[gwnn]

1H-(2S)-p-p

favourable imps. LHO alerts 2S on BBO as "strong!" both traditionally and to the table chat. he really really means it's strong.

oh yes your hand

x
AKQJTxxx
Ax
xx

[kenrexford]

3NT.

Goofy people who announce 2S proudly as STRONG will never lead their own suit unless they have five or more cashing tricks, because they will believe me. If they have five or more cashing tricks, they double.

So, if 3NT is passed out, I'll get a diamond or heart lead.

If 3NT is doubled, I'll bid 4♥.

[peachy]

He might mean that the spades are really really strong.
No matter what happened at this hand, or what the opponent turned out to have, I would make this my last hand against that opponent. I bid 3H and prepare to pack for the move...

[gwnn]

they really meant it was strong, I didn't want to ask if 2S was forcing or not but maybe I should have:)

[jjbrr]

I think he's bluffing. 4♥

[jdonn]

3♠, I'm STRONG too!

[whereagles]

3♠, yes.

[jjbrr]

3♠ asking for stopper or are you just showing a good hand?

4♥ also shows STRONG imo.

[jdonn]

I don't believe 4♥ shows quite this STRONG. It's just my gut feeling since who among us has found themselves in this situation before?

[aguahombre]

I really like the in-your-face 3S.

[olliebol]

double for take out and lets see where this leads

[olliebol]

Yes i know this is completely flippant but this seems to transfer the problem to my partner something the outrageous mr Rexford didnt succeed to do:)

[Codo]

4 ♥shows a hand this strong....

[jdonn]

If you say so.

[Codo]

jdonn, on Mar 24 2010, 05:28 PM, said:

If you say so.

Just to please you ...

[gwnn]

Whatever you do, LHO bids 4S as expected, passed around to you. Now?

[jjbrr]

jdonn, on Mar 23 2010, 05:34 PM, said:

I don't believe 4♥ shows quite this STRONG. It's just my gut feeling since who among us has found themselves in this situation before?

I agree with your second sentence, so the rest of this post is pretty pointless in the real world. However, I'm a bit surprised you find this hand that STRONG in the context of this auction. You could easily have the ace of clubs to go with the hand you have, and that, in my mind, is more consistent with a hand that you want to suggest to partner that something bizarre is going on.

I think it's obvious with a hand weaker than the one we have that we have to respect the 2♠ bidder and hope they just missed a game. I think we're just barely strong enough to say "Eat it. 4♥" while still having some protection against us balancing them into their cold game. To me, then, 3♠ is a hand in the ballpark of saying "2♠ really was the limit for them, we need to be in game." I don't think the actual hand suffices.

However, opponents who do stupid stuff like bid 2♠ strong frequently do so on hands like ♠AKQJ and an outside ace and 4432 shape or something crazy. So maybe catering to that group of psychos is best, in which case I agree 3♠ probably describes this hand best.

After 4♠ by lefty, I think I'd just pass. Did dummy put down like 4 trumps? lol

[jdonn]

I could have x AKQJTxxx Ax Ax??? Uhhhh could I also have A AKQJTxxx AK AJ? Because apparently I just never open 2♣!

But partner how could you not bid slam for me. You had the KQ of a minor and out, don't you know that's slam?

[jjbrr]

x AKQJTxx Ax Axx then? Whatever, I'm not going to argue about what is and isn't a 2♣ opener. If you think this is the strongest hand we could possibly have on this auction, then your point is fine.

[jdonn]

Well that's different (and may also be a 2 club opener anyway) but I take "the ace of clubs to go with the hand you have" as changing a low card in the x AKQJTxxx Ax xx hand to the ace. Sorry if I misinterpreted.