3NT or 4S?

[Andrew B]

Playing duplicate pairs (at a British club), I held:

S: QJ3
H: AK32
D: KT9
C: KT7

Partner opened 1S (4 card-majors), I responded 2C (10+, not game
forcing), and partner rebid 2S, with our opponents passing throughout.

Would you now bid 3NT, or 4S? (If you opt to bid 3H instead, partner
will bid 3S and you have the same choice).

[blackshoe]

On Saturday, April 28, 2012 6:27:34 PM UTC-4, Andrew B. wrote:

Been a while since I've played Acol, but I'd bid 3NT.

[Paul Hightower]

"Andrew B" <bul...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:jnhqsl$d2g$1...@dont-email.me...

I expect that one of the minors is opposite a small doubleton, so I'll be
limited to what I can take on the run at 3NT. 4S at pairs looks right, I
should be able to set up an extra trick with trumps stopping the weak suit.

[Fred.]

On Saturday, April 28, 2012 6:27:34 PM UTC-4, Andrew B. wrote:

On Saturday, April 28, 2012 6:27:34 PM UTC-4, Andrew B. wrote:

3NT because it saves me from a partner with spades :-)

Seriously, I hate putting the kings on the table. We're
probably as likely to gain a trick through the lead
advantage in 3NT as gain one from the timing in 4H. I
really don't like 4333 dummies in suit contracts. Even
if the hand does a trick better in spades than in NT
against best defense, I may not get best defense.

There is the added point that partner with a shapely
hand might correct 3NT to 4S. Partner cannot
correct 4S to 3NT.

Fred.

[vsp...@hotmail.com]

4S. Partner will have 6+ spades quite often.
Also he may have a singleton in one of your
minors.
If you are 100% certain he is 5=3=3=2, 3NT
will work. But can you be certain?

[Thomas Dehn]

4S. Partner will have six spades most of the time.
I see no way to find out whether partner has something
in both minors.


Thomas

[John Hall]

In article <jnhqsl$d2g$1...@dont-email.me>,

I would bid 4S, though 3NT to protect my minor suit kings is tempting.
Partner neither opened nor rebid in NT, and if he has a small singleton
or doubleton in one of the minors and that suit is led against NT we
might well go down. Also even at pairs I'd expect most people to be in
4S, so playing in 3NT might give you a near top or near bottom. Of
course, if things haven't been going too well up to now, you might
decide that it's time to go against the field.

Whether your partnership would open 1S or 1NT with something like KTxxx
Qx Axx Axx might influence your choice. I would personally open that
1NT, which is a factor in my preference for 4S now, since partner won't
have that sort of hand but one more weighted towards playing in spades.
--
John Hall
Johnson: "Well, we had a good talk."
Boswell: "Yes, Sir, you tossed and gored several persons."
Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-84); James Boswell (1740-95)

[rhm]

3NT any time.

One advantage of 3NT is Partner can correct, but of course might not.
Partner can not correct 4S

Rainer Herrmann

[Andrew B]

Having seen the answers so far (a slight lead for 4S), I thought I'd
show you partner's hand:

S: K97542
H: Q6
D: 653
C: AJ

So quite a thin 1S bid there... as it happens, I decided to bid 3NT - I
assume no-one would correct to 4S with this? And, having seen both
hands, would you now rather be in 3NT (played by the top hand) or 4S
(played by the bottom hand)?

[Fred.]

On Sunday, April 29, 2012 2:10:55 PM UTC-4, Andrew B. wrote:
> On 28/04/2012 23:27, Andrew B wrote:
> > Playing duplicate pairs (at a British club), I held:
> >
> >

> > Partner opened 1S (4 card-majors), I responded 2C (10+, not game
> > forcing), and partner rebid 2S, with our opponents passing throughout.
> >
> > Would you now bid 3NT, or 4S? (If you opt to bid 3H instead, partner
> > will bid 3S and you have the same choice).
>
> Having seen the answers so far (a slight lead for 4S), I thought I'd
> show you partner's hand:
>
>

> So quite a thin 1S bid there... as it happens, I decided to bid 3NT - I
> assume no-one would correct to 4S with this? And, having seen both
> hands, would you now rather be in 3NT (played by the top hand) or 4S
> (played by the bottom hand)?

S: QJ3
H: AK32
D: KT9
C: KT7

S: K97542
H: Q6
D: 653
C: AJ

In 4S opener expects to lose 2 diamonds and a spade
against best defense, while in 3NT responder expects
to lose those plus at least an additional diamond
more than half the time.

But what does that prove? Opener, with only 24 zars
after adjusting for the poorly guarded minor honors,
and only 1-1/2 QT, has a thin opening even as light
openings go. Boost opener to a minimum by promoting
a diamond x to the queen and 3NT looks like the winner.

Fred.

[Will in New Haven]

Clubs is our shortest suit, so a Club lead is more likely. Now we
knock out the Spade Ace and the _best_ that they can do is take two
Diamond tricks, holding us to four. And that is if the cards lie badly
and they find the shift. Eleven tricks in NT is a very likely result.

--
Will in New Haven

[Paul Hightower]

"Will in New Haven" <bill....@taylorandfrancis.com> wrote in message
news:d1a79474-c84d-46dd...@l18g2000vbx.googlegroups.com...

-------------------------------------------------------------
How likely is a club lead when the auction started 1S-2C?

[Fred.]

Obviously, we should have had the foresight to bid 2D over
2S. :-)

Fred.

[Adam Lea]

On 29/04/12 22:22, Fred. wrote:
>
> S: QJ3
> H: AK32
> D: KT9
> C: KT7
>
> S: K97542
> H: Q6
> D: 653
> C: AJ
>
> In 4S opener expects to lose 2 diamonds and a spade
> against best defense, while in 3NT responder expects
> to lose those plus at least an additional diamond
> more than half the time.
>
> But what does that prove? Opener, with only 24 zars
> after adjusting for the poorly guarded minor honors,
> and only 1-1/2 QT, has a thin opening even as light
> openings go.

It is an awkward hand, one of those that looks too weak for 1S but too
strong for 2S. I would probably downgrade the doubleton honours and open
2S myself.

[Fred.]

You wouldn't open this 2S if you were playing Acol
2 bids, as may have been the case here. You would
open 1S or pass. The real point is that it is not
a typical 1S opening, and probably not what
responder should be bidding for.

Fred.

[dak...@aol.com]

3NT.
Try for the 9-trick game bonus instead of the 10-trick.
(even more surely at IMP)
I try to show bal as bal. Let partner correct if he wills -
besides I want the opening lead coming to my K's.
Would an immediate 2NT show GF bal? Or conventional raise?
With 4xM, I prefer natural 2NT.
With an invented jump shift as a GF raise (control show) if next bid
by JS is support.

[Frances]

Partner is generally not going to correct 3NT to 4S without a very
unusual hand. Certainly bidding 3NT might be right, but don't fool
yourself that you will be removed from 3NT into 4S when that's a
better spot.

> Rainer Herrmann

[Chris xxxxx]

On Apr 29, 7:51 pm, "Paul Hightower" <paulhigh@dont_email.net> wrote:
> "Will in New Haven" <bill.re...@taylorandfrancis.com> wrote in messagenews:d1a79474-c84d-46dd...@l18g2000vbx.googlegroups.com...

Fortunately, we haven't bid hearts. We get 10 tricks then, too with
play for 11 if the SA is well placed.

Spades only has an advantage on a non-singleton diamond lead. Also,
on 4-0 spades offside, we still make 3NT if we guess clubs. In 4S you
need other luck as well (like no diamond lead).

Christopher Monsour

[lowerline]

Op zondag 29 april 2012 00:27:34 UTC+2 schreef Andrew B. het volgende:

Does partners 2S rebid show a 6crd suit? If it does, I'll bid 4S, otherwise 3nt.
Bidding 3H doesn't make sense to me. Partner has denied 4crd heart suit, hasn't he?

Steven