[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

(3♠) - X - (P) - ?

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This one came up recently playing on BBO.

Do you pass? Bid 3NT? 4 or 5 clubs?

If you do bid 3NT and RHO doubles would you run?

[pbleighton]

None of the above

I think 4H is best, with 5C very close.

4C is too weak for 10 hcp.

Pd for his bid is short in spades, so 3NT is out.

Peter

[mike777]

Let us assume partner has:

XX
AQXX
AKXX
JXX

OR

XX
AQXX
AKXXX
JX

We only get to pick one poison to sip

4H but 5c is very close.

Haha, I see someone just beat me to the cup. edit.

[flytoox]

I vote for pass. Miles might say 3N is the right bid. But after RHO's dbl, I defintiely will run, perhaps exceed the speed limit:)

4H may win occasionally, but I dont want to be smart.

5C is another practical choice. I give it 8/10.

[Fluffy]

I'd bid 5♣ rather than 4♥ (I dislike 3-3 fits ).

3NT is not an option, unless the double was a penalty one .

[Free]

4♥, I love 3-3 fits

[ochinko]

I bid 5C, but this is a matter of understanding. Our takeout double promisses at least 3 cards in the remaining suits, so perhaps 4H is better if I play with a random partner.

To your last question: I know one star player who routinely tries 3NT in similar cases, then runs if doubled

Petko

[bestguru]

I dreamt about this hand last night. I was sitting at the table sweating trying to remember what we had agreed to do over partners double of 3 level preempts. Eventually I decided that it must have been that suit buids showed six card suits and 3nt denied a six card suit which most likely means no suit shorter than 3. Unfortunately I woke up before finding how the rest of the bidding went.

I really shouldn't read the forums before going to sleep

[luis]

3NT.
No redouble? I might then make this even with a doubleton in spades in pd's hand.

[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

(3♠) - X - (P) - 3NT
All Pass

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Here was the actual hand. I think North's double was a bit pushy. I bid the 3NT with a bit of trepidation. I think the only legitimate play (on the low spade lead) is to find K10♣ tight in the east hand. I went for the subterfuge of riding the J♣ and East did't cover.

I added the question on whether you stand the double because it was something I considered at the time. (If I was going to stand it I wanted to pass it smoothly) However, I like Luis' style!

[slothy]

Quote

Here was the actual hand. I think North's double was a bit pushy. I bid the 3NT with a bit of trepidation. I think the only legitimate play (on the low spade lead) is to find K10♣ tight in the east hand. I went for the subterfuge of riding the J♣ and East did't cover

hee hee think you should rather thank your opp for not making a standard cover

[pbleighton]

North's double was crazy. All blame to him.

Peter

[Echognome]

Peter - Hard to blame success. I prefer using the term "pushy" when referring to partners.

Slothy - I knew my opponent and decided it was the better chance of success than finding K doubleton onside.

[Fluffy]

Knowing your opponents is a important thing, but not covering is not a bad play, its a direct trick blowing, like underleading an ace when you see stiff K in dummy.

Anyway you switched Kx or K on East for 10x OR 10 on West, I think they both have exactly the same % of success. (althou the fake play of ♣K when you play low from dummy with K10 bare might have something to say).

[beatrix45]

Four and one half clubs. Partner will correct to either 4♣ or 5♣ depending on her spade holding. Diamond hook figures to be off.

[HeartA]

3NT? no way. I would bid 5C.

[joker_gib]

4♥ (with KJx) or 5♣ (I prefer) can be OK but I cannot understand 3NT with xx !?!?

Alain

[Echognome]

Thanks to all those that have replied. At least we know it wasn't easy. We have gotten calls for 3NT, 4♥, and 4 or 5 ♣. Any of these could be right on a given hand from partner.

Quite a few people don't understand 3NT. I don't believe it's as strange as you might first believe. In order for us to make a game, we need certain cards from partner. Partner is known to be short in spades and we are short in spades. This means that partner is less likely to be short outside of spades (unless we are about to find out that partner has a big two suiter). Thus, to make 5♣ we are going to need a brute amount of strength from partner in the other 3 suits. And here I chose to gamble on partner having A or Kx in spades rather than on having all of the goods in the other 3 suits.

As per the 4♥ers, I don't really mind playing in the 4-3 if that's what it's going to turn out to be. However, my hearts are all honours, and therefore I don't think I want to be ruffing in the short hand with my top honours. I also don't like the shape for 4♥ when partner is known to be short in spades as well.

Anyway, right or wrong, those were my arguments. On the actual hand I think pass is the only way to go plus. In a ♥ or ♣ game you lose the first 4 tricks (diamond, diamond, diamond ruff, A♠) and 3NT is down as well. You can collect a measily 100 from 3♠X.

[mike777]

Echognome, on May 31 2005, 09:01 AM, said:

You can collect a measily 100 from 3♠X.

Ah shucks I would have collected +50 in 3s passed out .