[firmit]

A beginner question perhaps - but please, give me your thoughts.

You hold
♠ Jxx
♥ AQxx
♦ QJ
♣ xxxx

Partner opens:
1♥ - (2♠)* alerted weak jump shift
? your bid

1♥ is 9-14(15)hp 4+hearts.
Would your bid change if 1♥ was 4+ 11-21hp?
What if std. showing 5+hearts 11-21hp?

[P_Marlowe]

3H, game has no chance, and I am fairly
flat.

If I played unlimited openers, than i may
feel a bit uneasy, but 3H still would be my
bid, due to a lack of better alternatives.
in case I could, I may reflect, if I should sell
the hand as inv.+ but it is borderline.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[pbleighton]

3H seems clear, regardless of the definition of the opening bid. The hand is just not that good, even opposite 11-21 5cM.

Peter

[pclayton]

3♥ is plenty, even playing 5 card majors.

[awm]

In standard methods, a 3♥ bid shows something like a good single raise to a very minimum limit raise. With a good limit raise you have to bid game (perhaps via 3♠). Some people use an artificial 2NT bid here to show a strong raise.

Anyways, this hand is very much in the "good single raise to very minimum limit raise" range. You have 10 points but they include a QJ tight and the likely-useless ♠J. So this is right on target for 3♥. I would bid 3♥ without the jacks too, but AQxx of hearts and out without a singleton isn't enough.

[han]

I'd bid 3H.

[jdonn]

awm, on May 12 2007, 11:26 AM, said:

AQxx of hearts and out without a singleton isn't enough.

I think it is, unless 3433. That would be my minimum, if you assign it points I would call it about an 8 count and the bid shows something like 8 to below average 11.

Anyway clear 3♥ with this hand. Maybe it's a hair above average for the bid, since I'm not at all pessimistic about the QJ of diamonds having value.

[jtfanclub]

My first thought was 'If I was Imps and vulnerable, I'd bid 4♥'.

The problem is, that probably won't be the end of the bidding. The next player will bid 4♠ and my partner will be confused by the mis-description of my hand.

Partner knows the scoring and vulnerability too. I'll just bid 3♥, and let him bid the 4.

[neilkaz]

3♥ for me, but if I felt my hand was worth just 1 more point, I'd bid 4♥.

3♥ should show a good single raise to a minimum limit raise, IMHO, and good limit raises should just blast to 4♥ and hope to make or that the opps err in their decision to bid 4♠.

.. neilkaz ..

[whereagles]

2NT if that shows a good raise (I sure want pard to help if LHO bids 3♠).

3♥ otherwise.

[skjaeran]

I'm a little too weak for 2NT - that should show eight losers.
Put me down for 3♥.