Help
LBengtsson, on 2023-March-25, 01:58, said:
This is a excellent hand to post, with a good amount of discussion. My take (without seeing being influenced by what partner actually has) is to treat 3♣ as a standard pre-empt not an intervening bid. Opposite a standard pre-empt I would be playing partner for about 8 HCPs so would wish to be in game. I would bid 3NT if East had opened 3♣ and the ♣ suit is good for three tricks even when West overcalls 3♣. (I might think otherwise if I had a ♣ suit without the three honor cards, plus the ten.)
So I think you should bid 3NT here. That's my take.
So I think you should bid 3NT here. That's my take.
I also bid 3N but I think you’re mistaken in your argument that you play this as if West has a standard preempt.
Had it gone 3C P P then I think it’s correct to assume that partner has half the missing hcp…estimating that is tricky because of our club holding…just how aggressive is west?
While we assume roughly 7-8 hcp, that’s because he would pass with 0-10 for sure (leaving aside unusual hands) and most ir at least many 11-12 hands and even 13 on occasion, with xx in clubs.
Thus when we assume 7-8, we’re somewhat protected from the 2-6 hands by the offsetting stronger hands, on balance
Once we’ve opened, it’s extremely unlikely that he has 11 and he won’t even have a good 9 with 4-4 (or better) in the majors or with 4 diamonds or with one major and diamond support (where he can double and pull the ‘wrong’ major to diamonds
The set of hands he can have is thus more constrained than we should play him for had west opened and it is, imo, a mistake not to take that into account.
I still bid 3N, despite knowing now that passing was best. Btw, what does east need to double 4S? A guarantee from the bridge gods?