Bridge in Oz

Another evening with little to do, my phone's bridge game deals up this hand:

♠ A6
♥ Q97
♦ AQ1095
♣ K32

Partner opens 2♦, weak and natural.

I bet you're thinking diamonds may be a good trump suit. Applying the Law of Total Tricks you might bid 5 of them. But what about 3NT instead? Would you just bid it? Or ask for a feature with 2NT first?

Partner's hand is:

♠ 74
♥ 832
♦ KJ8743
♣ A7

and you take the same 9 tricks in notrump as in diamonds.

Discuss.

Hand is too flat, so I would certainly investigate 3NT. It looks like maximum 8 tricks without feature from the partner against good defence. So I would bid 2NT first and if positive (any feature) then bid 3NT. If no feature then I would invite by bidding 4D (partnership agreement required here as 3D could be taken as sign off).

Please comment. Happy to involve in a discussion sharing thoughts.

That sounds reasonable, though if partner has no feature then I'll settle for 3D. It's hard to see where 11 tricks would come from.

I am 50/50 on 3D sign-off. Ax Spade holding has more value than just one trick and Clubs are headed by the K, so not much wastage either. So in the balance I would bid 4D and if the partner has shortage then game is on. As you know I am a bit more aggressive...

i would ask for a feature so the opponents would know which suit to lead through.

the "experts" would use a simulator to answer that question.. and then vary what they bid depending on the ensuing poker game separating truth tellers from the shovellers..
http://bridgeteaching.com/borel/