[Echognome]

Scoring: MP

(3♣) - X - (P) - ?

---

What is your bidding plan?

[mike777]

3NT at MP

4D at Imps.

[hrothgar]

I'm bidding 4♦

I have a very powerful hand and am willing to try for slam

[hrothgar]

mike777, on Aug 23 2006, 01:06 AM, said:

3NT at MP

4D at Imps.

Stiff Ace does not recommend 3N, even at MPs

If you're leery about a Diamond contract, cue bid clubs

[Blofeld]

4♦ feels right, even at MP.

[Gerben42]

4♦. If the ♣A were not stiff I'd be game for 3NT but the odds are against me now.

[the hog]

4D with the other posters and for the same reasons. Stiff Ace puts a 3NT bid out of the question.

[kenrexford]

The answer depends upon whether I get to use pet agreements or not. LOL

If the answer is "No damned pets here," I go with 4D.

If I get to be cute...

After 3C-X-P, I like 3D as a Herbert Negative. This serves a number of purposes, at the cost of an occasional 4D contract or inferior major-suit 3-level escape. It gains in the following respects:

(1) an immediate 3H/3S is now constructive/invitational
(2) 3D, then 3NT, asks for a second club stopper (a viable option here).
(3) 3D, then 4C, is a strong major checkback (slammish), as opposed to the immediate 4C, which simply shows game-only interest.

There are other benefits to the one loss.

With this tool, I bid 3D. If partner accepts this relay (3H), I bid 3NT and respect his decision, at any form of scoring. If he declines, I take this as good news for a possible diamond slam and switch gears. 4H will be taken as RKCB for assumed diamonds (by any partner who agrees to play that 3D is a Herbert Negative).

[whereagles]

This is a very unusual hand, where you're put to a difficult guess. Pard seems to have some club length, making it possible that he has something like a 4423 and 5 in a major less likely.

I won't bid 4♦ because that puts all my eggs in one basket and leave pard in trouble if he does have only 2 diamonds.

Think I'll try 4♣ here. Slam is a long shot and the moysian fit rates to play well. Besides, my weak diamonds are a bad omen to play in that suit unless pard comes up with AKQ. And if pard does have something like a 5413/4513, he'd be delighted to hear 4♣.

[FrancesHinden]

hrothgar, on Aug 22 2006, 11:10 PM, said:

I'm bidding 4♦

I have a very powerful hand and am willing to try for slam

Unless you have special agreements, 4D isn't usually played as forcing.

[SoTired]

FrancesHinden, on Aug 23 2006, 06:13 AM, said:

hrothgar, on Aug 22 2006, 11:10 PM, said:

I'm bidding 4♦

I have a very powerful hand and am willing to try for slam

Unless you have special agreements, 4D isn't usually played as forcing.

It is possible that partner squeezed out a double on a 4432 12-count and may pass 4D. That is OK. Otherwise, partner will not pass and we might find slam. If partner bids 5D, I pass. I will take any 4M bid as a q-bid looking for diam slam and I will bid 5C. Since I have no trump honors, I will pass 5D and bid 6D over a second 5M q-bid.

[ArcLight]

>It is possible that partner squeezed out a double on a 4432 12-count

Would most people double with that?
I thought you needed a better hand to double a 3 level bid.
More like 15 points or some corresponding shape.

What if the preemptors pard has a good hand? You are going to the 3 level without shape or high cards and may be done quite a few.

[whereagles]

ArcLight, there's a school of thought that says you should deal with 2 and 3 level preempts as if the opening had been at the 1 level.

Meaning, if you had a take-out double of 1♣, you should still make that take-out double if opps bid 3♣ preemptive. That's the case of your 4432 with 12 hcp. Heck, I would even double with a 4423

[Apollo81]

Echognome, on Aug 22 2006, 05:56 PM, said:

Scoring: MP

(3♣) - X - (P) - ?

---

What is your bidding plan?

4♣, planning to pass 4M (or raise ♦)

This hand has too much for a NF 4♦, however encouraging it may be. 3NT seems silly - it is hard to construct a hand consistent with the double where this is right. (most such hands should instead overcall 3NT)

[keylime]

4♣. The 4-3 moysian game may be the only one in town, and it caters to any five card major that pard has.

3NT is begging for a double from RHO.

[Al_U_Card]

When you believe you have game, make the bid that will ensure that you get there, so 4C it is, as described by Apollo81 above....no other choice.....

[Echognome]

I don't have partner's exact hand on me, but I remember it was something like:

♠AQxx
♥AQxxx
♦x
♣Qxx

I happened to choose the game route and bid 4♣ then passed partner's 4♥. I figured that the moysian might play well with ruffs in the short hand and since that this was MP we should strive to play in 4M. Little did I know how well this would work out.

If you don't like partner's double (and partner himself wasn't too fond of it), then presumably you will have to find game after 3♣ comes back to you. Do you balance with a double or with 3♦? I can see getting to 4♥ after balancing with double. It might not be as easy after 3♦.

[Apollo81]

keylime, on Aug 23 2006, 01:21 PM, said:

3NT is begging for a double from RHO.

I think 3NT begs for a passout. Why should they double when you can make (potentially) any higher suit contract?

[Blofeld]

I don't like partner's double. I'd overcall 3♥ or pass with that hand. Reaching 4♥ is pretty easy either way: either I raise or I balance with 3♦, over which partner bids 3♥ and I add a fourth.

[cherdano]

Playing with myself, I suppose the auction would go pass-double-4H.

I am not sure I would manage to pass with the 4513 hand (but I think it is right, and I would rather overcall 3H then double), but I am sure I would balance with a double, not 3D. Double has just a lot more upside.

Arend