[Cyberyeti]

Swiss teams, nobody vul

---

[paulg]

This is a problem that you used to see in bidding magazines competitions all the time because there is no good answer.

In the modern game West will often hold just six diamonds meaning that partner can have a similar hand, perhaps a 4234 14-count without a call over the pre-empt.

But East's silence encourages me to take a shot so I will try 3NT knowing that this could be a disaster.

But I feel that most players in the Vanderbilt would do the same, safe in the knowledge that -800 will be flat. This may be less true in other events

[Cyberyeti]

paulg, on 2026-March-08, 03:15, said:

This is a problem that you used to see in bidding magazines competitions all the time because there is no good answer.

In the modern game West will often hold just six diamonds meaning that partner can have a similar hand, perhaps a 4234 14-count without a call over the pre-empt.

But East's silence encourages me to take a shot so I will try 3NT knowing that this could be a disaster.

But I feel that most players in the Vanderbilt would do the same, safe in the knowledge that -800 will be flat. This may be less true in other events

If you do balance 3N, your fate is decided at trick 1, find a lead from:

---

I may have duplicated some of the small cards but the sense of this is right

[mike777]

 paulg, on 2026-March-08, 03:15, said:

This is a problem that you used to see in bidding magazines competitions all the time because there is no good answer.

In the modern game West will often hold just six diamonds meaning that partner can have a similar hand, perhaps a 4234 14-count without a call over the pre-empt.

But East's silence encourages me to take a shot so I will try 3NT knowing that this could be a disaster.

But I feel that most players in the Vanderbilt would do the same, safe in the knowledge that -800 will be flat. This may be less true in other events

Interesting analysis 🤓

[pescetom]

Not likely to be 6 card around here, but some of our old krudges are quite capable of holding ♠Ax ♥Jxx ♦AQTxxxx ♣x or similar. So I think I pass at the club but balance in a decent teams tournament.

[mikeh]

Assuming opener has around 6 hcp, which looks like a reasonable assumption, there are roughly 20 hcp in the other two hands. That means, prima facie, that we could hope for 10 or so in partner, making it likely that a 3N bid will give us some play. But: the n some lies of the remaining 20 hcp, partner would bid over 3D while RHO will pass almost the time. The probabilities allow for RHO to have stronger hands than partner That’s when bidding could be a disaster.

I think thus is extremely close but I think pass is best even tho cyber has hinted that 3N will work absent a lucky opening lead guess

[Cyberyeti]

mikeh, on 2026-March-09, 09:18, said:

Assuming opener has around 6 hcp, which looks like a reasonable assumption, there are roughly 20 hcp in the other two hands. That means, prima facie, that we could hope for 10 or so in partner, making it likely that a 3N bid will give us some play. But: the n some lies of the remaining 20 hcp, partner would bid over 3D while RHO will pass almost the time. The probabilities allow for RHO to have stronger hands than partner That’s when bidding could be a disaster.

I think thus is extremely close but I think pass is best even tho cyber has hinted that 3N will work absent a lucky opening lead guess

I thought it was extremely close also which is why I posted it. I eventually decided with the heart pips I would bid.

Second question: If it goes 3♦-P-P-3N-P-P-X does this say lead a diamond or does it assume you will normally and say lead something unusual, or does it just say this isn't making.

[mikeh]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-March-09, 09:51, said:

I thought it was extremely close also which is why I posted it. I eventually decided with the heart pips I would bid.

Second question: If it goes 3♦-P-P-3N-P-P-X does this say lead a diamond or does it assume you will normally and say lead something unusual, or does it just say this isn't making.

Says it isn’t making. This is a power penalty double and suggests the doubler lacks the cards that might have tempted him to bid 3N earlier. What would one bid with something like AKQxx Axx x Qxxx?

[Cyberyeti]

mikeh, on 2026-March-09, 11:13, said:

Says it isn’t making. This is a power penalty double and suggests the doubler lacks the cards that might have tempted him to bid 3N earlier. What would one bid with something like AKQxx Axx x Qxxx?

So what do you lead from the hand posted above if partner passes, or doubles

[mikeh]

It’s a toss-up. But I can’t answer with any pretence to objectivity because knowing declarers hand makes a heart lead look bad, yet it and spades are the logical choices. Neither diamonds nor clubs have any appeal.

[Cyberyeti]

mikeh, on 2026-March-09, 11:49, said:

It’s a toss-up. But I can’t answer with any pretence to objectivity because knowing declarers hand makes a heart lead look bad, yet it and spades are the logical choices. Neither diamonds nor clubs have any appeal.

Fair enough, Partner's hand is:

---

I may have duplicated some small cards but the sense is right, if you don't lead ♠10 or partner doesn't win ♥A and switch to a small spade towards dummy's J7xxx with you unblocking your 10 under the Q, you're not beating it.