who's to blame?

[gwnn]

KT

KQT

QTxx

JTxx

 

opposite

 

AQJxx

xx

-

AKxxxx

 

1♣-3♦-p-p

3♠-p-3NT-p

4♣-p-5♣-end

 

+420

[655321]

Prefer 4♠ instead of 4♣ by South.

 

Not sure that helps, though - still not easy for anyone to bid the 6th club.

 

So, blame the 3♦ bidder. :)

[Free]

Bidding 4♣ is silly. Just show your 6-5 by bidding 4♠, partner has something since he bids 3NT, so game will make. Now partner will be able to judge his hand better.

[EricK]

Although the bidding by NS wasn't perfect, this is tremendously hard to bid accurately after the 3♦ pre-empt. eg. How does responder find out if partner is 2-0 or 1-1 in the reds? Alternatively how does opener find out if partner has a control in ♥ and the ♠K? All without going above 5♣.

 

The only way I can see is a sequence like this - although I don't much like it:

1♣ (3♦) 3NTi

4♣ii 4♥iii

4♠iv 5♣v

6♣vi

 

i Responder upgrades his hand because of all the Tens

ii opener realises that if partner has the outside suit stoped, he almost certainly has ♠K. Also, the absence of a negative x suggest he might very well have some degree of ♣ support. And if he also has the ♥ stopped there might be a slam

iii cue bid, showing ♥ control, denying ♦ control, suggesting some degree of support (better than xx).

iv cue bid promising ♦ control and showing ♠ control

v nothing more to say

vi I hope we don't have a ♣ loser and if partner only has ♥K they don't lead a ♥

 

A bit contrived, you think? Certainly!

[P_Marlowe]

North.

 

North did bid like a man, who was

forced to find a bid, and this while

he holds near opening values.

 

This does not mean that you find 6C,

but North is to blame.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Fluffy]

I think south should bid 4♠ instead of 3♠. But anyway the hand fits and there is no sensible way to find out that diamonds are Q opposite void and hearts instead are doubleton opposite KQ.

[mr1303]

Anything wrong with 1C (3D) 3NT?

 

It might not make, but you are under pressure. Once partner is known to have values findingslam is much easier.

[uday]

But once North decided to play for penalties ( by passing 3D, waiting for a reopening double ) and did not get the reopening double, he has some catching up to do.

 

After 3S by opener, N can be sure that S could not reopen with an X :)

So N has to decide whether he has shown his values with 3N.

 

I am doubtful he has but there is no room there. So 3N seems fine.

 

After 4C, tho, North can expect at least a 4-6 hand in the blacks and an unwillingness to sit for 3N ( the former perhaps implied by 3S, but the latter is new information)

 

So I think over 4C, N should make a stronger sound than 5C

 

The only sounds available are: 4D, 4H, 4S and 4N

 

4D is clearly a cuebid and shows extras but there is the little problem of the lack of Diamond control

 

4H would work well if P didnt think it showed long H

 

4S might sound like an attempt to play in a moysian, tho perhaps South should realize that North wouldnt do that expecting South to take the ruffs in the long hand

 

4N might be a good 'moving along' bid on the way to 5c but it also sounds like STFU

 

 

So maybe 5C is the least of evils lacking agreement; my next choice would be 4D, since south likely has short diamonds.

[cherdano]

I would bid 3N with the North hand, but I don't mind pass.

 

While I agree that 4♠ is better than 4♣, I can't see an auction to slam after this start. Sure North has undisclosed extras, but as far as he knows he has a working 3-count.

[hotShot]

There were several bids made, that I don't like much.

 

1. North pass over 3♦

I don't like to hide opening strength passes, they cause more problems to partner than to opps. X or 3NT would help partner to make a better decision.

 

2. 4♣

Repeating the ♠ in 4♠ would show a (5)6♣-5♠ distribution.

4♣ could be 5♣-4♠ and problems like missing stopper in a suit or a weak opening.

But why chicken out of 3NT? Partner did not show enough strength for slam and NT seems better than 5♣ or 4♠ without a good fit.

As the bidding went, partner promised to stop ♦ and ♥. He should have some 2-3♣ and 2-3♠ or he would have a suit of his own to bid and he should have some communication to our hand.

 

3. 5♣

North has shown a hand much weaker than he really is. Now he should show some guts. Given the the rest of the auction 4♥ is his last chance to correct his strength if it is a mixed cue bid.

 

Since most of the problems were caused by north, he has to carry most of the blame.

[pclayton]

I hate pass with the north hand. A penalty pass is not appealing with all these soft values and I think 3N is clear. Partner won't always reopen with a hand that is cold for 3N. So 3N gets a clear ding.

 

Does 3♠ promise a 5-6? Just about, although I can see bidding 3♠ along the way to 4♣ with a 4=0=3=6 monster. I'd estimate it has 95% of the time though, unless your name is Steve Robinson.

 

Does the later 3N show some values? Some, but I would put an 11 count on the top of the range, especially with 4 good trump, a KQ and that fantastic KT. With a bust, you pass or retreat to a suit. I hope no one is suggesting 3♠ is forcing...

 

4♣ is interesting, but I wouldn't characterize it as a slam try necessarily. What would you do with AQxxx, x, void, KQxxxxx? I wouldn't pass 3N with this,.

 

5♣ continues to underbid, but slam is probably beyond our reach at this point.

 

I would suggest:

 

1♣ (3♦) 3N

4♠ ...........5♣

6♣

 

I would assign the blame 90% to North for not bidding 3N, and making two underbids with 3N and 5♣. South gets a little for not bidding 4♠, but thats about it. The worst call of the auction was pass instead of 3N.

[lilboyman]

Souths bidding showed a strong hand with a probalbe 6/5 in Clubs/Spades. When South pulled 3NT to 4 Clubs I would take this as a slam invitation since 5 Clubs was available without slam interest. Accordingly, North holding 3 cover cards and holding 4 Clubs ought to accept the invite.

[miguelm]

IMHO they are both to blame :)

 

N for not bidding 3NT right away.

 

S for rebiding his Clubs. I prefer 4E.

 

Anyone for 4D...? Doesn't this imply 5 spades....?