Please post some minimum hands that would bid onward

[psug...@gmail.com]

At matchpoints, Standard American, suppose the bidding goes (opps silent)

Partner You
1C 1H
3C ????

Can you show me the *weakest* hands you could hold, consistent with this bidding so far, that would make another bid (e.g. toward 3NT, possibly by bidding a new suit to show a stopper)?

Thanks very much. I'm having trouble envisioning the value of, say, 10xx in opener's club suit; should you stretch to bid 3NT on fewer HCP if the club fit is better?

[Will in New Haven]

If the game is IMP and we are vulnerable I would bid 3NT on QXX QXXX
ATXX XX or similar Otherwise I might want a slightly better hand. A
fitting Club honor would certainly be encouraging. In my minimum
example, the Jack of Clubs would be enough, even if missing one of the
Queens.

--
Will in New Haven

[Paul Hightower]

<psug...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:f9c85b3b-2407-4cad...@googlegroups.com...

I picture partner with a good but probably not solid suit, perhaps AQ10xxx,
and about 15 hcp. So he'll have something in one or two side suits, rarely
all three. With no fitting honor, I don't expect the suit to run, so we'll
need a double stopper in any suit they lead. We also need four side suit
tricks. As little as a side King might give us enough tricks for 3NT, but
not enough stoppers. With a fitting honor, even just the ten, the suit might
run on a finesse, so we need fewer stoppers. And of course with a high honor
we hope the suit is solid. Finally, we can assume that if all partner needed
was something in hearts, he'd've rebid 3NT.

So, some hands to make a move might include Axxx J10xx xxx Kx (3S) or xx
AKxxx xxx 10xx (3H).

[france...@googlemail.com]

On Wednesday, January 23, 2013 3:26:15 PM UTC, psug...@gmail.com wrote:
> At matchpoints, Standard American, suppose the bidding goes (opps silent) Partner You 1C 1H 3C ???? Can you show me the *weakest* hands you could hold, consistent with this bidding so far, that would make another bid (e.g. toward 3NT, possibly by bidding a new suit to show a stopper)? Thanks very much. I'm having trouble envisioning the value of, say, 10xx in opener's club suit; should you stretch to bid 3NT on fewer HCP if the club fit is better?

OK, this is a bit simplistic, but opener's rebid shows about 16 HCP; you need 24 HCP for 3NT, so responder bids on a sensible 8-count. (I see most of the other people to post have given sensible 8-counts).

Obviously a club honour is a good ghing.
A heart stop would also come in handy if you are thinking of just bidding 3NT: many people would open 1NT or rebid 2NT with a 6-card minor, so 1C then 3C has a heart shortage more often than you might expect.

KJxx xxxx KJx xx would pass 3C
Jxxx J109x KJx Qx might try 3NT, but would feel a bit guilty about it (it's possible that both 3C and 3NT or neither are making)

[judyo...@gmail.com]

If only 15, the suit surely must be better than that. AKQ432, say.

Carl