What does this bid mean?

[Trinidad]

A few days ago, I saw the following start of an auction (EW were playing a form of 2/1 GF):

 

W -(N) -E -(S)

1♦ (1♥) X (2♥)

3♣ (P) 4♠ (P)

 

What does East's 4♠ bid mean?

 

What should West bid with:

 

♠ J

♥ 2

♦ AJ763

♣ AQ9843

 

Thanks,

 

Rik

[kenrexford]

Depends upon your agreements. For me, this would be RKCB for diamonds.

[helene_t]

In "standard" 2/1, the double shows excatly four spades. The only meaning if 4♠ I can think of would be a slam try for clubs with very strong spades.

 

Of course, if you have the popular agreement that the double denied spades, 4♠ could be a splinter for clubs.

 

Anyway, I would bid 5♣.

[mike777]

edit

[han]

Without discussion this is a clear emphatetic splinter.

[helene_t]

What's that? A fancy word for a stripe-tail ape splinter?

[whereagles]

You guys are missing the point.

 

Pard has a strong hand with spades and was afraid opener might misunderstand 1♠ for a negative free bid and pass :)

[Double !]

Without discussion this is a clear emphatetic splinter.

This is a very unusual sequence of bids. In responding to this thread, may we rule out partner showing a weak hand with long (7 or 8) spades?

 

I am not sure about 4S being a splinter in support of hearts. That would mean that the opps have like 11 spades between them as well as a heart fit. (what is wrong with that picture?) The other issue that occurs to me is the question of what kind of hand partner can have to justify making a splinter in spades after having initially implied spades via a negative double as well as the fact that partner didn't take a different initial action (such as a 2-club bid) during the previous round?

 

Another possibility as previously suggested is that 4S shows a slam try in clubs with strong spades (like AKxx). If such is the case, then I suspect long but not strong clubs, something like a 4-6 hand. (In each attempt to hypothesize potential hands for partner, I am also looking at the fact that the opps bumped the bidding all the way up to the 2-level. Where are all of the hearts?)

 

Another possibility that I can think of would be some type of hand with perhaps 3 hearts and prime support cards that partner didn't initially consider to be good enough to be GF hand until re-evaluated after opener's 3C rebid. I'm wondering if partner has something like ♠ Axxx, ♥xxx, ♦ K or Q, ♣ KJxxx, or ♠ Axx, ♥ xxx, ♦ x, ♣ KJTxxx.

 

Whatever, when in doubt, i follow the axiom that all strange (if not impossible) bids are forcing one round. To bid 5 vs. 6 clubs? Do I have the courage of my convictions?

 

Don't ask :)

 

DHL

[helene_t]

Hey Don, opps bid hearts as I read it.

[MFA]

X of 1♥ showed exactly 4S (given standard agreements). So 4♠ cannot be natural but must agree clubs. He bypasses hearts, so he probably doesn't have a heart cuebid.

 

I have a good hand, so I'm happy to accept partner's slam try. 6♣.

[Trinidad]

X of 1♥ showed exactly 4S (given standard agreements). So 4♠ cannot be natural but must agree clubs. He bypasses hearts, so he probably doesn't have a heart cuebid.

 

I have a good hand, so I'm happy to accept partner's slam try. 6♣.

I pretty much agree with this analysis. The only thing is that I think that East can still be aiming for a diamond slam (rather than clubs). But in that case he will correct 6♣ to 6♦.

 

Rik

[fred]

In the absense of any agreement I would assume 4S is natural and non-forcing, perhaps a hand like:

 

AKQ10

xxxx

xx

Qxx

 

Where 4S could easily be the only game contract that has a chance.

 

Sure you could bid 3S with a hand like this to suggest a strong 4-card suit and the possibility of playing 4S if a 4-3 fit exists, but by jumping to 4S you are stating that your spades are super-strong and that partner should seriously consider passing with only xxx of spades (or even xx!) in spades.

 

Quote (from me): "If an undiscussed bid can be natural then it is natural".

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com