San Jose 1

[Echognome]

[hv=d=s&v=e&n=sxhatxxdakqxxcxxx&s=sjxxhqjxxxdxcakqx]133|200|Scoring: IMP

1♥ - (2♠) - 4♦* - (P);

4♥ - (P) - 4♠ - (P);

5♣ - (P) - 5♦ - (P);

6♥ - All Pass[/hv]

 

*Fit Jump

 

After the spade was cashed, the heart finesse lost. Down 1.

 

ATB

[JLOL]

Driving to the 5 level with the north hand is aggressive. Driving to the 5 level and then cuebidding 5D shows a lack of understanding of the auction, 5D just shows a hand that is better than a signoff in 5H. Since it would be impossible for north to drive to the 5 level with less, he should signoff in 5H.

 

South could just bid keycard over 4S imo, 6 can never be bad opposite 3 keycards.

[655321]

In so far as there is any blame, I can't see how South can get any blame at all.

 

I would not have done as much bidding as North, but the final contract is not terrible - on a finesse, which OK, is more likely to be wrong, but we have all been in worse slams.

 

Edit: Changed my mind to agree with everyone else - South should have keycarded over 4♠, and would have found 2 keycards missing, so South does get some blame.

Edited April 6, 2009 by 655321

[whereagles]

4♠ is impeccable.

 

5♣ shows lack of leadership. Opposite a likely spade singleton, the slam is good as long as there are keycards. So South should rise to his responsibilities and bid 4NT. This isn't a time to show what you have. It's a time to make decisions.

 

5♦ is "I started something I can no longer control. Let me pass the bucket." Not ideal, but liveable. Perhaps 5♥ would have been better.

 

6♥ is a confession of inability to sort out what's going on. 5♥ would be better.

 

That being said, I've bid much worse slams :)

[mtvesuvius]

I've been in way worse slams, including a grand off 3 keycards ;)

 

Anyway, I think over 4♠ South should bid Keycard, and I'm not thrilled with North's 5♦, since north has already shown his entire hand...

[Phil]

Discussed this last night with Matt.

 

1. I don't love the fit jump, although thats the call I'd make without thinking too much about it. With ♦AKQ, how is partner going to re-evaluate properly? It preempts us unneccesarily, I think.

 

2. Either member could have used RKC, but its easier for North to. Inconceivable South has an opening bid that does not contain a club control.

 

3. 5♦ is redundant and dangerous, although in a practiced partnership it should be LTTC. 4♠ described the hand nicely, but North has nothing left in the tank and 5♥ is warranted. South guessed, and guessed wrong.

 

So I'll give 70% to North.

 

All this being said, sometimes a r/w preemptor holds a key King. But if that were the case, this wouldn't be posted I'm sure :P

[RichMor]

Agree with the posters who say South should bid 4NT (RKC) over 4♠.

 

An extra round of minor suit cue bidding won't tell South anything useful, asking for Aces and the trump King will.

[gnasher]

2. Either member could have used RKC, but its easier for North to. Inconceivable South has an opening bid that does not contain a club control.

Is Ax KQJxx xx QJxx an opening bid?

[jdonn]

The 4♠ bid was aggressive, but the auction was ok until north made a clear overbid with 5♦. But the final contract turned out fine so how can you allocate blame? A little less than 50% but no disaster.

[mikeh]

I have no major problem with the auction up until the final call of 6♥. I am not arguing that keycard, presumably by South, would not have solved the problem, but I don't see it as necessary. I also agree that 4♠ was a little ambitious. But we all do things like this, without real cost.

 

I think the final leap was overly-exuberant... 5♥ would have sufficed.. partner will know that we have bad trumps if he is looking at great trumps.

 

The club Queen was a probably-wasted value on the auction, and the stiff diamond is not a positive opposite a player who made a fit jump.

[cherdanno]

I really think bidding 5♣ is a mistake. South is clearly good enough to force to slam opposite a hand that goes to the 5-level by themselves - if we have enough keycards. RKCB simplifies the auction and will give us the best shot at deciding about grand. Bidding 5♣ suggests we are looking for something other than keycards, and I still don't know what that is supposed to be.

 

If I forced to the 5-level with the North hand, I would bid 4♠ rather than 4♦ followed by 4♠ fwiw. The actual sequence doesn't show spade shortness, and it's not like we need partner to upgrade his diamond honors.

 

As usual, I am in favor of simplifying the auction whenever that seems to do the job.