[gwnn]

The hand editor doesn't seem to like me. Sorry

N:
-
Txx
Jxxxx
AKxxx

S:
KQTx
A9xx
K
JTxx

West deals at love all MP's and

1♥-2NT-p-3NT
x-p-p-p

-800

[Bbradley62]

Does the partnership have an agreement as to the strength of the 2NT call?

[gwnn]

no sorry. in particular, neither of NS were under the impression of "split range".

[barmar]

Assuming the common minimax agreement about Unusual 2NT, I put all the blame on South. North has a normal white 2NT bid. South took a gamble on 3NT, but once it gets hit, he should run to the known club fit.

[Bbradley62]

North has his bid; I agree that South should run after the double.

[nigel_k]

South needs a lot more than a minimum in North for 3NT to be good. The 3NT bid was optimistic but sitting the double was foolhardy. The double looks unwise as well but maybe West just knew his customer.

[bluecalm]

I am not a fan of 2NT at all but the blame goes to South cause 3NT isn't even remotely sane.

[barmar]

3NT is so insane that my guess is that South forgot that 2NT is unusual, or maybe he thought North bid 1NT.

[mtvesuvius]

Everyone is VUL I thought?

I would never dream of 2N with the north hand. I'd be tempted by 3♣ though.

3N was aggressive, but assuming partner has a real 2N call it's not too bad. Sitting for the double is silly though.

I'd say 35% for North, 65.00001% for South

[aguahombre]

I think "love all" means nobody vul.

[JLOGIC]

2N is a joke.

3N is a very bad bid not because it's an overbid, but because south has a much better hand for clubs than NT opposite the minors. I would just try for 6C before stopping in 5.

[whereagles]

South should have trusted LHOs dbl and pull to 4♣

[FrancesHinden]

Mainly seems to be a disagreement about what strength 2NT showed.
But I would also prefer to have my majors the other way round as South before bidding 3NT. A9xx in their suit is a suit that is suitable for playing in a suit.

[gwnn]

I was N but now that I see my hand written on paper, it does look rather weak. Mainly what I was interested in is: should I pull 3NTx? I know it's not nice to doubt partner, but I was kind of sure we would get a bad score

[aguahombre]

As North, if you are content that 2NT with that hand is within style (I disagree that it is a "joke", and probably would do it, too) ---then trusting partner is a good thing, rather than trusting the opponents. Maybe THIS pard should not be trusted, but I don't like running from my own preemptive bids. Having chosen the preemptive 2NT, the ball is in CHO's court.

South, however, should rethink his/her 3NT bid when the opponents' double shows the folly of it. The poll doesn't suggest you are to blame.

[pooltuna]

gwnn, on 2011-February-28, 05:29, said:

I was N but now that I see my hand written on paper, it does look rather weak. Mainly what I was interested in is: should I pull 3NTx? I know it's not nice to doubt partner, but I was kind of sure we would get a bad score

In spite of JLall's disapproval IMO the call meets any normal inference into the strength and card length showed. It is after all primarily a preemptive call and like most preemptive calls it makes partner the captain so any action over 3NT has to be from partner. You got a bad score because partner had different rules for 2NT (albeit idiotic).

[ArtK78]

I have no problem with the 2NT call.

3NT was, to put it mildly, "optimistic." Once it gets doubled, to do anything but pull to 4♣ would be foolhardy.

I would never consider pulling with the North hand.

[barmar]

The only possible excuse for the 2NT bidder pulling would be if you has more extreme shape and less strength than expected, e.g. a very weak 6-5.

[mfa1010]

I need significantly more for a 2NT bid. 3NT doesn't seem like such a hot bid either, but it depends on partner's style how bad it is.

[cherdano]

pooltuna, on 2011-February-28, 12:16, said:

In spite of JLall's disapproval IMO the call meets any normal inference into the strength and card length showed. It is after all primarily a preemptive call and like most preemptive calls it makes partner the captain so any action over 3NT has to be from partner. You got a bad score because partner had different rules for 2NT (albeit idiotic).

The main problem is not that the hand is too weak. The problem is exactly that the values are not preemptive enough. Jxxxx in one suit and AKxxx is about the worst combination in values you can have in your suits, you have a bit of defense, but still such a terrible diamond suit that often you won't get to set up your second suit. It's the kind of hand where you could be down 4 doubled in 3♣ with no game their way.