I had the hand shown and I also passed.
I am not at all sure that I should have, so I am interested in what others would do. Here are some of my thoughts.
A. I have a max, I might well have had less. With
QJ9
J94
T632
K97
I would also have responded 1NT and I would have corrected 3
to 3
.
With even a little more strength, I would have bid either 2 !d or 2NT on the first round.
What this means is that if I pull, I am pulling to 5
not 4
. Pulling 3NT to a perhaps passable 4m is unattractive in general but perhaps, with the weaker hand 4
would make and 3NT would not. With the extra strength, I am not going to suggest 4
as a possible contract. So it is pass or 5
, so I think.
B. So which is it? Well, it's a pretty flat hand. Hearts are definitely a danger. Maybe partner has the stiff Q or even better the Qx. Or maybe not. But the opponents are advertising shape. Against 5
it might begin with, say, a club to a potential A on my right, a club back ruffed on my left, and the
A for down one. That wouldn't have happened, but it seems possible.
C. So 3NT is going down, although in fact it often made. 5
cannot be beaten, but it requires a correct choice. The clubs are the K97 as shown, opposite QT84. Lho has a 5=4=1=3 shape, we need to find the J. No doubt I would get it right. Or not. Nobody was in 5
.
D. As to the play in 3NT the opening lead was a spade. I have three spade tricks and five diamond tricks, I need one more. I won on the board and led a club. I was hoping the A was on my right and that either Rho would duck or that he would hop up and continue spades. Nope. So down 2.
E. Looking at the results, nobody was in 5
. A couple of pairs were in 4
, one making exactly, the other making 5. The successes were all in NT, one made with an overtrick. I am not, definitely not, saying that this means passing 3NT was right. I felt later it was wrong, I should have pulled to 5
. But I can't say I am sure of that either.