So you’re intending 4C for February, too?
My gut says 3NT or Pass, and lean 3NT
So you’re intending 4C for February, too?
My gut says 3NT or Pass, and lean 3NT
Basically yes. Enough HCP, but poor placement of honors (such as the stiff club ace).
District 4 MSC is usually very generous scoring for the non-winning choice. Note that 3H (clearly nonforcing) scored the same as 4C. 3H was listed before 4C, but I suspect that just means bids with the same score are listed in cheapest bid first order rather than in perceived merit order.
Here is the explanation of the scoring https://files.constantcontact.com/2bd6acd1101/9b2f4243-b260-4959-ad41-a51069fcf664.pdf?rdr=true
We are vulnerable at imps, So I suspect Pass will get very few votes, probably 0. 3NT may get some votes, might even win at matchpoints. It could be right at imps, but 5D is often safer, and we could have a slam if partner has a stiff club. So I suspect 3NT will not win the voting.
That article is really interesting. Can you post it every month?
Sure, but you may well have to remind me. It is online every month.
If you want to find them yourself, or look for prior months, consult this link
https://4acbl.org/2021/09/19/district-4spot-archives/
That’s the archive of newsletters for ACBL District 4. The D4 MSC is usually mentioned relatively early in each letter (always is there somewhere). I checked one at random, and the link for the May 2024 explanations is still active. You could review this thread for problems you are interested in, and then consult the relevant newsletter to see the explanation.
Note that the newsletter also has the link to enter the current month’s contest, which is always http://d4msc.straguzzi.org/
You don’t have to be a district 4 member to enter (I think, but am not sure, you have to be a D4 member to win free entries for 2 sessions by winning the contest for the year). The moderator normally quotes something from the comments of each person who enters (or perhaps lists their name with the statement that their comment was similar to some else’s quoted comment). Comments are not mandatory, and I don’t pay enough attention to know whether he ever reveals your choice when you didn’t comment.
[ETA: my comments for Jan 2025 weren’t quoted, but that’s because I entered after his deadline for writing his commentary]
As noted, any action chosen by anyone was worth at least 80.
Link to report: https://files.constantcontact.com/2bd6acd1101/76e37312-1b1f-4ae9-98f3-2a2ec1b77749.pdf?rdr=true
Shades of this month’s Bridge World MSC problem D, except there it was 7 hearts and 4 spades, with 2 singletons. Hearts there were A1098xxx. If 4S was the winner there, and that’s how we voted, the 4S should be best here, IMO, since I think this hand is slightly more spades oriented…
So you’re jumping straight to 4S? What’s the downside to taking your time with 2C forcing? Just that they learn more about your hands and it’s a risky game?
Is his 1S bid limiting? Max 18 points since he didn’t reverse or jump shift?
For me, 2C forcing with a chance for him to show secondary heart support, plenty of room for you to show spade support and/or your additional hearts.
Wow, I sort of changed my mind. Here’s what I submitted, forgetting that I had initially preferred spades. Either way, I don’t see that 2C is going to help much. I expect we’re going to have to take a guess.