[newbdonkey]

I came across this deal in a bridge column. I could not get my head around the 4NT rebid.

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The column does mention that the bidding is aggressive, but how does 4NT end up hinting ♦?

[FelicityR]

4NT is the unusual no-trump suggesting both minor suits. The opponents having bid both major suits, 4NT after the 2♥ bid vulnerable shows a big hand with good shape, 6-5 or better. When South jumps to 6♦, showing extras, North with controls in all suits and a solid ♣ suit bids the grand slam.

btw It could be the wrong contract as there is no guarantee that the ♦A is missing.

[newbdonkey]

 FelicityR, on 2020-March-19, 09:59, said:

4NT is the unusual no-trump suggesting both minor suits. The opponents having bid both major suits, 4NT after the 2♥ bid vulnerable shows a big hand with good shape, 6-5 or better. When South jumps to 6♦, showing extras, North with controls in all suits and a solid ♣ suit bids the grand slam.

btw It could be the wrong contract as there is no guarantee that the ♦A is missing.

Thank you, this makes much sense. But why not 3NT, why jump to 4NT? Would a 3NT be perceived as something else?

[Cyberyeti]

 newbdonkey, on 2020-March-19, 11:24, said:

Thank you, this makes much sense. But why not 3NT, why jump to 4NT? Would a 3NT be perceived as something else?

3N is I think I can make 3N

4N is in this auction type 2 places to play, if opener had rebid spades, it would show lots of clubs and one of the reds, but here it's clearly diamonds.

[Tramticket]

Interesting hand to play. After you play the ace of diamond and learn about the bad trump break you can't afford to draw trumps because the 4-1 club split will beat you.

I guess that you cross to the ace of clubs and immediately ruff a club, then cross to the ace of hearts and run the clubs until East ruffs in? Or was the winning line a dummy reversal?

[pescetom]

 Tramticket, on 2020-March-19, 13:06, said:

I guess that you cross to the ace of clubs and immediately ruff a club, then cross to the ace of hearts and run the clubs until East ruffs in? Or was the winning line a dummy reversal?

I think you have to cross to the ace of clubs and (over) ruff a club.
After that you can even pull trumps and it's still all yours.


Am I the only one not thrilled with the 2♣ interference here?

[Cyberyeti]

 pescetom, on 2020-March-19, 16:05, said:

I think you have to cross to the ace of clubs and (over) ruff a club.
After that you can even pull trumps and it's still all yours.


Am I the only one not thrilled with the 2♣ interference here?

I like 2♣ followed by 4N, the danger is that if partner has for example ♦Qxx, ♣Jx, and some fast major suit winners, it might easily play better in clubs

[smerriman]

 Cyberyeti, on 2020-March-19, 16:33, said:

I like 2♣ followed by 4N, the danger is that if partner has for example ♦Qxx, ♣Jx, and some fast major suit winners, it might easily play better in clubs

The danger seems to be that if West passes like they should, you'll be playing in 2♣..

.. though tbh now that I think of it, I can't really see much alternative.

[mikeh]

 pescetom, on 2020-March-19, 16:05, said:

I think you have to cross to the ace of clubs and (over) ruff a club.
After that you can even pull trumps and it's still all yours.


Am I the only one not thrilled with the 2♣ interference here?

I have the opposite reaction. I think 2C is clearly the best action.

It is, in my view, very much the best call anytime the auction continues. Technically, even if it were to go all pass, it may be better than anything else, but of course the main justification is that it is incredibly unlikely that 2C is followed by three passes, and we get to describe our hand reasonably well (and far better than any other original action might permit) on the next round.

How we do that depends on what action others take but certainly 4N is a likely candidate, unless someone bids diamonds or raises clubs. If nobody bid hearts, then 4N would show at least 6 clubs and a long, but shorter, red suit. Once opener bids hearts, it shows diamonds.

[helene_t]

2♣ is ok. But I think I would have bid 2NT followed by some number of clubs.

After having bid 2♣ in first round, North can also bid 2NT in second round, which would suggest 4-6 rather than 5-7. But 3NT would be to play.

West should not have bid in second round. He knows that his partner will be weak if he has something in the majors. With four clubs, West is happy to defend a clubs contract.

East's pass over 2♣ is not good. Bid 2♠ or 3♠ depending on partnership style.

[Cyberyeti]

 smerriman, on 2020-March-19, 17:17, said:

The danger seems to be that if West passes like they should, you'll be playing in 2♣..

.. though tbh now that I think of it, I can't really see much alternative.

Our style of overcalls, 2♣ over a spade will be (because it's non exclusive and at the 2 level) a very decent hand, partner will bid on less than he has, our auction would proceed 2♣-2♦-5♥(GSF).

[Tramticket]

 pescetom, on 2020-March-19, 16:05, said:

I think you have to cross to the ace of clubs and (over) ruff a club.
After that you can even pull trumps and it's still all yours.

Yes, but on (say) K♥ lead, you have lost an entry and can't draw trumps. So:
(1) K♥ lead, won by the ace.
(2) Diamond to the ace (If you start with the King of diamonds, you will fail!).
(3) Club to the ace.
(4) Ruff a club (East does best not to ruff).
(5) Ace of spades.
(6) Ruff a heart or spade.
(7) At this point you can't draw trumps as you will exhaust dummy of trumps and leave dummy without an entry. Instead, run the clubs from the top and either (a) East ruffs in at some point - now you can over-ruff, draw trumps and still have on trump in dummy as an entry for the remaining clubs or (b)East declines to ruff and you simply take the finesse in trumps at trick 11.

I think that, for a Novice/Beginner forum, there is plenty of scope to misplay this hand and it is a good hand to learn from.

[bluenikki]

 newbdonkey, on 2020-March-19, 09:40, said:

I came across this deal in a bridge column. I could not get my head around the 4NT rebid.

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The column does mention that the bidding is aggressive, but how does 4NT end up hinting ♦?

Unrelated to 4NT, but opener's re-open is suicidal. Partner is highly likely to have fewer than 3 ♣. In which case, his pass says he is *busted*.

[Cyberyeti]

 bluenikki, on 2020-March-20, 07:46, said:

Unrelated to 4NT, but opener's re-open is suicidal. Partner is highly likely to have fewer than 3 ♣. In which case, his pass says he is *busted*.

He probably felt he had to reopen if his partner habitually doesn't raise with 4 card support and a singleton in opener's suit

[newbdonkey]

 Tramticket, on 2020-March-19, 13:06, said:

Interesting hand to play. After you play the ace of diamond and learn about the bad trump break you can't afford to draw trumps because the 4-1 club split will beat you.

I guess that you cross to the ace of clubs and immediately ruff a club, then cross to the ace of hearts and run the clubs until East ruffs in? Or was the winning line a dummy reversal?

As this seem to have triggered a discussion on how the hand must be played, I am including the link to the column. Thanks for all the responses.

[Tramticket]

 newbdonkey, on 2020-March-20, 10:33, said:

As this seem to have triggered a discussion on how the hand must be played, I am including the link to the column. Thanks for all the responses.

Thanks. Yes this is the same as my line in the essentials.

[RD350LC]

 bluenikki, on 2020-March-20, 07:46, said:

Unrelated to 4NT, but opener's re-open is suicidal. Partner is highly likely to have fewer than 3 ♣. In which case, his pass says he is *busted*.

With that, I agree. Opener has only 11 hcp, a void that may or may not be useful, and a partner who could not respond or make a negative double. There is no question, I would let N/S play it in 2 clubs.