[mike777]

---

Imps Both NV
East is dealer

(3H)=?

[jillybean]

3♠

[apollo1201]

Partner is unlikely to balance when I have so much strength, and might not even raise 3S to 4 even with a fit (picture Jxx and DA).

Passing (in the tempo allowed by the stop) is signing for sth around +150 and once in a blue moon a jackpot.

Bidding is signing for +140, sometimes a small minus, sometimes a much biggger one, but sometimes +420 or a jackpot.

Xing is calling for trouble.

Knowing our associates style could help (if they are conservative and won t open a K-high suit at the 3 level, we pretty much have to act).

Overall we seem to have more to gain than to lose by acting. And people at the club think I was a junior not so long ago.

[pescetom]

4♠ looks realistic to me (tough luck if partner could have found a reopening double of 3♥).

[jillybean]

4♠ could shut partner out, I don't want to end the auction

[Cyberyeti]

Is 3N completely ridiculous ?

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-November-01, 09:46, said:

4♠ could shut partner out, I don't want to end the auction

3♠ at this vulnerability could be KJTxxxx JTx T Qx.

[jillybean]

 pescetom, on 2026-November-01, 11:52, said:

3♠ at this vulnerability could be KTxxxxx JTx T QTx.

That's 4♠

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-November-01, 11:56, said:

That's 4♠

At IMPs?

[Cyberyeti]

jillybean, on 2026-November-01, 11:56, said:

That's 4♠

No it isn't, you don't preempt over a preempt

[P_Marlowe]

4S

I can understand 3NT, but I am unbal.

[P_Marlowe]

jillybean, on 2026-October-31, 20:57, said:

3♠

Do you expect p to raise with xxx in spades and 5HCP?

You have 18, the preemptor will have 7, 25HCP are accounted for,
you can distribute the remaining among the two other players.
The opener will have outside values, given the quality of his suit,
p will not be able to judge, that diamond values are useless,
try to go plus.

[jillybean]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-November-02, 04:53, said:

Do you expect p to raise with xxx in spades and 5HCP?

You have 18, the preemptor will have 7, 25HCP are accounted for,
you can distribute the remaining among the two other players.
The opener will have outside values, given the quality of his suit,
p will not be able to judge, that diamond values are useless,
try to go plus.

If the 5hcp is AJ, yes

[P_Marlowe]

jillybean, on 2026-November-02, 04:58, said:

If the 5hcp is AJ, yes

Ok, than ask, how weak could your 3S be.
If he regular raises, you will regular go down.

[DavidKok]

jillybean, on 2026-November-01, 11:56, said:

That's 4♠

Some old-timers will quote you something about preempting over preempting, but you are completely right.

[Cyberyeti]

DavidKok, on 2026-November-02, 11:41, said:

Some old-timers will quote you something about preempting over preempting, but you are completely right.

I was told you bid with weak hands over strong bids, and vice versa

[DavidKok]

I think competitive bidding these days is more shape-based, not strength-based. You bid with length of your own combined with shortage in their suit, and pass with length in their suit and no great length outside. Partner is supposed to shut up when you jump to game, not hang you with some random 14-count. Game before slam.

At least, that's my current way of looking at it. If this means bidding with a moderately weak hand over a preempt, so what? Reserving jump bids for very strong hands is wasteful anyway.

[bluenikki]

DavidKok, on 2026-November-02, 11:58, said:

I think competitive bidding these days is more shape-based, not strength-based. You bid with length of your own combined with shortage in their suit, and pass with length in their suit and no great length outside. Partner is supposed to shut up when you jump to game, not hang you with some random 14-count. Game before slam.

At least, that's my current way of looking at it. If this means bidding with a moderately weak hand over a preempt, so what? Reserving jump bids for very strong hands is wasteful anyway.

So you do not "budget" partner for some minimum strength? Then they never can know what is unbudgeted value.

[DavidKok]

Indeed. 'Game before slam' is short for saying that we want to have good tools for game bidding even at the cost of finding slams, simply because games are much more frequent and frankly the accuracy of even well-intended slam gadgets in competition is abysmal. Better to focus on finding the right games, even if that means sometimes partner will have to still their tongue with a strong hand simply because we're out of bidding space.

This miracle 'sufficient extras for slam' just does not come up enough, while I have these competitive issues maybe 3 times per club evening. Building agreements around it is, in my opinion, wasteful.

If you truly have massive extra values you can always jump to slam. Just be prepared to take responsibility if it's one or two off, especially if this has happened a few times before.