[blackshoe]

Scoring: MP

System: basic 2/1 GF
Bidding:
2♣-3♣-3♠-4♠-AP
Opening lead was the ♥K.

---

I suspect there's a better way to bid this, but we didn't find it at the table.

Most pairs were in 6♠ or 6♣, making six or seven. We made seven.

Any suggestions?

[jdonn]

Well the way it went south is clearly too good to pass 4♠, he was 25 with a million controls and all the trumps. There are other points of interest but that is the one most related to why the slam was missed.

[dicklont]

After 3♣, showing a good suit, the K has upgraded to a very good card. South must act over 4♠. After Blackwood small slam seems reasonable. After 5♣ - 5♥ South sees no more heart losers and he can try a grand. No garantees of course, the spades could divide unfriendly.

All in all I want to be 6♠ here.

[brianshark]

You hold ♠AKQxx ♥Axxx ♦AKQ ♣K and partner has shown 5+♣s, 3+♠s and at least 2 of ♣A, ♣Q and ♥K. Where do you want to play?

[hrothgar]

There are a lot of different structures available for responding to 2♣ openings. All of the reasonable ones have their plus and minuses. Regradless of which structure you are playing, one point seems pretty clear:

Given the amount of bidding space that a 3♦ or 3♣ bid consumes, you need to make sure that these responses don't hang your partnership. If you are using a "natural" response structure, I'd argue that the bid should show something like a single suited hand (6+ cards) with two of the top three honors. (I wouldn't ever want to make this bid with a two suiter or a 5332)

Accordingly, the King of clubs is a monster card.

Once partner has shown a Spade fit, I don't see any way to stop short of slam.

You know you have a Spade fit with the AKQ. You know that you have a 6-1 Club fit with the top three honors. You know that you have first round controls in both red suits AND you have the KQ of Diamonds to spare.

I think that the problem with this hand is accurately determining whether to play 6 or 7... Stopping at the 4 level is unfathomable

[P_Marlowe]

The bidding was fine, until
South did pass.

You may consider pass with a
void in clubs, and even this
may be to pessimistic, but you
happen to hold the King oppossite
a strong 6 card suit.

And as it is, North is dead min. for
a positive 3C response, I am not
sure I would make the bid with just
6 cards in clubs.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[helene_t]

North cannot have less than he has so South must do something. Not sure if S can ask for ♠J - 5NT came up as asking for that specific card in a similar problem discussed a couple of years back in he Dutch magazine IMP.

I would just bid 6♠. No reason for Blackwood, we already know that N has one ace. In the unlikely event that he doesn't but has some other useful values instead (♥K) we want to be in 6 as well.

[Edmunte1]

South passed a forcing bid, with a monster hand

[neilkaz]

South's failure to put this hand into a slam is awful !! Just what does S think N has for his positive 3♣ response ? At the bare minimum, a positive response is supposed to show a good 5 card suit with 2 of the top three honors. Many would require a 6 card suit for 3m since it takes up bidding room, and some might allow the 6 card suit to be a little weaker..ie head by KJ.

But anyhow, with that moose of a 25 HCP control oriented opener, and a K in PD's beautiful suit, my only thoughts are about what slam to we play and how high !

Just in case responders suit is something like QJT98xxx and he has a few outside HCP, I'll start with 4NT (designed to keep us out of bad slams). After PD shows on ace to my RKCB for ♠ I bid 5NT asking for K's and guaranteeing that I am probing for a grand with all 5 keys + the Q of Spades.

PD responds no kings, and I bid 7♣ anyhow to give him the choice to pass or convert to 7♠ (he knows I have AKQxx as a min, but can't be too much better in ♠ or I'd have bid 7♠ myself).

But anyhow, the pair should get to at least a small slam and S's pass is awful.

Other than RKCB, there are other ways to get to small, and the pair should at least get to 6 in a black suit !

[kenrexford]

I'll agree that South has bid about as passively as possible. I'll also note that 5NT is a sexy idea.

However, I'm not sure that North should be quite let off the hook. That stiff in hearts seems to be pulsing wildly. I know that 3♣ already showed a positive, but 4♠ would be the call with Hx in spades and 6322 pattern. Three pieces and a stiff looks really good, especially if played in clubs.

I might consider 5NT as an even sexier call by North than by South.

[blackshoe]

South had a senior moment.

I have concluded that South should have cue-bid 5♦ over 4♠. North will bid 6♣, South 6♦, North 6♥, and now South can bid the grand. (Playing show first round controls first, not Italian methods).

I don't think much of BW on this auction. What will South learn from it that he doesn't already know?

Interestingly, the Romex auction goes

2♣-2♥ (two controls, which South knows is the ♣A)
2♠-3♠
4♥-4NT (heart controls?)/(2nd round control, clearly a stiff)
7♠

[skjaeran]

I agree with all that south really can't pass 4♠ with this hand. He need to go on and bid a slam.
But seriously, I'd never rebid 4♠ with the north hand - a 4♥ cuebid is absolutely obvious to me.

[blackshoe]

skaeran, on Nov 7 2007, 02:10 PM, said:

I agree with all that south really can't pass 4♠ with this hand. He need to go on and bid a slam.
But seriously, I'd never rebid 4♠ with the north hand - a 4♥ cuebid is absolutely obvious to me.

Yes, well, it wasn't obvious to North.