[Sjoerds]

---

2♣= Multi defense long diamonds or spades and hearts
2♦= explained as transfer
3♥= fit

After the lead of ♠K EW made 3NT+2

Obviously EW had agreed "systems on" but after the alert at 2♦ east tried to find a save place to land.

How do you rule?

[campboy]

Was there any evidence that "system on" was their actual agreement?

If we find that there was, it is simply a UI case. I don't see any logical alternative to bidding 3NT after partner's 3♥. There is also no other plausible explanation for the 3♥ bid, so the UI doesn't tell you anything you didn't know anyway.

If not then we also have to consider MI. With correct information, South will probably bid 2♠, but West will still bid 3♥ and E/W will get to the same spot.

So, either way I don't see grounds for an adjustment.

[Sjoerds]

campboy, on 2012-November-10, 17:13, said:

Was there any evidence that "system on" was their actual agreement?

They had no agreement for this particular situation...

campboy, on 2012-November-10, 17:13, said:

If not then we also have to consider MI. With correct information, South will probably bid 2♠, but West will still bid 3♥ and E/W will get to the same spot.

Why would you still bid 3♥ if opps are telling you they have a fit in ♠ and LHO has ♥ too?

[Trinidad]

The way you describe it East has UI, and West doesn't.
s: He knows they have a nice card heart fit. He knows that North probably has a long diamond suit. And still he prefers to play 3NT. That is very odd. I suspect that West "picked up the vibes" at the table. If these vibes came from North then that is fine, but if they came from East these vibes are UI.

So, I would investigate why West passed 3NT.

East has UI, but no LA to 3NT. If it turns out that West has UI, he does have an LA: 4♥ or even a 4♣ cue. Whatever East does, West is not getting to any other contract than hearts. The only decent contract EW could reach is 5♦. There are two ways to get there: North could double 4♥ that makes it clear that something is wrong and if East runs to 5♦ it would be foolish to go back to hearts. The other way is if East bids 4NT and West responds a 1430 5♦. Then East can pass it.

Rik

[campboy]

Sjoerds, on 2012-November-11, 01:17, said:

Why would you still bid 3♥ if opps are telling you they have a fit in ♠ and LHO has ♥ too?

Are they? From the auction so far it sounds like LHO has diamonds, partner has hearts and RHO has spades.



Of course we should ask West why he passed, but his partner knows he has four hearts and has bid 3NT anyway. Unless they have some agreed artificial meaning for 3NT here it sounds like something has gone wrong.

[ggwhiz]

Trinidad, on 2012-November-11, 02:10, said:

So, I would investigate why West passed 3NT.

Exactly. An imperceptable bit of body language could tip off West to the winning action so I'm not questioning their ethics BUT 3nt looks like a choice of games bid where North has a diamond 1-suiter.

I'm bidding 4♥ for West and if they had done that at the table I would probably allow East to bid 5♦ followed by an un-alert and pass by West.

Since they didn't do that I'm not sure what the Laws would divine to be the final contract but it isn't 3nt imo.

[iviehoff]

OP tells us that EW didn't have explicit agreements in this situation, so West may well have passed 3N because he no longer feels secure in his earlier explanation of 2D. He should have called the director and said that before passing 3N, but it is common to fail to do that. It doesn't make his 3N bid illegal.

[Trinidad]

iviehoff, on 2012-November-12, 04:53, said:

OP tells us that EW didn't have explicit agreements in this situation, so West may well have passed 3N because he no longer feels secure in his earlier explanation of 2D. He should have called the director and said that before passing 3N, but it is common to fail to do that. It doesn't make his 3N bid illegal.

OP tells us that they agreed "Systems on". I suppose that means: "after a 2♣ overcall".

Rik

[barmar]

iviehoff, on 2012-November-12, 04:53, said:

It doesn't make his 3N bid illegal.

As long as he made his decision based only on his partner's bid and his own unsuredness, not any mannerisms of his partner.

[iviehoff]

Trinidad, on 2012-November-12, 10:40, said:

OP tells us that they agreed "Systems on". I suppose that means: "after a 2♣ overcall".

He told us something different 2 posts later.

[Trinidad]

iviehoff, on 2012-November-13, 04:06, said:

He told us something different 2 posts later.

Good point.

Rik