[el mister]

Scoring: MP

1♣ p 1♥ p
1♠ p 3♦ p
?

---

Playing Acol. Do you sign off in 3NT here, or bid something else?

[whereagles]

If 3♦ has the (probably standard) meaning of 55 and GF, this hand is worth a 4♦ raise. We don't need much for a slam, say

xx
AKxxx
AKxxx
x

[NickRW]

Well, even most of the little of ladies where I play are playing this a fourth suit forcing, primarily asking for a ♦ stop. I have one, so I bid 3NT. New suit at the 3 level has always been forcing since the year dot in Acol.

Even if 3♦ was natural, 9 tricks in NT may be easier than 11 in diamonds.

Nick

Erm, edit, just noticed the bid was 3♦ rather than 2 - makes it definitely ♦ - in which case the case for 4♦ is much better. But don't be surprised if 3NT is worth more matchpoints.

[el mister]

Thanks for the replies - 3NT was indeed worth more at MPs. I weighed in with an immediate 4NT and passed the 5♦ response, which made for 0%. Partner was unimpressed, and said 3NT was the bid. I was unsure - 4NT might be a bit agricultural but some sort of slam investigation seemed in order. OTOH, maybe 3NT is the percentage bid at MPs.

[NickRW]

el mister, on Jun 1 2009, 01:25 PM, said:

... OTOH, maybe 3NT is the percentage bid at MPs.

Usually is. The only time you really want to be in 5m at that form of scoring is when you think it has reasonable play, but you're pretty darned sure that a side suit is wide open (which is, of course, not the case here). Otherwise, if you must explore the minor - you generally either want to gamble on 6 or, maybe, stop short in 4 betting that most games are off.

The downside of this is that your slam bidding will get worse and you may find IMPs is a difficult conversion after playing MP for years!

[P_Marlowe]

<snip>

[cyc0002002]

whereagles, on Jun 1 2009, 05:51 AM, said:

If 3♦ has the (probably standard) meaning of 55 and GF,

I play 3♦ as inv
I'm the minority?

[hanp]

3D as fourth suit forcing is new to me. It sounds really bad, why not bid 2D?

Assuming that 3D is gameforcing with 5-5 in the red suits I would bid 3NT. It is true that we have a nice hand and a fit but almost all of our stuff in the black suits, it is matchpoints and "xx AKxxx AKxxx x does not qualify as "not much" in my book.

[whereagles]

cyc0002002, on Jun 2 2009, 06:15 PM, said:

I play 3♦ as inv
I'm the minority?

Definitely. To bid on to the 3 level on what can be a misfit seems quite dangerous. This is why 3♦ should show a strong hand.

[cyc0002002]

whereagles, on Jun 2 2009, 03:27 PM, said:

cyc0002002, on Jun 2 2009, 06:15 PM, said:

I play 3♦ as inv
I'm the minority?

Definitely. To bid on to the 3 level on what can be a misfit seems quite dangerous. This is why 3♦ should show a strong hand.

so how's the inv 5-5? 2nt?

[whereagles]

That is one of the possibilities, yes. If pard decides to bid over that, he is supposed to bid 3♠ with 3 cards there.