[Trinidad]

I would just bid Stayman. After 2♠, I would splinter. After 2♥, I would just bid 3NT (indicating 4 spades). And after 2♦, I would bid 3♣, asking for partner's distribution in the minors.

Rik

[Phil]

CSGibson, on May 4 2009, 01:00 AM, said:

I think you are being self-limiting by saying that you cannot diagnose when it's right to play 4-3 fits, but maybe with a little more practice or experience, you can expand your game. I'll be willing to help, should you need practice, as I think you probably have the potential to grow.

[jdonn]

Phil, on May 4 2009, 11:03 AM, said:

CSGibson, on May 4 2009, 01:00 AM, said:

I think you are being self-limiting by saying that you cannot diagnose when it's right to play 4-3 fits, but maybe with a little more practice or experience, you can expand your game.  I'll be willing to help, should you need practice, as I think you probably have the potential to grow.

Aw I was itching for a rumble!

[Phil]

jdonn, on May 4 2009, 11:14 AM, said:

Phil, on May 4 2009, 11:03 AM, said:

CSGibson, on May 4 2009, 01:00 AM, said:

I think you are being self-limiting by saying that you cannot diagnose when it's right to play 4-3 fits, but maybe with a little more practice or experience, you can expand your game.  I'll be willing to help, should you need practice, as I think you probably have the potential to grow.

Aw I was itching for a rumble!

Ankle biters.....feh.

[mikeh]

late to the post, but, for han, has your partner ever placed you in the 4-3 fit after smolen? Say you hold Ax AQx xxx AJxxx and open 1n and partner smolens... any temptation to play in hearts? Give partner a routine smolen such as KQxxx KJ10x xx xx (note the careful heart 10), and the play in hearts is trivial: pitch a club on the 3rd round of diamonds and claim if the majors are no worse than 4-2, while 3N needs not only 4-4 diamonds but something good in a black suit.

And it is no answer to say that one bids 4♠ over 4♥, since unless responder is a passed hand, this is surely forcing... responder has not limited his hand at all.

As it is, I transfer and show diamonds and hope to survive.

[kenrexford]

mtvesuvius, on May 4 2009, 07:40 AM, said:

OK, well this was very interesting for me... I transfered and bid 3♣, which was sort of based on Ken's reasoning. Partner held AK Qxxxx Jxx AQx, ♠ were 3-3, so I suppose 4♠ would have been better, and actually 6♠, but over 3♣, partner bid 3NT (Not 3♥ ) which I chose to pass. 3NT played reasonably well and made 4, but my bidding just didn't feel right. As of right now we do not have a way to show 4441s, but I will definitely try to add them. The Smolen idea was quite interesting, but I'm not sure I would be happy when partner bids 3NT on his AK xxx Jxxxx AQx where we have a laydown grand and play 3NT down 1 instead. Phil, I haven't really looked much at the transfer extensions, but from what I've seen/heard, this hand seems to be an advertisement for them. Thanks everybody for your responses, they were all quite interesting!

I don't understand partner's bidding. He looks like an idiot when you have something like ♠QJxxx ♥AKx ♦x ♣KJxx. 3NT is off one at least, on a diamond lead, whereas 6♥ takes a diamond lead to hold you to 12 tricks.

[hanp]

I get your (valid imo) point but I have to answer "no" to your question. As far as I know my partner has never put me in the 4-3 fit after I bid Smolen. I have played quite a large number of bridge hands in recent years so I suspect I'm either not bidding enough Smolens or my partners are just bad. I do think that 4S over 4H is to play, partner would never bid 4S with 1-3 in the majors and I should be allowed to overrule here, after all it is I that is looking at the 5-card spade suit and the 4-card heart suit (or 0-card heart suit).

Phil made a good point against Smolen as well, that partner might hide his 3-card spade support. Given that we have AKQ in diamonds I think this is pretty much impossible. What could happen is that partner bids 3S planning to pass 3NT if we bid it. So he would show his 3-card support hoping to end in 3NT anyway. If partner has a doubleton spade then 3NT might still be the wrong contract but maybe my bidding has steered them away from the heart lead.

Anyway, I don't know what I would bid at the table because I do play several gadgets that would help with this hand (I could show 4-1-4-4 or use transfer extensions when playing with Arend). I tried to answer the questions playing "standard" conventions only, whatever that means, perhaps I was too imaginative.

[cherdanno]

I wouldn't mind putting Han in 4-3 fits, but he just never has those heart tens. In fact, playing with him you even have to worry about Jacks.

[jdonn]

FWIW I have never seen anyone put anyone in the 4-3 fit after smolen.

[hanp]

That answers that question, no faith.

Josh only plays with GIB so that doesn't count.

[Phil]

hanp, on May 4 2009, 12:27 PM, said:

Phil made a good point against Smolen as well, that partner might hide his 3-card spade support. (snipped)

When did I ever say this?

[hanp]

Maybe it was some other Phil, somebody said something.