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slam or pass your call


jillybean

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Dealer: South Vul: NS Scoring: IMP K62 A43 KQT96 K2

 

West North East South

 

 -     -     -     1NT

 Pass  2    Pass  2

 Pass  4NT   Pass  ?

 

 

Here's a hand I played with Richard, your bid and why please?

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Pass, because partner asked me a simple question and i'm willing to answer it truthfully.

 

6NT could work out well, albeit not that well when LHO turns up with a black suit AQ.

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Guest Jlall
pass, fairly close but most of the hands I constructed (random 16 with at least one four card major) did not make slam good. I will say that by far the best method for solving this type of problem is simply to construct several hands consistent with the bidding and see how slam would do opposite each.
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If I had to guess the final contract now I would pass, but partner is still there so I like 5. If he has xx of diamonds he will sign off in 5NT (I hope that doesn't go down!) but we could surely have slam in diamonds if he has three or four, especially since he would then have an outside doubleton and I could probably get a ruff. I know one hand proves nothing, but lots like Qx KQxx Axx AJxx are a lousy 6NT but a great 6. Really the only risk to me is 5NT going down, but considering that even bidding 6NT is not hopeless by me, I think 5NT will be ok almost all the time.

 

Also it is clear 5 level bids by me should be natural, not showing aces while accepting. That is one of the worst agreements out there, where people accept invitational 4NT bids by showing aces.

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I confess I would bid 6N: I wouldn't bid 5, since I think the chances of 6 being superior to 6N are too small to justify giving away information.

 

For those who say: wait a second, partner asked me if I am maximum and i hold only 15 hcp... study Victor Mollo and, in particular, Walter the Walrus.

 

This is NOT a 15 count: it is worth 16+ (or more).

 

We have 5, count them, 5 controls and the KQ109x of diamonds plus Hxx in whichever (or both) majors partner has, which just has to give us extra chances.

 

If you insist upon being a point counter, my understanding is that a more accurate rendition of the 4321 scale accords increased weight to A's and K's and decreased to Queens and Jacks.. and a 109 in a long suit, accompanying the KQ are worth something close to a Jack.. so I'd still get to 16+ that way.

 

Now, I would add that 6N makes sense only if you are a skilled declarer player: while in game and partscore contracts, inferior defence can often make up for inferior declarer play, at the slam level there just isn't as much scope for error.

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Dealer: South Vul: NS Scoring: IMP K62 A43 KQT96 K2

 

West North East South

 

- - - 1NT

Pass 2 Pass 2

Pass 4NT Pass 5

5 here is natural, rejecting NT slam but suggesting slam if partner has help in 's or specifically A?

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The 5 call is that rarest of beasts in modern bridge -- a natural bid.

 

It says "Hey partner, I have a bunch of diamonds. Maybe 6 will be a good contract." It does not particularly "ask for help in diamonds" but rather asks "do you have a fit for diamonds?" The intent is that partner re-evaluate his or her hand for play in a suit.

 

In particular: if partner has three or four diamonds and a side doubleton, this is great. Now we can score a potential extra trick by ruffing in the shorter hand, a trick that might not have been available in notrump. Partner should also tend to downgrade side suit jacks because these often come into play on the third or fourth round which may never come. So some hand like:

 

AKxx

Kx

Axxx

Qxx

 

is absolutely perfect after the 5 call and should raise to 6 (and make easily).

 

Something like:

 

AKxx

KQxx

xx

Axx

 

is much worse and despite the prime values offers little play for slam, and should bid 5NT.

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Dealer: South Vul: NS Scoring: IMP K62 A43 KQT96 K2

 

West North East South

 

 -     -     -     1NT

 Pass  2    Pass  2

 Pass  4NT   Pass  ?

 

 

Here's a hand I played with Richard, your bid and why please?

Assuming 1nt is 15-17 do you want to be in slam across from:

 

AQ..KQxx...xx..AJxx

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<!-- ONEHAND begin --><table border='1'> <tr> <td> <table> <tr> <td> Dealer: </td> <td> South </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Vul: </td> <td> NS </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Scoring: </td> <td> IMP </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> <table> <tr> <th> <span class='spades'> ♠ </th> <td> K62 </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='hearts'> ♥ </span> </th> <td> A43 </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='diamonds'> ♦ </span> </th> <td> KQT96 </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='clubs'> ♣ </span> </th> <td> K2 </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td>  </td> </tr> </table><!-- ONEHAND end -->

 

West  North East  South

 

 -     -     -     1NT

 Pass  2    Pass  2

 Pass  4NT   Pass  ?

 

</span>

 

Here's a hand I played with Richard, your bid and why please?

Assuming 1nt is 15-17 do you want to be in slam across from:

 

AQ..KQxx...xx..AJxx

6NT is playable - I have been in worse slams.

Would you want to be in 6NT opposite:

AQ..KQxx...Jx..Axxxx

 

How do you distinguish between the 2 hands?

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<!-- ONEHAND begin --><table border='1'> <tr> <td> <table> <tr> <td> Dealer: </td> <td> South </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Vul: </td> <td> NS </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Scoring: </td> <td> IMP </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> <table> <tr> <th> <span class='spades'> ♠ </th> <td> K62 </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='hearts'> ♥ </span> </th> <td> A43 </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='diamonds'> ♦ </span> </th> <td> KQT96 </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='clubs'> ♣ </span> </th> <td> K2 </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td>  </td> </tr> </table><!-- ONEHAND end -->

 

West  North East  South

 

 -     -     -     1NT

 Pass  2    Pass  2

 Pass  4NT   Pass  ?

 

</span>

 

Here's a hand I played with Richard, your bid and why please?

Assuming 1nt is 15-17 do you want to be in slam across from:

 

AQ..KQxx...xx..AJxx

6NT is playable - I have been in worse slams.

Would you want to be in 6NT opposite:

AQ..KQxx...Jx..Axxxx

 

How do you distinguish between the 2 hands?

I guess that hand is possible but I thought unlikely, I would rebid 3c with that hand. Do not want to give up on 6clubs since partner denies a 4 card major.

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Assuming 1nt is 15-17 do you want to be in slam across from:

 

AQ..KQxx...xx..AJxx

6NT is playable - I have been in worse slams.

Would you want to be in 6NT opposite:

AQ..KQxx...Jx..Axxxx

 

How do you distinguish between the 2 hands?

By bidding the suit where partner can tell his jack is working overtime and xx is not so good?

 

Really though I don't mind 6NT that much because the diamonds are so good that they always have a chance to run. If we had the same hand without the 9 of diamonds I would be quite adamant that 5 is the only correct way to proceed if you bid at all.

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[hv=d=s&v=n&n=saq9hqj95da72cq84&s=sk62ha43dkqt96ck2]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

West North East South

 

 -     -     -     1NT

 Pass  2    Pass  2

 Pass  4NT   Pass  6NT

 Pass  Pass  Pass  

 

Here is the full hand, do you think 4nt was too frisky?

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[hv=d=s&v=n&n=saq9hqj95da72cq84&s=sk62ha43dkqt96ck2]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

West North East South

 

 -     -     -     1NT

 Pass  2    Pass  2

 Pass  4NT   Pass  6NT

 Pass  Pass  Pass  

 

Here is the full hand, do you think 4nt was too frisky?

I would have just bid 3nt over 1nt...but.....good try.

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4NT was too much for the same reasons that I would have accepted the invite as opener: hand evaluation. 4333 shape should be discounted. A hand with lots of Q's and J's should be discounted. A hand with only 4 controls should be very careful when inviting slam: we generally want to have 10 controls to play in 6N, and it is a rare 1N that holds 6 controls, especially when we hold 2 Aces.

 

So I would have bid 3N. In fact, this is a perfect hand type for not even bidding stayman: just bid 3N over 1N

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