[Hanoi5]

Red vs White, imp pairs:

♠---
♥AK76
♦KJ986
♣A962

1♦-1♠
2♣-3♠
???

[Cthulhu D]

I'm vul at imps, so I'm going to try 3NT.

[jillybean]

I'd rather be in 4♠ than 3n

[dwar0123]

4♥, if partner can bid 4♠ over that, great, if he picks a minor great, if he has some hearts and passes, great.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 Introducing a new suit on the 4 level is a good way to generate confusion,
it may or may not be natural.

#2 The answer depends to some degree on the meaning of 3S, some play 3S as forcing,
some as inv.

Assuming you play 3S as inv., there is a case for downgrading, but than you are playing
IMPs, and to simplify things .... I would say, we have a combined HCP count of 25, we
play game, and this even playing MP, and playing MP pass is a good valid option, and you
could make a similar case playing IMPs being green.

So bid game, either 3NT or 4S would be fine, my suggestion would be to bid 3NT, but partner
can and should correct.
The important point to take away is, that 3NT is not a command to partner, saying I want to
play 3NT, pass, but just a suggestion, with an heavy indication, that opener will have a
(small) singleton most of the time.

This information will be stronger, if they will strain to bid 4S, if they see a 8 card fit.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[dwar0123]

P_Marlowe, on 2012-April-11, 01:49, said:

#1 Introducing a new suit on the 4 level is a good way to generate confusion,
it may or may not be natural.

This is novice and beginner forum, everything is natural except for the specific 2 or 3 conventions they agreed to.

I really think you are over thinking this and I am confident that whatever my partner has and what ever he says over 4♥, it will be a reasonable contract.

[P_Marlowe]

dwar0123, on 2012-April-11, 02:20, said:

This is novice and beginner forum, everything is natural except for the specific 2 or 3 conventions they agreed to.

I really think you are over thinking this and I am confident that whatever my partner has and what ever he says over 4♥, it will be a reasonable contract.

Unless your partner thinks, that 4H is forcing, and raises to 5H.

And keep in mind, that quite often, bidding the 4th suit is artificial, of course those situations
are different ..., and that they N/B will play in the wilderness, where lots of things gets thrown
at them.

Of course in real life, you will have a good idea, what p will be doing, if you throw 4H at him,
because you know, have context information.
But even if this N/B, it is a good idea, to suggest only sensible bids, ..., I did not outline,
what a 4H bid may or may not mean, and I dont believe I know all possible meanings of the bid.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Phil]

dwar0123, on 2012-April-11, 00:11, said:

4♥, if partner can bid 4♠ over that, great, if he picks a minor great, if he has some hearts and passes, great.

I'll try to keep my comments at a N/B level, even though judging from your prior posts, you are clearly beyond this level.

Partner does not have four hearts. He would not have jumped to 3♠ if he had.

See below for I/A+ explanation

Spoiler

With an experienced partner, I would take four of a minor as natural, perhaps to show a 6-5 (4♣) or a great 6-4 or 7-4 (4♦), so you need two ways to raise spades here. I would want to differentiate between hands like xx Qx AKJxx Axxx and Kx xx AKQxx Axxx. Both of these hands want to play game, but the 2nd would like to invite slam if partner has good trump and prime values.

As I mentioned before, 4♥ should not be construed as natural. Here its best used to show a really good raise to 4♠.

Note: With an ubermax where I was planning a three bid sequence with Kxx x AKJxx AQxx, I would just launch RKB.

[ArtK78]

In my opinion, you have two choices: 3NT and 4♠. I would choose 3NT as partner will usually be able to decide on his own whether 4♠ is a better contract.

I am not in a position to decide between 3NT and 4♠ as I don't know how well partner's spade suit plays opposite a void. Only partner can make that decision.

A third option would be to pass 3♠, but that seems extremely pessimistic.

[Fluffy]

Thinking beginner:

partner has 10-11 HCP and 6 spades for his invitation, I have 15 for a total higher than 24, so we play game. This excludes pass.

We have no known fit, but we have stoppers in all suits, so 3NT it is.

3NT is a very good contract to play as much as possible, so when it is an option try to play it (but remember 4♥/♠ is even better and has preference when you have a fit)



More advanced thinking:

Spoiler

This hand is a mess, 3NT will be a very tough contract given that we have no comunication nor trick source. It is right to downgrade for having a void in partner's suit and think abot not playing game. But we don't even know wich game. 3NT will be right if partner has strenght outside spades (K10xxxx), 4♠ will be best if partner has spade intermediates (QJ1098x would be ideal) or strong ones (AKJ10xx) but would be dreadful if he has stepy ones (KJ9753), there is no way to know, and any of 3♠, 3NT or 4♠ can be the winner. Or we are down already!

4♠ is the most likelly game to make, but it is also the most risky one because it can go doubled more easilly for a big number. All in all I would pass at MPs, and bid 3NT at IMPs, partner might evaluate his spade suit and go for 4♠ if he plays opposite singleton, not always, but frequent enough

[jillybean]

Is 4♥ a cue in support of spades?

[P_Marlowe]

jillybean, on 2012-April-11, 10:42, said:

Is 4♥ a cue in support of spades?

Without any special agreement, the answer is yes
- although I would prefer to replace cue with "simply showing Slam interest",
trying to find responder with magic cards, e.g. AQxxxx in spades and another
Ace / KJ in the minors.

And of course opener will have a cue in heart - opener will have heart shortage,
say a 5431 or 5521 shape.

But this is not a N/B topic.

[frank0]

4♠, why struggle in tough contract when you can let partner do it?

[ahydra]

I'd bid 3NT. With only a 6-0 fit 4S may have too many top losers.

ahydra

[MrAce]

I really don't understand the 4♠ bidders, really.