[Ant590]

Scoring: IMP

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(3♥) - 3NT - (pass) - 4♣(1)
(pass) - 4♥ - (pass) - ?

(1) 4♣ asked partner why he bid 3NT.

{ 4♦ = Long running suit and stopper
{ 4♥ = Lousy hand in context
{ 4♠ = Monster hand
{ 4NT = Big balanced hand

Do you sign off in 4NT, or push on?

[mcphee]

How poor can partners hand be considering I have all these controls? I assume I could bid 5H and see if partner has some suit, not sure if this is how you bid within your methods. I expect to get to play 6 of a minor or S and have a shot to make it.

[whereagles]

I take it "lousy" means some 15-17 balanced hand. I'd sign-off in 4NT.

A slam is possible, but that requires the hands to fit well (something that cannot be evaluated at this high a level, and some luck) giving the lurking bad breaks and our lack of intermediates.

[brianshark]

Agree with 5♥ fishing for a fit. Partner probably has a 15/16 count, there will be some wastage in hearts, but slam should still have play. It might be worth making a grand slam try, because if partner has little wasted in hearts, for example ♠Axx ♥Kxx ♦KQx ♣Kxxx, which is a lousy hand in context, grand is reasonable. (But I won't make a grand slam try because I won't chance grand on a 3-2 break when someone has pre-empted at the 3-level.)

[Fluffy]

This will be hard, but I also go for 5♥ followed by 6♦ over 5NT.

[FrancesHinden]

I would drive slam. LHO has opened a pre-empt at red, so partner can't have too much wasted in hearts.

I'm not sure I agree with the 4C bid however, what other methods did I have?

[Codo]

I had tried 5 NT as pick a slam, but obviously 5 Heart seems to be the popular bid for this purpose.

[Ant590]

Partner may still have a 5-card suit in our methods, so 5♥ would investigate this (his response of 4♥ denied a solid 6/7 carder). 5NT is pick-a-slam and 4NT to play.

In response to Frances, we play that after (3♥) - 3NT - (pass)
4♣ = asking
4♦ = transfer to spades
4♥ = transfer to clubs
4♠ = transfer to diamonds
4NT = balanced slam invite (typically good 14 count)
We nicked this from the gnome, not that I expect (or want) him to defend the complex.

[Ant590]

Oh, and whereagles and brianshark are correct that we play a "typical" strong NT as the "lousy" hand in context.

[Fluffy]

Codo, on Dec 31 2008, 03:24 PM, said:

I had tried 5 NT as pick a slam, but obviously 5 Heart seems to be the popular bid for this purpose.

Since 4NT is sing off, I was afraid that 5NT might be taken as quantitative.

[FrancesHinden]

Ant590, on Dec 31 2008, 03:32 PM, said:

Partner may still have a 5-card suit in our methods, so 5♥ would investigate this (his response of 4♥ denied a solid 6/7 carder). 5NT is pick-a-slam and 4NT to play.

In response to Frances, we play that after (3♥) - 3NT - (pass)
4♣ = asking
4♦ = transfer to spades
4♥ = transfer to clubs
4♠ = transfer to diamonds
4NT = balanced slam invite (typically good 14 count)
We nicked this from the gnome, not that I expect (or want) him to defend the complex.

OK, I had nothing useful the previous round instead of 4C.
If I know that 5NT is pick a slam now, I will do that.

My team-mates had the advantage(?) of not having any methods agreed over 3NT and responder bid 4D (natural), then bid his spade suit, and then was planning to bid his club suit after that.

Our opponents raised 3NT to 6NT