[fredgribbl]

Playing with GIB E&W and my usual Partner (N) I held the following hand, sitting South:

AKQxx - Spades
KJ9xxx - Hearts
10x - Diamonds
Void

Partner opened 1NT, (15-17) what do I do?

Tim

[P_Marlowe]

The question cannot be answered, since it depends a lot on your methods.

Transfer to hearts, followed by bidding 2S wont work.
Most would garbage stayman, so 2S in this seq. is usually played as 5-4+ in the majors,
with exactly inv. strength, but if you dont play garbage stayman, than this is the route
to go.

An alternative option would be to set hearts as trumps in a forcing manner, knowing that
you have 8 hearts and forgetting about the spade suit.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[TWO4BRIDGE]

P_Marlowe, on 2013-October-24, 12:22, said:

The question cannot be answered, since it depends a lot on your methods.

Transfer to hearts, followed by bidding 2S wont work.
Most would garbage stayman, so 2S in this seq. is usually played as 5-4+ in the majors,
with exactly inv. strength, but if you dont play garbage stayman, than this is the route
to go.

An alternative option would be to set hearts as trumps in a forcing manner, knowing that
you have 8 hearts and forgetting about the spade suit.

With kind regards
Marlowe

My thoughts were the same as Marlowe's.

Another option would be to transfer to ♠, eventhough it is the shorter Major, and then bid 3H, ostensibly showing a ( 5/5 )+ and GF. If opener then agrees ♠ with a 3S bid, you could jump to 5C-exclusion RKC or just cuebid 4C .
If partner instead wants to agree ♥, he has 4C and 4D as advance cuebids for ♥ or 4H with no slam interest .
But the 5s/6h shape is never really gotten across .

Another option is 2C Stayman followed by Smolen if partner replies 2D :
1NT - 2C
2D - 3H ( Smolen, ostensibly 5s/4h, GF )
3NT ( 2s/3h )
..... - 4D! ( transfer to ♥ showing 5s/6h )
4H - 5C ( Ctrl cuebid ) etc...

[ggwhiz]

Another option,

1nt - 2♣
2♦ - 4♦ showing 5-5 in the majors and cueing clubs next.

Of course if pard shows a 4-card major immediately you are away to the races.

[Fluffy]

spades are solid, so I would focus on finding ♦A, ♥A and ♥Q.

There is an option to ruff out ♥Q playing in spades, so I would seek it this way:

1NT-2♣
2M- 5♣ exclusion blackwood.

I would assume 13 tricks opposite 2 aces.

If partner doens´t have 4c major I would play in hearts this way:


1NT-2♣
2♦-3♠ (smolen, if you don't play smolen 3♥ is natural and forcing, so use it instead)
3NT-5♣ exclusion blackwood.

This time I need 2 aces and the queen of trumps for grand.


If you don't play exclusion blackwood you need to set up hearts as trumps at the 3 level, then watch for partner to cuebid clubs or diamonds, if he cuebids clubs, assume he has ♣A and look for 3 aces into regular blackwood. If he doesn't cuebid clubs you only need 2.

[MinorKid]

I will forget about spades and just transfer to hearts and bid hearts, looking for the ♥A, ♥Q, and ♦A


Just wondering how to tackle if both are minor suits. Would you use Minor Suit Stayman or Transfer?

♠Tx
♥-
♦AKQxx
♣KJxxxx

Thx

[TWO4BRIDGE]

MinorKid, on 2013-October-24, 19:29, said:

Just wondering how to tackle if both are minor suits. Would you use Minor Suit Stayman or Transfer?
♠Tx
♥-
♦AKQxx
♣KJxxxx

I have this in my files..... wonder how many years it will take to use it:

1NT - 2S! ( MSS )
2NT ( no 4 card minor )
..... - 4C ( freak 6d/5c, "Smolenesque" ... shorter ♣ )
..... - 4D ( freak 5d/6c, "Smolenesque" ... shorter ♦ )

[Antrax]

ggwhiz, on 2013-October-24, 13:59, said:

Another option,

1nt - 2♣
2♦ - 4♦ showing 5-5 in the majors and cueing clubs next.

For me this sequence is delyaed Texas transfer, showing 6♥ and 4♠. After partner bids 4♥, I can bid 5♣ exclusion - but I'm not sure what to do opposite 1 KC since the ♦ lead is indicated. I guess you could hope that with both partners making artificial ♦ bids, someone doubles for lead-direction allowing us to pass showing no control of the suit.

[johnu]

I had this hand, or something like it. Stop in game, you're off 2 top diamonds.

[ggwhiz]

johnu, on 2013-October-24, 23:56, said:

I had this hand, or something like it. Stop in game, you're off 2 top diamonds.

A couple of our young guns drew Meckwell early in the Vanderbilt on a similar hand and bid exclusion on diamonds! They led the club Ace against the grand and said "you forgot about this one".

Kaching.

[WellSpyder]

ggwhiz, on 2013-October-25, 13:13, said:

A couple of our young guns drew Meckwell early in the Vanderbilt on a similar hand and bid exclusion on diamonds! They led the club Ace against the grand and said "you forgot about this one".

Kaching.

Maybe I'll agree to play exclusion with a few more partners, just so I can psyche it use it tactically at the appropriate moment.

[gszes]

P_Marlowe, on 2013-October-24, 12:22, said:

The question cannot be answered, since it depends a lot on your methods.

Transfer to hearts, followed by bidding 2S wont work.
Most would garbage stayman, so 2S in this seq. is usually played as 5-4+ in the majors,
with exactly inv. strength, but if you dont play garbage stayman, than this is the route
to go.

An alternative option would be to set hearts as trumps in a forcing manner, knowing that
you have 8 hearts and forgetting about the spade suit.

With kind regards
Marlowe

a "standardish" version of stayman and transfers:

1n 2c 2d followed by 2h or 2s shows a 5 card major and 4 in the other major and an invitational
hand.

1n 2d 2h 2s generally shows at least 55+ in the majors and an invitational hand Qxxxx Kxxxx xx x

the above leaves room for smolen (54 majors game forcing) and 1n 2h 2s 3h as showing 55+ game forcing

With the above hand it is a bad idea to just arbitrarily take control with no dia control. This is a good hand but
it p is short in the majors with lots of minor suit goodies slam does not look all that good. IMO we should show
p our "55" in the majors and let them decide if slam looks like a good idea opposite their hand. P might even bid
3n to show lots of minor cards where we could pass or bid 4h (probably a tad safer). If p makes some kind of
slammish noise (3s -agreeing to spades- 4c/d agreeing to hearts) the 5 level is pretty safe so small or grand
slam exploration can proceed with the sequence depending on what p bids over my 3h bid.