[pescetom]

MP

---

You were ogling this shapely hand and savouring the opportunity to trot out an interesting XYZ sequence.
But CHO opens a boring 1NT (15-17) and RHO bids an awkward 3♥ (natural).
Our side has 30+ HCP on the line here, but that doesn't deter the vulnerable opps.
Your call and agreements now?

[mw64ahw]

pescetom, on 2026-July-20, 09:03, said:

MP

---

You were ogling this shapely hand and savouring the opportunity to trot out an interesting XYZ sequence.
But CHO opens a boring 1NT (15-17) and RHO bids an awkward 3♥ (natural).
Our side has 30+ HCP on the line here, but that doesn't deter the vulnerable opps.
Your call and agreements now?

Takeout shape, but 4♣ as 5xx5 as there will be an 8-card fit looking for the grand here.

[P_Marlowe]

3S

Natural and forcing, on top of that, it is a major.
It would be harder, if hearts and spades would be switched.
I will followup with 5H, if they raise 3H to 4H, and p doubles
4H.

In the end you are driving toward slam, maybe bidding 6D is better
than 5H, asking p to choose.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mike777]

3S seems normal

[P_Marlowe]

mike777, on 2026-July-20, 09:43, said:

3S seems normal

If you play Non Leaping Michaels in the given seq., than it would fit,
it would even solve the hand, in case the majors are reversed, not playing it,
would leave you with the cue
..., in theory it is certainly a good idea, although those seq. are rare,
and similar those hands.

I play it, and it never came up in the last 10 years, and we play a pretty
relaxed version, i.e. increased freq., and it still does not come up.

[Cyberyeti]

What do people play 4♥ as ?

[mw64ahw]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-July-20, 09:46, said:

What do people play 4♥ as ?

Both minors

[jillybean]

I have nothing up my sleeve, 3S

[Cyberyeti]

mw64ahw, on 2026-July-20, 09:48, said:

Both minors

I would have thought it was more useful as 5♠/5m or takeout with a void heart where you don't want partner to pass a double, particularly if you play 4m natural rather than LM

[pescetom]

 mw64ahw, on 2026-July-20, 09:48, said:

Both minors

It seems to me more logical and flexible for 4♥ to be transfer to spades and 4♠ minors.
Beyond my current partners, however.

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2026-July-20, 09:52, said:

I have nothing up my sleeve, 3S

And you consider 3♠ forcing, like P_Marlowe does ?

[pescetom]

mw64ahw, on 2026-July-20, 09:17, said:

Takeout shape, but 4♣ as 5xx5 as there will be an 8-card fit looking for the grand here.

If you X for takeout

Spoiler

Opener will bid 3NT.

If you bid 4♣

Spoiler

Opener will bid 5♣. Or if he thinks it is NLM, control bid 4♦ fixing trumps in clubs.

[mikeh]

It is standard in NA…I don’t know expert treatments elsewhere….for 3S to show 5+ spades and be game forcing. I’ve never heard of non leaping Michaels in this sequence and don’t like it now that I have. To me, 4S would be a hand that would have used 4H had RHO passed or bid 3C or lower. But not, obviously, including the infrequent hand that intended to move over 4S by opener.

My main worry is that partner may raise spades, making my 5C bid sound like a cuebid rather than a second suit. What I hope, but don’t expect, is he bids 3N and now my 4C is both forcing and natural. Ax xxx KQxx KJxx isn’t a 1N bid but I like my chances in 7C despite the likely bad breaks.

[WasWinM]

Once the interference reaches the 3-level, I see no reason for bids to mean anything artificial. As to folks emphasizing games, that's the way the game was originally designed, with bonuses for bidding games and slams. Only with the advent of match point events did partscores hands become an equal value.

[jillybean]

pescetom, on 2026-July-20, 10:44, said:

And you consider 3♠ forcing, like P_Marlowe does ?

Affirmative.

I have the same concerns as Mike, the 3H bid took away all our room to show this 2 suiter and we do need to probe for slam.
I cannot describe this hand and there's little doubt that I will be masterminding in subsequent rounds.
Signing off is for the wimps, we have to dare. Let's see the next bid, opposite a good partner I hope to see 4H

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-July-20, 13:36, said:

Affirmative.

I have the same concerns as Mike, the 3H bid took away all our room to show this 2 suiter and we do need to probe for slam.
I cannot describe this hand and there's little doubt that I will be masterminding in subsequent rounds.
Signing off is for the wimps, we have to dare. Let's see the next bid, opposite a good partner I hope to see 4H

I think the next bid after 3♠ will be 3NT, which as mikeh said is not bad news.

MP

---

What are his options if you now bid 4♣?

[mike777]

4NT to play
4D= long D
4S and 5C to play

Nothing fancy

[pescetom]

 mike777, on 2026-July-20, 14:13, said:

4NT to play
4D= long D
4S and 5C to play

Nothing fancy

I don't like 4D as diamonds in a balanced hand that could not find 3 cards in a black suit.

[mike777]

I will bid 5NT over 4D, pick a slam

[pescetom]

 mike777, on 2026-July-20, 14:21, said:

I will bid 5NT over 4D, pick a slam

Understood, but your system caters to opening 1NT 2=4=5=2?
I would privilege the more likely situation where he can 3 card fit at least one of the black suits, so 4R is a control-bid fixing clubs here (he can always choose between NT and the 5-2 spades if messing around).