if/how to investigate

[manudude03]

[hv=d=n&v=b&s=sakt762hdkqt742c5]133|100|Scoring: IMP

1S-(2H)-4S-(P)

??[/hv]

 

Picked up this hand last night. Partner's profile says advanced. No agreements on system so SAYC assumed. Also, if you choose one of the options that could potentially mean a few things, please say what you would take it as.

 

For anyone who bids 4NT, you get a 5D response showing 1 ace, do you go ahead and bid the slam hoping it's not the ♥A?

[655321]

Agree with 1♠ and 4NT.

 

I would just bid 6♠ now. Partner has the ♥A about 1/3 of the time (maybe a bit less after the overcall), then we go down in 6. When partner has the ♦A we are almost certain to make 6♠, and when he has the ♣A we will usually make 6♠.

So on all the information you can obtain, you will make slam well over 50% of the time.

[hrothgar]

Hands like this one pretty much screw you over unless you have some partnership agreements to rely on.

 

4NT won't give you any useful information.

 

5♥ on the other hand will tell partner just what to do

[helene_t]

For anyone who bids 4NT, you get a 5D response showing 1 ace, do you go ahead and bid the hoping it's not the ♥A?

Well, obviously that was the purpose of bidding 4NT.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

Pass.

 

For whats it worth, getting 5D as an answer to 4NT

is not surprising, the alternative would be 5C.

4S is a weak preemptive raise, i.e. partner does

not have 2 Aces.

 

Since I wont be able to make a intelligent decision

I pass.

 

But this is certainly even to chicken for a chicken.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[rogerclee]

Does anyone play specific aces here?

[matmat]

i think i bid 6♠

[sheepman]

5♣

 

6♠ over 5♦, otherwise 5♠

 

Don't think pard should bid 5♦ on a small singelton here

[jdonn]

I'd go the 4NT route, simply hoping for a heart lead or some other misdefense if partner has the ace of hearts.

[cherdano]

I'd go the 4NT route, simply hoping for a heart lead or some other misdefense if partner has the ace of hearts.

Me too, I am surprised noone else has suggested this route yet. I think the odds are better than for any other plan.

[effervesce]

5♥, exclusion keycard blackwood.

[helene_t]

Does anyone play specific aces here?

Interesting idea. Maybe 4NT could be used for something better than Blacky when p can't have more than one ace.

[manudude03]

Partner had a much better hand than I was expecting myself.

 

[hv=d=n&v=b&n=sakt762hdkqt742c5&w=sq84h943d9cakt432&e=shaqt872dj8653c96&s=sj953hkj65dacqj87]399|300|Scoring: IMP

1♠-(2♥)-4♠-(P)

5♥-(P)-5♠-AP[/hv]

 

It would be interesting to see how many people would have made the slam on say, a diamond lead (or club lead and diamond switch) if they had this hand at the table. Seems a heart lead or club to the AK were the standards though.

[pclayton]

I'd go the 4NT route, simply hoping for a heart lead or some other misdefense if partner has the ace of hearts.

Me too, I am surprised noone else has suggested this route yet. I think the odds are better than for any other plan.

It doesn't really matter. If pard's ace is somewhere other that hearts, you are going to be close to cold. If it's in hearts, you probably aren't getting a heart lead, although its possible.

 

I think its a reasonable shot to assume pard has one of the minor aces if he shows one key.

[pclayton]

Partner had a much better hand than I was expecting myself.

 

Dealer: North Vul: Both Scoring: IMP

♠ AKT762 ♥ [space] ♦ KQT742 ♣ 5 ♠ Q84 ♥ 943 ♦ 9 ♣ AKT432 ♠ [space] ♥ AQT872 ♦ J8653 ♣ 96 ♠ J953 ♥ KJ65 ♦ A ♣ QJ87

1♠-(2♥)-4♠-(P) 5♥-(P)-5♠-AP

 

It would be interesting to see how many people would have made the slam on say, a diamond lead (or club lead and diamond switch) if they had this hand at the table. Seems a heart lead or club to the AK were the standards though.

A club lead is the most interesting. I'd hate to play against the West player that wins the A♣ and fires a diamond at T2.

[matmat]

fwiw, that's a ridiculous 4♠ call

[jdonn]

So, what am I missing? I don't see any way to make on a diamond or club lead, and on a club lead I don't see how to make on any continuation except spade queen or club ten.

[manudude03]

Haven't considered every lead possibility, but if W tries to cash the club K, ruff it, play the A to find the 3-0 split, diamond to the ace, then cash QJ of clubs discarding diamonds before finessing the spades.

 

I was trying to say I'm not sure if you would really want to be in it (though this layout is one of the more obvious change 1 pip and you can always make if you guess the split- in this case swap the 7 and 8 of diamonds and you make with 6 spades, 5 diamonds and a diamond ruff)

[skjaeran]

Haven't considered every lead possibility, but if W tries to cash the club K, ruff it, play the A to find the 3-0 split, diamond to the ace, then cash QJ of clubs

One of them obviously was played at trick one, covering the lead of the nine....

As Josh I don't really see any way to win the contract unless opps unblock a vital card.

[whereagles]

Does anyone play specific aces here?

No.

 

Incidently, 5♥ is the bid. Shows 1st round control of hearts, and hence denies the same 1st round control in the minors. Pard will (hopefully) act accordingly.

[Finch]

I was trying to say I'm not sure if you would really want to be in it (though this layout is one of the more obvious change 1 pip and you can always make if you guess the split- in this case swap the 7 and 8 of diamonds and you make with 6 spades, 5 diamonds and a diamond ruff)

Of course you want to be in it. It just needs spades 2-1 and diamonds 5-1 or better. Even with spades 3-0 onside, it just needs diamonds 4-2.