What to respond?

[jdonn]

A nice sequence might be:

 

1♥-2♣

2♥-2NT

3♥

 

At this point, any call by you except 3NT or 4♥ should be a cue in support of hearts.  4♣ works wonders, if partner thinks this through.  If you do not have a bust minimum and do not have a spade control, his stiff spade is probably working.  So, he sends back a 4♦ call (whatever that means for you). 

 

Getting to the slam will still be difficult, but not impossible.

I think given that start it's clear for responder to sign off in 4♥ over 4♦ (he has already cuebid at a time when he didn't have to, and he has 15 with two small trumps), and it's clear for partner to take another call (partner has cuebid and I have a fit for his potential clubs, spade shortness opposite his weakness, and a very strong clue that he signed off due to bad trumps which I can cover). I think what's not clear is what that call should be or how everything should proceed from there.

[kenrexford]

A nice sequence might be:

 

1♥-2♣

2♥-2NT

3♥

 

At this point, any call by you except 3NT or 4♥ should be a cue in support of hearts.  4♣ works wonders, if partner thinks this through.  If you do not have a bust minimum and do not have a spade control, his stiff spade is probably working.  So, he sends back a 4♦ call (whatever that means for you). 

 

Getting to the slam will still be difficult, but not impossible.

I think given that start it's clear for responder to sign off in 4♥ over 4♦ (he has already cuebid at a time when he didn't have to, and he has 15 with two small trumps), and it's clear for partner to take another call (partner has cuebid and I have a fit for his potential clubs, spade shortness opposite his weakness, and a very strong clue that he signed off due to bad trumps which I can cover). I think what's not clear is what that call should be or how everything should proceed from there.

I think you are right.

 

I wonder is this would be an auction where Fred would bid 4♠ as a "Last Train" bid, begging partner to ask. EVen if that is the case, will partner read the spade as a stiff? Couldn't Opener have one of the top two hearts and the spade Ace?

 

Maybe 5♥? Inability to cue anything except hearts?

 

I don't know either.

[gnasher]

Using natural methods, I think it impossible to reach slam reliably after 1♥-2♣; 2♥-2NT; 3♥. What makes the slam is having a singleton spade opposite four small, but there's no room to distinguish between all of

 

  x AKQxxx Axx Jxx

  Axx AKQxxx x Jxx

  Ax KQxxxx Ax Jxx

 

You need to be able to ask for shortage after 3♥. I think this is probably a better use for 3♠ than specifying responder's strength. Having said that, sorting out whether we have extra values is also important, so basically this is a poor hand for natural methods.

[mike777]

Partner opens 1♥

 

Dealer: ????? Vul: ???? Scoring: Unknown

♠ xxxx ♥ xx ♦ KQJ ♣ AKQT

Assuming:

1h=2c=2h=3h(slam try)=ok

 

granted this seems easy to me but ok......

[Finch]

For me, responding 1S would have worked well on the hand, because I play 1H - 1S - 2H - 2NT as asking for opener's shortage.

 

But having said that, while i am usually a 1S responder on a 4=2=3=4, on this hand I bid 2C.

 

4=3=2=4 is a different problem. At least then you know you have an 8-card heart fit.

[gnasher]

Assuming:

1h=2c=2h=3h(slam try)=ok

 

granted this seems easy to me but ok......

That's a way to get you to 3♥. How do you get from there to 6♥?

[Codo]

I see no benefit in this hand in hiding my side 4 card major.

Like Adam I see no convincing way to reach the slam with natural methods, no matter how you try.

 

The polsih way, that Frances plays too had worked fine:

1 ♥ 1 ♠ 2 ♥ 2 NT 3 ♠ and the hand is huge....

[Codo]

Assuming:

1h=2c=2h=3h(slam try)=ok

 

granted this seems easy to me but ok......

That's a way to get you to 3♥. How do you get from there to 6♥?

don't talk about the details. ;)

[han]

1H - 2C

2H - 2NT

3H - 4C

4D

 

seems the normal start. I think responder should now bid 4H and opener should take another call.

 

I'm with Frances that a shortness ask would work out well, for us it would be something like:

 

1H-2C (GF, clubs or balanced)

2H-2S (2H is some catch all, 2S asks for further info, usually balanced)

3H-3S (3H shows a single suiter in hearts with extra values, 3S asks for shortness)

4H (exactly 1633)

 

With opener having shown extra values I think responder clearly has enough to ask for keycards.

[jdonn]

You need to be able to ask for shortage after 3♥. I think this is probably a better use for 3♠ than specifying responder's strength. Having said that, sorting out whether we have extra values is also important, so basically this is a poor hand for natural methods.

I play it with Justin. It's been a while but I think we bid

1♥ 2♣

2♦ 2♥

3♦ 3♥

 

Where 2♦ is a punt (balanced or 6+ hearts), 2♥ is a doubleton, 3♦ is 6+ hearts, and 3♥ asks for shortness.

[cherdano]

Edit.