Test your slam bidding - II

[pclayton]

Same set. I'll give you pard's hand this time:

 

White on red, pard opens 1♦ as dealer:

 

♠x

♥Ax

♦QJxxx

♣KJTxx

 

Your call?

 

Note: 2♦ is inverted and shows a limit raise or better. 3 major is a splinter. 2♣ is 100% GF.

[rogerclee]

I bid 2C. This starts us off low, allows me to easily set trumps next round, and informs partner that his club cards are very useful. I can always cue spades later.

[awm]

This depends a little on our follow-up methods to the various calls. I rather like a 3♠ splinter because it clarifies the degree of support and I'm pretty happy to pass a 3NT call from partner over this, whereas after 1♦-2♣-2NT-3♦-3NT I am much less happy to pass.

[joshs]

I am starting with 2D. What happens now?

[Echognome]

If a 3♠ splinter is available, I'm using that.

 

If not, I'm bidding 2♦.

[ArtK78]

3♠ splinter is a very good description of this hand.

 

Game forcing diamond raise, short spades, no four-card heart suit.

 

My clubs are not so good as to bid 2♣ followed by 3♦ (forcing). The splinter gets everything into play at once.

[kenrexford]

3♠. I don't like my club suit enough. I like it, but not enough.

[Cascade]

I splinter with 3♠.

 

We actually play that 3♠ would be a void and all singleton GF hands go through the inverted minor. So I would start with 2♦ in my regular partnership.

[jdonn]

3♠ seems perfect.

[Halo]

2C

 

I'd like to go slowly and elicit some club support later.

[Apollo81]

3♠ -- perfect

[whereagles]

I don't like splinter because

 

1. people usually have no agreements on follow-ups, and

2. they splinter on unsuitable hands, like this one

 

This needs some careful bidding. I ain't going to blast 3♠ and eat 3 levels of bidding while passing the ball to a pard who might well be the weaker hand.

 

2♣ for me.

[pclayton]

I like 3♠ too, and I can stomach 2♣. I do not like my partner's choice of 2♦, although its hard to say its 'wrong'. I just think 2♣ and 3♠ are more descriptive.

 

Whatever you choose, pick your action when LHO now puts a red/white 4♠ call on the table. pard and RHO pass.

 

In order to avoid scrolling back, tell me what you chose, and what you now bid.

[whereagles]

1♦ . (pass) 2♣ (4♠)

pass (pass) 5♦

 

Life seems easy so far.. lol.

[awm]

Here's someplace where it matters what we started with.

 

Having started with 3♠, I will double when 4♠ comes back to me. I have already shown at most 1♠ (and I have exactly one), at least 5♦ (and I have only five), and game forcing values (for which I am quite minimum). Given what I've already shown this is a fairly defensive hand (sure I'd like to have a second ace somewhere instead of the slow minor suit cards).

 

If I started with 2♣, surely it must be right to bid 5♦ next. We have shown a better hand that we have and have never shown our diamond fit at all nor our spade shortness.

[jdonn]

1♦ . (pass) 2♣ (4♠)

pass (pass) 5♦

 

Life seems easy so far.. lol.

This is why I don't like 2♣. What if partner DOUBLES 4♠? Merry guessing. If you splinter you can happily defend 4♠X when it's right.

 

I don't understand your arguments. They were

- People don't have suitable followups to splinters, which I don't understand or agree with (3NT to play, cuebids, what could be easier?) In fact it's 1♦ 2♣ auctions where many have bad agreements or no agreements.

- This hand is not suitable for a splinter, so your argument was just repeating your point. Well in fairness to you, you were more making an argument about splinters in general than about this hand when you said people often splinter on unsuitable hands. Which is sort of like saying "I hate having chicken for dinner because my wife always burns it." That ignores the point that when cooked properly, chicken can be delicious :)

 

And then you finish by saying pard might be weaker than your 11 count? Huh?

[keylime]

2♣, because I can handle a 4M preempt with the follow-up of 5♦.

[rogerclee]

Well, given that I bid 2C initially, this is an easy 5D for me now.

 

Had I splintered, then doubling seems right.

[Fluffy]

3♠ is best at MPs to find 3NT when it is right, and from what I read above I agree its best if they compete.

 

2♣ is IMO best if they aren't gonna compete, you will very likelly be able to splinter later.

 

 

3♠ has a the small flaw that partner will overrate ♥Q

 

Ooops, sorry, that was pedantic :)

[mike777]

3♠ seems perfect.

ditto.

[pclayton]

My pard started with 2♦ and now bid 5♣. Opinions about that?

[inquiry]

My pard started with 2♦ and now bid 5♣. Opinions about that?

2♦ was wrong. So 2♦ then 5♣ was also wrong.

 

Let's have the simple 2♣ initial response...

 

1♦-p-2♣-4♠

PASS-P-?

 

Partners pass has to be forcing, since 2♣ was game force, and suggest uncertainty rather to go on or defend. That is good news for us. We have an offensive hand and parnter is willing for us to bid on... even in clubs if necessary. We also control of both suits our side didn't bid. It might be wrong, but I am bidding 6♦ now. If partner had some random 13/14 count and balanced he would have doubled. If he was stacked in spades he would have doubled. The one fear I have is a club ruff, but i am not certain that a 5NT pick a slam would get the job done here, and they might just as easily ruff a diamond anyway.

 

IF I had started 3♠, i am not so certain I am better or worse off after 4♠, but if partner passes, I guess I am doubling now, because my hand is better defensively than the splinter implied. Next move is up to partner, but he doesnt know about my clubs.

[Codo]

I had choosen 3 ♠, second choice 2 ♦. Why should I hide my support?

 

After 3 ♠ X now is easy.

[pclayton]

Across the table I held: ♠Jxx ♥Kxx ♦AKxxx ♣Qx. I felt a showed a minimum with no clear direction when I passed over 4♠. I don't think my pass was forcing, since 2♦ only showed a limit raise +. Its even conceivable that we'll defend 4♠ here. Surely better hands can Double, 4N, 5♣ or 5♦ over 4♠ (What do you think 4N shows?).

 

As far as 'good minimums', I felt this fell into the 80% percentile. Opposite a hand that is making a slam try, I had no spade wastage, a key card in his side suit and the ♦AK.

 

The funny thing was, we actually gained IMPS for 6♦ -1. RHO held some 8=4=0=1 freak and unless the defense finds their heart ruff, 5♠ is cold. -850 was a very common score.

 

Later my pard told me that he thought 5♣ was informational, in case they competed to 5♠. B) He was also perplexed how I knew he had spade shortage, but I think this is rather self-evident.

[Cascade]

I bid 3♠.

 

I am not so sure about double now.

 

Partner had the opportunity to double if he wanted with a defensive hand.

 

Partner's pass must be forcing and therefore suggest extras otherwise he can just bid 5♣. He won't be passing on a nebulous hand to see whether I want to double 4♠ since I have already shown my singleton spade and he knows I don't have a stack. I expect ♠ xxx or ♠ Axx or similar and a decent hand for the pass.

 

I have controls in both side suits and a little extra distribution - the 5th club, the 5th diamond, the doubleton heart (depending on how you look at it).

 

On the other hand I only have one key-card. There is no reason though why partner cannot have three key-cards with say no control in clubs

 

♠ Axx

♥ KQx

♦ AKxxx

♣ Qx

 

What I bid now is a problem though ...

 

If I try 4NT then we are in trouble if partner shows two key-cards.

 

If I try 5♣ I suppose it is conceivable that partner will think I have no control in hearts.

 

But I can't really think of a good alternative so I bid 5♣.