Grand from the club today

[TylerE]

♠ Kxxx

♥ Jxxxx

♦ -

♣ AQxx

 

vs.

 

♠ Ax

♥ AKQxx

♦ Axxx

♣ Kx

 

South deals. Auctions to grand? (I play a pretty gadgeted Precision system with this partner, so we actually got to it, but I thought might be an interesting hand for y'all.)

 

Our auction:

 

1♣(1) - 2♦(2)

2♥(3) - 2♠(4)

2NT(5) - 3NT(6)

4♣)(7) - 4NT(8)

5♣(9) - 5♠(10)

7♥

 

(1) 16+, F1

(2) GF, 5+ ♥

(3) Agrees ♥, trump ask

(4) 5+ ♥, None of the top 3

(5) Control ask in ♣

(6) AK or AQ

(7) Control ask in ♦

(8) 1st rd

(9) Control ask in ♠

(10) 2nd Round

 

At this point I can count:

 

5♥ + 3♣ + 2♠ + A♦ + 2♦ ruffs, adding up the magic number.

[pclayton]

I can get to this grand in 5 bids.

 

Name that auction!

[Mbodell]

I can get to this grand in 5 bids.

 

Name that auction!

2♣-2♥

4NT-6♦

7H

 

would be a not unreasonable (even if not ideal - I don't like the 2♥ bid) auction to the grand.

 

My auction in gadgety relay would use many bids and be:

 

1♣!-1♥! 16+;gf 4+ ♠

1♠!-1NT! r;4+ ♥

2♣!-2♦! r; 3 suiter

2♥!-2♠! r; short ♦

2NT!-3♥! r;4=5=0=4

3♠!-4♣! control ask; 3 controls [i now know 7♥ is odds on]

4NT!-5♣! super viking; neither or both KQ of ♥

5♦!-6♣! r; one of KQ♠, one of KQ♣, J♥, not J♠ [i now no 7NT is no good]

7♥

[matmat]

1h-4d

4s - 5c

7h

 

(mind you, this is just my guess at phil's auction :) )

[P_Marlowe]

1h-4d

4s - 5c

7h

I think the start is ok, but think instead of 4S,

you simply can start a Key Card sequence,

which will tell opener about the Ace of clubs and

the King of spades.

 

As it is, in your auction responder will also bid 5C

without the King of spades and without the Queen

of clubs.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[matmat]

I think the start is ok, but think instead of 4S,

you simply can start a Key Card sequence,

which will tell opener about the Ace of clubs and

the King of spades.

that's not 5 bids.

[kenrexford]

My auction:

 

1♥-2♣

2♦-2♥

2♠(spade control)-2NT(not two of top three trump)

3♣(club card, not hopeless trump)-3♠(no diamond card, none of the top hearts. spade control)

3NT(serious in this context)-4NT(I should ask then)

(whatever shows 1/4)-(Queen Ask)

6♣ (yes, and club honor is King)-7♥

 

You could get there faster by guessing and blasting, but I would not want to do that.

[gnasher]

As others have said, it looks trivial after 1♥-4♦. Unfortunately I'd handicap myself by starting with 2NT. Then:

2NT-3♦

4♥       Good hearts, no strong side suit

    4♠

5♣-5♦

5♠-6♣   Responder would like to bid GSF here. However, I'm further handicapped by playing that as RKCB, which would work here but not if opener's diamonds were headed by the king.

7♥

[Free]

1♥ - 4♦

4♠ - 6♦

7♥

(4♠ is kickback RKC)

 

After showing 1 keycard with a void and 11-14HCP (we also play minisplinters btw), where are partner's points? ♣A for sure, so he must have either ♠K or ♣Q. 7♥ is easy.

[kenrexford]

As others have said, it looks trivial after 1♥-4♦. Unfortunately I'd handicap myself by starting with 2NT. Then:

2NT-3♦

4♥       Good hearts, no strong side suit

    4♠

5♣-5♦

5♠-6♣   Responder would like to bid GSF here. However, I'm further handicapped by playing that as RKCB, which would work here but not if opener's diamonds were headed by the king.

7♥

I thought of this problem myself when I went to bed. This hand, however, is too powerful for me to open 2NT. If I were to open strong, I'd open 2♣, hear 2♦, and then bid 2NT. That 5-4 with a hugh control count is tough.

 

The real problem for Opener will be on rebid. After the heart transfer, Opener will super-accept with five covers, but he has six covers. That's the real prolem with a straight 2NT opening. After a 2♣...2NT opening, it is actually quitehumorous, though:

 

2♣-2♦(GF Relay)

2NT-3♦(Transfer)

4♥(six covers, but no side suit with 1.5+ controls)

 

What does that mean? A very rare bid, it would seem to show AKQ in trumps, and one Ace or King in each suit. Responder will "know" that Opener's hearts are solid, plus his clubs, and spades look good. The problem, after RKCB, will be shape, as Responder needs Hx in spades at this point -- nothing else works.

 

The problem after a 2NT opening direct is worse, as there is no bid to shopw six covers, let alone with a doubleton spade.

 

In assessing all of the risks in opening 2NT, the best course seems to be 1♥.

 

I could see 2♣-2♦-2♥ as a start, though. Responder splinters, Opener asks, and then asks for the spade King, and then goes. Opener could even be sexy and ask for the Queen, hear that Responder has it (a lie, hence a fifth trump) with the spade King, and then go.

[Guest Jlall]

I don't understand the desire to open 2N or 2C then 2N. This hand looks extremely suit oriented and it doesn't have much to protect (it probably rates to play better from partner's side). This hand is great for slam if we find either a heart or diamond fit, and we can bid out our hand accurately with 1H 1x 3D 3H 3N or w/e. I pretty much see no advantage to opening 2N and I am one of the biggest (I thought) believers in opening 1N or 2N when reasonable.

[inquiry]

1♥   2NT

3♥   3♦

4N   6♥

7♥

 

1♥ -- i play misiry, so i couldn't open 2NT even if this hand fit the normal requirements.

 

2NT = Jacoby 2NT plus, limit raise or better (see www.bridgematters.com)

 

3♥ = ask responder to show shortness, slam try

 

4♦ = short diamonds

 

4NT = RKCB

 

6♥ = 1 or 3 key cards plus void. Normally this shows void in higher suit (hence spades, but we know the void is in ♦, so this now shows a useful ♠ card (king), 6♣ would normally show ♣ void, but since we know the void is in ♦ that would show a useful card (king) in ♣

 

7♥ = even without the extension of 6♥ to show spade king, i bid the grand, as you have to have all of these controls to skip immediate 4♦ response instead of bidding 2NT.

[pclayton]

1♥ - 4♦

4♠ - 6♦

7♥

(4♠ is kickback RKC)

 

After showing 1 keycard with a void and 11-14HCP (we also play minisplinters btw), where are partner's points? ♣A for sure, so he must have either ♠K or ♣Q. 7♥ is easy.

This is what I was thinking. I think looking for the Kings is pointless after partner splinters.

[gnasher]

I don't understand the desire to open 2N or 2C then 2N.

I don't want to open 2NT. I tend to do so on this sort of hand because I don't like playing in one of a suit when I have game on. On reflection, though, I think you're right - for game to be good when partner is passing 1♥, he needs quite specific red-suit holdings.

[Guest Jlall]

I don't understand the desire to open 2N or 2C then 2N.

I don't want to open 2NT. I tend to do so on this sort of hand because I don't like playing in one of a suit when I have game on. On reflection, though, I think you're right - for game to be good when partner is passing 1♥, he needs quite specific red-suit holdings.

Ok if that's the objection then yeah I'd say 1H p p p rates to be way better than 2N p p p, and that the subset of hands that partner bids over 2N with and passes 1H with where you can make game is very small, it might even be smaller than the subset of hands where partner bids over 1H but passes 2N with where game is good (since if he has a heart fit he will bid with some hands that are passes of 2N).

[kenrexford]

I don't understand the desire to open 2N or 2C then 2N. This hand looks extremely suit oriented and it doesn't have much to protect (it probably rates to play better from partner's side). This hand is great for slam if we find either a heart or diamond fit, and we can bid out our hand accurately with 1H 1x 3D 3H 3N or w/e. I pretty much see no advantage to opening 2N and I am one of the biggest (I thought) believers in opening 1N or 2N when reasonable.

That's why I opened 1♥. :)