[jeffford76]

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What's your call?

Spoiler

If you bid 4♠, then 5♣ is bid on your left and it comes back around. Now what?

[mike777]

3c

[PhilKing]

It's quite common to play 2NT here as 9+ with 4+ trumps, and this looks a good hand for the method.

[phikappaph]

 PhilKing, on 2013-November-17, 13:36, said:

It's quite common to play 2NT here as 9+ with 4+ trumps, and this looks a good hand for the method.

More of a question than an answer to follow. I have played a lot of robot 4 handed bridge and notice that the program often uses a raise in the opponents' bid suit to show at least 4 trump support and solid points. I assume the raise in the club suit rather than a raise in partner's suit is to show the amount of trump support and the points, something a simple raise in spades would leave to some guessing by partner.

But my question is regarding your bid of 2 NT, and I am assuming East has five clubs, are you telling East you have a stopper or partial stopper in clubs? Are you asking partner to bid if he does not have a stopper in clubs? Are you assuming East has only four clubs and you can weather those suit losers?

I ask this because of the many, many games I have played and lost in NT due to a single or partial only stopper in the opponents' suit. And I never seem to get it right. Thanks.

[nigel_k]

I would not jump to 4♠ with no shortage. The law is poor at any level but gets worse as you go higher, and we have no idea how many trumps they have anyway. I would just bid 3♣ and pass 3♠ from partner.

Spoiler

It's a guess, but I would double.

[paulg]

I would show a 4-card spade raise to the three-level. Jumping, or committing, to four spades looks too much.

[akhare]

With the bland shape, make the call that shows a mixed raise with 4+ trumps.

[jeffford76]

 akhare, on 2013-November-18, 10:28, said:

With the bland shape, make the call that shows a mixed raise with 4+ trumps.

You don't have a mixed raise available. Rightly or wrongly, 3♣ is limit+ and 2NT is natural.

[nige1]

 jeffford76, on 2013-November-17, 11:58, said:

What's your call?

Spoiler

If you bid 4♠, then 5♣ is bid on your left and it comes back around. Now what?

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IMO

• Over 2♣, 2N (good 4+card raise) = 10,3♣ (UCB) = 8, 4♠ (Pre-emptive) = 7.
• If you bid 4♠ and LHO bids 5♣ passed to you, then Double = 10, 5♠ = 8.
• If you bid 2N or 3♣ and LHO bids 5♣ passed to you, then 5♠ = 10, Double = 9, Pass = 8 (becaue partner's pas suggests action).
• If you bid 2N or 3♣, partner bids 4♠ and RHO bids 5♣ then Pass (Not forcing but suggesting action) = 10, Double = 9, 5♠ = 8

[JLOGIC]

Yeah just show a limit raise, there is less advantage than normal in blasting since they are unlikely to have much of a guess on what to true (it's true LHO could have a hand that wants to invite partner to bid 5C and 4S takes it away, but it seems unlikely based on my actual hand).

Compared to bidding like 1S p 4S playing precision which I'd be all for since LHO is more likely to face a tough decision.

[jeffford76]

The table was the spoilered auction - I bid 4♠ and LHO bid 5♣ down one doubled. If you bid 3♣ they'll most likely play and make 4♣. Of course had they chosen better over 4♠ I'd have been -500.

[JLOGIC]

Pressure bidding wins again even when it's bad if everyone knows all the hands... well done.