Spade slam

[jillybean]

delete

[P_Marlowe]

Looking for slam is reasonable, but the jump to 6S

is a little bit problematic, afterall you may off 2 tricks

in diamonds, and you may not have enough discards

on hearts in case they attack clubs.

 

Instead of 3D bid 4C (a splinter) South will happily

accept, you will hear a diamomd cue, and that is all

you need.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[pclayton]

1. 1♥ is fine, but I like an upgrade to 1N. This is a nice 14, with a good 5 card suit, decent doubleton and some good intermediates.

 

2. 1♠ is automatic.

 

3. Don't you play support doubles Kathryn? If not, then 2♠ is fine.

 

4. 3♦ is a nice call. The hand has some strong slam potential with only 3 losers and a fit. Partner's diamonds will usually be the key to 6♠. I prefer 3♦ to 4♣ which hogs space. Partner's clubs are not the key to slam, partner's diamond holding is.

 

5. Pass over 4♣. I think I'd cue the ♦K. This hand accepts any game try, but if pard is slamming, hearing about the ♦ card is great news.

 

6. 6♠. Premature and unilateral. I'd have more respect for a direct blast to 6♠ over 2♠. You've learned nothing new about the hand that helps. I'd rather cue 5♣ and see if that elicits a 5♦ call out of pard. I would respect a 5♠ signoff.

[jtfanclub]

My non-expert opinion, just 'cause...

 

You bid 3♦, a slam try. Partner passed, a refusal.

 

If you're not going to listen to partner, why did you bother to ask?

[inquiry]

First, did it make? Trump lead at trick one, and trump lead when in with the diamond ACE (killing a diamond honor) requires 3-3 diamonds or 4♦ bidder having Ax of diamonds, or a lot of luck in hearts. The bidding does not suggest that diamonds are going to split 3-3.

 

Second, I don't like the bidding. South could've, should've bid 4♦ over 4♣ or at the very least 4♠, assuming 3♦ was just a game try, he has an accept with Kx of diamonds. If south's minors were reversed, you would have no play and with a ♦ ruff, could be down two. Note if his minors were reversed (with Jxx of diamonds and questionable Kx of clubs) that would be an ideal time to pass 4♣.

 

On the other hand, you have 33 ZAR points, and when partner support you, you can start adding misfit points. You get 5 big points for you void in hearts, and it is reasonable to assume partner has at most 5 minor suit cards on this auction and you have six, so you probably score three more. As he rates to be on average 3-2 in the minors, so you pick up 5 more fit points. That brings the total to 43. Partner needs 26 to open, so 43+26 = 69, which is easily in slam range. But he would have the same points if his minors were reversed, so you need to make sure that diamonds are under control before you bid slam.

[whereagles]

Bidding is fine :)

[jillybean]

..

[cherdano]

3. Don't you play support doubles Kathryn? If not, then 2♠ is fine.

I should be, I forgot; support doubles are new for me. In this auction X shows ♠ support and 2♠ is just competitive?

If you play support doubles, X shows exactly 3 spades, any strength, and 2♠ shows a normal raise with 4 (or more) spades.

[Guest Jlall]

Yes, it made :) I passed 4♣ thinking we had set game force.

3D is just a game try. If partner had bid 3D and you had bid 3S he could pass right? So you're not in a GF.

 

btw a lot of the posts you make here belong in B/I forums.

[jillybean]

..

[cherdano]

Second, I don't like the bidding. South could've, should've bid 4♦ over 4♣ or at the very least 4♠, assuming 3♦ was just a game try, he has an accept with Kx of diamonds.

Yes, it made :) I passed 4♣ thinking we had set game force.

3♦ is most often a game try (though sometimes used as a slam try), so it doesn't set up a force beyond 3♠.

[hrothgar]

6. 6♠. Premature and unilateral. I'd have more respect for a direct blast to 6♠ over 2♠. You've learned nothing new about the hand that helps. I'd rather cue 5♣ and see if that elicits a 5♦ call out of pard. I would respect a 5♠ signoff.

If I had been playing in a more regular partnership, I would have bid 5♣. As is, I decided to take a gamble.

 

For what its worth, I thought that my hand revalued substantially after the 4♣ bid. East is now (essentially) marked with the K and Q of Clubs, substantially increasing the chance that partner has a Diamond honor. I know that I should trust partner rather than the opps, however, I still felt that 6♠ was worth a gamble...

[Walddk]

btw a lot of the posts you make here belong in B/I forums.

I do not disagree, but I think Kathryn's aim is to get as many views as possible from expert players. She may not get that if she posts the hands in the B/I forum.

 

By the way, I also agree with everything Phil, Justin and Arend say.

 

Roland

[kenrexford]

1♥ -- easy

P-1♠ -- easy

2♣-2♠ -- double if support, OK if not support

P-3♦ --

 

This is where it gets weird. If 2♠ absolutely agreed spades (an error with that hand), then 3♦ is easy, with Opener probably good enough to bid 4♦ (diamond honor, whether A, K, or Q) and slam probably bid. With the actual hand, and a prior error, then you have a problem; but who cares about what to do when you make a mistake -- guess.

 

If 2♠ only showed 3+, then 3♦ seems to be natural. If the style is standard, then 3♦ assuredly establishes a fifth spade and thereby establishes the fit, with 4♦ being obvious. If the style is 2/1 GF, then 3♦ could be a call based on 4♠/5+♦, but only if you are not playing support doubles.

 

Now, what if support doubles are played? Opener would double 2♣. Now, Responder cannot bid 3♦, nor would he need to (he'd bid 2♦). So, I presume that he would bid 3♣, a cue, which is a matter of style. Maybe it agrees spades, or maybe it asks for more description, or maybe it even sets up a GF and might agree hearts. Not sure what you use here.

 

This does broing up an interesting question, at least for me, that I believe to be worthy of asking in this advanced and expert area. :)

 

What does a cuebid show as a "next call" after a support double? Does it agree the suit, or punt, or relay, or what? Stopper asking? How do you agree spades in this auction and force game but imply slam interest? Is 3♣...3/4♠ the only option? I'm not sure, myself.

 

It seems like a good approach would be for the cuebid to be a semi-relay, especially in this specific auction. 3♣ would semi-force 3♦, after which Responder could bid 3♥ (slam interest with a heart fit), 3♠ (slam interest with a spade fit), or 3NT (3♣ asked for a stopper, as it turns out).

[jillybean]

..

[P_Marlowe]

<snip>

4. 3♦ is a nice call. The hand has some strong slam potential with only 3 losers and a fit. Partner's diamonds will usually be the key to 6♠. I prefer 3♦ to 4♣ which hogs space. Partner's clubs are not the key to slam, partner's diamond holding is.

<snip>

I agree, 4C kills space (although I wonder, in which

seq. you can use the add. sapce) and I also agree,

that the clubs are not key.

But there is one big adv. of 4C compared to 3D:

4C is a slam try, and it nearly forces partner to

cue, because partner did already limit his hand

with the 2S bid, i.e. 4C will help you, to get

information about hearts and diamonds.

And of course partner may jump to 4S with an

unspecifed. max, ... burning the space you preserved.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe