[DavidKok]

Cyberyeti, on 2025-April-24, 08:29, said:

I'm interested how much people think 1♣-1♥-X-3♥-3♠ shows both in terms of points and shape?

This is a classic auction for double Weasel. Just make sure to pause longer than mandatory if you wish to make a slow bid. Instead of 3♠, we have the options:

• Fast double is takeout, showing both minors (alternatively you can interpret this as a thrump double).
  
• Slow double is a game try double, showing approximately 15-17 points in playing strength and 4-card spade support.
  
• Fast 3♠ is a maximum for a hand not worth a game try double, approximately 13-15 points.
  
• Slow 3♠ is a minimum opening wishing to compete to 3♠. Obviously, partner has UI issues after this option (unless they have a genuine GF), so we put the weak hand here.

Stronger hands have to bid at the 4-level.

Being serious though: in competition we don't have enough bids to show all hands. I'm with Robson & Segal: hand type first. This also means 'strength later'. 3♠ is wide-ranging, and so is 4♠. If you play game try doubles here you can reduce the ranges a little bit - the direct 3♠ then shows approximately 11-14, X shows 14-16 and 4♠ shows 17+ (overlap intentional). Without them you just have to take your lumps: unbalanced hands weaker than a GF bid 3♠, stronger hands choose between 4♥ and 4♠. And before we praise game try doubles too much: if you are instead dealt, say, a 3=1=4=5 or 2=2=4=5 or 2=1=4=6 17-count you'll wish you did not play them here.
To me 3♠ shows an unbalanced hand. Thanks to the SNT I can either pass with the WNT or bid game with the stronger range. This helps partner make competitive decisions should they bid 4♥. Hopefully partner can keep the auction open if we have a WNT with 4-card support and competing further is good.

[Cyberyeti]

DavidKok, on 2025-April-24, 09:14, said:

To me 3♠ shows an unbalanced hand. Thanks to the SNT I can either pass with the WNT or bid game with the stronger range. This helps partner make competitive decisions should they bid 4♥. Hopefully partner can keep the auction open if we have a WNT with 4-card support and competing further is good.

This is what I was getting at, never having played strong NT short club, I wasn't sure whether you were supposed to bid 3♠ with say AKxx, xx, xxx, AJxx

[DavidKok]

With that hand I think a lot of people would, but I'm not sure it is good to do so. The hand is so pure that even if we end up bidding 1-over-the-law we'll likely be fine. However, partner may raise us to game too aggressively.
By contrast, something like JTxx, Qxx, Ax, AKxx is a clear pass for me (assuming 1NT is 15-17), as is Qxxx, Ax, KQxx, Qxx (which I open 1♣).

[mike777]

Cyberyeti, on 2025-April-24, 10:48, said:

This is what I was getting at, never having played strong NT short club, I wasn't sure whether you were supposed to bid 3♠ with say AKxx, xx, xxx, AJxx

With that one I would ask do you want partner to bid 4s over your 3s bid with whatever your partnership would consider an invitational hand?

[Cyberyeti]

mike777, on 2025-April-24, 11:06, said:

With that one I would ask do you want partner to bid 4s over your 3s bid with whatever your partnership would consider an invitational hand?

Depends if 3♠ is merely competitive and X is game try

[mike777]

Cyberyeti, on 2025-April-24, 12:41, said:

Depends if 3♠ is merely competitive and X is game try

You tell us, it is your specific hand example.

his is what I was getting at, never having played strong NT short club, I wasn't sure whether you were supposed to bid 3♠ with say AKxx, xx, xxx, AJxx

With that one I would ask do you want partner to bid 4s over your 3s bid with whatever your partnership would consider an invitational hand?