[jdonn]

RichMor, on Jan 7 2009, 04:24 PM, said:

So bidding 3♠ to 'show where we live' seems attractive at first but what does it gain?

It avoids playing 3NT with a poorly held major suit. A lot of people seem to think once they have bid a suit it is no longer a concern if they play in notrump, but that is not the case. It's bad for responder to bid 3NT over 3♣ simply when he has a heart stopper if his spades are xxxx, since it will never occur to partner to run with a singleton spade.

[RichMor]

jdonn, on Jan 7 2009, 04:50 PM, said:

RichMor, on Jan 7 2009, 04:24 PM, said:

So bidding 3♠ to 'show where we live' seems attractive at first but what does it gain?

It avoids playing 3NT with a poorly held major suit. A lot of people seem to think once they have bid a suit it is no longer a concern if they play in notrump, but that is not the case. It's bad for responder to bid 3NT over 3♣ simply when he has a heart stopper if his spades are xxxx, since it will never occur to partner to run with a singleton spade.

It also avoids making 3NT with a poorly held major suit

In any case, I suggest not bidding 3NT with xxxx in Spades and a Heart card but instead bidding 3♠. This gives away info to the opps of course, but the info it gives to pard is more useful in the long run.

[Cascade]

jdonn, on Jan 8 2009, 08:00 AM, said:

skaeran, on Jan 7 2009, 01:58 PM, said:

RichMor, on Jan 7 2009, 07:36 PM, said:

jdonn, on Jan 7 2009, 11:36 AM, said:

RichMor, on Jan 7 2009, 09:36 AM, said:

How about 3♠ as a mini-Bluhmer ?

I think that just shows good spades and specifically points to a heart weakness for notrump.

'Good Spades' that responder could not rebid ?

What would they look like ?

A strong 4-card suit. And empty or near empty hearts. Probing for 3NT. Maybe something like KQTx xxx Kxxx Qx

Sure, or 5 card suit. AQxxx xxx Qx JTx. It's not that you want to play in spades, it's that you are describing your hand so partner can know what to do, such as bidding 3NT.

Likewise 3♥ points to a spade weakness IMO.

Yes on this sort of hand or rather auction both spades and hearts are possible weaknesses for 3NT.

Therefore it makes a lot of sense that 3♥/♠ show honour concentrations. So 3♠ doesn't promise extra length.

With this hand I just jump to 4♦ to show a good hand in context. Partner will know that I don't have a great holding in either major. Perhaps at Matchpoints where I would be more worried about missing 3NT I might bid 3♥ but I am reasonably confident that my one major stopper is not what partner needs for 3NT. Partner will also infer from 4♦ that I have at least a couple of good minor cards.

4♦ is unquestionably forcing. Partner tried for game and I jumped. We have both shown something extra and therefore we have established a game force.

[jdonn]

RichMor, on Jan 7 2009, 05:11 PM, said:

jdonn, on Jan 7 2009, 04:50 PM, said:

RichMor, on Jan 7 2009, 04:24 PM, said:

So bidding 3♠ to 'show where we live' seems attractive at first but what does it gain?

It avoids playing 3NT with a poorly held major suit. A lot of people seem to think once they have bid a suit it is no longer a concern if they play in notrump, but that is not the case. It's bad for responder to bid 3NT over 3♣ simply when he has a heart stopper if his spades are xxxx, since it will never occur to partner to run with a singleton spade.

It also avoids making 3NT with a poorly held major suit

In any case, I suggest not bidding 3NT with xxxx in Spades and a Heart card but instead bidding 3♠. This gives away info to the opps of course, but the info it gives to pard is more useful in the long run.

If this entire discussion is which major you bid when you are weak in one and strong in the other then there isn't much else to discuss. My style, and as far as I'm concerned the standard style, is to bid the suit you have rather than the weak suit.

[RichMor]

jdonn, on Jan 7 2009, 06:17 PM, said:

If this entire discussion is which major you bid when you are weak in one and strong in the other then there isn't much else to discuss. My style, and as far as I'm concerned the standard style, is to bid the suit you have rather than the weak suit.

Yes, agree completely with the 'If' part.

Since the original post asked what is the best bid with the given hand and the given auction, that's why I suggested 3♠.

[Fluffy]

I am with josh, any bid without a jump has a big natural tendency.