[Hanoi5]

Bidding goes:

1♠ 3♦ X Pass
3NT Pass 4♦

What does 4♦ show?
What would a direct 4♦ show?
Are these bids standard?

[Free]

- 4♦ shows a strong hand without fit and without an own suit.
- A direct 4♦ would show fit and a GF hand (4♠ is preemptive).
- I think this is pretty standard.

[dake50]

"4♦ shows a strong hand without fit and without an own suit. [I'd modify 'without an own suit' YET]
- A direct 4♦ would show fit and a GF hand (4♠ is preemptive).
- I think this is pretty standard." Free

Yup. How else to show freaks in this auction AND get some cooperation.

[gszeszycki]

p could have easily bid their own suit if they had one and a strong balanced hand could easily bid 4n (quatitative) 5n (forcing to 6 looking for 7) 6n or 7n themselves. Since a direct 4d shows spade support the only reason to go through all of this is to show not
only spade support but also a splinter in diamonds. I would use this sequence with shortness in any of the side suits.

[Hanoi5]

Free, on 2010-November-16, 07:40, said:

- 4♦ shows a strong hand without fit and without an own suit.

Would you mind giving some examples of such hands?

gszeszycki, on 2010-November-16, 08:40, said:

Since a direct 4d shows spade support the only reason to go through all of this is to show not only spade support but also a splinter in diamonds. I would use this sequence with shortness in any of the side suits.

So, you use a negative double with support in partner's Major to be able to show a splinter afterward? Wouldn't a direct cue-bid hint at a control in the suit+fit?

[Free]

Hanoi5, on 2010-November-16, 16:32, said:

Would you mind giving some examples of such hands?

Yes

I suppose some 1=4=4=4 or 1=5=2=5 with a poor 5-card ♥ suit, dunno...

[lesh]

1sp - 3di - 4di is raise with spade support showing 11+points and at least points for a game also it is not necessary to have diamond cu bid, 4♥ by responder is cu bid not necessary slam try but with a decent hand otherwise if not interested in slam just bid 4♠. 4♠ after 4♥ cu bid just shows the 11-13(14) values.

4♦ after the X would be generally forcing to slam without a 5card suit and support, because you will bid 4nt as invitation and without support.

4sp over 3di will be constructive.

I suppose these bids are standard.

[andy_h]

I don't think there is a standard meaning since most hands types would have been covered by responder bidding a new suit on the previous round, but I will hazard a guess on what it might be given that I had been in a similar-ish situation before. If responder had their own suit they would have bid on the last round and if they had some form of a good spade raise they could have bid 4D previously. After the current auction 4D should be an artificial call agreeing spades with slam interest not necessarily promising a diamond control (but it probably should for what I'm about to elaborate on). A typical hand might be 3S-5H in which responder might have wanted to play in hearts but maybe that's not right because responder has to be prepared with any rebid by opener say 4C, and now responder can't make a cheap call to set spades. Therefore a hand type that bids a delayed 4D would have support for all strains so maybe typically a 3415 shape (or alike eg. 3514/4414) so then responder can set whatever suit opener responds to our X. Of course this is assuming that responder was prepared to gamble a bit of science at the risk of a further preemption so it's probably a hand that's willing to drive to at least the 5 or the 6 level.

On a side note, the 'similar' auction that I faced with was when I was in 4th seat with this auction:
(P) 1S (P) 2C
(2D) 2N (4D) ... Where 2C=2+C GF, 2N=15-18NT and I had a hand that was prepared to drive to slam with interest in grand, but with limited agreements the auction was bound to be murky in terms of how to set which suit I was interested in as trumps.

[Fluffy]

A strong hand with something close to 2425 I think

[gnasher]

Deleted, because Fluffy edited his post