one of the majors.