[cnszsun]

Scoring: IMP

1♦-(2♥)-?

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Double, 3NT, 3H or else?

[P_Marlowe]

3NT.

In short, I know what I wanna play, game,
I have a stopper (i.e. no need to ask), I only
have 3 spades (i.e. no neg. dbl).

With regards
Marlowe

[Dwingo]

I prefer 3♥ to the 3NT with 1 stopper, which will get knocked out on the lead.

I would strive to right side the 3NT and if I am in a mood, I might dish out 3♣, hoping that partner would also strive to play in 3NT with ♥Qxx and not raise you to 4♣.

If he bids a major, you can always get back to 3NT.
If he bids 4♣, you get back to 4♦.
If he bids 3♦, you try once more with 3♥ ( partially check).

[Gerben42]

Often the solution is to ask what NOT to bid.

3NT can't be right. Partner will pass that with

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and you should try to reach at least 6♦ opposite that.

What about Dbl? Partner will bid 2♠ or 3♣ even with a stopper, after all you were asking about suits. You can follow that up with 3♥, of course, but what have you learned?

3♥.

[whereagles]

Without any particular agreements, I'd bid a practical 3NT.

With a pet pard I'd try dbl + 3NT unless pard shows some extras.

[P_Marlowe]

Gerben42, on Apr 23 2007, 07:28 AM, said:

Often the solution is to ask what NOT to bid.

3NT can't be right. Partner will pass that with

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and you should try to reach at least 6♦ opposite that.

What about Dbl? Partner will bid 2♠ or 3♣ even with a stopper, after all you were asking about suits. You can follow that up with 3♥, of course, but what have you learned?

3♥.

And sometimes partner does not hold a stopper,
i.e. 3H will give him a headache about what to
bid, and after lots of thinking he will by pass 3NT.
He may hold Qxx, but he may also hold only
xxx.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[inquiry]

What is needed here is a forcing Diamond raise. It is not clear how you might accomplish this. You could play 2NT as part of Good/Bad lebehnshol type bid. The auction then would be

1♦-(2♥)-2NT*-(Pass)
3♣-(Pass)-3NT

To suggest diamond fit and slam possibility, but willingness to signoff in 3NT. Others play this auction as "clubs" and a slam try. I would just bid a forcing 3♣ with that kind of hand.

Or perhaps,

1♦-(2♥)-2NT*-(Pass)
3♥-(Pass)-3NT

This second auction appoposed to a direct 3♥ bid. How do you play those differently?

Of course, 2NT "natural" here is a valuable tool as well. To use 2NT as anything ofther than natural is to waste a potentially useful bid. I happen to play 2NT in many partnerships as a very weak DIAMOND raise or (same bid) a GF diamond raise. Playing it that way, the bidding would be...

1♦-(2♥)-2NT-(Pass)
3♦-(Pass)-3♥

Now you are positioned to right side the contract in NT some of the time, you have shown your huge diamond fit, your GF values, and the auction has a chance to go right. This treatment of 2NT being weak or strong raise (3♦ being the other) of course leaves a below 3♥ cue-bid available for them so is not without risk you are weak. So school is still out on its effectiveness. If you directly bid 3♦ when weak the next hand has to decide to bid 3H or 4H when he has support, he can not illicit help from his partner with the 3♦ cue-bid. Fortunately, many play 3♦ as a cue-bid showing control and often GF on these auctions, so the use as a game try is overlooked. But against good players, I think this 2NT as weak support has to be revisited.

[mike777]

cnszsun, on Apr 23 2007, 06:43 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

1♦-(2♥)-?

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Double, 3NT, 3H or else?

tough problem, will try 3nt.

If opener has Gerben's hand I think he has to rebid something, I bid 3nt when opener could have so much much less. I would try 4nt now as opener.

tough problem.

[Codo]

There are some *sohl systems which can show this hand type (no four spades, one hard stopper) exactly.
F.E.
... (2 ♥) 2 NT 3 ♣ 3 NT shows a good stopper
... (2 ♥) 3 NT shows half a stopper (Qx or so normally)
... (2 ♥) 3 HEart denies a stopper

Without this agreement, I would bid 3 ♥ at imps intending to bid 5 Diamond after pd denies a stopper.

[bid_em_up]

3H. Nothing else even comes close.

[pclayton]

I'm fine with 3♥ or 3N. In spite of our crappy stopper, we can shut out RHO with our Axx. With Ax, I'd be a lot more concerned. The big problem with 3♥ is that pard will usually be endplayed into 4♦; unless we play a 3♠ gadget that substitutes for a western Q over 3♥.

I suppose you could figure a sensible lebensohl structure here. I think lebensohl really makes a lot of sense playing a weak NT, since we would like to compete as if pard has a 15-17 NT (which is a frequent hand type in this auction).

The hand has some potential though. Playing a 12-14 NT, I'd bid 3♥, since if pard has an unbalanced hand with diamonds, I can sensible explore 6♦.

Playing a strong NT, I'd content myself with 3N, hoping pard can take another call with a max.

[drinbrasil]

cnszsun, on Apr 23 2007, 11:43 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

1♦-(2♥)-?

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Double, 3NT, 3H or else?

If partner have Qx in hearts you want play 3NT from his hand (but he wont bid it after 3♥), if he have singleton you want be in 5-6 diamonds, so i would try 3H (in very luck day will find he with Kx or Qxx). If he have normal hand with 4-2-4-3 for example, without stopper, and bad hand, maybe he bids 3♠ and i will try 3NT, if he dont have spades, so probabily 5 diamonds, i will be not so bad in 5♦....this without any agreement about 2NT bid.

[Apollo81]

3NT.

If the overcall was 1♥ then I would certainly prefer 2♥ to an immediate notrump bid. However, here if we bid 3♥ then we run the risk of partner either bypassing 3NT when it is the best contract or failing to sit when it goes 3s-3NT. In fact, a very similar hand occurred in one of my GNOT matches where this exact thing happened.

If I had 3244 shape with the same high cards then I would bid 3♥.