Hands from RGB

[Finch]

I still don't understand why these hands are such a mystery to handle. If they are a mystery in anyone's approach, then the approach seems flawed, IMO. These are not strange, exotic hand combinations. 5422 opposite 4432 seems rather mundane, and yet problems seem to abound.

These hands are hard to handle because there are no extra values by way of either distribution or shape. Most grands are bid either when one hand can count 13 tricks (often when there is a long suit) or by simple force of high cards. The example here has exactly one jack to spare, and has no long suit.

 

I agree with justin that I would expect most top pairs not to bid this. The hands happen to work well with our relay methods after a forcing raise - but we have been playing these methods for about 17 years and so far they have generated exactly two big swings that I can remember (one from bidding 6NT instead of 6M, and once from staying at the 4-level with the 5-level off). The rest of the time they just mean we get to the same contract as the other table with more certainty that it's right, or we play in 4+1 against 5 making.

 

If we were starting again as a partnership now I doubt we'd bother learning and playing them because other partnership things are so much more important. But back then he was a keen system-writer.

 

BTW -- no one has taken up the challenge of the change in Kx's (spades instead of diamonds).

 

I did

[skjaeran]

BTW -- no one has taken up the challenge of the change in Kx's (spades instead of diamonds).

 

I did

Me too, but possibly after Ken's post.