[pclayton]

Scoring: MP

---

Matchpoints, good competition, decent field.

1♦ by you - 1♥ by pard, 2♥ by you, pass, pass, 2♠ balance on your right.

[whereagles]

Pass seems obvious, so why is this a problem?

[Walddk]

PASS. Didn't I show my hand when I bid 2♥? It can't be a complete shock for partner that I have 12 hcp and 4 hearts, so the rest must be up to him.

Roland

[luis]

Depends on how often I reply 2h with 3 cards. Since I never do that pass is quite automatic, but if I am a playe rthat often raises 1m-1M with 3 cards then there're some reasons to bid 3h based in my 4th trump.

Luis.

[flytoox]

I will bid 3H. We have 8-9 trumps, they have 7-8 trumps. Assume the total tricks are 16. If 2S goes down one, we can make 3H; if 3H goes down one, they can make 2S.

[Walddk]

flytoox, on Mar 2 2005, 02:48 PM, said:

I will bid 3H. We have 8-9 trumps

How many trumps do you think partner knows we have?

Roland

[mcphee]

How can anyone justify bidding again? Bottom line, it is not your decision to make with another bid. Any player bidding again should play for money,,,,,,,in MY game!

[HeartA]

I don't have any choice but pass.

[flytoox]

Walddk, on Mar 2 2005, 08:16 PM, said:

flytoox, on Mar 2 2005, 02:48 PM, said:

I will bid 3H. We have 8-9 trumps

How many trumps do you think partner knows we have?

Roland

2H doesnt promise 4 in 2/1 or Sayc, so pd and opps knows only that we have 7+.

[luke warm]

in a competitive auction, i believe in 1) passing unless i have a reason not to, 2) bidding on if i have a reason to (for example, a stiff or void heart or a trump p doesn't know about), or 3) doubling if my hand is better than i've shown thus far... to me, using these rules, this is a clear pass

[Free]

Pass, there is no real alternative imo

[shoeless]

Pard knows my hand. so will let him/her take care of business. If I bid anything other than pass, I misdescribe my hand.

[kgr]

flytoox, on Mar 2 2005, 11:21 PM, said:

Walddk, on Mar 2 2005, 08:16 PM, said:

flytoox, on Mar 2 2005, 02:48 PM, said:

I will bid 3H. We have 8-9 trumps

How many trumps do you think partner knows we have?

Roland

2H doesnt promise 4 in 2/1 or Sayc, so pd and opps knows only that we have 7+.

1D-1H-2H
This is always 4-card support for me. Opener can rebid 2C with 4-card, 2D with 6-card, 1S with 4-card and 1NT with 3=4=3=3. I don't see a need to support with 3-card here.

1C-1S-2S
3-card support much more likely now.

What is the standard on this?

[Walddk]

kgr, on Mar 3 2005, 03:48 AM, said:

This is always 4-card support for me. Opener can rebid 2C with 4-card, 2D with 6-card, 1S with 4-card and 1NT with 3=4=3=3. I don't see a need to support with 3-card here.

1C-1S-2S
3-card support much more likely now.

What is the standard on this?

If your hand is suitable for a raise with only 3 cards, you should raise. Example:

10
AJ4
KQ95
Q9754

1♣-1♥
2♥

In my opinion you should avoid rebidding the 5-card club suit unless it's pretty good. This one is not. I know that raising with only 3 is a major crime in France and Poland for instance, but I don't live there.

I would even raise to 2♥ with:

73
K105
KQJ
A10854

Many would rebid 1NT, but if NT is the right spot for us the contract is likely to be positionally wrong-sided.

If responder is strong enough to make a move, there is an excellent method for him/her to find out if the raise is based on 3- or 4-card support with or without shortage, and minimum or maximum within the 12-15 range.

Roland

[Fluffy]

Phil I think you are alone here, pass seems kidna obvious to me, but I try to avoid partnering with people who raise with 3 cards.

[pclayton]

This was an actual hand and I passed as well, for reasons that others have given. RHO made a very dicey balance on a 4=3=4=2 pattern and caught his pard with 4 card support. Its not at all unlikely that RHO has a decent 4 bagger on this auction, since he didn't overcall at the one level.

Its a little early to tell when RHO bids 2♠, but there is a very good chance that there are 16 trump on this auction. At this vulnerability, it is CORRECT to bid 3 over 2. If 2♠ is going set, we are +140. If 2♠ is making, 3♥ only costs -50 (-100 if they make an inspired dbl). The only real dangerous time to bid 3♥ is when they are +140; we go for -300.

Who should take the push to 3♥? If pard has five trump, its easy enough for him, even if he thinks we will frequently raise on 3. But give pard a more typical: xx, Qxxx, xxx, AQxx (which is close to what his actual was - he had ♣AJxx). I think its a bit much for him to take the push here, especially with the modern tendency to raise with 3 trump.

While I raise pard with 3 trump (I would with the hands Roland gave), it makes some competitive sequences more difficult, similar to what happens playing 4 card majors.

Last, what is double? A few months ago, I posted a hand where a double was rather rare (it was after the subject hand bid 1N, and RHO backed in and balanced). http://forums.bridge...?showtopic=4752 The general theme was that a double was penalty oriented, but promised a "safety valve" with delayed trump support in case partner needed to run.

While this hand doesn't qualify, I think a logical meaning of a double should show: KJx, AKxx, Qxxx, xx; penalty toward 2♠, but extra trump in case partner needs to bail out to 3♥.

[Walddk]

Fluffy, on Mar 3 2005, 07:34 AM, said:

but I try to avoid partnering with people who raise with 3 cards.

What a shame Fluffy. I would have asked you for a game, but I must look elsewhere then, because I gladly raise with 3 cards if my hand screams for it.

Roland

[han]

I would raise to 2H on the hands that Roland suggested, but I still think that pass is automatic. Bidding with this hands shows very little partnership trust.

[whereagles]

Walddk, on Mar 3 2005, 05:11 PM, said:

Fluffy, on Mar 3 2005, 07:34 AM, said:

but I try to avoid partnering with people who raise with 3 cards.

What a shame Fluffy. I would have asked you for a game, but I must look elsewhere then, because I gladly raise with 3 cards if my hand screams for it.

Roland

I'll gladly do so as well, though not with a balanced hand. I like moysian fits. They make me think!