bluerib

One of the best hands I have ever bid and made is the following. [hv=pc=n&s=sjt3hkq86daq86caq&w=sk86ha952dkt975c5&n=saq54hdj2ckt87642&e=s972hjt743d43cj93&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp4np5hp6nd7cppdppp]399|300[/hv] I was N. The other players’ name will not be revealed. The bidding was as shown. With S’s voluntary end-bid of 6NT, I could guess that he lacked one Ace, which should be the ♥ Ace. Then, with W’s double, I could also guess that W held all the missing honors: the ♥Ace, and possibly one or two Kings. Partner’s bid of 6NT may also mean that he had both the K and the Q of ♥. If such was the case, then I’d better play in ♣ than in Notrump. So, I bid 7♣ with W’s roar of “Double”. As the cards lie, the line of playing is clear. Whatever the opening lead was, I could make 7♣ for 1630 points based on what has been guessed above.

I prefer the following bidding sequence, assuming SAYC system. 1♥ - 2♣ (10 plus points, 5-card ♣; 1♠ to 1♥ must promise 5 cards!) - 3♥ (17 plus points, 6 plus cards) - 3♠ (second suit) - 4♣ (support/cue?) - 4♠ (cue) - 5♦ (cue) - 5♠ (cue) - 6♦ (cue) - 6♥ (end). There can be other bidding sequences. But, it's clear that, after the first response of 2♣, promising 10 plus points and a five-card ♣ suit, declarer can re-evaluate his hand to 21 points (18 HCPs, plus 3 distributional points: 1 for the ♠ doubleton, 2 for the long ♥ suit, making a total of more than 32 points for a small slam. Moreover, declarer's hand is so solid in terms of "controls" (8 out of 12 of the whole card deck!). As far as the suits break normally (6322 for ♥ and 5332 for ♣), the slam will make. As the cards lie, there can be another playing line: The ♦ suit can be ruffed out to make the slam if only the ♥ suit breaks 6322.

Sorry for being absent for a long time. Thank you very much for so many comments and observations. The whole board is as shown below. Note that 1NT opening is 15-17 HCPs; the rebid of 1NT promises 12 ~ 14 HCPs; the 2S by South just means to force partner to bid again, or whatever he may misunderstand; the jump to 4♥ promises very good support with 3 cards only (since with 4 cards, the first rebid should not be 1NT); the response of 5♠ to 4NT promises 5 key-cards, including the Q of ♥. Although you have only 15 HCPs, but you can count (somewhat optimistically) 4 tricks in ♥, 2 tricks in ♠, 3 or 4 tricks in ♦, 1 or 2 tricks in ♣. So, even with 50%, you land on 6NT! [hv=pc=n&s=sa9ha632dqj94ca97&w=sj85432ht85dkck85&n=skt6hkq4dat76cjt2&e=sq7hj97d8532cq643&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=p1dp1hp1np2sp4hp4np5sp6nppp]399|300[/hv]

The full board is as shown. There were some twenty pairs in the session: 2 reaches 7♣ and 1 7NT.[hv=pc=n&s=skhaq98daq3ca7532&w=sj764ht7642d95c94&n=sat983hkjdt8ckqt8&e=sq52h53dkj7642cj6&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=1sp2cp3cp4np5sp]399|300[/hv]

Don't pay so much attention to the profile: it was there for long time without being updated. Besides, do people have to tell you their real rank? The system is SAYC, yes! And the response of 5S to 4NT ensures 5 key-cards, as usual. What could they be?

Thank you all for so many interesting discussions and useful comments. One think I can see is that many of you have the same feeling as I did when I held this South hand. To bid 3NT was so easy. In fact, in the session I was playing, almost all other NS pairs landed on a 3NT, one on 5D, and we on a different contract as I will tell you in the following. Since North already limited his hand to 12-14 HCPs, for if he had 15 HCPs, he would have opened 1NT. As I already wrote, with 15 HCPs plus 3 aces and a good support for diamonds, I had to invent a bid to force partner to show me more of his hand. So I bid 2S, not caring what could be his understanding. He might take it as a second suit (5H and 4S, eg.), or as a cue-bid, or whatever. As expected, he took my bid for 5H and 4S, so he jumped to 4H. I continued with the Blackwood 4NT, and the response was 5S meaning 3 aces or 5 key cards, with the Q of trumps. Now I could count 4 Hearts, 4 Diamonds, 2 Spades and 2 Clubs if North held the K of Spades and the J/Q of Clubs. If the remaining Clubs honors split between E and W, then by finessing, we could make 12 tricks. Therefore, with a bit of gambling, I landed on 6NT! As the cards lie, we made 6NT for an incontestable top board. Of course, if North’s holding in Spades and Clubs were reversed (meaning J/Q of Spades and K of Clubs), then there is no hope for 12 tricks. Well, audacity sometimes induces luck! The full board is as shown.[hv=pc=n&s=sa9ha632dqj94ca97&w=sj85432ht85dkck85&n=skt6hkq4dat76cjt2&e=sq7hj97d8532cq643&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=p1dp1hp1np2sp4hp4np5sp6n]399|300[/hv]

Thank you all for so many interesting discussions and useful comments. One think I can see is that many of you have the same feeling as I did when I held this South hand. To bid 3NT was so easy. In fact, in the session I was playing, almost all other NS pairs landed on a 3NT, one on 5D, and we on a different contract as I will tell you in the following. Since North already limited his hand to 12-14 HCPs, for if he had 15 HCPs, he would have opened 1NT. As I already wrote, with 15 HCPs plus 3 aces and a good support for diamonds, I had to invent a bid to force partner to show me more of his hand. So I bid 2S, not caring what could be his understanding. He might take it as a second suit (5H and 4S, eg.), or as a cue-bid, or whatever. As expected, he took my bid for 5H and 4S, so he jumped to 4H. I continued with the Blackwood 4NT, and the response was 5S meaning 3 aces or 5 key cards, with the Q of trumps. Now I could count 4 Hearts, 4 Diamonds, 2 Spades and 2 Clubs if North held the K of Spades and the J/Q of Clubs. If the remaining Clubs honors split between E and W, then by finessing, we could make 12 tricks. Therefore, with a bit of gambling, I landed on 6NT! As the cards lie, we made 6NT for an incontestable top board. Of course, if North’s holding in Spades and Clubs were reversed (meaning J/Q of Spades and K of Clubs), then there is no hope for 12 tricks. Well, audacity sometimes induces luck! The full board is as shown.

The bidding system is SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card).

As South, you hold a strong hand of 15 HCPs including 3 aces (6 controls), and the bidding has proceeded as shown. What is your next move?[hv=pc=n&s=sa9ha632dqj94ca97&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=p1dp1hp1np]133|200[/hv]

5♣ – 0 or 4 key cards 5♦ – 1 or 3 key cards 5♥ – 2 or 5 cards without the trump queen 5♠ – 2 or 5 key cards with the trump queen

I expect 2 clubs in partner's hand, since such 222 distribution is most likely. In the position of East, I surely will jump to 4S if I had 5 small spades, a singleton/void somewhere and even with 0 hcps.

Sometimes, it pays to open light at third position. In the following deal, as South, I opened 1♥, then passed partner's response of 1♠. We made 1♠ for a top score, while, the opponents can even make 3NT.[hv=pc=n&s=sq92ha876dat9c432&w=sk7hqj53dj5ckq875&n=sjt63hk2dk842cj96&e=sa854ht94dq763cat&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=pp1hp1sppp]399|300[/hv]

[hv=pc=n&s=sjt3hkq82daq86caq&w=sk86ha976dkt975c5&n=saq54hdj2ckt87642&e=s972hjt543d43cj93&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=1cp4np5cp6nd7cppdppp]399|300[/hv] Well, this is the first time I played with this partner on the web, I took 4NT as Blackwood. My response can be taken as showing 2 aces which is strictly not true, or as a sign-off at 5C. When I heard a 6NT by partner and a Double from West, I knew that all the remaning strength was there and I took my chance by bidding 7C. As the cards lie, this decision was correct. The play for making 7C doubled is just routine. And we got a 12.40 imps.

You are North, dealer, holding the following hand. [hv=pc=n&n=saq54hdj2ckt87642]133|100[/hv][hv=pc=n&n=saq54hdj2ckt87642&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp4np5cp6nd]133|200[/hv]