[Mbodell]

It is IMP favorable late and close. If you prefer some way to explore, rather than blast, please suggest it in the thread, but still vote on your preferred blasting choices.

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[Fluffy]

partner has values on our singleton and we have a running suit with a side ace, for 4♥ to be better I think partner needs to have specifcally ♦Q with ♦K offside or something rare happens on the black suits that they can run 5+ tricks.

[mgoetze]

Fluffy, on 2013-January-28, 07:01, said:

something rare happens on the black suits

Club to the king, spade through, club to the ace, spade through, spade, spade, spade... is it that rare? I dunno.

[Zelandakh]

Perhaps we should try 3♠ to see just how good partner's spades are.

[Siegmund]

Voted 4H, on the theory that I need two fast tricks to make 3NT (cant afford to lose the lead once the spade stopper is gone), while any two working cards give me chances in 4H. Even the SK might be a 'working card' if they lead spades twice and I can pitch a club on it.

It is true that we might have two spade stoppers, or might be unable to do anything with two diamonds a club and a spade in 4H. I am guessing it's a disagreement about frequencies rather than what is actually needed.

[Phil]

This hand looks more geared toward suit play. 3N may go down because we have slow diamond tricks and a single spade or club stopper. Or no club stopper.

[Mbodell]

Results:

As of this writing people are exactly split 7-7 between 3nt and 4♥.

Open room: 4♥S= +420

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Closed room: 3ntS-2 -100

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Imp result -11 for BBOForums. Here JEC bid 4♥ and jfaria choose 3nt. It wasn't all the bidding here, as we can set 4♥ if we take the spade A and lead clubs through to cut S off from N hand and force a diamond loser that way. I choose to lead a diamond, although on an auction like this where N is very likely to have the spade K, perhaps laying down the A to see the board and then knowing a club Q looks attractive and/or getting a suit preference signal from partner might be the right play. I considered it but was worried S was void in spades for this auction and I'd be setting up the K as a winner. In 3nt there wasn't much chance after spade to the A, return of ♣Q and a club, switch to a heart mostly locking S in hand (S tried to run to the 7 which is where the extra under trick comes).

[Fluffy]

♠A would be ludicrous if you stablished the key pitch for declarer.

[JLOGIC]

Yeah but he coulda led the 9 of trumps for sure.

Anyways, I'm in the 3S camp on this hand.