[lamford]

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Teams

Hope you agree your action so far. What is 4H, and what do you do next?

[Kaitlyn S]

lamford, on 2017-February-01, 15:00, said:

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Teams

Hope you agree your action so far. What is 4H, and what do you do next?

I probably would have bid as you did.

I'd like to think 4H showed three hearts. You haven't promised five hearts and could easily have 4-7 in the reds. Let's assume for a minute that he doesn't show three hearts and try to guess partner's distribution. Partner should never choose hearts on this auction with 2 hearts and 1 diamond so he would have to be void.

7-2-0-4? Your 3H bid is game-forcing even if you don't play 2/1 game forcing so partner can bid 3S here. 3NT would appear to be an awful misfit from his POV if his spades don't run. I'd want to bid 4S if this were his hand but I don't think partner should hold this.

6-2-0-5? Partner is so weak that he can't even bid 3C? Probably nothing makes here but 4H is no worse than anything else.

Given that partner has three hearts, playing in hearts seems sensible. While I have a 4-loser hand, I suspect that much of partner's hand is wasted (partner needs at least one club card to bid 3NT and probably has honors in spades.) I think partner has at most one diamond so setting up diamonds could be a problem, and a club lead could start tapping you. I'm going to be content with game here. Even if partner produces ♥Kxx and the ♠A and a stiff diamond, for practical purposes, you still need 3-2 breaks in both red suits to make slam.

[wanoff]

Since 3♥ showed 5-6, then 4♥ must be a cue agreeing diamonds.
If 5♣ shows a void, then I'll do that else 6♦.

[lamford]

wanoff, on 2017-February-01, 18:09, said:

Since 3♥ showed 5-6, then 4♥ must be a cue agreeing diamonds.

That is certainly one interpretation. The other is that it is a place to play.

[mike777]

lamford, on 2017-February-01, 15:00, said:

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Teams

Hope you agree your action so far. What is 4H, and what do you do next?

ugg tough problem....I could try 4s with a void for kcard in hearts but that is ugly, I could try a confusing 5nt now and explain to partner how I am right and she is wrong....or I might just kick the bucket and bid 6d now.

[GrahamJson]

I think four of partner's major should always be natural unless that is clearly impossible. Here you look like having a huge misfit so I would pass, hoping it makes.

[GrahamJson]

wanoff, on 2017-February-01, 18:09, said:

Since 3♥ showed 5-6, then 4♥ must be a cue agreeing diamonds.
If 5♣ shows a void, then I'll do that else 6♦.

Does it show 5-6? Couldn't 3H just be looking for 3NT, on say xx A109 AKJxxx xx ? Obviously when 3NT is taken out it is clear that 3H was not a NT probe hence the 4H bid looks like suggesting a place to play.

[MrAce]

wanoff, on 2017-February-01, 18:09, said:

Since 3♥ showed 5-6, then 4♥ must be a cue agreeing diamonds.
If 5♣ shows a void, then I'll do that else 6♦.

[rmnka447]

I have no problem with the bidding so far.

I think 4 ♥ here is natural suggesting a place to play. That still leaves 4 ♠ or 5 ♣ available as possible cues agreeing ♦.

If you want to have 4 ♥ be a cue agreeing ♦, then how do you bid a hand something like ♠ Axxxx ♥ KQx ♦ x ♣ KJ10x? It seems to me that this hand is well a possibility for opener to hold in the actual auction through opener's 3 NT bid. Slam is a good bet with these cards. But if opener holds something like ♠ AKxxx ♥ Qxx ♦ x ♣ KJ10x, then even 4 ♥ might be a challenge.

I'd like to explore for slam, but there's a danger that if you move past 4 ♥, you may create a vulnerable game swing. I think it's easier to defend sitting for 4 ♥, then giving up a game swing trying for slam. So I'm passing.

Where you might consider pushing is if you're well behind in the match and need swings to catch up.

[Winstonm]

It would be helpful to know if the 2S rebid guarantees 6 or if it is just a catchall with 5 spades.