[dboxley]

What is your call?

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[the_clown]

X and bid ♣ next.

If p surprises me with 4H I would pass.

[ahydra]

I will X. 4C is wimpish, 5C too unilateral, distinct lack of a spade stop for 3NT.

But - what to do if 4D comes back? 5C I suppose? And what if 4H comes back - I'd like to make a slam try, but how to find out about a stop in spades?

ahydra

[gnasher]

ahydra, on 2012-August-06, 04:49, said:

And what if 4H comes back - I'd like to make a slam try, but how to find out about a stop in spades?

5♥ would be a slam try without a spade control; 4♠ would be a slam-try with a spade control.

[yin970902]

South has passed.
I would bid 3nt and pray for a helper about ♠ such as Jxx or King.
If my partner has nothing in ♠ and a long-heart-suit,he will bid 4♥.

[MrAce]

yin970902, on 2012-August-06, 05:27, said:

If my partner has nothing in ♠ and a long-heart-suit,he will bid 4♥.

Nope ! Not neccessarily

But i am not against 3 nt

[Phil]

I'd bid 3N. I've been -300 before. I think 3N is our most likely game, although I do not hate x with ♥Axx. If I get doubled, I'll run of course.

Not only can partner have spade help, but when he has a stiff, I will give my RHO a serious headache if dummy has a stiff and LHO leads a middle spot. Or, when RHO has AK-6th, ducking is very likely. Or, LHO might have a singleton A/K. Or, LHO gets cute and leads his own suit holding a stiff spade and slow entries, not believing his partner's suit will run.

[aguahombre]

ahydra, on 2012-August-06, 04:49, said:

I will X.
But - what to do if 4D comes back? 5C I suppose? And what if 4H comes back - I'd like to make a slam try, but how to find out about a stop in spades?

gnasher, on 2012-August-06, 05:08, said:

5♥ would be a slam try without a spade control; 4♠ would be a slam-try with a spade control.

That would be a good answer to the question asked. I don't think it implied Gnasher would indeed make a slam try in this case, however.

If we chose double we would make no slam try afterward. Admire 3NT, though.

[dboxley]

yin970902, on 2012-August-06, 05:27, said:

South has passed.
I would bid 3nt and pray for a helper about ♠ such as Jxx or King.
If my partner has nothing in ♠ and a long-heart-suit,he will bid 4♥.

If you make your bids and plays with confidence, especially against strong players, good things will happen. I bid 3NT, my partner held a stiff spade. LHO led a small spade from Kxxx and RHO played the J from AJxxxx playing me for Kxx. Making 7 after questionable pitches. Not a great result at IMPs since 5C is cold but pretty good at matchpoints. I certainly wouldn't have bid it had I known but the point is that RHO made the correct play because he thought I had a spade stopper.


Another good example that I learned from one of the greatest players of all time, Victor Mitchell.

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after a club lead against 6NT I had 11 top tricks with 2 chances for a 12th. Rather than play off some tricks to try and get some information, I led a spade to the K at trick 2 thinking that even if the A was behind me if he didn't also have the Q I would probably get the opportunity to take the heart finesse. When the SK held I claimed 12 tricks. This was against a very good pair. What I didn't think about was another possibility to make 6, LHO played me for KQ... of spades and ducked hoping I would play another spade toward my hand. I believe this happened because I played the spade at trick 2 without giving it much thought.

[lalldonn]

I wish I got to this before the answer was posted lol. I love 3NT and I know I would always do it. Aside from the fact this is probably the only way to get there when you really belong there (and that's the most important reason to bid 3NT), you wouldn't believe how many times I have seen the queen win a trick here when the opponents didn't know they could run the suit. Or RHO holds AK and wins his partner's doubleton lead and switches since he thinks his partner has a singleton. Or LHO tries a different lead with his singleton spade and let's say KQJxx of diamonds.