Thursday, August 05, 2004 12:35 AM
Hand Evaluation - Serious 3NT (Competition)
PITBULLS:
The “serious 3NT”
inference is everywhere in your Q bidding style when
you have found a major fit. Courtesy Q bids come into the fray opposite
unlimited hands & 3NT is a Q bid in itself.
If the opponents interfere with your auction ,
your Q bidding style does not change.
As long as you remain under game , Q bidding does not show any extra . A 3NT
bid after a known 5-4 major suit fit ( Jacoby
2NT or otherwise) is still the serious
3NT . A hand came up tonight that shows this in action. My partner held ♠Kxx
♥xxxx ♦AQxx ♣Jx , my
hand was ♠void ♥AKQ10x ♦J10x ♣K109xx . The auction went 1♥-1♠-2♠-3♠ 4♣-P-?
. The Q bid says we have a major fit
& is unlimited
so 3NT is no longer natural. A 4♦ bid here is not obligatory as partner did not bid 3NT . A
4♦ bid can be made
though as it does not show extra but what’s the point ?.
Partner is just Q bidding & bypassed
the serious 3NT Q bid . You do not what to encourage
him with your minimum with wastage in spades.
Assume partner did bid 4♦ & we bid 4♥
. This should end the
auction as partner has not made a “serious” slam try. He was bidding 4♣ in case your hand was unlimited. My partner did bid 4♦ so I thought he had
a better hand & bid 6♥ which was a lucky make . Change the spade king to the club Ace and a grand
slam is possible.
Tom
& Klimo had an auction where they did not get to slam due
to a “serious 3NT” inference missed in competition ( unlimited splinters
with 4 card support bring in serious 3NT ).
1♥ by Klimo with ♠A ♥J10xxx ♦AQJxx ♣Qx , LHO doubles . Tom
bids 3♦
with ♠Jxx ♥AKxxxx ♦x ♣Kxx
so Klimo
bids 3♠ as a courtesy .
Tom dutiful bids his club control , Klimo bids 4♥ . This ends the
auction from Tom’s perspective as he did not hear an obligatory 4♦ Q bid from his
partner. 6♥ is lay down but the partnership missed a
chance to use the “serious 3NT” bid properly. Tom , in my opinion anyway , should Q bid 3NT over Klimos 3♠ saying I have a serious slam try
here. Once he did not make that “Q” bid , Klimo is off the hook for not
Q bidding the diamond Ace . If partner is not making a serious slam try , Klimo is under no
obligation to show the diamond Ace. With no serious 3NT bid by partner ,his 4♦ bid should show a better hand then he had. Obligatory
Q bids only occur as a courtesy
in case partner has an unlimited hand.
When Tom bypassed the “serious 3NT” he limits
his hand so further Q bidding by the opener is based on a good hand.
Q bidding does show
extra when partner has limited his hand . (
serious 3NT negative inference)
At
our table , Kiz and Terplawy held these cards but they had a rougher ride.
Maurice doubled a heart , Kiz
bid 3♦ but I crawled in 3♠ . This took Allan’s
Q bid away so he should pass as he has a lot of defense in diamonds so if
partner can double 3♠ they will get
massacred Is a double of 3♠ by partner D.S.I.P. and committing the partnership to
game ? Again in a competitive auction , the serious 3NT is a fine tool . Kiz bids 3NT as a serious slam try .
Allan can now bid 4♦ so Kiz can bid 4♥ as she did her duty
with the 3NT bid. Allan can now bid 4♠ as another try so
it’s all over as Kiz will bid 6♥ after Blackwood
Their
auction brings up another point worth mentioning. What is 3NT after a splinter ? This does not
show duplication of value in diamonds but a serious slam try , so let’s get Q
bidding. The “serious 3NT” is a Q bid in itself saying I am
serious over here and not just Q bidding because we under game level . By
getting the serious 3NT off your chest , you can
calmly retreat to game and the ball is in partners court. The “serious 3NT” is
a new Q bidding tool introduced by
Meckwell so it will take time to get used to it
. The serious 3NT is part of your “Q bidding”
repertoire so do not forget to use it !!
There are many inferences taken if you do not bid the serious 3NT . The serious 3NT
should be a part of all sequences involving a major suit fit of 4-4 or better
when you are serious about slam.