Reach for the scars

[Al_U_Card]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=s875hk982dk63ct52&s=sakqj3ha4daqcq743]133|200|Scoring: IMP

2♣ p 2♦ p

2♠ p 4♠ p

???

Playing 2D waiting with an ADV, 2/1 pick-up pard.[/hv]

 

To be (in slam) or not to be (in slam) that is the question....(How good should the raise to 4S be?)....and how to investigate if at all :rolleyes:

[Guest Jlall]

Not sure what 4S means, but south is (sub?) minimum so can easily pass.

[pclayton]

A possible auction:

 

2♣ - 2♦ - 2♠ - 3♠ - 3N - (pass or 4♥) - 4♠.

 

Al - whatcha mean by Slam?

 

After 2♦ waiting, a jump to 4♠ denies an outside s/v or A or K. I'd be curious to know how those that play a direct 2♥ negative clarify these jumps.

[Guest Jlall]

I always play a jump to 4S in these types of auction= good trumps no other control.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

4S is an underbid, North has two controls

and should bid 3S, the only arguement against

3S is the shape.

 

With kind reggards

Marlowe

[mikeh]

I would open 1♠, but I understand 2♣, and I think that 2♣ would be the more popular choice.

 

Having said that, it is certainly a terrible 2♣ opening bid, so even thinking of bidding over 4♠ is an overbid.

 

Put another way, no matter what meaning or lack of meaning you attribute to 4♠, it is clearly a bid that can be passed (as opposed to 3♠). Therefore, when you have the world's worst (second-worst?) 2♣ opening, this becomes a non-problem.

 

Having said that, I am with Justin in this space-devouring 4♠ raise: no outside 1st or 2nd round controls and good (in context) trump.

 

I am a 2♥ immediate negative player, but this does not change the meaning of the sequence. It does become very rare in my style, since 2♦ promses an A or K, and 4♠ denies any outside of ♠: so 4♠ will deliver the A or K of ♠.

[Al_U_Card]

My thinking on this sequence is that 4S shows decent trumps (not at issue in this case) and is a mild slam try. I play that 3S is a minimum (with outside Q and J's) and 3NT then by opener can be passed. My other question is, despite being near minimum, is it reasonable (say he bid controls to show 2 instead) to try for slam or is it too dangerous?

[Guest Jlall]

One of the hardest things to do is remember to bid contextually.

 

Sometimes your yarborough is amazing, sometimes your monster is a yarborough. Here your monster is a yarborough. Once you open 2C and rebid 2S you have already overbid (imo) or at least bid to the max your hand. Any slam tries will have to come from partner. Unless partner showed a great club suit, if he ever made a NF 4S bid I would pass with this hand. So yes trying for slam would be an overbid, especially if pard has shown 2 controls. You are either off an A and a K, or 3 kings.