[lonesome31]

MPs, Board 9 (N, White/Red). You are East & your hand as below :

♠Void
♥Q8
♦A842
♣AKQJ1032

North open 3♦(Preempt). What bid is your choice?

[hanp]

3NT.

[jdonn]

Tough one. I'll go for 5♣, I think it's better for bidding a slam if it's there than 3NT is.

[hanp]

I'd like to point out that you have a lot of losers for 5C. Unless partner has good club support it is unlikely that you can do something about those little diamonds.

Of course if partner has a weak spade holding then I might have a lot of losers in 3NT too.

[jdonn]

hanp, on Mar 23 2009, 05:29 PM, said:

I'd like to point out that you have a lot of losers for 5C. Unless partner has good club support it is unlikely that you can do something about those little diamonds.

Of course if partner has a weak spade holding then I might have a lot of losers in 3NT too.

I agree, unless partner has a few clubs to go with his diamond shortness. If he is all majors I'm screwed. Then again over 3NT if partner insists on majors you're equally as screwed.

I think we can happily agree that whatever action to take is a guess.

[mtvesuvius]

Nice problem... I'll try 3NT, but I'm concerned on the hands where partner has a few ♣ and a stiff ♦.

[lonesome31]

hanp, on Mar 24 2009, 06:29 AM, said:

I'd like to point out that you have a lot of losers for 5C. Unless partner has good club support it is unlikely that you can do something about those little diamonds.

Of course if partner has a weak spade holding then I might have a lot of losers in 3NT too.

Great! I like this one.

Next quiz : If you overcall 3NT, & partner response 4NT?!

[JLOL]

I'd overcall 4C. 5C seems like a big overbid, we need partner to cover THREE losers. If he can do that he'll probably bid slam over a 5C bid.

[Phil]

w/r I'll settle for 4♣. 3N is too reckless with two open majors.

[JLOL]

BTW I think it is pretty close between 4C and 3N. I think 3N will probably make a little more often than 5C, but partner will bid 4S over 3N some of those times ending us up in 5C anyways. If we have a slam I think 4C will be better (partner bidding 4D over that when he would pass 3N), and if we can't make game I think 4C will work better, and if LHO is going to bid 4S I think I'll be happier if I've bid 4C.

[the hog]

3NT. Go for the game thats likely to make.

[gnasher]

JLOL, on Mar 24 2009, 12:55 AM, said:

I'd overcall 4C.

Don't you play that as a two-suiter?

[rbforster]

mtvesuvius, on Mar 23 2009, 05:33 PM, said:

Nice problem... I'll try 3NT, but I'm concerned on the hands where partner has a few ♣ and a stiff ♦.

I'm concerned about the hands where partner has a doubleton diamond, and hence LHO is forced to lead a major . I'm bidding 3N without much conviction.

[lonesome31]

I like 3NT!! Of course, some risk on ♠, but nice gamble.

NOW, NEXT STEP : Partner response 4NT when you overcall 3NT?! What is your action?

[kenrexford]

lonesome31, on Mar 24 2009, 02:38 PM, said:

I like 3NT!! Of course, some risk on ♠, but nice gamble.

NOW, NEXT STEP : Partner response 4NT when you overcall 3NT?! What is your action?

Partner bids 4NT?!?!? Wow. He has a club fit, then. 6♣ works, but we might have a grand. Two major aces and a stiff diamond is probably enough.

[whereagles]

jdonn, on Mar 23 2009, 10:20 PM, said:

Tough one. I'll go for 5♣, I think it's better for bidding a slam if it's there than 3NT is.

What slam? Pard probably has some random 6-5 in the majors.

I'll bid 3NT, though 5♣ has the priceless virtue of telling pard "FORGET YOUR 6-6 OR WHAT NOT. I ONLY PLAY CLUBS."

If pard bids 4NT over 3, I'll pass. Yes, pass.

[jdonn]

whereagles, on Mar 24 2009, 04:12 PM, said:

jdonn, on Mar 23 2009, 10:20 PM, said:

Tough one. I'll go for 5♣, I think it's better for bidding a slam if it's there than 3NT is.

What slam? Pard probably has some random 6-5 in the majors.

Ok Miss Cleo.

Quote

I'll bid 3NT, though 5♣ has the priceless virtue of telling pard "FORGET YOUR 6-6 OR WHAT NOT. I ONLY PLAY CLUBS." 

So isn't that a reason to bid 5♣ based on your earlier prognostication?

Quote

If pard bids 4NT over 3, I'll pass. Yes, pass.

Have you considered hands for partner? I'd rather bid 7♣ than pass. But 6♣ seems right unless you have some idea what 5♦ is.

[the hog]

Nuno, I think you are still sleeping this morning
How on earth can you pass 4NT? I must admit I would not be in this position as 4C over 3NT would be an ask for hand type. Anyway....Give I am bidding 5C to show pd on what my 3NT was based.

[lonesome31]

What mean is partner's 4NT? INVITATION? BLACKWOOD? Or........?
I think defined this auction first better.

[whereagles]

jdonn, on Mar 25 2009, 12:32 AM, said:

1.

Quote

I'll bid 3NT, though 5♣ has the priceless virtue of telling pard "FORGET YOUR 6-6 OR WHAT NOT. I ONLY PLAY CLUBS." 

So isn't that a reason to bid 5♣ based on your earlier prognostication?

2.

Quote

If pard bids 4NT over 3, I'll pass. Yes, pass.

Have you considered hands for partner? I'd rather bid 7♣ than pass. But 6♣ seems right unless you have some idea what 5♦ is.

I know you keep telling moderators you don't like me breaking up your quotes, but I'm going to do it anyway because I think it's the easiest and cleanest way to reply. Sorry.

Issue 1: That is correct. However, I would bid 3NT because pard may pass if his major suit holdings aren't too extreme. Also, if he bids over 3NT, say, 4!d, I can bid 5!c anyway. That auction is more or less equivalent to a direct 5!c overcall, but, by bidding 3NT first, I gave myself the chance to play that contract.

Agree this may confuse pard, but being able to play 3NT makes me willing to take that chance.


Issue 2: If I'm sure 4NT is an invite to 6, I might try for 6!c now. However, since I'm not sure what a random pard makes of 4NT, I think I'll play it safe (if that's the right word). Pard might have gotten enthousiastic with his goodish 6-5 majors and thinks he can make a slam/grand opposite what he thinks it's something like a 16-19 balanced hand. Maybe this is because my regular pard is constantly bidding 2 tricks above what he should, but hey it's easy to get excited with a shapely hand in an auction like this.

Masterminding? Probably. But with preempts you're always guessing anyway.