[jillybean]

Dealer: West Vul: None Scoring: IMP

♠ A5432 ♥ AT3 ♦ AQ ♣ K86

West North East South

 Pass  3♥    Pass  ?


Youre not sure of partners 2nd seat preempts, could be a little aggressive.

[655321]

4♥ for me.

3NT will have 9 top tricks if partner has 7 hearts and the hearts are running, but won't be so good when they lead partner's black suit singleton and the hearts don't run.

[cjames]

4♥ opposite random partner with no agreements about the opening bid.

[rogerclee]

I would bid 4♥. This seems to be a slightly safer contract to me than 3NT, with both well within the 90+% range of making.

[P_Marlowe]

4H, but 3NT is certainly better, as long
as partner knows how a 3H bid in 2nd
seat at equal vulnerability looks like.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[hotShot]

You just got a perfect description of partners hand, you should feel lucky and not preempted.
Since your partner does not have A or T in ♥, holding 2 of the top 3 honors or 3 of the top 5 includes ♥K and ♥Q. Even if he only holds 7 small cards you will make 6 tricks if they are not 3-0.
So you know that your side has 6-7♥, a ♠, a ♦ and usually a ♣ leading to 9-10 tricks for your side. Your partner should not hold 2 side tricks so there's no need to investigate slam.
So pick a game between 3NT or 4♥. If your partner is half way reasonable 3NT is the better pick because it makes at 9 tricks.

[brianshark]

Definitely 4♥. I don't see much merit to 3NT to be honest.

[Little Kid]

3NT

[FrancesHinden]

I think it's close between 3NT and 4H.

What I'd like to bid is a 'slow' 3NT meaning 'pass this if you have a normal second seat pre-empt but pull to 4H if you don't' but unfortunately that's not a legal bid; partner is expected to pass 3NT whatever his hand is.

Yes, if partner has a classical second seat pre-empt such as
x
KQJxxxx
xxx
Jx

then clearly 3NT is the right spot

But sometimes partners get imaginative. What would your partner open on

x
QJ9xxxxx
Jxx
x

or

x
QJ9xxxx
x
Qxxx

?

3NT is definitely right opposite a vul 3H bid
If you are fairly disciplined with your pre-empts, probably it's right anyway. But it's not obvious.

[hotShot]

FrancesHinden, on Jun 3 2008, 01:26 PM, said:

I think it's close between 3NT and 4H.

What I'd like to bid is a 'slow' 3NT meaning 'pass this if you have a normal second seat pre-empt but pull to 4H if you don't' but unfortunately that's not a legal bid; partner is expected to pass 3NT whatever his hand is.

This is not necessary, if partner has his bid he can pass, if he has

FrancesHinden, on Jun 3 2008, 01:26 PM, said:

x
QJ9xxxxx
Jxx
x

or

x
QJ9xxxx
x
Qxxx

it's his turn to pull 3NT to 4♥ as obviously we will have ♥ to reach his long suit.

[Codo]

I know people who will be happy when 3 Heart makes with this dummy, but this is not the norm.

However my limits for preempts seem to be much different from the limits of the 3 NT bidders. So this a wtp 4 Herart bid opposite myself. I will open all hands from Frances as a w/w preempt so 4 Heart shall makes more often then 3 NT.

And I would hate any partner who pulls my 3 NT bid. I may have bid it with Axx,void,Axx, AKQJxxx, so he is required to pass.

[mcphee]

I think 3NT is a no brainer and that 4H could fail when I have 9 cold tricks for 3N. Why do I want to risk a lead through my KC when I can count 9 tricks? If partner is the sort who can have 7 hopless cards for the 3H bid I might still be thinking. Not my style to just open any random 3 bids and prefer the idea that 3 bids in 1st and 2nd are a fast way to reach 3N.

Give partner the old death wish 7-2-2-2 KQ or KJ 7th and the only spot that is sound is 3N.

[andy_h]

It's either 3NT or 4H. If I don't know what partner's preempt style are like, then I opt for 4H.

[neilkaz]

Katherine, you're not preempted here as PD has given you a decent description of his hand. You have to bid game and either game should be a big favorite to make.

I slightly prefer 3NT to 4♥ since my 2nd seat preempts are usually somewhat disciplined and by declaring I have less fear of a minor suit lead and expect to make 9 tricks very often.

Also, if I opened 3♥ with the 8 bagger QJ9xxxxx with no outside help for a trick,(Francis' example 1) I am pulling 3NT to 4♥. This won't always be right, of course, but my hand is often useless for PD outside of ♥ and 4♥ often makes. However, if I have anything except a very ususual 3♥ opener (ie 8 card weak ♥ suit and no outside entry) I have to pass 3NT..ie 98% of the time.

[pclayton]

Its really too close to call.

If pard has the ♥K and 7, 3N is a near-lock. If pard is missing the K then 4♥ is probably better.

I wouldn't worry too much about this one.

[jdonn]

I would bid 4♥.

[SoTired]

i vote for 4H. both 3N and 4H will make if partner has a sound 3H bid. but if partner took liberties with the heart suit, hearts will play better. Also, if partner took huge liberty with heart suit, 3N gets killed whereas 4H is down only 1 or 2.

[fromageGB]

Andy said it. Much depends on how you play the preempt. I would feel really hemmed in if I had to have 2 of the top 3 honours : I would prefer my partners to bid 4♥ on this.