[kgr]

MP's

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How do you continue from here?

[Hanoi5]

I think I'll try 3♠ first but when partner reponds 3NT I won't know what to do. The thing is I don't want to play at the 5-level if partner's hearts are ugly, maybe doubling 1♠ would have fared better? (I think that's the best solution) Would partner understand 5♦ over 3♥ as Exclusion KC? I really don't have a clue as to what should be the final strain, let alone the level.

[kgr]

Hanoi5, on 2010-December-08, 05:34, said:

Would partner understand 5♦ over 3♥ as Exclusion KC?

4♠ would be. I think 5♦ as well.

[nige1]

kgr, on 2010-December-08, 04:02, said:

MP's
How do you continue from here?

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IMO 6♦ = 10. 4♦ = 9. 4♠ = 7, 3♠ = 6, 6♥ = 3.
Hoping that partner will pass. Presumably 3♥ was a limit raise so a grand needs perfect cards. But it seems reasonable to hope for at least...
♠ Kxx ♥ Axx ♦ Jxxxx ♣ KQ
♠ Ax ♥ KQ ♦ xxxxxx ♣ Kxx
A Sputnik double of 1♠ seems dangerous when you don't want partner to pass, even with say
♠ AKxx ♥ Q ♦ Jxxxx ♣ QJx

[Fluffy]

awful hearts I won't go over 4♥ then.

I bid 3♠ and might try 4♦ over 3NT but partner is the one who has to move over 4♥.

[Cyberyeti]

With those horrible hearts, I think I'd have bid 2♦ first time (still inverted for us, not denying 4cM) and bid as if I had 4 hearts.

[mike777]

kgr, on 2010-December-08, 04:02, said:

MP's

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How do you continue from here?

prefer 3s not 2h. that will get my main feature, spade shortness, long d, slam interest over to pard in one bid.

given op I will guess 6d now.

[Siegmund]

I might cuebid - 3S if we freely bid 2nd round controls and partner will reply 4C if he has KC, otherwise I start with 4C myself, I guess. If we're playing Josephine style GSF, I may be able to find 7 when partner has HAKQ+CK. Blasting six is OK too. Better if you don't have any sensible ways to explore.

Six HEARTS, at MP, not diamonds, if you think anybody else in the field is bidding slam (and I do.) Any heart losers you have are losers whether they are trump or not, except in the specific case if partner having only 3 hearts and you getting a 4-1 break, and we don't give up our extra 60 points when slam makes in exchange for an extra 10 or 20% chance of making it if we think there will be company in slam.

[kgr]

nige1, on 2010-December-08, 06:28, said:

IMO 6♦ = 10. 4♦ = 9. 4♠ = 7, 3♠ = 6, 6♥ = 3.
Hoping that partner will pass. Presumably 3♥ was a limit raise so a grand needs perfect cards. But it seems reasonable to hope for at least...
♠ Kxx ♥ Axx ♦ Jxxxx ♣ KQ
♠ Ax ♥ KQ ♦ xxxxxx ♣ Kxx
A Sputnik double of 1♠ seems dangerous when you don't want partner to pass, even with say
♠ AKxx ♥ Q ♦ Jxxxx ♣ QJx

It is MP's. Is 4♠ (voidwood) not better then 6♦ at MP's?

[kgr]

MP's

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Making 7 when the ♥ were 2-2.
I wasn't sure to go over 4♥ with these bad ♥. But now I think that 4♠ is the best bid (Partner will most likely have some ♥ honors (no ♦ honors, and probably not much in ♠).

[Free]

4♥ is like the worst you can do imo. What a huge hand! 3♠ or 4♠ are pretty much obligated imo.

[ewleongusa]

kgr, on 2010-December-08, 04:02, said:

MP's

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How do you continue from here?

I don't think I would have introduced feeble hearts on my own with a slam oriented hand.
But now that I am stuck with the bid, I would bid 3S followed by 4NT. Who knows? Partner could have three key cards and the queen of trumps.
If partner can't bid 3NT over 3S, I will presume he doesn't have the spade ace and if he can show two keycards and the queen of trumps then I think our chances for a grand is good.

Eric Leong

[Phil]

ewleongusa, on 2010-December-23, 08:18, said:

I don't think I would have introduced feeble hearts on my own with a slam oriented hand.
But now that I am stuck with the bid, I would bid 3S followed by 4NT. Who knows? Partner could have three key cards and the queen of trumps.
If partner can't bid 3NT over 3S, I will presume he doesn't have the spade ace and if he can show two keycards and the queen of trumps then I think our chances for a grand is good.

Eric Leong

I cannot ignore five hearts in spite of my great diamonds. Opposite many weak NT type hands, 4♥ is the spot while 5♦ could be silly. You will never reach 4♥ unless you bid them now. Furthermore, one of the best ways to evaluate slam is when partner does not raise hearts, so I'm unclear what bypassing these hearts gains?

Now after 3♥, South has to try something. Yes the trumps suck but opposite the nuts: ♥AKQ + ♣K, we could have a grand. 3♠ looks fine. If North follows one of my basic tenets which is 'cooperate in a slam investigation when you hold the trump AK, I think you'll get there.

[han]

I think I wouldn't get to slam:

1D - (1S) - 2H - (2S)
3H - (p) - 3S - (p)
4D - (p) - 4H?

As Phil said, opener should cooperate with AKJx of hearts, so I think 4D last train is right. Responder knows they are missing the club king and with such weak hearts, I think it is right to bid 4H. Usually opener will have only 3 hearts in which case slam is unlikely to be good.

Opener has great hearts but they could be missing a club and the spade king is wasted.

Slam was good, as you are very likely to get a spade lead. 4H was perhaps too timid, but the worries about the weak trumps were good. The 4S suggestion offered by some is way too optimistic in my opinion.

[nige1]

nige1, on 2010-December-08, 06:28, said:

IMO 6♦ = 10. 4♦ = 9. 4♠ = 7, 3♠ = 6, 6♥ = 3.
Hoping that partner will pass. Presumably 3♥ was a limit raise so a grand needs perfect cards. But it seems reasonable to hope for at least...
♠ Kxx ♥ Axx ♦ Jxxxx ♣ KQ
♠ Ax ♥ KQ ♦ xxxxxx ♣ Kxx
A Sputnik double of 1♠ seems dangerous when you don't want partner to pass, even with say
♠ AKxx ♥ Q ♦ Jxxxx ♣ QJx

kgr, on 2010-December-09, 08:30, said:

It is MP's. Is 4♠ (voidwood) not better then 6♦ at MP's?

You may be right but, FWIW, my reasoning is: partner could only manage a limit raise to 3♥, so a grand is unlikely to be a good bet. 6♦ seems a reasonable shot and daisy-picking may help opponents. If partner has 4 ♥, then he will correct 6♦ to 6♥.