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Specific Ace Ask


Cascade

"see if you had ace of diamonds and then bid 6"?  

43 members have voted

  1. 1. "see if you had ace of diamonds and then bid 6"?

    • crazy
      15
    • optimistic
      12
    • a little too optimistic
      9
    • reasonable
      3
    • brilliant
      0
    • WTP?
      4


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If I'd want to ask specific Aces: 2 strong, if partner responds 2 (positive) I'll bid 4NT specific Ace ask. If he bids 2 (negative) then it's no use to ask for Aces and I'll just bid 4.

 

Otherwise just 1 or something like that...

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Pinpoint Blackwood

 

It is used in 2 situations:

a) an opening bid of 4N and

B) a response of 4N to an opening bid of 1-of-a-suit bid.

 

The responses to Pinpoint Blackwood are as follows:

 

5C = no aces

 

5D = D-A or 3 aces without the D-A

 

5H = H-A or 3 aces without the H-A

 

5S = S-A or 3 aces without the S-A

 

5N = C-A or 3 aces without the C-A

 

The next 3 bids show 2 aces using the CRaSh mnemonic for Color, Rank, and Shape

 

6C = 2 aces, same color, either red or black (D+H or C+S)

 

6D = 2 aces, same rank, either minor or major (C+D or H+S)

 

6H = 2 aces, same shape, either pointy or rounded (D+S or C+H)

 

6S = all 4 aces

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the "quote in the Poll" would be nice if partner has some spades. At the start, this is unlikely so the auctions that start off asking for specific aces, or start with 2C and set up demand cue bidding won't work here. therefore, i agree with "1S WTP"
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I would open 1, then bid 3, then probably bid 5. Doesn't help on the void/singleton issue in the outside suits, but clearly helps on the diamond issue.

 

I answer the poll question as "optmistic".

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The poll question is "crazy".

 

The A is the first of our concerns, although I'm deluding myself if I think I'm going to get more definitive information later.

Question or answer?

 

Perhaps I should have mentioned that 3NT is the specific ace ask opening? So there is in fact room for some additional information although I am not sure how helpful that is.

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Cascade writes:

"Perhaps I should have mentioned that 3NT is the specific ace ask opening" .

You should have taken a poll on that.

Now that's "crazy".

Why is this crazy?

 

It is lower than 4NT specific ace ask making it suitable for more hands.

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"Crazy" does seem an overstatement. 3NT as a direct ace ask will be useful very infrequently, but useful nonetheless. Personally I don't find a Gambling 3NT particularly useful, and I tend not to open it even when I'm dealt it.
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What I think? Inadequate methods.

 

In my regular system I would open 2. Partner will either bid 2 or show something very specific. On 2 I bid 3, setting thrumphs.

Thereafter partner can show his values with a bid in the suit at the 4-level, or bid 3NT/4 with little or no values. Grand will be difficult to control perfectly, but whether or not to go to 6, or even 5, will often be handled adequately.

 

Playing Viking-Club, I would open 1. Many continuations are possible, but I will know partners excact distribution before 3NT, as well as general strenght, and will very often be able to locate key-cards, or the lack thereoff, in time. (Do we really get to bid without interference.)

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I really don't like 2 on this sort of hand.

 

Both yourself and partner will not be well placed if the opponents compete. Partner will start doubling thinking you have more power and you will have to pull perhaps to a level you dont want to play at.

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I really don't like 2 on this sort of hand.

 

Both yourself and partner will not be well placed if the opponents compete. Partner will start doubling thinking you have more power and you will have to pull perhaps to a level you dont want to play at.

Obviously all roads are frought with danger, but I believe a 1 opener could easily get into more trouble.

 

The best could be a 4-Namyats, but I wouldn't dream of playing that convention.

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Perhaps I should have mentioned that 3NT is the specific ace ask opening?  So there is in fact room for some additional information although I am not sure how helpful that is.

Could you elaborate on your agreements here? What do follow up bids mean? If partner shows the diamond ace and no other ace, isn't pretty much any bid now a sign off?

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1S.

 

 

The Ace of diamonds is not enough.

1S will give you the time to explore, if you fear a cheap sac.

go ahead and bid 4S.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

 

PS: 3NT as specific Ace Ask makes the bid slightly better, but

would still open 1S.

I think your best option would be Namyats, because this will

describe most features of your hand to partner.

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Perhaps I should have mentioned that 3NT is the specific ace ask opening?  So there is in fact room for some additional information although I am not sure how helpful that is.

Could you elaborate on your agreements here? What do follow up bids mean? If partner shows the diamond ace and no other ace, isn't pretty much any bid now a sign off?

We can ask for kings.

 

4 would show the diamond ace. Over which we can make a quantitative invite in the majors.

 

In theory with lots of extra strength partner could raise invitationally (or perhaps cue) over 4/.

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4NT as specific ace ask sounds a bit optimistic, might lead to 5-1 too often. In other news, this opening bid is too rare to be any use, please pick one of:

 

* Both minors

* A good 5m preempt

 

The actual hand is perfect for a 4 opening (Namyats). For modern BW readers, maybe 3NT showing the same thing :(

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We play 3NT not 4NT as the specific ace ask which increases its frequency. Because of other changes to the system we would be reluctant to give this up. It is not that frequent I think it has only come up once or twice in actual play in a couple of years. And a few more times in practice.

 

When my partner suggested 3NT on the hand in this thread I immediately thought it was a bit optimistic but she pointed out that the hand only has 13 HCP and one opponent has passed so partner rates to have some values. It also seems that many other auctions will make it difficult to find out about key cards like the Q.

 

I did some simulations and 6 was making very often opposite the diamond ace and whatever else partner happened to have. The only problem hands for a specific ace ask were when partner had only the A. Currently our agreement is to respond 5 with that hand. Opposite the A and not other aces 5 was failing a significant number of times when 4 was making. Perhaps we can improve our method with 4 showing club ace or none and relaying to determine which. A only (ace) occurred about 20% of the time.

 

Perhaps the optimistic 3NT specific ace ask is not such a bad idea after all.

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The actual hand is perfect for a 4 opening (Namyats). For modern BW readers, maybe 3NT showing the same thing :)

"Perfect" seems an overstatement. 4 isn't going to get you to a grand slam opposite x Axxx AQJx xxxx but let you stop in game opposite x Axxx xxxx AQJx

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I agree that calling this hand perfect for a Namyats 4 opening is an overbid - Partner has a right to expect that his A is a useful card opposite a Namyats opening, and he will have trouble figuring out that his A and QJ is good enough for slam.

 

That is not to say that I wouldn't open Namyats 4 on these cards. It is a reasonable, if flawed, opening, but not clearly worse than opening 1. It may serve to preempt the opponents out of a reasonable game or sacrifice.

 

As for a specific ace ask, this is not the hand you were looking for when you decided to play that convention. You could find partner with both the A and the A and still not know how high to bid.

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