[Apollo81]

♠A84
♥AQ86
♦T9
♣K875

Both vul, MPs

1♦*-(1♥)-2♣**-(2♥)
2NT-(3♥)-3♠-(p)
??

* could be short (Precision)
** NF, (other options here: Dbl is negative, 1♠ = 5+ F1, 2♦ = NF, 2♥ = inv+ can't bid NT or ♠)

[TimG]

I would have bid 3♣ on the previous round. I suppose once I've decided to hide the club support, I'll go through and try 3N now.

[han]

If 2NT shows club support then I think it is quite descriptive. I assume that we cannopt have a stronger balanced hand so there would be no reason to bid without a club fit.

I would also bid 3NT now (again assuming that we have agreed that 2NT shows club support because otherwise I don't understand 2NT).

[TimG]

Wouldn't

♠A84
♥AQ86
♦T975
♣K8

also be improved by the club call from partner?

[Apollo81]

There are no explicit agreements about 2NT here, but han is correct in that we cannot hold a stronger balanced hand.

[pclayton]

I don't think 3♠ is a probe for 3N but its possible. With a moderate 5-6, wouldn't you bid it this way too? You wouldn't worry about the auction dying at 2♣.

I have a great heart stop but I'm scared to death of the diamond suit in 3N. I'm bidding 4♠ just as a safety mechanism but would expect to end up in 5♣ most of the time.

[jdonn]

I think you might as well have bid 3NT last round given how little it needs to make.

[Apollo81]

good point! but are you still doing that now?

[jdonn]

No way, 4♠ now.

[han]

Can't we have 4 spades for our 2NT bid and wouldn't partner always bid 3S with 4-1-2-6 distribution? Oh wait, 4-1-2-6 also doesn't do too well in 3NT, undo undo.

[gnasher]

I'd like to know what partner does with an invitational 4-6. If he'd normally double 1♥ with that, 4♠ seems needlessly to risk playing in a 3-3 fit - partner might pass with something like KQx x xxx AJxxxx, expecting us to have four-card spade support - so I'd bid 5♣. 3NT deserves to lose the first five diamond tricks.

If partner can have four spades, 4♠ seems fair enough at matchpoints.

This post has been edited by gnasher: 2008-May-09, 14:37

[Apollo81]

Partner had J9xxx --- Ax A10xxxx.

Not knowing how many spades partner was showing, and fairly confident my LHO would make the wrong lead, I bid 3NT (and got a heart lead). Clubs were 3-0. Surprisingly, there was virtually no MP difference between 3NT+3 and 4♠+4.