[Adam1105]

Partner Opened 2♣ (strong)

Me, with: ♠QJX♥XX♦AXXXX♣10XX ----- I bid 2♦ (waiting)

Partner-opener bids ---- 2♥

I bid --- 2NT

Partner opener bids --- 3♠

Q1: What kind of hand is partner-opener showing?
Q2: What do I bid?

[quiddity]

I think partner is showing a strong hand with at least four spades and longer hearts. My ♠QJ and ♦A are useful so I would cuebid 4♦.

[jillybean]

2♣:2♦
2♥:2N
3♠:4♦

What is 4♦ a cue for?

[blackshoe]

If a control bid in this kind of auction agrees a suit, the usual agreement, afaik, is that it agrees partner's last bid suit, in this case spades. What I don't know is whether it necessarily must agree a suit. I'm pretty sure it must, but I could be wrong. I suppose the real question here is how do you show the diamond ace and mild preference for hearts?

2NT has shown some values, but you don't have a club stopper. Perhaps 4♥ is better. Particularly if partner is of the 'don't open 2♣ with a two suiter' persuasion. Since he has clearly violated that suggestion, he must be able to control the auction, and he should be able to go on over 4♥.

OTOH, maybe I'm completely out to lunch.

[mike777]

easy 3nt no problem yet.

all I promise is a balanced hand... I dont promise stoppers here...pard can pull if she wants.

[Zelandakh]

blackshoe, on 2012-April-29, 12:42, said:

If a control bid in this kind of auction agrees a suit, the usual agreement, afaik, is that it agrees partner's last bid suit, in this case spades. What I don't know is whether it necessarily must agree a suit. I'm pretty sure it must, but I could be wrong. I suppose the real question here is how do you show the diamond ace and mild preference for hearts?

If 2NT denied 4 spades and 3♠ does not show more than 4 spades then this seems a somewhat strange agreement to me. If we wanted to use these 4m calls artificially for support then I would far prefer 4♣ to show heart support and 4♦ to be spades. Can we really think of (m)any hands where we want to start a cue auction in our 7 card spade fit though?

blackshoe, on 2012-April-29, 12:42, said:

2NT has shown some values, but you don't have a club stopper. Perhaps 4♥ is better. Particularly if partner is of the 'don't open 2♣ with a two suiter' persuasion. Since he has clearly violated that suggestion, he must be able to control the auction, and he should be able to go on over 4♥.

OTOH, maybe I'm completely out to lunch.

2NT showed values? I guess from this you are using 3♣ as an artificial negative here? Over here I learned 2NT to be a negative call without 4 spades. Admittedly that was within a 2♦ negative framework. Perhaps the OP could clarify what these calls actually mean - "waiting" can mean many different things depending (mostly) on how the negative hands are treated. What would a 2♥ response have meant for example?

[Mbodell]

I would assume 4♦ is a cue for spades. I don't think you can cue and agree hearts since you didn't support hearts last time and partner didn't rebid hearts or necessarily indicate more length there. I must admit that I would have bid 3♦ with this hand rather than 2nt since that gets my suit in to the auction and leaves the strong hand able to take over for NT. Not sure where the auction would have gone then.

[Antrax]

What meaning does 3NT carry that 2NT doesn't?

[Cthulhu D]

Another critical question is, is 2D game forcing?

[mcphee]

I expect partners hand to be 4S 6H (2-1) or 4-5-(3-1). Given I bid 2N over 2H I think I am forced to bid 4H now. 3N on partners club stop holds no appeal. It might have been better if I had bid 3D rather than 2N. Granted this is not a suit of beauty, but at least when I raise to 4H it will sound like I am going to game and have shown something. Over 3S when I bid 4H it sounds more like I was dragged there.

[rmnka447]

It's hard to know how to answer your question without knowing what your specific agreements are over a strong 2 ♣ opener.

After the 2 ♦ waiting bid, I would be tempted to bid 3 ♦ with your hand. It would be useful should partner need to decide if 3 NT is a viable contract.

That being said, on the actual auction, after partner bids 3 ♠, I think you have to preference back to 4 ♥.