[H_KARLUK]

Scoring: IMP

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1♦      P      2♦*   P   
2♠**   P     3♣   P
3♦      P       ?

* Inverted minor raise
**Spade control/s 3+

How would you continue please?
Thanks

[helene_t]

3♥ if it asks for a partial stopper.

[Codo]

Partner has at most two hearts to an honour or 3 low hearts. They will lead this suit against NT from nearly any given holding.

So 3 NT is out. When partner has Ax in hearts, I may regret my choice, but such is life.

I try 5 diamond.

I have shown my club stopper and denyed both major suit stoppers, I have horrible soft values in hearts, so I would try to limit my hand now.

[se12sam]

3♥, showing half stopper?

[mtvesuvius]

3♥ should be asking for a partial stopper now, so I will try 3♥. Otherwise 5♦ I suppose.

[whereagles]

If I can trust pard to have splintered with a singleton heart, I would just bid 3NT, preferably right after 2♠

Otherwise I'll just use that 3♥ gadget, if available. If not, 4♦.

[Codo]

So 3 ♥ is asking/showing for a partial stopper?

Which partial stopper would you like to find out from partner?

Txx? Will partner bid 3 NT with this?

Kx? May you construct a hand for me, where 3 NT makes and 5 Diamond fails?

What else?

When I understood the given scenario correctly, partner showed 3+ spades and a stopper there. So the heart holdings he cannot have are Kxx or better.

So, he may have AK or Ax. Now these are holdungs, where you may play better in 3 NT then in 5 diamonds.

Can you bring partner to bid 3 NT with Ax but not with Kx? I cannot.

[H_KARLUK]

Scoring: IMP

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[Gerben42]

3♥ sounds about right. Looking at the full hand, good one for a weak NT.

1NT - 3NT on a ♠ lead, you win the Q in dummy and try to sneak through a ♦, even if the ♦A wins this trick, his partner with JT tight couldn't signal for a ♥ switch.

[Codo]

... so you have 3 spade tricks, one sneaky diamond and then you play the club for 5 tricks?
Of course IRL even after a diamond continuation you will still make 3 NT quite often against lazy opps.

[jdonn]

Gerben42, on May 8 2009, 04:19 AM, said:

3♥ sounds about right. Looking at the full hand, good one for a weak NT.

1NT - 3NT on a ♠ lead, you win the Q in dummy and try to sneak through a ♦, even if the ♦A wins this trick, his partner with JT tight couldn't signal for a ♥ switch.

Unless they play any version of smith echo. Or coded honor leads and lead the ten. Really I think it's just an unlucky hand, you can't avoid getting to game and going down.

[Phil]

Stopping below game with 28 combined is the stuff of CTC and relay nerds.

Agree with 3♥. Does it ASK for a partial stopper or SHOW a partial stopper?

At first I thought the trick was to get to 4♠ on the presumed 4-2 LOL.

[jdonn]

Phil, on May 8 2009, 10:47 AM, said:

Stopping below game with 28 combined is the stuff of CTC and relay nerds.

Agree with 3♥. Does it ASK for a partial stopper or SHOW a partial stopper?

At first I thought the trick was to get to 4♠ on the presumed 4-2 LOL.

Yes, partner really had AKT9 xx KJxx Kxx and diamonds were 2-2.