[Antrax]

Matchpoints.

---

At the table S bid 3NT and was left there. However, 6♦ would've been a better spot, not the least of which because 7♦ also makes

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Neg-DBL comes to mind.

[Fluffy]

agree with the above, negative double is your resouce here, and that´s what I´d do at IMPs since I can live with 4♥ 6-1 with so many extras. But at MPs I can´t say I wouldn´t go for 3NT without thinking enough.

The trick here is to differentiate from "I have 16 points with minors and stopper" where 3NT is probably the best bid at MPs, from the real hand wich is more like "I have 3 aces and only 3.5 losers if partner has singleton spade!".


What I mean is: south´s hand ain´t a simple 16 count, its a supper hand for slam.

[Cyberyeti]

Fluffy, on 2012-January-23, 08:22, said:

agree with the above, negative double is your resouce here, and that´s what I´d do at IMPs since I can live with 4♥ 6-1 with so many extras. But at MPs I can´t say I wouldn´t go for 3NT without thinking enough.

The trick here is to differentiate from "I have 16 points with minors and stopper" where 3NT is probably the best bid at MPs, from the real hand wich is more like "I have 3 aces and only 3.5 losers if partner has singleton spade!".


What I mean is: south´s hand ain´t a simple 16 count, its a supper hand for slam.

Yup, slam is perfectly good opposite Axxxx, xxxxx in the reds and any 3 small black cards, requiring only a 2-1 trump break.

1♥-(3♠)-X-4♦- followed by keycard showing 2+Q and you're bidding at least 6.

[aguahombre]

IMO, If the colors are as posted, 3NT should have shown a powerful offensive hand, with double being more defensive. Heresy to mention penalty on these fora, so I will describe double as a convertable takeout.

[neilkaz]

NegX for me also. The slam potential is large if opener fits one of the minors.

EDIT I failed to see that it was MP, so double is less desirable although I won't mind much if it is passed and we defend.

[Phil]

I'd probably duplicate the OP.

To those that like double - its MPs, and our ♠T, not to mention A-3rd are nice cards for 3N. If we double we have given up on any number of NT under 6 without detailed agreements. I think its way more likely that 430 or 460 is available.

Furthermore, what makes the doublers think that we are going to have such a smooth ride? If partner rebids 4♥, which seems like a likely occurrence with partner's short hearts and our short spades, I'm pretty sick, since its doubtful hearts outscores NT. If partner bids 4m, I'm not convinced 6m is there, but I would probably bid it since we are getting very few matchpoints for 5m. I'd start with 4♠, and let things run their course.

If I can bid a natural 4N (which I can in one partnership) over 4♥, then I can live with a double.

By the way, I think North might have bid 4♦ over 3N.

[ahydra]

I don't open that North hand - too light. If partner has 11 and a misfit, disaster will result.

So East opens 3S and then South goes ugh... now what. Probably 3NT, ending the auction. If by some chance he picks 4D (planning to play 5m) then we might be onto something. 4H from North, 5C from South, 6D from North is my guess, but that feels more like a stumble-around-in-the-dark auction to me.

Moral is, don't be hard on yourself/ves for missing a 26pt slam when opps pre-empt heavily - it's never easy.

ahydra

[mikeh]

Phil's post makes a lot of sense to me.....3N is a pragmatic matchpoint bid. More to the point, when it seems clear that the action of one player, here South, will be the decision point, it helps to present this as a problem along the lines of 'what do you call here?' over 3♠.

A lot of people reading this post are going to look for the way they'd reach their 10 card fit, and obviously double, on this hand, works great.

But what happens when opener is 2533 or 1633 or a myriad of other shapes lacking a 4 card minor?

And what if he bids 4♣? This hand is MUCH better when he bids 4♦ than when he bids 4♣...are we really going to settle for 5♣ or drive to slam?

Put another way.....if we knew partner was bidding almost anything except pass (which has to be damn near impossible on the auction and our spade holding) or diamonds, we'd want to rewind the bidding to avoid the negative double. Since we 'know' that he is bidding diamonds, it is very difficult to be objective.

[Antrax]

I considered 4♦ but there were some reasons against it, not the least of which is that partner took out my 3NT a couple of hands back and I was still mad at him
(Also, more Bridgestatically, I thought slam was remote and 3NT is a very sweet spot in MPs)

[Codo]

I join Phil and Mike (and your choice). The hand is a little heavy for 3 NT, but this is still our most likely contract.
At imps, 3 NT will be too lazy, but at mps, I would bet , that this will result in much better scores then doubling.

[Antrax]

I talked with one of the pairs that found the diamond slam. On their table E bid 2♠

[Cascade]

ahydra, on 2012-January-23, 14:49, said:

I don't open that North hand - too light. If partner has 11 and a misfit, disaster will result.

At favourable I don't think this is even close to a pass. 10 hcp in your long suits, extra distribution and if disaster befalls us it will usually only cost a few 50s. Sure we can get doubled but this is rare. (And they might still have a game.)

[benlessard]

obvious neg X at any form of scoring.