[plaur]

Scoring: XIMP

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Partner opens 2NT (20-21)
We had bid two questionable 3NT's sofar, both down 2. This hand I thought long about then bid 3♦ - 3♥ - pass making 3, loosing 10 IMPS :-(

Is this a 3NT bid after transfer? How about at MP's ?

[Walddk]

There is no "right" answer to this question, but my choice would be between passing 2NT or drive us to game by a transfer to hearts and 3NT next. I would not transfer and pass. It is very unlikely that exactly 3♥ is the winning contract.

I am inclined to go to game because of the good "body", i.e. ♠10 and ♣109. Even ♦9 might be a useful card (opposite for instance QJxx, QJxxx or AQxx).

Roland

[HeartA]

If I feel like conservative, I would pass 2NT. Otherwise I would transfer to 3H and then bid 3NT.

[fred]

At IMPs I would certainly transfer and bid 3NT.

At matchpoints it is a much closer, but I would tend to transfer and bid 3NT there as well. I don't like passing 2NT at all for 2 reasons:

1) If you transfer, even if you intend to pass 3H, and partner super-accepts you will be happy

2) Almost nobody in the field would even consider passing 2NT with this hand. Doing so will put you in a top or bottom position

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[P_Marlowe]

plaur, on Apr 11 2005, 05:42 PM, said:

Scoring: XIMP

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Partner opens 2NT (20-21)
We had bid two questionable 3NT's sofar, both down 2. This hand I thought long about then bid 3♦ - 3♥ - pass making 3, loosing 10 IMPS :-(

Is this a 3NT bid after transfer? How about at MP's ?

Hi,

it is seldom a good idea changing your strategy
in a match, after your strategy produced some
Zeros, unless your a better guesser than me.

Decide on a hard fast rule, e.g. 20+4 = game
and follow this rule, always.

I would not bid game without the Jack of Hearts,
but I would transfer to Hearts, especially if playing
supper accept, because if partner happens to have
4 card support and is also contol rich, 4H should
have some play, and 3H should have better chances
to succed then 2NT, because in the later case, most of+
the time you will only have one sure entry to dummy.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[pclayton]

Push to game.

There are some hyper-modern versions of puppet stayman that allow you to check for 5 spades in partner's hand and show 5 hearts on the way to 3N.

if not playing this I will just transfer and correct to 3N.

[Fluffy]

Jlall, on Apr 11 2005, 10:53 PM, said:

20+4=game.

I disagree, 12+12 is certainly game, so is 10+14, but 20+4 is really different (and the 5 card suit is not great).

still a close decision, with a better suit might force my way to 4♥ (with or without support), but I think I would pass now.