[inquiry]

Dealer: South Vul: EW Scoring: IMP

♠ T ♥ QT987 ♦ T94 ♣ AQT3

West North East South     -      -      -      Pass  Pass   1♦   Pass  1♥  Pass   2♥   Pass   ?

[helene_t]

Partner has some values since he could have passed 1♥. He has vasted values in spades since opps are silent. Maybe I can develop a spade trick to discard a diamond looser. This could be a case for a non-informative 3♥ bid to avoid a diamond lead. Anyway, I voted for 3♣.

This hand has 7,5 LTC (not accounting for all the nice spot cards) which makes it closer to 4♥ than to pass. Especially if I were playing with Ben, in which case I could hardly be stronger than this with a passed hand.

FWIW, I would have opened 2♥.

[Walddk]

I do not agree that 2♥ shows extras. Any time opener has four hearts he should raise. Pass would show three and a minimum.

Anyway, knowing that we have nine hearts between us, I would bid on, preferably 2♠ (Garozzo relay asking for more info). If I don't have that tool available, I would bid 3♣, values in clubs, as a game try, or 3♦ asking for help in that suit. 3♥ is a terror bid. How is partner supposed to know if he has the right values or not?

As 2♠ is what I would bid with this hand because it's on my CC with many partners, I have voted "Other".

Roland

[hotShot]

In most of my pickup partnerships, a passed hand can hold up to 11(12 bad) HCP, and there is usually no agreement for this sequence, but I would expect partner to hold at least 14-15 HCP (limited but maximum).
But I still don't think I should make a game try here.

[ArcLight]

Why have the opponents not bid, with all the spades missing?
What is pards shape? 4=3=4=2 ?
If the opps had 9 spades and 18 HCP they would probably find a bid.
Maybe the hearts are concentrated in one hand (4-1 or 5-0)?
If pard has several spades maybe one of them is a wasted honor.
Pard didn't open 1NT, so he wont have 15-17 unless a stiff (probably a Club)
We do have great spots in Hearts and Diamonds.

What you do want is:

- 4 hearts rather than 3. With 3 pard may have bid 1NT

- Trump honors

- no wastage in Spades

- diamond length and strength , to set up that suit


♠ x x x
♥ A K x x
♦ A K x x x
♣ x

or

♠ x x x
♥ A x x x
♦ A K x x
♣ K x

I'm not sure how to ask that.
The opps are silent, pard knows we are limited, the opps must have something.
We are not vulnerable.

Hmmm...

I don't think help in Clubs isn't that important. You have a double finesse, and will probably make 2 tricks even without pard having the King. The king raises your expected tricks from 1.75 to 3, which is nice. But pard may bid game with xx in Clubs as well. Do we know what the minimum holding is in a suit to accept a game try? Also, with a game try in Clubs pard will hopefully discount values in Spades.

Does 3♥ ask about trump quality, or just overall strength?
3♣ or pass.
Aw, lets go for it. 3♣ and hope.
We can declare like Zia

[Codo]

I have about 7 loosers, a shortage, a 9 card fit and a pd who opened?
I really thought the two alternatvies are to bid 4 Heart or just blast to game.

Okay seriously there are some more thoughts:

1. Pd opened in 3. seat and could be light. But he did not pass 1 HEart, so he should have a full opener. If he decided to bid 2 Heart more like a preempt- we should dscuss this idea after the hand, I don´t like it, but even then 4 HEart could be right.

2. Opps are silent despite owning 8+ spades and at least one has at most a doubelton Heart. This make me believe, that pd has quite a good hand.

3. Of course pd will bid Game with most suitable hands after an invitation. But in this hand I would just make one game try: Bid 4 Heart and try to make it.

[kenrexford]

There is great cause for believing that a pass would result in a 2♠ call by the opponents, directly of via a double.

So, we will bid to 3♥ anyway, and we have a game try hand.

I voted 3♣ for two reasons. First, it advertises game interest and where I live. Second, it places us well if the opps come in with spades late in the game.

I'll accept a 3♦ "try back."

On wild days, or if the need was there, I might have also opened 2♥, I might jump to 4♥ after passing initially, or I might even have jumped to 2♥ initially as a fit-showing jump.

I disagree that Opener should always raise heart with four cards. Spades, maybe. But, 2♥ is too much of a transfer bid, and I'm not wanting three-level competition by partner on borderline hands when I am weak. Let the opponents and partner think I have three hearts. If LHO bids 1♠ or passes, and partner bids 2♥, I might bid 3♥ when I passed with weak and four pieces.

[paulg]

I'd probably bid game directly if vulnerable, but here the 3♣ game try looks about right.

I don't tend to read too much into partner's option of passing 1♥. It just means partner does not have a minimum balanced hand with 3-card support.

Paul

[Gerben42]

Surely pass is out of the question with this nice hand.
I disagree that 3♥ is the natural way to invite, it is preemptive.

Since partner has ♦ and ♥ and probably some ♠ he is likely to be short in ♣. I bid 2NT, the natural way to invite.

[Walddk]

Jlall, on Mar 7 2007, 04:55 PM, said:

Feeling like partner has some spade wastage, neither opponent has taken the chance to bid. I'd probably take a view and pass.

That view may well be right, and if we miss a game, at least it's non vulnerable. What do we know about partner's shape? As we haven't heard from the opponents (spades), partner will likely be 4441 or 4432, conceivably 3-4-5-1.

I like (1) and (3) better than (2) of course. We would be a bit unlucky to go down in 3♥ no matter what and that is why I make a trial bid. The important issue from my viewpoint is that we have nine hearts and not eight.

Roland

[mhais]

i will bid 3c if pd has support in c he can bid 4h or play in 3h

[Fluffy]

Normal hands I construct don't make game.

♥Q and ♥10 devalues a tiny bit with 9 card fit.

♣10 devalues on partner's shortness.

♦109 devalues when I'll probably discard one in ♠

so pass.

[P_Marlowe]

4H, wtp?

My partner rarely raise with 3 cards, i.e. I have
a 9 card fit.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[cherdano]

Maybe par is 3♠= and 3♣ is the only way to steal the pot in 3♥...

[cherdano]

Jlall, on Mar 7 2007, 10:42 AM, said:

Why is everyone so concerned about the opps? RHO didn't overcall 1S. LHO didn't overcall 1S. LHO didnt double 1H as a passed hand, but now he's going to magically X 2H or bid 2S? And then after that, the opps are going to compete to 3S over 3H? And then they're going to make it when we could make 3H? And then partner is going to reject our game try when we could have made 3H?

If you try for game it should be because you think you will make game enough for it to be worth it, not because you're preempting the opponents who have already passed throughout.

My comment wasn't entirely serious, but I need any excuse for overbidding that I can find...

However, I do know many opponents who would frequently balance after this auction, after staying silent this long. I know you hate it (and I don't like it either), and maybe it's not that common among strong opponents.

[kenrexford]

There are deals where East refrains twice, such as holding a poor spade suit and a diamond stack, with weak values.

There are deals where West refrains once, such as 4-4 in the majors.

There are deals where this layout turns interesting for the opponents.

There are deals where a club lead, such as from Kx, is very effective and yet where a peeker Ace lead is not possible or meets a void.

Thus, the threat of delated spade interference seems real, and the possible need for a club lead also seems real.

This is not the sole reason to invite game. The reason to invite game is that very little is needed for game to make. If Opener has the A-K of hearts and the club K, ten points, we can see five hearts, three clubs, and a club ruff if the jack survives three rounds, for nine tricks. Add in something offering a diamond trick eventually, and game is a fair bet.

The key reasons to bid 3♣ is to ensure that Opener will make a call that protects the value of the club Queen and devalues spade secondaries.

[mike777]

2S, start of a short suit game try relay.