[jillybean]

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IMP

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

4D.

Another option is 3H / 4H, although I would assume, that 4H sets spade.
4D should make it clear, that we want to play diamonds.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mike777]

3D

[WasWinM]

I would bid 3D expecting to have to bid 4D and hoping it appears I was pushed into doing so.

[Huibertus]

Partner holding ♠ AQJX and nothing else (except 1+ ♦) with the K often being in the overcaller's hand would make this a good 5♦ losing a ♦, a ♥ and parking a ♣ on the 4th ♠.
I'm not going to linger and bid it now.

[mikeh]

Many expert and some non-expert pairs have agreements here. I play good-bad 2N in these sequences, although technically bad-good is probably superior. G-B means that if I bid 2N I have a hand that wants to compete to the 3 level but isn’t a strong hand. Since 2S is available, 2N denies spades. It will be either a minor 2 suiter or a diamond one suiter.

The corollary is that a direct 3 level bid shows significant extras. It’s not forcing, but it’s strong. So if we are playing G-B, I could bid 3D.

Does that mean that I should bid 3D? The problem is that I don’t need a diamond fit to make 5D and I am not looking for partner to bid 3N with a heart stopper…if he did, I wouldn’t know whether to sit or run, though I think sitting will very often be a disaster.

This is all moot anyway: most players don’t have GB or BG available.

In which case 3D could be far weaker than this hand, being purely competitive. So the choice is 4D or 5D. 5D is just too much for me. I’ll bid 4D and hope that partner evaluates well.

[jillybean]

I tried GB some time ago but without a serious, regularly playing partnership, forgets and misunderstandings are too frequent and costly.
2nt (pass!), 3nt, 4nt is not the way forward here.

[pescetom]

 mikeh, on 2026-May-29, 16:22, said:

Many expert and some non-expert pairs have agreements here. I play good-bad 2N in these sequences, although technically bad-good is probably superior. G-B means that if I bid 2N I have a hand that wants to compete to the 3 level but isn’t a strong hand. Since 2S is available, 2N denies spades. It will be either a minor 2 suiter or a diamond one suiter.

The corollary is that a direct 3 level bid shows significant extras. It’s not forcing, but it’s strong. So if we are playing G-B, I could bid 3D.

Does that mean that I should bid 3D? The problem is that I don’t need a diamond fit to make 5D and I am not looking for partner to bid 3N with a heart stopper…if he did, I wouldn’t know whether to sit or run, though I think sitting will very often be a disaster.

Interesting, thanks.
Why do you think B-G is probably superior?
How would it work here?

[jillybean]

3♦ is just too wimpy for this hand.
I chose 3♥, planning to bid 4♦ over any black suit response.

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I don't know what North and East were playing, I can only bid my hand.

IMP Pairs on BBO, 6♦ not a great contract

[Cyberyeti]

jillybean, on 2026-May-30, 06:35, said:

3♦ is just too wimpy for this hand.
I chose 3♥, planning to bid 4♦ over any black suit response.

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I don't know what North and East were playing, I can only bid my hand.

IMP Pairs on BBO, 6♦ not a great contract

6♦ is not bad, K♠ rates to be onside with the overcall, add the chance of Q♣ dropping or spades 3-3 with trumps 2-1.

[jillybean]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-May-30, 08:22, said:

6♦ is not bad, K♠ rates to be onside with the overcall, add the chance of Q♣ dropping or spades 3-3 with trumps 2-1.

So in a serious TG, 4♦/2♥ is the correct bid, but in a serious game it will be a different auction anyway.

[WasWinM]

jillybean, on 2026-May-30, 06:35, said:

3♦ is just too wimpy for this hand.
I chose 3♥, planning to bid 4♦ over any black suit response.

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I don't know what North and East were playing, I can only bid my hand.

IMP Pairs on BBO, 6♦ not a great contract

Here's what I was thinking based on the bidding: partner's negative double starts at around 6-ish high cards and should have one of two hand, 4 spades and 4 or more clubs or 4 spades with 4 or more diamonds.
When RHO raises to 2H, I assume he is on 3-4 hearts and a smattering of high cards as he didn't bid 3 or 4H. That means partner probably has 3 hearts, along with his 4S, so it is likely his clubs are also 4 long. An 8-count
4324 pattern isn't conducive to us making a lot. Against that hand, 3H is kind of an overbid and 3D is kind of an underbid, and I'm not sure if 4D conveys the right message.

To see a full opening hand with a 5-card spade suit opposite makes me look for an easier table to play at. This guessing game is too tough for me.