[rbforster]

Easy 1N for me.

[quiddity]

Me too - this looks like a perfectly normal 10-11 with a mediocre club suit.

[MarkDean]

Maybe it is because I still have this crazy notion that doubling often has shortness in the suit doubled, but I think that 3♣ is a substantially better bid than 1NT.

If partner has a minimum, likely either is a safe contract. If LHO has long hearts (which is somewhat likely on the auction so far), I would like to make him bid them a level higher and not alert him to the fact he should finesse instead of playing for the drop.

If we have 3NT, it is likely because partner has heart help, I think we are likely to get there via either route. However, if we have 5 or 6 clubs, I think it will be much easier to get there if we start with 3♣.

Old-fashioned again I guess: bidding my long suit.

[awm]

3♣ for me.

Obviously this depends somewhat on style. If you play a style where a 1NT advance shows 8-11 and a double often includes only two cards in an unbid minor, then 1NT is certainly best for you. Apparently this style is common on the forums.

Since I am less happy bidding three-card suits or playing 4-2 fits than most (apparently), my 1NT advance is more like 6 to a bad 10 and my doubles (barring serious extras) actually include three card support for the unbid suits. Therefore I expect 3♣ to work much better for me, since I have a real fit, preempt opener from bidding his hearts at the two-level, and will effectively show my values (since I don't expect partner to bid over a 1NT advance with 14-15 hcp).

[nigel_k]

aguahombre, on Jun 14 2010, 07:34 PM, said:

3C is fine. If Partner wants to know about my lonely heart stopper, there must be a way to ask me.

Agree 100% and would bid 3♣ at matchpoints as well.

[peachy]

1NT. That is what I have, about 8-11 give or take a point, with heart stopped and no spades.

[whereagles]

1NT seems fine. Might bid 3♣ later, if I have to.

[hanp]

3C, I hope partner is not 4441.

[Bbradley62]

Free, on Jun 14 2010, 05:44 AM, said:

1NT, although I can accept 3♣.

Agreed

[Fluffy]

gwnn, on Jun 14 2010, 02:04 PM, said:

risky? what? risk of going down? 3c is 100%? i dont understand

there is the risk that someone revokes given that there are only 12 hearts in the deck then, but I don't understand how playing clubs will avoid that risk


I'd bid 3♣ at IMPs for sure, at MPs 1NT is tempting but I think I try 3♣ as well.

[gszeszycki]

IMPs, W/W

2nd seat

♠J87
♥QT3
♦A3
♣KT743

[P] - P - [1♥] - X
[P] - ?

This is a pretty darn good hand for a passed hand and at IMPS we should be trying
for game the two classic ways to do this 2n and 3c each seem to have some serious flaw (tenuous heart stopper (we would prefer say xxx KQT AJx xxxx) and not so great a club suit (would prefer xxx xx Axx KQJxx). What's left?

2h an in context bid to show maximum just not game forcing like it would be if
we were not a passed hand. Also denies a bunch of stuff in hearts since we
would prefer nt.

first advantage is that lho might x which would make us MUCH happier about our
heart stopper but let us assume lho passes what can p do to mess us up?

2S the expected bid minimum with 4 spades.
2N we now show our "scary" heart stopper and inability to play spades. P should
figure out we have long broken minor for 2h bid and bid
3C this is pass or correct.

2N P should NOT be using this to show a heart stopper but probably some sort of
4144 4054 4054 hand asking us to clarify what we should do a hand similar to
AQxx void QJxxx Axxx would qualify. P knows we dont have a ton of wasted
values in hearts since we avoided NT. Our club fit is so large that we can now
try for 5c.

3C should be a minimum w/o 4 spades something like AQx xx Kxxx Axxx. we can
pass

3D can't be what should have been a 2d overcall so we are forced to conclude that
this is dia suit with extra values but not strong enough to bid 3h (asking for a
stopper) or 3n something similar to AKx xx KQJxxx Kx. We would try
3N and p should realize we have dia card and "something that resembles" a
stopper in hearts. With Jxx Qx or siff K we could bid 3h asking for a partial
stopper.

3H asking for heart stop for 3N self explanatory.

3S spade suit extra values. we should bid
4D and p should take this as a cue bid in case they are slamming.

3N probably 18-19 balanced or some holding with a heart stop that they expect
3N to be right.(our QTx will probably be a welcome sight).


That should cover most of the plausible auctions and there does not seem to be
a huge downside to making

2H our next bid

[peachy]

gszeszycki, on Jun 15 2010, 01:37 PM, said:

IMPs, W/W

2nd seat

♠J87
♥QT3
♦A3
♣KT743

[P] - P - [1♥] - X
[P] - ?

This is a pretty darn good hand for a passed hand and at IMPS we should be trying
for game the two classic ways to do this 2n and 3c each seem to have some serious flaw (tenuous heart stopper (we would prefer say xxx KQT AJx xxxx) and not so great a club suit (would prefer xxx xx Axx KQJxx). What's left?

2h an in context bid to show maximum just not game forcing like it would be if
we were not a passed hand. Also denies a bunch of stuff in hearts since we
would prefer nt.

first advantage is that lho might x which would make us MUCH happier about our
heart stopper but let us assume lho passes what can p do to mess us up?

2S the expected bid minimum with 4 spades.
2N we now show our "scary" heart stopper and inability to play spades. P should
figure out we have long broken minor for 2h bid and bid
3C this is pass or correct.

2N P should NOT be using this to show a heart stopper but probably some sort of
4144 4054 4054 hand asking us to clarify what we should do a hand similar to
AQxx void QJxxx Axxx would qualify. P knows we dont have a ton of wasted
values in hearts since we avoided NT. Our club fit is so large that we can now
try for 5c.

3C should be a minimum w/o 4 spades something like AQx xx Kxxx Axxx. we can
pass

3D can't be what should have been a 2d overcall so we are forced to conclude that
this is dia suit with extra values but not strong enough to bid 3h (asking for a
stopper) or 3n something similar to AKx xx KQJxxx Kx. We would try
3N and p should realize we have dia card and "something that resembles" a
stopper in hearts. With Jxx Qx or siff K we could bid 3h asking for a partial
stopper.

3H asking for heart stop for 3N self explanatory.

3S spade suit extra values. we should bid
4D and p should take this as a cue bid in case they are slamming.

3N probably 18-19 balanced or some holding with a heart stop that they expect
3N to be right.(our QTx will probably be a welcome sight).


That should cover most of the plausible auctions and there does not seem to be
a huge downside to making

2H our next bid

We are not missing game if advancer bids 1NT. Partner can count and can use his head.
Bidding 2NT will just stop partner from making takeout doubles in the future for fear that he gets killed by advancer's unreasonable friskyness. I am not much opposed to 3C, but 2NTand 2H are sooo bad.

[mikeh]

Quote

IMPs, W/W

2nd seat

♠J87
♥QT3
♦A3
♣KT743

[P] - P - [1♥] - X
[P] - ? 

This is a pretty darn good hand for a passed hand and at IMPS we should be trying
for game

1N is a constructive bid....it is actually 'trying for game'. See the number of posters who suggest it shows up to 11...I personally prefer a range of 8-10.

2N on one heart stopper (at most) is an overbid. The fact that one is a passed hand doesn't increase the value of one's hand! All it does is cap the maximum partner will play you for...and if he has a minimum 4=2=4=3, it may well mean you are down in 2N.

You will sometimes miss a reasonable game via 1N, but (as I would hope everyone knows) you cannot design a method on the basis that you will never miss a reasonable game.....doing so means, inevitably, that you will reach far too many unreasonable games. You WILL reach most decent games via 1N.

[bluecalm]

Quote

This is a pretty darn good hand for a passed hand and at IMPS we should be trying

I agree. I will try 1NT.

[gwnn]

BTW, for people who say

"if partner wants to know about my stopper, he can ask."

wellll

If partner wants to know about my clubs, he can also ask

[ArtK78]

gwnn, on Jun 15 2010, 03:58 PM, said:

BTW, for people who say

"if partner wants to know about my stopper, he can ask."

wellll

If partner wants to know about my clubs, he can also ask

I thought that he did. He made a takeout double of hearts.

[gwnn]

well he asked "hey dood i have some points and have relatively short hearts. what do you think??"

[matmat]

at the table I chose 3♣. I was very much torn between that and 1NT, judging by the fairly divided opinion... it's close, at the very least.

p had a fairly typical min takeout double, 4243 11 count.

3♣ is off 1 on any reasonable defence.

1NT should not, but can be made

LHO holds something like KT9, AKJ9xx, JTx J and has to decide whether to, and what to switch to at trick 2 to get their p in, having led the systemic high heart. If they happen to find the right suit (spades), they take the first 8 tricks.


I guess that's one data point