[bd71]

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2/1. Matchpoints.

You hate your soft values, but partner has now forced to game. What's your best bid/approach?

[billw55]

With the minors solidly controlled, 3NT seems clear. If partner has extra shape (55, 65, etc) he can bid again.

[Zelandakh]

Can you give us a clue what the second option you are considering might be.

[bd71]

Zelandakh, on 2013-June-26, 08:08, said:

Can you give us a clue what the second option you are considering might be.

3N and 4H seems like the possibilities.

[wyman]

3N is beyond clear imo.

But if you were thinking about 4H because of your HHx and stiff spade (which I think is well-intentioned even if wrong), I definitely think this is the wrong hand to do it on. You have all these soft values in the minors; taking 9 is going to be easier than 10, and at least in NT, you have choices of where you develop your 9 tricks. Visualize the defense. Where are their 5 coming from? Everyplace they start cashing tricks ends up developing tricks for you. And if they aren't cashing, they're giving up a tempo to you to develop your tricks.

My impression is that if you want to write a hand down where you'd consider 4H over 3N on this shape, you ideally want either quick tricks in the minors and small cards in hearts (to take spade ruffs in hand) -- the canonical one being something like x / xxx / Axxxx / Axxx -- or you want something like x / AKx / xxxxx / xxxx, where your plan will be to reverse dummy and take a bunch of ruffs in partner's short minor.

But your hand has NT written all over it.

[Fluffy]

slow stoppers -> NT
fast stoppers -> trump


I would bid 4♥ because I play 3♥ as 5-5+, but if it can be a 5-4 it is obvious to bid 3NT