[jillybean]

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Givem the restrictions, is there any possible improvement ?

[mike777]

 jillybean, on 2026-January-29, 21:14, said:

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Givem the restrictions, is there any possible improvement ?

I think South is good enough for a three card limit raise so start with XX

If not, then easily worth a constructive raise so start with an artificial 2H

North has an easy game raise

[mw64ahw]

Both underbid just calculate your modified losers.
South is worth a 3-card limit raise and I'd bid 4♠ opposite a simple raise with the North hand.

Also may be better to use Kokish 3-way game tries and ask for trump help.
2N: reverse help suit try
3♣: asks for trump honours
Higher: splinter, don't bid 3♠ as a ♣ splinter when to you want to force to game.

After 3♣
3♦ none or Ace, 3♥ asks
3♥ K
3♠ Q
With 2 honours you can control bid in case opener has a slam going hand.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

South has a max, why does he not accept?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[DavidKok]

I would rebid 4♠ as North. South did well to judge the value of their hand despite the low LTC and high HCP.

My personal style has been to reduce the number of game tries I use. The mathematics is firmly against invitational sequences. Computer simulations agree. And my experience does too, especially in a strong field where every leaked bit of information matters. I think making an invitational bid with the North hand is a decision that loses more than it gains, and I would jump to game instead for a number of reasons. I'll list the main one a bit further down.
This last part is very much subject to partnership agreement. Many people love their invitational sequences. My take is that this is demonstrably wasteful, and that these sequences are often misunderstood. In a more invite-welcoming environment I could well see the North hand being worth exactly an invite. However, I think 3♣ isn't a great description of the hand, and it puts South on the wrong foot. North doesn't exactly need help in clubs, and red suit values do pull their weight. This makes it difficult for South to guess right. A 5-5 with some quick tricks is difficult to describe below the 3♠-level. For an invitation to win partner has to successfully diagnose that we do not have game, and I think the 3♣ bid does not give partner enough information to get that decision right a sufficient fraction of the time.