[dustinst22]

A7542 JT A2 QJ76

Partner opens

1H-1S ; 2C-2D ; 3C

?

[mike777]

prefer 2nt not 2d which limits my hand rather nicely then 4c over 3c.

given OP I guess 4c

[dustinst22]

mike777, on 2012-December-19, 17:21, said:

prefer 2nt not 2d which limits my hand rather nicely then 4c over 3c.

given OP I guess 4c

Thanks. Wouldn't 2N sort of suggest you don't have 5 spades?

[mike777]

dustinst22, on 2012-December-19, 17:23, said:

Thanks. Wouldn't 2N sort of suggest you don't have 5 spades?

not really no.

[CSGibson]

I think 4♣ should be forcing after 2♦, with only an invitational hand I would have bid 3♣ the round before. I'm interested in slam with what looks like a perfect fitter.

[aguahombre]

The choices over 2C were 3C (accurate opposite my partner's openings) and the agressive 2D intending to support clubs committing to game/slam. 2NT or 2D not intending to support clubs would have been non-partnership.

Having chosen the 4th suit, we have no choice but to continue with 4C now.

[Charlie Yu]

IMO I would close with 3N with a minimum. 5C could be too high. Is this bad?

[aguahombre]

Charlie Yu, on 2012-December-19, 19:28, said:

IMO I would close with 3N with a minimum. 5C could be too high. Is this bad?

Depends on whether you believe never supporting partner's five card club suit with QJXX, with JT in his first 5-card suit, and two bullets to control his outside losers is a good idea or a bad idea.

The form of scoring is not specified. But at IMPs, 3NT seems to have a way of breaking even. We could bring back a push for 3NT-1 vs 6 clubs down one.

[PhilKing]

Bidding no trumps here is really hopeless. This is a great hand for clubs.

[ggwhiz]

aguahombre, on 2012-December-19, 20:22, said:

We could bring back a push for 3NT-1 vs 6 clubs down one.

Or 3nt -1 vs 6 clubs making. Easy opposite stiff K, AKQxx, xx, Kxxxx or many other hands.

3nt may only be 1 baby down IF you cash out

[lycier]

IMO, bid 4♣ and I would play 4♣ as a third-time minorwood with slam try.

[aguahombre]

lycier, on 2012-December-19, 23:14, said:

IMO, bid 4♣ and I would play 4♣ as a athird-time minorwood with slam try.

Yeh, that is the problem with the 2D bid earlier. It created a takeover for us minorwood people, where we would have rather been the one who cooperates.

[CSGibson]

dustinst22, on 2012-December-19, 17:23, said:

Thanks. Wouldn't 2N sort of suggest you don't have 5 spades?

Not the way I play. First of all, if opener has 3 spades, then he may have raised spades initially, and he certainly will bid 3♠ as an accept on the way to 3N in case you have 5. This greatly reduces the benefit of using 2♦ as checkback on invitational hands. In fact, I play 2♦ as game forcing, so I would be more inclined than normal to make a limited bid if I thought my hand warranted it. Here I have 12 working HCP, so I think 2♦ is appropriate, as I suspect we will want to be in game somewhere.

Partner's 3♣ call almost has to be 5 clubs; if he were to have to manufacture a bid, a good rule of thumb is to manufacture the bid that gives you the most room in the auction; here, 2♥. That way you have more room to unwind in an auction where you have already had to equivocate a bit. I imagine slam is probably on a finesse on average, and game in clubs is cold most of the time, all while 3N goes down when they attack diamonds or spades and we don't have 9 winners.

[Phil]

I agree this is a nice minimum.

If partner can't bid NT, I'm not interested. One contract that I'd like to vet is 4♥ on the 5-2 hearts, at least at MPs.

So I'll try 4♣. Maybe partner can rebid his KQ9xx.

[PhilKing]

Phil, on 2012-December-20, 03:21, said:

I agree this is a nice minimum.

If partner can't bid NT, I'm not interested. One contract that I'd like to vet is 4♥ on the 5-2 hearts, at least at MPs.

So I'll try 4♣. Maybe partner can rebid his KQ9xx.

I agree, but in a recent similar auction (ie 4♣ slam try), almost everyone said that 4♥ is a cue.

[kenberg]

I'm fine with 2♦ over 2{Cl]. If partner had then bid 2NT I wouold raise to 3NT. If partner had bid 2♠, we would play in spades. But he didn't. He doesn't have three spades, he does not have much if any contribution to handling diamonds. Playing in NT we had better have nine tricks on top because they will be developing their suit quickly.
So we are playing in clubs. At least five clubs. IU raise clubs to 4♣. Yes 4♥ would be nice but if partner bids 4♥ over my 4♣ I will probably have a nervous breakdown trying to decide if I can actually pass it. Or bid 4♠. Or 6♣. Partner has bid clubs twice and I have raised them. I'm a simple minded guy, we are playing this hand in clubs.

Anyway, yes I raise clubs and no one cares whether I have five spades or four.

[gszes]

mike777, on 2012-December-19, 17:21, said:

prefer 2nt not 2d which limits my hand rather nicely then 4c over 3c.

given OP I guess 4c

I dont disagree often but I think 2N really misses the point on this hand. While
technically 2n does not deny 3 spades most total minimums will be more than happy
to pass 2n rather than pattern our their 3514 minimum hand. 2N not only risks missing an
easy to make 4s but also risks missing an easy 5c or greater. The JT of hearts are very
nice cards with 5c making opposite as little as xx KQxxx xx AKxx and 3n having
almost no hope.

I like the 2d bid which keeps all options open and the bidding as low as possible. After p
bids 3c (with Kx(x) of dia they might have preferred 2n/3n even if 55 we all hate the minors)
(with Qxx and a tad extra they might have bid 3d to show a partial stop). P hand is limited but
the "limit" is still quite high and slam should not be left out of the picture. I am unsure a 4c bid
should be forcing here contrary to a lot of popular opinion. There are quite a few hands where
both opener and responder have 3 small diamonds and 5c has no prayer (where 4h might).

3h (showing honor x) seems like a reasonable continuation and allowing p to choose 4h. The
problem with this is it not only supresses the club support it fails to show the slam potential
that exists here. I would try a

4d

bid here to show my dia control and slam interest and club support. I am not really concerned
with 4h as a final contract here I am much more interested in finding out if p has extra values.
If p continues with 4h continue with 4s if p bids 5c give up.