5NT pick a slam

[robl]

Hi all,

 

I think this convention is most used in North America, correct me if I'm wrong. I've seen it in bulletins from the big tournaments and always wondered about it. A sudden jump to 5NT asking pd to "pick a slam" don't seem like a precision instrument. I suspect there are a lot of conditions that must apply when to use this convention. When can it be used? Do you always answer with a bid in your longest suit and at the six-level?

 

/Robert

[Fluffy]

Hey Robert!

 

I´ve seen it many times also, but I beleive americans think it is standard (they think Gerber is standard also so it means nothing), but I think it is FAR froma new convention, and has been played from many years ago, but I am for sure not the best person to answer.

 

A sudden jump to 5NT is often used as Josephine asking specifically about trump honors (a void is somewhere, otherwise would use RCK), and they use it when at 4/5 level when the fit coudn´t have been stablished, because competitive bidding or because some nuts strrong jumps B)

[EricK]

Generally (and perhaps, obviously) one would use 5NT = pick a slam, where there is a choice of places to play, and the bidder can't find out the relevant information. It would most often be used if cue-bidding has already carried the partnership to the 5 level.

 

It certainly does not ask partner to simply bid his longest suit. Rather, it asks him to try to work out which slam might play best. Since one can discard losers in side suits, but not in the trump suit, this often boils down to responder bidding his more solid suit (or what he believes the partnership's most solid suit will be). But it is very hard to generalise - it is a convention which requires that elusive quality of judgement.

 

Responder will nearly always bid at the six level.

 

It is certainly not a convention to spring on a partner undiscussed.

 

Eric

[inquiry]

I guess if you have an agreed trump suit, 5NT shouldn't be pick a slam. Now it can be some form of grand slam force, or king ask. I use six under the agreed trump suit as Josephine.

 

A sudden jump to 5NT or 5NT when trump agreement has not been settled, is in fact, pick a slam.

 

Ben

[Trpltrbl]

It only applies for very specific sequences. When you have a 2 suited fit, both known and opps interfering.

I haven't had one in about 15 years, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

Mike :angry:

[luis]

Whe our suit is hearts and they bid 5s I use 5NT as exclusion RKCB for hearts.

Maybe this gadget is useful for you sometime.