[AL78]

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Matchpoints. System is Acol weak NT. Your bid?

[paulg]

3♥

[jillybean]

3NT unless partner will understand 3♥ as showing a partial stoppper

[AL78]

I punted 3NT on the half heart stop, gambling on one of the following scenarios:

1. Partner has a half or full stop and the opps cannot run five heart tricks.
2. Partner has three hearts and opponents cannot cash more than four heart tricks even if my queen isn't a stop.
3. One opponent holds both top heart honors.
4. Partner doesn't have help in hearts but the suit is blocked and they cannot cash all their hearts.
5. It's MPs and others will punt 3NT even if it goes down so it will not be a total disaster.

Scenario 5 happened, this is the full deal:

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Opps cashed their five heart tricks for down one and a 50% board. One other went one off in 3NT and 4♠, one went three off in 5NT (I've no idea how they got there)and one made 4♠.

I thought at the time partner maybe could have bid on and looked for a minor suit slam but my 3NT bid suggesting heart strength put her off, but on further reflection I could be resulting, my 3NT bid wasn't great and I should have bid 3♥ FSF and not been overthinking the possible situation of partner holding ♥Ax and wanting the likely heart lead to come to my queen in that case.

[jillybean]

I would find it difficult to stop in 3n holding south cards.

[Cyberyeti]

 jillybean, on 2023-June-21, 18:51, said:

I would find it difficult to stop in 3n holding south cards.

Yup, deserves to find the same hand with A/A in the majors, as it happens you will probably get the same result for the good 6♦ going off on the unfortunate trump layout.