[diana_eva]

Board 5 saw a swing when I went down in 3N while other table bid and made 5C. Even now looking at all hands I have no idea what the best line would be to make 3N. Also, should I choose to play in clubs, knowing my H stopper was shaky?

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[Mbodell]

I don't think 3nt is bad, that said, 6♣ might be worth exploring given you have the A and no wastage in hearts and 4 clubs (would 3♠ be a possible cue, or would it ask partner about a stopper - does partner bid 3nt on hands that don't have slam hopes opposite working minimums? not sure). I think holding up an extra trick is worth it in hearts though (I don't think the "fake" positional stopper is worth it). And, obviously, the first spade should be T to the A (or Q) to set up a possible 8 to the 9 finesse later. If you do that and get the bad 4-1 break in clubs I think you can try the spade finesse since the known cards in clubs suggest E with length (while the hearts are less clear since you don't know the exact split, just that each has at least 3).

[cherdano]

With A-empty it is usually best to skip 3NT: you have only a single stopper (barring singleton honor with partner, in which case he might not choose to splinter), and your holding is also pretty useful for playing 5♣ or 6♣.
The latter is a key difference to, say, Kxx: then you also have a single stopper only, but since your K is useless for 5♣, so that 3NT, say, on a finesse and a helpful lead might still be the best available option.

However, I can see how your, uhm, below-average trump suit quality may have persuaded you to 3NT... I think it's close with this hand, but I would skip 3NT.

[PhilKing]

1♣-3♥
3♠-4♠

No game contract is exactly solid on the lie, but this feels best.

[diana_eva]

PhilKing, on 2013-October-28, 14:39, said:

1♣-3♥
3♠-4♠

No game contract is exactly solid on the lie, but this feels best.

This was my first thought at the table too, but we're past 3nt already, bec part can no longer check for !h stop and i haven't promised any yet, plus I'm not sure 3!s wd promise 4 cards. I do know it is 4 cards so I guess i can pass a 4S from partner landing in a nicer contract. This was completely undiscussed for us. Other than recognizing 3!h as shortness, no continuations were agreed.

[mike777]

diana_eva, on 2013-October-26, 17:00, said:

Board 5 saw a swing when I went down in 3N while other table bid and made 5C. Even now looking at all hands I have no idea what the best line would be to make 3N. Also, should I choose to play in clubs, knowing my H stopper was shaky?

---

Diana and Richard this looks like a very difficult hand to bid and play. Richard may choose to bid 1d rather than 3h with only 4clubs. Diana may choose to bid 3s over 3h and now Richard may bid 4d over 3s rather than 4s since Diana is unlimited. There are many tough options on this deal.

[hrothgar]

mike777, on 2013-October-29, 04:01, said:

Diana and Richard this looks like a very difficult hand to bid and play. Richard may choose to bid 1d rather than 3h with only 4clubs. Diana may choose to bid 3s over 3h and now Richard may bid 4d over 3s rather than 4s since Diana is unlimited. There are many tough options on this deal.

Mike make a good point: At the other table, Cayne chose to bid 1D with my hand.

When I transferred captaincy with the splinter I was pretty much giving up on slam.
My clubs are so good that Diana (probably) won't be able to make a slam move.

I was more intent on making a good choice between 3N and 5c.

[helene_t]

diana_eva, on 2013-October-28, 15:07, said:

This was my first thought at the table too, but we're past 3nt already, bec part can no longer check for !h stop and i haven't promised any yet, plus I'm not sure 3!s wd promise 4 cards.

If you decide to bid 3♠ you have indeed given up on 3NT - I don't think it's practical to play 3♠ as asking partner to bid 3NT with good diamond stoppers, although it might have been nice on this hand. In general, if you want to play 3NT you want to play it by South, as he will often have a heart honour to protect against the lead. So South has to decide immediately whether she wants to play 3NT or not.

3♠ doesn't promise four, it could also be a cuebid. But North has good spades in context (I assume his splinter denied four spades) so he can raise just in case the 3♠ bid was natural.

I think it must be right to bid 3♠ in any case. With this hand it works both as a cuebid and as a natural bid. The more difficult decision is whether to pass 4♠ or to make another move towards a club slam. Maybe best to pass since partner can't know that your clubs are as bad as they are. So if you bid 5♣ he might bid 6♣ on many hands that don't make a good slam.

[PhilKing]

mike777, on 2013-October-29, 04:01, said:

Diana may choose to bid 3s over 3h and now Richard may bid 4d over 3s rather than 4s since Diana is unlimited. There are many tough options on this deal.

Not raising to 4♠ is a case of putting the cart before the horse - our first priority is to find the right game.

If Diana has extras, she will bid on over 4♠, and 4NT should be available as a strong try (else pass 4♠ or bid 5♣), so not showing the diamond control should not really hurt us.

Anyway, here's the link to Garozzo's line in 5♣.

http://www.bridgebas...rname=diana_eva

Rather elegant.

[mike777]

Diana may take 4s as denying a diamond card. South may still bid 5c over the 4s raise but how does north know to move on or not? My only point is all of this is much easier to see knowing both hands.

I raise this point since I emailed this hand around and so far people are taking the 4s bid as denying AD.

[PhilKing]

mike777, on 2013-October-29, 06:55, said:

I raise this point since I emailed this hand around and so far people are taking the 4s bid as denying AD.

My head has just exploded.

[mike777]

Here was one typical question about 4s:

"If I try 3S (?), what in the world is partner doing with 4S? Hmmmm, no DIAMOND control?? (Kxx,x,Jxx,AKQxxx"

[diana_eva]

PhilKing, on 2013-October-29, 06:45, said:

...
Anyway, here's the link to Garozzo's line in 5♣.

http://www.bridgebas...rname=diana_eva

Rather elegant.

LOL I was wondering when someone will post this. I hated to be in Garozzo's seat, my declarer play is really bad and was thinking all the time papi will get this one right.