[kfay]

This one came up in the weekly Junior tournament held every Tuesday on BBO.

1♣-1♥
3♣-3♦
3♥-

How would you interpret: 3♠/3NT/4♣/4♦

[Cascade]

kfay, on 2010-October-27, 12:17, said:

This one came up in the weekly Junior tournament held every Tuesday on BBO.

1♣-1♥
3♣-3♦
3♥-

How would you interpret: 3♠/3NT/4♣/4♦

3♥ could be only a doubleton support.
3♦ did not guarantee five hearts. It could be just a stopper for no trumps worried about either spades or even hearts.

Therefore:

3♠ 4th suit - needing a spade stopper for 3NT or perhaps an advanced cue for hearts

3NT Natural

4♣ Natural - not long hearts and no spade stopper

4♦ Natural five-five

[kfay]

Thanks Wayne-

One thing I'm particularly interested in is the general opinion of the difference between 3NT and 3♠

If Responder has spades locked up, and isn't really interested in hearts, then why go through 3♦ first? Why not just 3N over 3♣?

[quiddity]

I think 3NT is a choice of games, probably with exactly 5 hearts.

[wyman]

3S = asking for 3N
3N to play
4D natural 5-5

Still thinking about 4C. Probably xx=5=4=2 or so, but I could see using 3D; blah-4C as a GF club raise with slam interest (any shape), assuming ...; 3C-4C is inv.

edit: good point about 3N. Now thinking about that too.

[bucky]

kfay, on 2010-October-27, 12:50, said:

Thanks Wayne-

One thing I'm particularly interested in is the general opinion of the difference between 3NT and 3♠

If Responder has spades locked up, and isn't really interested in hearts, then why go through 3♦ first? Why not just 3N over 3♣?

3♦ then 3NT (after partner bids 3♥) has to imply 5th heart.

[wyman]

agree that 3N is natural and c.o.g.

The point was made above (but I was not thinking right about it) that 3H could be 2 card support. 3N should show exactly 5 hearts and suggests that opener raise with 3 hearts.

[Venom]

perhaps, by going thru 3♦, responder is asking opener to play in 3NT if the clubs will run, and to otherwise play in hearts.

DON: aka Double !

[pooltuna]

3♠ - shortage for a ♥ slam
3NT - hard ♠ control (A or K) for a ♥ slam
4♣ - hard ♣ control; with partner having so much in ♣ shortage is pretty awful - no ♠ control for a ♥ slam but ♣ slam is possible
4♦ - no ♠ or ♣ control but hard ♦ control for a ♥ slam

[TWO4BRIDGE]

kfay, on 2010-October-27, 12:17, said:

This one came up in the weekly Junior tournament held every Tuesday on BBO.

1♣-1♥
3♣-3♦
3♥-

How would you interpret: 3♠/3NT/4♣/4♦

I wonder if Opener had a big enough hand to be considered GF, but did his best with an ostensibly non-forcing 3C-jump rebid since he was stuck for a GF rebid ?

[Fluffy]

IMO 3♠ is nothing in spades, 3NT is something but not enough.

4♦ is the strong heart raise, not a 5-5

[kfay]

Fluffy, on 2010-October-29, 13:23, said:

IMO 3♠ is nothing in spades, 3NT is something but not enough.

4♦ is the strong heart raise, not a 5-5

This is my opinion.

[Cascade]

kfay, on 2010-October-29, 20:28, said:

Fluffy, on 2010-October-29, 13:23, said:

IMO 3♠ is nothing in spades, 3NT is something but not enough.

4♦ is the strong heart raise, not a 5-5

This is my opinion.

Certainly with better spades you have the option of bidding 3NT on the previous round.

I don't like 4♦ not being natural. That means that if responder has a strong 5=5 in many auctions the only chance opener has to raise is after they have been first mentioned at the three-level. And that 3♦ bid was ambiguous about hand type - heart diamond two suiter or diamond stopper or perhaps a diamond control.

[kfay]

True.

As far as the 4♦ bid maybe it should be just diamonds.

The other possibility, that I've discussed with a few people, is that 3♠ ostensibly asks for a stopper for NT, but if you bid on it's really a cuebid for hearts. Of course, I hate advance cuebids....