[Apollo81]

Auction starts 2♣-2♦-2♥ (kokish)-2♠-2NT showing 25-26 balanced. You've got:

♠xx
♥J98x
♦KJxxx
♣xx

You bid Stayman and partner bids 3♦. You can either bid 3NT or you can bid 4♦, which shows 5+♦ & a slam try. Over this partner will bid 4♥ if he does not like his hand and respond to RKC if he likes his hand, starting with 4♠. If partner does not like his hand, you can sign off in 4NT if you wish.

Is this good enough to try for slam? If you said no, would you change your mind if partner had shown 25-27 balanced?

[cherdanno]

I think I would bid 4♦ opposite a partner who realizes that we are already playing him for 3-card support.

[jdonn]

I think I would bid 4♦ opposite a partner who holds 25-26 balanced.

[mikeh]

Can we picture a non-magic hand on which slam is good? Yes.

Can we picture a hand where he doesn't like our 4♦ bid and 4N is in jeopardy? No...or not easily.

I think that if we trust partner to evaluate accurately, we bid 4♦ and then leave the driving to him.

[Fluffy]

my gut reaction is that 31 balanced won't make slam, specially when our 5 HCP are quacky, but I have problems evaluating 26 balanced hands for lack of experience.

[cherdanno]

Fluffy, on Jul 28 2010, 01:10 PM, said:

my gut reaction is that 31 balanced won't make slam, specially when our 5 HCP are quacky, but I have problems evaluating 26 balanced hands for lack of experience.

Sounds like you have the wrong partner.

[Apollo81]

Partner had KQJ AK Ax AQJxxx, so 4NT is down on a spade lead if clubs are 4-1 or worse (not stiff K) and the diamonds don't work out. In 3NT, we can handle 4-1 clubs. At the table I chose 4♦, and ended up down in 4NT when the other table made 3NT. I assume the chance of this happening is less than the chance of reaching a good+making slam, but not sure.

[JLOGIC]

Definitely bid 4D!!

[JLOGIC]

Apollo81, on Jul 29 2010, 03:35 PM, said:

Partner had KQJ AK Ax AQJxxx, so 4NT is down on a spade lead if clubs are 4-1 or worse (not stiff K) and the diamonds don't work out. In 3NT, we can handle 4-1 clubs. At the table I chose 4♦, and ended up down in 4NT when the other table made 3NT. I assume the chance of this happening is less than the chance of reaching a good+making slam, but not sure.

After reading the results, I would suggest you find a partner who knows how to bid 3C over 2D! I mean really, what a bizarre way to bid this hand.

[peachy]

Apollo81, on Jul 29 2010, 03:35 PM, said:

Partner had KQJ AK Ax AQJxxx, so 4NT is down on a spade lead if clubs are 4-1 or worse (not stiff K) and the diamonds don't work out. In 3NT, we can handle 4-1 clubs. At the table I chose 4♦, and ended up down in 4NT when the other table made 3NT. I assume the chance of this happening is less than the chance of reaching a good+making slam, but not sure.

Nothing wrong with 4D in the given auction.
What was unlucky is that opener judged his 24HCP suit oriented hand to be a 25-26HCP no-trump hand. I would have bid 3C over 2D.

[gszeszycki]

at MP I would sign off in 3N since dia slam is a top/bottom proposition and
I would be surprised if we find any slam that is much better than 5050 (that we
could bid with any confidence).

At IMPS where the 5050 dia slam is beneficial the slight risk of getting overboard at 4n seems warranted and i would bid 4d.