[awm]

Last night I had the following auction:

1♦ - 1♥ - 1NT - 2♥
2♠ - PA - 3♥

What kind of hand do you expect for the 3♥ bid? As opener, I held:

♠ATxx
♥x
♦AQJTx
♣AKQ

What bid should I make over 3♥? Is it worth looking for slam (or even blasting slam) or should I sign off in 3NT?

[Echognome]

I think partner is looking for some help in hearts for 3NT. Maybe he has Qxx or such and wants to know if you have something that will help.

I would just bid 4♣ and see where that takes us. Unfortunately, I can imagine this will be a murky auction.

[jdaming]

I would assume that he has enough for us to be looking at 3nt game but isn't positive about his ♥ stopper maybe a half stop. 4♣ should give him the right idea and now allow him to tell us about his fall back plan.

[neilkaz]

jdaming, on Feb 13 2009, 02:32 PM, said:

I would assume that he has enough for us to be looking at 3nt game but isn't positive about his ♥ stopper maybe a half stop. 4♣ should give him the right idea and now allow him to tell us about his fall back plan.

Yes..and if you think 4♣ will confuse him bid 4♦

[helene_t]

No, 4♣ is the least confusing bid., 4♦ might not even be forcing, and it suggests more diamonds.

[ewj]

I dunno, I actually thought that maybe partner is showing a good hand for us, so maybe Axxx hearts but with no obvious strain?

Like Kxx Axxx Qx JTxx say?

I mean opener isn't often 54 here is (s)he here, could easily be 64 or 65...might have doubled with 54.

If opener's stop is only Qxx, he has only 2 diamonds and 3 spades, then he could bid something else depending on how good his 3 spades or clubs are?

I suppose I would continue with 4C.

[Dwingo]

He is excited hearing your 2S bid and is making a slam exploration. From the bidding he knows you will short in hearts and you will hesitate to explore slam with the wasted heart values in hearts because of 1NT. 3H tells you that his H stopper is Jxxx and there is no wasted value in H, interested in co-operating. Whether it is based on S fit or D fit is not clear, but will place the contract after you bid out shape with 4C.

Off course this maybe totally non standard, but this should be plausible explanation for the 3H bid.

[Phil]

ewj, on Feb 14 2009, 08:41 AM, said:

I dunno, I actually thought that maybe partner is showing a good hand for us, so maybe Axxx hearts but with no obvious strain?

Like Kxx Axxx Qx JTxx say?

I mean opener isn't often 54 here is (s)he here, could easily be 64 or 65...might have doubled with 54.

If opener's stop is only Qxx, he has only 2 diamonds and 3 spades, then he could bid something else depending on how good his 3 spades or clubs are?

I suppose I would continue with 4C.

Right - 3♥ shows doubt - but a good hand. 1N didn't promise a bulletproof stopper.

[rogerclee]

Shows doubt about playing 3N, and if this is true, we should bid 4♣ now.

[Apollo81]

It seems like there are two possible meanings for 3♥:

1. "choice of games" : partner has a weak stopper and is concerned that 9 tricks cannot be taken in notrump before the opponents get in a second time

2. partner has a heart holding such as ATxx and a max (10 or 11) and is letting you know in case you have this hand.

I would think (1) is the more likely meaning, and therefore I would bid 3NT at matchpoints as we should have plenty of tricks, but I would bid 4♣ (if natural and forcing) at IMPs because I also think we can make 5 of a minor, and just maybe might make 6.

[awm]

Apollo81, on Feb 17 2009, 11:10 AM, said:

It seems like there are two possible meanings for 3♥:

1. "choice of games" : partner has a weak stopper and is concerned that 9 tricks cannot be taken in notrump before the opponents get in a second time

2. partner has a heart holding such as ATxx and a max (10 or 11) and is letting you know in case you have this hand.

So I decided on meaning 2 and went slamming. Partner's hand didn't really conform to either meaning; he held:

♠Qxx
♥KTxx
♦Kxxx
♣Jx

I guess he didn't want to bid 3NT with the potential big diamond fit. In any case, 6♦ on this pair of hands was not a success.

[pirate22]

I would bid 4 cl----------but why has pard not done a neg x initialy (i play it as 8+ points any shape) and opener responds naturally 2sp--now 3 hts is asking for help in hts u have 0 so i then bid 4cl regards