[cherdanno]

(2D) 2H (P) 3D

[mtvesuvius]

Just general Force. Partner is expected to bid 3NT with a ♦ stopper, but it may include ♥ support hands also.

[Hanoi5]

I usually go to a special IMAX cinema when I want some 3D played...

[whereagles]

LOL

[Apollo81]

In the context of transfer advances, i play 3♦ as an invitational or better hand with heart support. 3♣ in this context is a general force that can either be used for hands with clubs or for balancedish hands without 3+ hearts and without a sufficient diamond stopper for 3NT.

[gnasher]

General force. They're not going to bid again, so I don't need a preemptive raise. Therefore 3♥ is invitational. I don't need two invitational raises, so 3♦ can be used for something else.

[hanp]

Well, 3H is a light invitation or good constructive raise, with a sound invitation you just bid game as usual when you have only one raise available.

3D is a general force (Don't agree with Vesuvius that partner has to bid 3NT with a stopper, partner should make the most desccriptive bid). 3D followed by pulling 3NT to 4H is a slam try. 3D followed by 4H over 3H does not, it can be some 4234 hand without a stopper. 3D followed by 3S, 4C or 4D over 3H is a slam try. 3D followed by 3NT shows doubt about strain and/or level.

[jdonn]

A raise. 3♥ as invitational leaves you no bids on the less-than invitational hands where we can still have game. The hands where you can't raise or bid notrump or bid a suit are not that common, and in that case I would just make the smallest lie.

I'm always in the minority on this one.

[mikeh]

jdonn, on Apr 3 2009, 02:42 PM, said:

A raise. 3♥ as invitational leaves you no bids on the less-than invitational hands where we can still have game. The hands where you can't raise or bid notrump or bid a suit are not that common, and in that case I would just make the smallest lie.

I'm always in the minority on this one.

You have company

[FrancesHinden]

I think it's ostensibly a raise, but sometimes you might only have a doubleton (4234 is the nightmare shape).

p.s. does it really make sense to play transfer advances here and give up a natural 2NT bid?

[H_KARLUK]

Voted for "heart support, invite or better." Meanwhile I liked "unblocking" and other bridge terms

Thanks.

[hanp]

Kevin emailed Kokish about this auction and some related question. Kokish plays it as a generic force even though he plays 2NT as forcing. This seems a bit strange to me, if you have 2NT available as a force then wouldn't it be better to use 3D as a raise, as some are already doing?

Maybe the hand that sparked this discussion is also interesting. You hold AK9x Qx A10xx KJx. If you play 3D is a raise, what do you bid? If you play it is a generic force and you'd like to bid 3D, partner will bid 3H. What then? Kokish said he'd bid 2NT but let's say you play 2NT is NF so that's not a good idea.

If it matters, you are playing IMPs and you are red against white.

[JLOL]

I agree with Frances.

[karlson]

Playing 3d as a raise, I think I'm just going to call my hand a raise anyway. Second choice is a natural 4n over 2h, but I'm not willing to go past 4h with this hand.

Playing 3d as a generic force, it seems that 3s over 3h should be a cue for hearts, so I'll do that.

I play it both ways (with different partners).

[gnasher]

If I played 3♦ as a raise, I'd bid 2♠ with this. If partner raises to 3♠, I can bid 3NT to show only four spades and a diamond stop. If he raises to 4♠, I'll bid 6♥.

It would be more of a problem with a weaker hand and the same shape, where I might not be so happy to hear 4♠.

[xcurt]

gnasher, on Apr 4 2009, 09:24 AM, said:

If I played 3♦ as a raise, I'd bid 2♠ with this.  If partner raises to 3♠, I can bid 3NT to show only four spades and a diamond stop.  If he raises to 4♠, I'll bid 6♥.

It would be more of a problem with a weaker hand and the same shape, where I might not be so happy to hear 4♠.

agree with this. advancing on 4 is something i never see discussed but in exchange for the risk of reaching a suboptimal 4-x fit we save some space and avoid some other misdescription, and most importantly here, we get information that addresses the point of the hand, here, to try for slam. here, if we bid 3♦ we dont know if partners possible heart rebid implies better or longer hearts or is just a punt. on some other hand like a really strong 4144 we can't have a good auction to slam in a 4-4 club fit because partners club calls after 3♦ are cue bids.