[jillybean]

Hi,

What is 4nt in this auction and how do you respond?
Pickup partner - sayc

tyia
jb

Dealer: East Vul: None Scoring: IMP

♠ A94 ♥ AJ92 ♦ AKT96 ♣ 3

West North East South

 -     -     3♣    Dbl
 Pass  4NT   Pass  ? 

[Walddk]

Unusual, two places to play, at least 5-5 and often even more shapely. Could be diamonds and hearts or both majors. Assume the red suits and respond accordingly. Partner will correct to hearts if he has the majors.

On the actual hand, to make things simple, I would respond 6♦, pass or correct. I am prepared to play 6♥ if partner has hearts and spades. A more sophisticated way of responding is 5♣ to cater for diamonds and spades with advancer, but you need a firm agreement here.

I would not venture 5♣, or even 6♣, with a pick-up partner. You may find it impossible, but I am sure some would take it as natural. He/she may even pass 6♦ although he/she has the majors, but it would be illogical.

Stanger things have happened though.

Roland

[jillybean]

Great, so far so good - the bidding continues...

Dealer: North Vul: None Scoring: IMP

♠ QJ3 ♥ Q743 ♦ QJ873 ♣ 4

West North East South

 -     3♣    Dbl   Pass
 4NT   Pass  5♦    Dbl
 5♠    Pass  ?  


Now what? I bid..

Spoiler

6spades

[jillybean]

Great, so far so good - the bidding continues...

West North East South

 -     3♣    Dbl   Pass
 4NT   Pass  5♦    Dbl
 5♠    Pass  ?  


I bid 6♠

Here's the full hand

Scoring: IMP

---

[neilkaz]

I don't care for ur PD's 4NT with that hand and would think that 4C followed by 4S would do a better job of expressing this hand which looks just like a mild slam invite. (noting that I compete very aggressively vs 3m preempts and could have an ace less than you do. )

Anyhow..did 6S work out ? It looks a little dodgy to me.

On the sequence given you have a routine raise to 6S.

So for me..after PD's 4C I'd bid 4D..and then when he shows a bit too much for a direct 4S by bidding 4S now, I think slam has good chances and launch into 1430.

4NT-5H (2 no Q) and now I have to guess, but looking at club ruffs in my hand, D's that may be runnable and potentially useful H's along with the fact that PD may have more than 5 spades, I'll carry on to 6S.

What is the opp doing doubling 5D with no better than QJ(and some spots) on this auction ?

I see silly doubles like this all the time and all it does is erode partnership confidence when a true lead directing double (or even sac suggesting dbl) is made as well as granting the opps the option to pass it around and potentially aiding declarer's play.

Others may play that 4C followed by 4S means something different.

Just my opinion .. neilkaz ..

[Walddk]

I don't understand 4NT, and I don't understand 5♠ now. Either he bids 4♠ over the double, or if he thinks he is too good for that, 4♣ followed by 4♠ (slam invitational).

In my opinion the hand isn't worth more than 4♠ opposite a normal take-out double.

Roland

[helene_t]

I think 4NT was quanti. Two-suiters could start with 4♣. If you want 4♣ to promise both majors, you could play 4♦ as a sort of Leaping Michael's here.

[neilkaz]

Some of you don't play with as many pickups as I do (I think).

Most SAYC pickup that I play with would honestly intend 4NT to be Blackwood.

This is a big overbid on this hand and hangs PD if the takeout dbl was made at all aggressively.

If my ace of D were the 2 (and especially the 2 of S making me 4441) I'd still double 3C. So, for me, holding responder's hand, I just jump to 4S, but if he wants to show a somewhat stronger hand, he should Q 4C first and then bid 4S.

So... how did 6S fare ? .. neilkaz ..

[jillybean]

6♠-2

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     3♣    Dbl
 Pass  4NT   Pass  5♦
 Dbl   5♠    Pass  6♠
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

D4 DA D3 D5
D6 D7 S2 D2
H5 H8 HJ HQ
DJ S5 S7 D9
HT H2 H3 HK
S6 S8 SA S3
S4 SJ SK C2
H6 C5 HA H4
H9 H7 C8 C6
C3 C4 CA C7
C9 CK S9 SQ
D8

[FrancesHinden]

In a pickup partnership I would assume 4NT was straight blackwood. Whenever anyone bids 4NT against me on that sort of auction they always mean to ask for aces.

In my regular partnerships 4NT is natural, non forcing, invitational. Two suiters all start with a cue bid. But we have explicitly discussed this auction.

[hatchett]

I agree with FrancesHinden. I would expect 4NT to be straight B/W in a pick-up and two suiters to begin with 4♣.