[hrothgar]

Here's an couple interesting ones from last night

IMPS
Red versus Red
Dealer South

♠ 932
♥ K6543
♦ T3
♣ QT9

♠ AJT75
♥ AT
♦ AKQJ8
♣ A

Partner and I reached a reasonable Spade slam, however, in retrospect I'm not sure whether I like the auction. I opened 1♠ as South. (This might be the best hand that I ever opened 1♠) After partner raised to 2♠ my only real concern was 6 or 7 Spades. For what its worth, I think that the hand is slightly weak for an immediate 2♠ and would have probably started with a forcing NT. However, thats more a style thing than anything else.

In retrospect, the hands are fairly tricky. We lucked out in that I could use both the 10 of Diamonds and the King of Hearts to reach dummy for Spade hooks. The 9 of Spades was also a big card.

How would you bid this playing a pretty vanilla 2/1 GF structure?

Here's another interesting one from the same session

IMPS
Dealer South

♠ A532
♥ AQ62
♦ KQJ9
♣ 3

♠ QT97
♥ J54
♦ A
♣ AJ642

I was reasonably happy that we were able to stop in 5♠ after a 1♣ opening by South

1♣ - 1♥
1♠ - 2♦
2♥ - 2♠
2N - 3♠
4♠ - 5♠

[Codo]

1.
1♠ 2 ♠
4 NT 5 ♦
6♠

2.
1♣ - 1♥
1♠ - 2♦
2♥ - 2♠

3♣ 3 ♦
4♦
4 Diamond shows Diamond control minimum and no Heart control and no secondary club control. But with KQxx,xx,Ax,Axxxx slam is still great, so I would go on:

4 NT
5♠

2+queen. So maybe KQxx,Jxx,x,AQxxx? Slam Is on a finesse and trumps 3- 2 or a diamond or heart lead and spades 3-2 Too much for me, I cannot resist and bid the bad slam.

[FrancesHinden]

I would bid the second one

1C - 1H
2H - 2S
2NT - 4S

2S = enquiry
2NT = 4315 or 4324 with a low doubleton diamonds
4S = hands don't seem to fit very well

(if 4S is too feeble, then... 3S
4C - 4H
4S

and responder has done enough)

[kenrexford]

First Hand -- Diamond-Spade 5-5:

My Vanilla Sequence:

2♣ - 2♦ (GF)
2♠ - 3♠
2NT (serious) - 4♥
4NT - (Zero Answer)
6♠ - P

If I were to open 1♠, the auction would end up identical after a 3♦ GT/ST, a rejection 3♠, and a Serious 3NT.

Second Hand -- GF 4441 as Responder to 1♣ Opening.

My personal auction, with gadgets:

1♣ - 2♣ (GF, artificial, or limit+ club raise)
2♥ (spades) - 2♠ (spades trump, GF)
2NT (not two top trumps) - 3♦ (diamond control, no club A/K/Q)
3♠ (no heart control, one top spade) -

At this point, things are looking bleak for Responder. A probable trump loser and a heart finesse. However, this could be a one-of-two finesses situation.

... - 4♣ (non-serious, with a club shortness control)
Pass/4♦ (might plod along and show the diamond) - Pass/4♥ (might bid LTTC)
Pass

If each person keeps bidding for some flawed judgment reason, no one will bid 4NT, except perhaps Responder (planning an aggressive go if the honor is the King), but then whoever does ask better finally use common sense and get out.

[TimG]

hrothgar, on Feb 5 2008, 08:33 AM, said:

IMPS
Dealer South

♠ A532
♥ AQ62
♦ KQJ9
♣ 3

♠ QT97
♥ J54
♦ A
♣ AJ642

I was reasonably happy that we were able to stop in 5♠ after a 1♣ opening by South

1♣ - 1♥
1♠ - 2♦
2♥ - 2♠
2N - 3♠
4♠ - 5♠

I get the feeling from 2NT that opener was a bit uncertain about the auction. Otherwise he would have simply bid 3S or 4S depending upon which one showed a minimum. Responder looking at KQJx opposite partner's singleton would then be content not to go past 4S.

[Codo]

TimG, on Feb 6 2008, 12:03 AM, said:

Responder looking at KQJx opposite partner's singleton would then be content not to go past 4S.

Does the sequence really promise a singelton? Pd may had bid exactly this wayup to 2 NT with 4324?

Of course, if 1 Spade denied a balanced hand (quite often it does), every slam try is too much and 4 Spade is the limit.

[P_Marlowe]

#1

1S (1) - 1NT (2)
3D (3) - 4S (4)
Pass (5)

(1) I am pretty certain I open 1S,
although 23HCP is a lot
(2) forcing NT, may contain a 4-7 spade raise
(3) 100% game force
(4) 3S would show the 10-12HCP 3 card raise 4S
does not promise fit, it may just be least of evil
(5) because 4S did not promise a fit, there
is no point in moving forward

#2

1C - 1H
1S - 2D (1)
2H (2) - 2S (3)
3C (4) - 3D (5)
4D (6) - 4S (7)
4S (8) - pass (9)

(1) 4th suit, inv.+
(2) 3 hearts, min opener
(3) setting trumps, slam interest, which still
existst oppossite a min. opener
(4) cue, showing the Ace or King
(5) cue, could be shortage
(6) first round control
(7) cue, Ace or king
(8) nothing to add
(9) so be it

Playing 4th suit as inv.+ makes it fairly
easy to stop in 4S, since the answer to
the enquiry limits opener, and responder
sees that the hands dont really fit

With kind regards
Marlowe

[kfay]

I'm definitely opening 2♣ on the 1st one. I don't feel that the hand is difficult to describe at all in the followups since I know partner's never going to pop 4♠ on me with a hand that I could make slam on. Convincing my partner to cuebid 4♥ after a 1♠ opening, on the other hand, will be tedious.

2♣-2♦
2♠-3♠
4♦-4♥
4N-5♦
6♠

That seems to be a path that my grandmother would bid so you can't be much more vanilla than that.

I'm not sure how you were able to stop in 5♠ on the 2nd hand, frankly, since 5♠ to me should be asking about diamond control if 2♦ is 4sf.

But I'm not sure how I would bid it, either.

[jdonn]

I love both Justin's auctions, and echo his sentiments about opening the first hand 1♠. I just don't get it! If partner has the actual hand without the club queen you are playing your slam, not game but slam, at the 1 level. Or give him a yarb with one spade and four or five diamonds, etc etc. Even if they balance you aren't saved, do you rebid 3♦? I would do that with an ace less.

[Cascade]

1.
2♣ 2♦
2♠ 3♠
4NT 5♣* or whatever
6♠

2.

1♣ 1♥
1♠ 4♣** Splinter
4♦ 4♥
4♠ Pass

Maybe I would make another move but I don't think partner has

♠ KQxx
♥ Kx
♦ Ax
♣ Qxxxx

or the equivalent. This wouldn't be a sign-off.

[P_Marlowe]

Jlall, on Feb 5 2008, 11:29 AM, said:

<snip>

Hand 2 I would bid:

1C 1D(am I the only person who bids 1D with this?)
<snip>

Not really, although my auction may give the
impression.
I did not look to closely at responders hand,
I just copied the start of the original auction.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[han]

Please add a "wow 1S" from me.

[inquiry]

Hannie, on Feb 5 2008, 02:45 PM, said:

Please add a "wow 1S" from me.

Add me to the wow group. I know we tell people NOT to open 2♣ with two suiters, but this one is just too good.

On the downside, this is one of a few horrible ones for my favorite two suited convention (MisIry).

3♦ - 3♥
4♦ - 4♠
Pass

---

3D followed by 4D shows a ♠/♦ two suiter with 3 losers. North has "three potential cover cards" but only one of them might be working... that is, if opener had Axx of clubs, the club queen might cover a loser. If opener had AKxxx of diamonds, the doubleton might cover a loser, if opener had Ax of hearts the king of hearts might cover a loser. Both the heart king and the club Queen can't be working, and with only three spades counting the xx of diamonds as a cover is a tuff sell, diamonds have to be 3-3 for that to work effectively. So a 4♠ bid is all East can do.

West's hand is strong enough with 3 losers to risk, if he fells up to it, the five level, but responder can have a two card spade fit, so that is really not safe. If WEST gambles and bids, slam will be reached after east cue-bids the heart king. But I am certain i would play 4♠s on this auction.