[Cyberyeti]

rhm, on 2016-March-18, 05:27, said:

Personally I do not like raising partner immediately with 4333, particularly with a good holding in opponents bid suit. It is one area where I depart from standard bidding.
In essence this is a distribution with a low ODR and 4333 usually disappoints in a trump contract.
I am not claiming that notrumps always plays better, but it sometimes does, particularly single dummy. Raising a major suit tends to lock you in this strain..

The actual suggestion is not possible since overcaller has the spade queen.

Rainer Herrmann

xxx would be enough but barely, add J♣. I don't treat clubs as opps suit, the opening bid was very likely to be 11-13 bal as they were playing a 14-16 NT (and indeed was).

[Manastorm]

I am in the 2♠ camp. Two aces are great, but are also a defensive resource. I do not want to encourage 4♠, if partner can't invite by himself. I considered
passing 4♥, but it doesn't feel right. We get 3 tricks, but the 4th could be a problem. I do not like a situation where I am reluctant to bid 4♠,
when I have the nuts. That is why I go for 4♠ and hope for the best. Partner could have 6-4, 5-5, but I do not understand why he didnt bid 4♠, which
seems obvious.

[Caitlynne]

This problem is a problem because of that inadvisable 2C bid. What in the world was wrong with 2S? Two aces are nice, but 4333 distribution (including only 3 card support of very modest quality) is not so good.

Just Pass and be ready to apologize to partner if something bad happens. Because, even if partner misdefends badly, your 2C bid contributed to that.

[WesleyC]

Cyberyeti, on 2016-March-18, 03:42, said:

OK, I didn't expect the comments I'm getting, maybe "limit raise" was overstating what this bid means for us, it's too good to bid 2, so 9 points, 3 spades.

Qxx, Kxx, xxx, AQxx would be a more than decent hand for the limit raise and 2♠ could easily be the limit.

Partner will not have 4♠ for this raise (2N is limit+ with 4), without help in the diamond suit 4♠ is very unlikely to make.

He did double 4♥ which is why I didn't bid 4♠.

Sorry, I misread the explanation of what actually happened. If you pushed me into acting over 4H holding the 3343 hand then I would much rather bid 4S than double.

Regarding your second point (and I'm somewhat arguing about style here) if you surveyed top experts [Qxx, Kxx, xxx, AQxx] would also be an automatic 2S bid on this auction!

You have a lot of HCP, but an awful hand. Both opponents have bid, your values are all defensive (and sitting poorly) and you *know* partner has a minimum overcall. If partner does have a strong shapely hand with diamonds (which is your main chance of making game) then your hand is terrible! Bid 2S and then consider a speculative penalty double on the next round if the opponents end up in clubs.

I think a cue raise should look like KTx Axxxx Qxxx x or similar. A hand that actually does have prospects of making game opposite a shapely overcall if you have the right fit.

[Zelandakh]

WesleyC, on 2016-March-18, 09:22, said:

Regarding your second point (and I'm somewhat arguing about style here) if you surveyed top experts [Qxx, Kxx, xxx, AQxx] would also be an automatic 2S bid on this auction!

In keeping with the theme started by Rainer, a 1NT advance with this hand seems perfectly reasonable so I think automatic is a slight overbid.

[zillahandp]

Poor first bid by east, why not just raise spades. P may then have had a better view i.e how many spade tricks you have. Now you are in outer guess land, just cos you have a convention does not mean you have to use it, have you discussed what the UCB might mean as opposed to say a comp. double or a single or double raise, esp in resect of support and controls?

[Cyberyeti]

Zelandakh, on 2016-March-18, 10:01, said:

In keeping with the theme started by Rainer, a 1NT advance with this hand seems perfectly reasonable so I think automatic is a slight overbid.

And also we play our overcalls stronger than most so don't do the "deduct a king" type approach for 1N, it's the same 5-bad 9 that it would be over an opening bid. We don't have a natural 2N available.