[calm01]

http://tinyurl.com/7wtq7c3

[barmar]

IMO, the only questionable bid in the auction was East's 4♥ -- I think lots of humans would have bid 3N. However, on this hand, 3NT looks like it goes down as well. Misfits suck.

GIB bid this because its 3♥ bid showed 6+, but not such a good suit. With a suit that will play OK opposite a singleton, we prefer to bid the suit once more.

West bid 4♠ because 4♥ only promised a twice rebiddable suit. That's what West has as well, so it has no reason to think East's suit is better than his, and it knows East can't have worse trump support than it does. And the hand DOES play a trick better in 4♠ than 4♥ (the old guideline that it's better to play in the long suit of the weaker hand), because it can pitch losers on the good ♥.

[calm01]

I have asked three partners and they all said, in different words, that they would consider any of the their partners who did not pass 3H in a blink would be having a very poor day.

he sequence:

1H 1S
3H

asks the following question:

[barmar]

calm01, on 2012-January-23, 18:43, said:

I have asked three partners and they all said, in different words, that they would consider any of the their partners who did not pass 3H in a blink would be having a very poor day.

That's probably because their standards for the 3♥ bid are lower than GIB's. Human players often bid it on decent 15 counts, and less with 7-card suits. GIB's opener jump rebids are just short of the strength for a jump shift, so responder should keep the auction open with most non-minimums.

[calm01]

I have asked four partners and they all said, albeit in very different words, that they would consider any of the their partners who did not pass 3H in a blink would be having a very poor day.

The sequence:

1H 1S
3H

asks the following questions:

a) if you have 2 or more hearts (or a high honour and 10 or more mostly Ace/King based points) bid on to game or better in hearts or NT,
b) if you have 1 poor heart, 10 or more points (to compensate for communication issues) and a partial stop or better in both minors try 3NT,
c) if you are strong enough bid 3S to show 6 good spades & tolerance for hearts - here this means 1 card or show me a second suit at the four level,
d) if you have a complete misfit (no hearts) then devalue your hand by at least 4 points.

On this basis a holding of:

AQ7432
-
10952
Q92

is devalued to 4 points and so qualifies only for pass.

All my partners polled were unanimous is passing 3H without any qualms even when I suggested that one opponent had bid on.

Why would you even consider 3N with a misfit and no real playing strength in spades and no guarantee of a stop in a minor? Why would you rebid such ragged spades without a safe home in 4H?

Where are 8, let alone 9 tricks coming from in NT?

Can you stand 4H?