[FrancesHinden]

I wanted to make the topic title ? but thought that was probably slightly too subtle.

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1♣ = natural, or a weak NT without 4 diamonds, or any good 17-bad 20 balanced (including 5 diamonds)
1♦ = 4+ hearts
Dbl = take-out

[mike777]

3h this looks like a minimum hand to me.

[Phil]

I would have bid 3♥ the previous round.

4♥ now - trying to catch up.

3N probably at MPs.

[mikeh]

I will be right pissed if LHO holds Qx(x) in diamonds! But I pass.

I rate to hold 4 tricks on defence, and partner will chip in a couple, I hope, so 500-800 seems reasonable to expect. We may miss a slam but then we may be 800-1100. I'd like to have a better lead than the heart A, but I'd like a lot of things I don't have, and I make do somehow

If they never make a doubled partscore against you, you don't double enough partscores.

I'd bid at any other heat.....probably 3N if only because I couldn't decide between 3 and 4♥....more seriously, because I think 3N more likely to make than 4♥ and maybe even more likely to make than 3♥ if partner has something like 4=4=2=3

[jmcw]

Pass, but its close.

[bigbenvic]

jmcw, on 2011-December-12, 14:10, said:

Pass, but its close.

Yep, any other vul I'd be bidding 3♥, however I am passing here.

[phil_20686]

I voted pass. though I might not have been that brave at the table. If I was not that brave I would have bid 3H. Bidding 4H is just pissing around with all those diamond values that are surely wasted. Pass is the best EV I am pretty sure, buts its high variance and I can imagine lots of scenarios where I might opt for a safe 3H.

[bluecalm]

Quote

I would have bid 3♥ the previous round.

4♥ now - trying to catch up.

3N probably at MPs.

+1.
Pass on 1st round is mysterious. I have 13 hcp, two tens and KJx behind diamonds. I mean, what I was thinking ?
3NT looks interesting. I am not convinced that 4H > 3NT at all.

[FrancesHinden]

I hate bidding 3H on the first round. I didn't mention it, but we respond extremely light... even so, you have a horrible defensive hand. If partner has a doubleton diamond it will play very badly, and with a singleton and any sort of hand where you want to compete he will double.

As for what is right, who knows?
What happened at the table is that I passed and we were +200
3NT results in +400
3H (or 4H) is -50

I really think bidding hearts is wrong, I'm torn between passing and 3NT.

[nige1]

I would get this right standing on my head (metaphorically)! IMO 4♥ = 10, 3♥ = 8, Pass = 6, 3N = 4

[jallerton]

bluecalm, on 2011-December-12, 20:26, said:

+1.
Pass on 1st round is mysterious. I have 13 hcp, two tens and KJx behind diamonds. I mean, what I was thinking ?
3NT looks interesting. I am not convinced that 4H > 3NT at all.

If you don't like Pass over 3♦, try writing down a few possible hands for partner and consider what your side is making opposite such hands. If partner is short in diamonds (as seems likely) then he will strain to reopen with shortness. If he passes out 3♦ then he'll usually be lacking in the high card department and there will usually be at least 4 losers in hearts. Meanwhile, with 4 likely defensive tricks, we only need one from partner to go plus against 3♦.

If he has a doubleton ♦ the defence will normally start wih a diamomd to the ace and a ♦ ruff then it will be a struggle to make 4♥. Curiously, the only time when bidding 3♥ might lead to an otherwise unreachable 4♥ is when partner had ♦xxx in diamonds and the opening leader with a diamond void cannot reach his partner's hand. However, even then we rate to get +300 or so and the loss is restricted to 3 IMPs. Much more likely is that bidding will just convert a plus score into a minus one.