Vul vs not, at Matchpoints, you hold as south: ♠QJ10 ♥A ♦Q63 ♣KQ9765

W      N       E       S

-        P       P       1♣    

P       1♥     2♦      3♣

P       4♣     P       ?

What do you bid? At IMPs? With an expert?

Partner has invited game – do you accept. The first thing to do in this type of situation is to determine if you have:

A good hand for your previous bidding.

A bad hand for your previous bidding.

An average hand for your previous bidding.

Here I would say average or good. You have 14 HCPs and a singleton, definitely much better than the same hand with three small spades, which is possible. On the other hand, the Q♦ is of questionable value.

Another way to try to evaluate a hand is counter losers. Here you have 5, which means partner needs 3 cards to cover your losers. So he needs something like ♠AKxx ♥xxxx ♦xx ♣Axx or ♠Axxx ♥xxxx ♦x ♣Axxx. These are possible hands. But West had a chance to raise diamonds and didn’t so. His silence increases the risk that he has a singleton. If so they may take a ruff and beat 5♣ right off the bat, if partner has something like ♠AKx ♥xxxx ♦xxx ♣Axx

So on balance you should pass. This is matchpoints and you want to protect your plus. At teams it is closer. You are vulnerable after all. However bidding game may draw a speculative double. On balance I would pass. What sways me is partner may have wasted values in hearts.

Playing with an expert things are easier. With any good invitational hand partner should bid 3♦. This allows South to show a heart preference, but more importantly a diamond stopper. If partner had ♠Axx ♥QJxx ♦xxx ♣Axx he wants to be in 3NT. 4♣ is more a courtesy raise, in case you have significant more values for your 3♣ bid. Then passing is always easy.

Lessons to Learn

1)    A free bid of 3♣ here has a wide range, from 11 to a good 15 HCPs, plus distribution.

2)    If South had a stronger high card hand double, not 3♣, is the correct call.

3)    Always consider inferences from bids partner or the opponents do not make.

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