[han]

Fragment, often a 3-1-5-4 shape. With most other other opener can bid naturally (3-card support: bid 2H, 5-5 in the minors: bid 3C, 6-4 in the minors: bid 3D).

Playing this as a stopper ask seems really wrong. 2S as a fragment should have worked out really well on the actual hand.

[mikeh]

twcho, on Jan 25 2007, 11:11 AM, said:

Very nice and detail explanation by Ben. I am taken by it. The NS hand was:

No So
1♦ 1♥
2♣ 2♦
2♠ 3♠
3N

---

I held south hand and after 2♠, which I took it as stopper asking, I tried 3♠ intend to show 4 cards raise and my pd end in 3NT and I was happy to pass. Luckily this hand we still have an happy ending in that although opp find the ♥ lead, it broke 44 and subsequently my pd guessed ♦Q to make the contract.

Clearly, 4♠ or 5♦ is a more superior contract. How should we arrive at the par contract? Was my choice of 1♥ bid an ill one?

North was minimum for the 2♠ bid, but there is no law against being minimum . South was full values for 3♠... and it was a very good description of his hand: while 2♠ might be on 2254 or 3154, S wants to be in game opposite either, and the beauty of 3♠ is that it tells opener that responder is happy to lay down dummy in a moysian (4-3) suit contract.

North presumably either failed to appreciate this (thinking that S had made an error of some kind) or was worried that his trump were not good enough. He has a tough call, but i think he should trust partner... not that 4♠ is a dream contract.

South cannot pull 3N: opener might be xx Ax AQJxx AKxx as an example... now pulling is going to look really silly.

So S bid very well indeed, North not so well, and the partnership survived: well done.

[Al_U_Card]

SoTired, on Jan 25 2007, 09:14 AM, said:

I disagree with others... I think this is a 3-card suit, and opener patterned out.
It is forcing one round (responder can't pass), but not game-forcing

If opener is say 17 hcp and 2254 and no spade stopper, opener bids 3D not 2S.

This I agree with, the strict minimum requirement for asking pard if he wants to play in the 4-3 S fit that might exist as well as indicating with the right 8 or 9 hcp that game is "in the cards". (Responder could easily be 4432 or 4423 and bid the same.) The bid is not forcing for me, but highly invitational.)

[pclayton]

1. 2♠ shows a fragment. There are other bids available for a hand that wasn't strong enough to jump shift. With Mike's example of xx, Ax, AQJxx, AKxx, 3♦ is indicated I think.

2. On the actual hand, I don't think sitting for 3N is right. You might try a space-age 4♥ choice of games / Bluhmer bid, or just a straightforward 4♠. The problem with 4♠ is that 5♦ is better opposite sometime like: xxx, Q, AQJxx, AKQx.

[brianshark]

I originally felt very strongly that 2♠ should be a stopper ask rather than a fragment, but on reflection, and reading certain people's analysis, I've been convinced. Particularly because the raise to 3♦ does the job of asking for the stopper.