[lamford]

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Camrose. IMPs converted to VPs.

Your 2NT is a hand too good to bid 3H, invitational c13-15, and partner's 3NT suggests you pass if 3-4-3-3 (none of this serious stuff). Which game will you choose?

[broze]

I think I need more info about your system and agreements to answer accurately. Context is everything in choice-of-game auctions. What would 1N opener have been? How often is 2N a balanced hand?

Taking your post literally (you say "partner's 3NT suggests you pass if 3-4-3-3") it is clear to bid 4H; you are not that shape and the honours are suit oriented.

However, if 2N is often unbalanced and partner's bid is simply offering choice of games in that context then I will pass. I expect him to have a lot of stuffing and if he doesn't want me to pass with the balanced hand he shouldn't be offering choice of games.

[nige1]

lamford, on 2017-March-07, 08:12, said:

Camrose. IMPs converted to VPs.
Your 2NT is a hand too good to bid 3H, invitational c13-15, and partner's 3NT suggests you pass if 3-4-3-3 (none of this serious stuff). Which game will you choose?

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I guess

• Pass = NAT. Often right with tops and poor trumps.
• 4♥ = NAT. You do have a doubleton.

[MrAce]

PASS

[sfi]

Bid. I have weak trumps, ruffing potential, and fast tricks.

[lamford]

For clarification, 1NT opener would be 14-16. Partner will usually offer a choice of games always with 3-4-3-3 and when he wants you to pass with 3-4-3-3, so he has soft values and stuffing. You can conclude, on which I did a simulation, that partner is 7-11 with 3-4-3-3 most of the time. 2NT shows all hands that have four hearts and are too good to bid 3H and may be balanced or completely unbalanced. This hand is a balanced minimum, being too strong for a 14-16 NT.

[rmnka447]

I'm bidding 4 ♥. Just no intermediates in this hand that are often vital for 3 NT where no long suit can be set up. If partner has something like xxx AKQx xxx xxx and the ♠ Q is onside, you're making 3 NT, but 4 ♥ also makes because opener can make a "short trump hand" ruff. The opponents have 8 ♦ and that could be a problem at NT after a ♦ lead especially since they're more likely to break 5-3 than 4-4.

Where I'd be more likely to play 3 NT is holding a 4-3-3-3 hand opposite responder's 4-3-3-3. In that situation, there's virtually no chance of a short trump hand ruff providing an extra trick. So there will be hands where 3 NT may make but 4 of a major has no chance.

Just curious, but if 1 ♦ shows ♥, what are your "raise" responses?

Since 1 ♥ is available, that provides 3 possible ♥ "raises" below game you could use any way you want to show support. That should provide a small but significant advantage against more standard bidders who have to bid 1 ♥ and only have 2 raises available below game. A raise to 3 ♥ only showing 13-15 seems a little odd with all those bids available.

[lamford]

rmnka447, on 2017-March-07, 22:38, said:

I'm bidding 4 ♥. Just no intermediates in this hand that are often vital for 3 NT where no long suit can be set up.

Partner had xx QJT9 Kxx JTxx and 3NT was on ice played by the pointed tenaces. I think that 3-4-3-3 hands should bid 3NT, but also hands with (4 4 3 2) and four hearts with HH doubleton. Even if you make partner 4 4 3 2 this is narrowly right on a SIM on this hand 54% to 52% but if partner is 3-4-3-3 it is around 64% to 51% in favour of 3NT. I bid 3NT with a low doubleton spade because of the lack of a spade overcall on the first round of the bidding by either opponent, and it was tough to make 4H as LHO had Txxxx Kx Txxxx Qx and you needed to play him for Hx in clubs. On methods, we just play transfers over 1C, and non FG hands bid 1S, showing a normal 1NT response or better. 1H would show 11-13 Bal without 4 hearts in response to 1D.

[benlessard]

I think 3NT should be narrow,

3433 or HH for the doubleton.

Our hand is perfect for accepting 3Nt, our doubleton is AJ and we have bad trumps.

In my experience

HH vs Hx(xx) are often case where 3nt is better than 4M despite the 4-4 fit.

[gszes]

pass there is a VERY strong chance p has he spade Q so our hand is already a tad disadvantaged. The one probable dia ruff merely makes up for needing the extra trick at 4h.
The 4 atom sized hearts are just another strike against the all eggs in one basket 4h approach.