[hammberry]

I posted this on the Usenet, but perhaps you could help:

Matchpoints, vul against not
North: A53, K, AKQ742, A83
South: K62, J8543, J63, Q4
Our bidding: (North dealt)
1D 1H
3C 3H
4H All pass

South believed that showing the 5 hearts was routine,
and that North should have tried 3S over 3H.
North hated to raise on a singleton, but was unsure of
nine fast tricks for 3NT.

Please discuss alternatives. We don't have a clear
understanding of responder's rebids after opener's
jump shift.

(Truscott suggests that 1D-1H; 3C-3H shows "?6+" hearts)

[the hog]

A number of points -
I really dislike the 3C bid. It would serve opener right to hear 5C now. Do not bid non existent suits. Why not play that a 2NT rebid is a balanced or unbalanced game force?

3H is a very poor bid. South has an easy 3D bid and now Nth can either bid 3NT or 3S to ask for a stopper. I have some sympathies with 4H, as South's H suit should be significantly better than this.

[inquiry]

It;s matchpoints. Just bid 3NT over 1♥. Sure you might not make 9 tricks, but after your forcing 3♣, you are not stopping short of game anyway. Let the type of scoring dictate your bidding.

Ben

PS. I am not fond of 3♣ either. And having heard 3♣ i would never dream of rebidding that ratty five card heart suit.

[LH2650]

I support the 3C rebid, since anything else is gambling, given your system constraints, but why didn't South rebid 3 diamonds? Seems automatic. North will bid 3 hearts if he has 3, and 3N on this hand. Neither partner should move above 3N (e.g. responder raises clubs) unless enough values have been shown to give a reasonable play for slam.

[flytoox]

3C is ok. I would rate 4H as the worst bid.

[kgr]

I play:
1D-1H-2NT: 18-19HCP and balanced
1D-1H-3NT: 18-19HCP and 6 card D
So: the bidding would be 1D-1H-3NT
After:
1D-1H-3C I would bid either 3NT or 3S. 3S is 4SF and asks for Heart support (for 4H) or a spade stop for 3NT.
Maybe 3S is best here. It keeps option of 4H open and if partner has nothing in Spade and can not bid 3NT, then maybe we don't want to be in 3NT.

[Fluffy]

flytoox, on Jan 22 2005, 10:47 AM, said:

3C is ok. I would rate 4H as the worst bid.

I disagree, 4♥ is the best to me (besides 1♦ and 1♥).

I never bid jump suits with 3 cards, but I know that hand has a problem, 3NT is the standard aproach, althou I play 2NT may be unbalance, I play that singleton in partner's suit is ruled out, still stiff K may be worth 2 cards.

3♥ is the worst of all IMO, it is a clear mistake to rebid any 5 card suit opposite an unbalanced hand, if you have fit partner is willing to show his 3 card fit, rebidding a suit is reserved for the cases when you have good 6 card suits or 7.

[pclayton]

If you are going to choose between 3♣ and 3N, I like 3N. By the way, I'd open this hand 2N which leads to a quiet 3N.

If you are going to bid 3♣ at round 2, at least bid 3N over 3♥. 4♥ is really hanging partner. If pard has: xxx, QJT9xx, x, Kxx (the hand you fear for 3N), pard should bid 4♥, not 3.