[rogerclee]

1♣ - (3♠) - X - (P)
4♣ - (P) - 4NT

What does 4NT mean?

MPs, Red vs White:

1♣ - (3♠) - ?

♠QJx ♥AKT98 ♦Axx ♣Ax

Your plan (if you double, partner bids 4♣)?

[TylerE]

Doesn't anyone bid 5 card suits anymore? I know the level is unfortunate, but are you really expecting partner to agree ♥ on Hxx? A 5♥ bid is maybe about right. Preempts work sometimes.. I however really do NOT like the X, as it is unlikely to really inform you about anything you care about. Knowing more about system would help. What hand types can partner open 1♣ on?

In response to part 1: 4NT = RKC for ♣.

[Mosene]

Looks like 4nt was to play, but your partner might not think so given you bypassed 3nt last round. I agree with Tyler - it sounds like RKC. I think the bid is either 3nt first time around or 4 hearts (also agreeing with Tyler)

[rogerclee]

TylerE, on Oct 15 2008, 11:30 AM, said:

Knowing more about system would help. What hand types can partner open 1♣ on?

Sorry I thought it was obvious that 1♣ here was artificial and 16+.

[kenrexford]

4♠ is a slam move, not 4NT.

4NT is natural, IMO, showing extras.

I don't mind the double, but I would probably bid 4♥ now. I don't like 4NT with QJx as my stopper -- this overstates the strength of the hand. I would expect A or K as the stopper.

[kenrexford]

rogerclee, on Oct 15 2008, 01:38 PM, said:

TylerE, on Oct 15 2008, 11:30 AM, said:

Knowing more about system would help. What hand types can partner open 1♣ on?

Sorry I thought it was obvious that 1♣ here was artificial and 16+.

Huh?!?!?

[han]

rogerclee, on Oct 15 2008, 01:38 PM, said:

TylerE, on Oct 15 2008, 11:30 AM, said:

Knowing more about system would help. What hand types can partner open 1♣ on?

Sorry I thought it was obvious that 1♣ here was artificial and 16+.

Tsk tsk tsk.

[han]

I've thought about this auction quite a bit but I'm not sure yet what 4NT should be. We could jump to 4NT immediately with this kind of hand. Of course, we might miss a heart fit, if partner bids 4H over our double we can bid 5H, which I think asks partner to bid slam with a stopper (and then I hope that we'd land in 6NT when partner has Kx or longer). So I think now that double followed by 4NT is natural is and with slam interest in clubs we just can't bid blackwood but have to recuebid instead. It's not like 4NT as blackwood is often going to help us with getting to slam in clubs or not.

I would certainly take it as natural at the table.

[maggieb]

I think this problem is interesting, since there are a lot of possible hands where partner might bid like this.

1) 3451, very strong (18-19).
2) 3451, intermediate strength (15-17).
3) 4+ hearts, 18-19 balanced
4) 4+ hearts, 15-17 balanced
...etc

I would never interpret this as RKC. With 4♠ as a strong club raise, I don't see any reason to sacrifice a very useful bid in exchange for the occasional hand where I really just want to know how many keycards partner has.

Anyway, I have no idea what this should show (sorry!). With my regular partners, I would be inclined to play this as natural and strong.

On the actual hand I make a noncommital double to see what information that fetches me (I would love to raise 3NT to 4NT). Over partner's dreaded 4♣, I think I would just go low with 4♥.