| West | North | East | South |
| 2♠ | Pass | 3♠ | Pass |
| Pass | 4♦?! |
What hand type do you think the 4♦ bid shows?
I thought it might be a heart void. North having discovered that both their red suits are in fact diamonds suddenly has a bid.
What about this hand:
| ♠ | Q 8 |
|---|---|
| ♥ | A 3 |
| ♦ | K T 9 7 5 4 3 2 |
| ♣ | 6 |
Would you come back in on the strength of an 8 card suit?
What about this shape:
| ♠ | - |
|---|---|
| ♥ | T 4 |
| ♦ | Q J T 9 8 3 |
| ♣ | K Q J 8 2 |
Could you bid 3NT for takeout instead?
Or does this auction simply not exist?
I'd say something like your first hand qualifies. A long suit, and enough playing strength to want to compete for the partscore even at the 4-level (you don't give the vulnerability, and the form of scoring, both of which might be relevant) but not enough high cards to overcall 3D directly over 2S.
ReplyDeleteThe opponents have been known not to bid the same as would I ... but I would overcall 3D with either of the two shown hands. When the right 5-7 count (high heart honor, a diamond honor) allows you to make the contract of your overcall, I think you need to make that overcall over a preempt. Relative few HCP notwithstanding.
ReplyDeleteI would rather overcall 3D on the shown hands than on, say, xxx, AQ, KJTxx, Axx. Think of how each of those three hands plays opposite a balanced Yarborough.
I think the first hand particularly qualifies if opponents might be playing leaping Michaels (so 4D directly would be D+H).
ReplyDelete*I* wouldn't overcall 3D on either hand, but that's because partner is allowed to expect some reasonable defensive values for my direct overcalls (and that's just a matter of agreement of course.)