[awm]

♠xx ♥A9x ♦Jxxx ♣J9xx

1♠-1NT(forcing)
2♥-2♠
3♣ - ???

Partner's 3♣ bid should be natural (but possibly three cards) and show extras of course (although not enough to force game over 1NT). What's your plan?

Scoring is IMPs, all vulnerable.

[rbforster]

I'll try 3H, showing 2=3 hopefully, to put the ball back in opener's court. Hopefully he can pick which 7 card fit he likes better.

[ArtK78]

3♥ seems right for several reasons:

1) I have very good hearts in the context of this auction.
2) I have a good hand in the context of this auction, but
3) I do not have enough to bid game.

It is this last point that some might quibble with. While my heart and club holdings are good, the lack of a third spade makes this less than a game bid.

[jdonn]

I'll pass. We don't have the values for game, and I don't see why any of the other fits should be better than this one. This one is in fact the most likely to be 8 cards, since some 5413 hands will bid 2NT the third time (singleton diamond honor?), and 6403 or 5503 hands are more likely to focus on the majors on their third bid whereas 5404 hands will still rebid 2♥ imo.

[whereagles]

I don't think pard is 5-5 (though he *could* be 5404). In these cases, it's usually best to play the 5-2 fit, so 3♠ for me.

[mikeh]

I agree with josh.. get out now. Since we have gone out of our way to ensure a diamond lead, a major suit contract will be problematic. Of course, a 4=3 club fit won't be great either, but there will be days when that scrambles well in the play .. picture our rho with 2 spades.. and we may get a nice pickup if he is 5=4=0=4.

[peachy]

When I first looked at the problem, Pass wasn't even on my radar while my main concern was "how to stop us from getting too high"... Oh well, josh's post convinced me that Pass is best, although originally I thought 3S might be best. I was never bidding 3H because that sounds too encouraging.

[jdonn]

peachy, on Mar 13 2009, 11:48 PM, said:

I was never bidding 3H because that sounds too encouraging.

I think that's a good point. Anything but pass or going to the suit you have already chosen should be game forcing and value showing.

[Hanoi5]

I pass for I think we have a fit.

[RichMor]

Pass, one round too late. Should have passed 2♥.

[jdonn]

RichMor, on Mar 16 2009, 08:56 AM, said:

Pass, one round too late. Should have passed 2♥.

You know, that's another good point. Why didn't we pass 2♥?

[fromageGB]

I don't pass 2♥ because partner may have a 64xx shape, and I prefer to play in spades. When he bids 3♣ it seems he is 5413 or 5404 and hoping I am not minimum, with diamond stops, so can bid 3NT. I don't have that hand, so I have to choose which of partner's suits to play in.

As all of them seem to be seven card fits, I choose clubs because then I am ruffing in the short trump hand. Also it might be an 8 card fit.
Pass

[Apollo81]

i also dont get why didn't we pass 2♥

[jdonn]

Even if partner can be 6-4, partner can also be 5-5. I never found the 6-4 argument to be a good reason. If we have a bad hand we should end the auction, lest we get even higher.

[fromageGB]

jdonn, on Mar 17 2009, 05:26 PM, said:

Even if partner can be 6-4, partner can also be 5-5.

That's a good point! And about the same frequency, too. So I will switch sides to join you.