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BW hand of death


Guest Jlall

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You hold AJx Kxx AKJTxx x.

 

Part 1: 1D p 1H p ? What's your bid?

 

Part 2: If I forced you to bid 3D, and partner bid 3H, what's your bid?

 

Part 3: If I forced you to bid 3S over 3H, and partner bid 4H, what's your bid?

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1. 3D. And I don't consider this the death hand (the death hand is stronger)

 

2. I suppose I would bid 3S. This doesn't particularly show heart support.

 

3. If partner thinks 3S shows heart support, then I pass. But I think I've just shown doubt about where to play, and partner has said "hearts". In that case I bid on (after all, AQxxx and out has good play for 6H). What I bid on with is a matter for debate, but probably 4S.

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Hi,

 

1) 3D

2) 4C, but I am not happy.

The main problem with 3S is, that it may still

be a bid looking for 3NT, 4C is a clear cue

bid agreeing hearts, but depending on your

cue bidding style, it may deny a spade control,

and 4C may show an honor (as it does in my partnership)

3) Pass, unhappy, but 4H is partners weakest action

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

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1. 3; with diamonds this strong, how can I not?

 

2. 3; nice development!

 

3. This is a bitch. Pard didn't cue the Q (bad) but also the A (good). Pard could have passed 3 with Axxxxx and out, so I expect more than that. I've convinced myself that we have safety at the 5 level. Hell; AQJxxx and xx gives me a good play, so I'll key card.

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a ha... we seem to have some disagreement over the meaning of 3S. Some expect partner to cue which would seem to indicate they think it is for sure coming in hearts. Personally I agree with:

 

I suppose I would bid 3S. This doesn't particularly show heart support.

 

It could contain heart support but the primary purpose of below 3N cues is generally to get to 3N (ie AKx x AKxxxxx xx).

 

This difference changes the meaning of partners 4H call dramatically.

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a ha... we seem to have some disagreement over the meaning of 3S. Some expect partner to cue which would seem to indicate they think it is for sure coming in hearts. Personally I agree with:

 

I suppose I would bid 3S. This doesn't particularly show heart support.

 

It could contain heart support but the primary purpose of below 3N cues is generally to get to 3N (ie AKx x AKxxxxx xx).

 

This difference changes the meaning of partners 4H call dramatically.

Fair enough. However, if 3 is a NT probe, and pard rebids 4, then pard must have a great heart suit, and a further move is indicated.

 

How do you play 1 minor - 4 major? Is it 7 good hearts and out? This would limit pard's hand, but 6 good hearts gives us a good play.

 

I think 3 is "either-or"; if we pull 3N we guarantee heart support.

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1. 3D. And I don't consider this the death hand (the death hand is stronger)

 

2. I suppose I would bid 3S. This doesn't particularly show heart support.

 

3. If partner thinks 3S shows heart support, then I pass. But I think I've just shown doubt about where to play, and partner has said "hearts". In that case I bid on (after all, AQxxx and out has good play for 6H). What I bid on with is a matter for debate, but probably 4S.

I agree entirely with this post.

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It's my lucky day, you force me to make all the bids I meant to bid anyway. I agree with Frances on the meaning of 3/4. Over 4, I would make a slam try, not force to slam. It's not quite clear to me what is best. I would love to bid 5-patterning-out, but that rather asks for a club control I think. So I would cue 5 and leave it to partner.
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1. 3... frankly, this is trivial, but I appreciate this is merely setting the stage for the real issues

 

2. I really don't know. 3 looks obvious, and I entirely agree that it says nothing about s. How can it? Give us AQx xx AKQJxx xx and we bid what???

 

Since I love s and want to tell partner, I think that 4 is a reasonable alternative: partner can bid 4 LTTC over which I will cue s (for me, via 4N since I use 4 as keycard in auctions) and I will respect 4. Imperfect, in that partner may legitimately have the nature of my black suit controls reversed, but at least I get the message across.

 

3. If I did bid 3, and I might well have done at the table, then we have to resolve the question of the meaning of 4, beyond the obvious one that he has a long suit. What would 4 have meant on the previous round? We have to be able to draw an inference from what he did not bid earlier as well as what he bid now. I am unclear: if he had a near-self-sufficient suit with slam interest, should he bid 3 and then 4? Or should he have jumped to 4? And if he had a hand that would have respected 3N but is endplayed over 3 for want of a stopper or tolerance, would he bid 4 now?

 

I am going to decide that his slow route to 4 is forward-going... and I take comfort in the fact that, even if he didn't mean it that way, many lesser hands still warrant slam.

 

But I am not bidding 4. I think that denies a stiff club... I have cued s and if I now cue s I cannot logically be showing high card controls in both blacks, since my first obligation over 3 was, if I couldn't raise, to bid 3N. And I cannot have good s, a high honour and high black controls. So I choose 5.

 

4 might work well if partner can keycard over it, but that requires that he have a control himself... and if he does, we're getting to the right spot anyway (I think).

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Guest Jlall

Part 1: Some suggested 1S, but 3D is certainly the normal bid and was made by my partner.

 

Part 2: 3S also seems like the normal bid, but he had the thought later (which others have had here) that maybe he should bid 4C as that is unambiguously coming in hearts. That makes some sense to me though I'm sure I would have bid 3S as well.

 

Part 3: My partner chose to pass here which I thought was an error. Not having raised hearts yet ever, if partner wants to play 4H his suit must be pretty good and you dont need much more than that for a slam.

 

My hand was Kxx AQT9xxx x xx.

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The way it was phrased, it somewhat felt like the cliche

 

1. What bovine animal lives on the farm?

2. What do cows drink?

 

I immediately responded with 3, 3, and pass. Then I read the question again and said "wait, I never supported hearts". I think the only thing I'm interested in is the quality of his heart suit. If I have it agreed that 5 invites slam when partner holds two of the top three honors, I'll try that. Otherwise, I'll choose the low-scoring bidding poll option of 4NT.

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