How would you treat this one?

[Hanoi5]

Partner opens 1♥ and you get:

 

♠Jxxxxx

♥AQTxx

♦Ax

♣

 

Jacoby 2NT? (I play it with a balanced hand, but maybe you don't)

Splinter?

1♠ and later support?

Anything else?

[gwnn]

I hate these hands. I always get terrible results. I will try 4C.

[hrothgar]

If partner has anything approximately a normal opening, slam seems all but assured.

 

I suspect that most of the hands where slam fail are ones where the opponents have two cashing Spade tricks off the top.

 

A simple 1♠ response would seem to

 

1. Provide us with the most room for exploration.

2. Potentially discourage a Spade lead

 

Looks like a win-win

 

Plus, after

 

1♥ - 1♠

2♣

 

I'm going to be able to establish a GF with a nice cheap 2♦ call

[Hanoi5]

At one table it actually was:

 

1♥-1♠

2♣-2♦

3NT-4♥

Pass

 

But I guess it's one of the routes.

 

What if you play 1♥-3♠ as unspecified splinter (i.e. not 4♣ directly)?

[gwnn]

In that case I bid 3S :(

 

But what is 4C?

[Hanoi5]

16-17 VERY balanced, 3 card support.

[pooltuna]

I hate these hands. I always get terrible results. I will try 4C.

IMV 4♣ tends to make partner captain when I think we are better placed to determine slam potential so 2NT to confirm ♠ shortage of if none a qbid.

[gnasher]

If partner has anything approximately a normal opening, slam seems all but assured.

Has the original hand been edited since you wrote that? Kx KJxxx Qx KQJx is a 15-count which makes slam about 25%. Ax KJxxx Qxxx Qx is a 12-count where it's no play.

 

A simple 1♠ response would seem to

...

2.  Potentially discourage a Spade lead

Are you hoping for xx KJxxx x AKQJ10, or for xx KJxxx K Axxxx ?

[hanp]

Gnasher's post seems right, I'll agree with whatever he is going to bid.

[andy_h]

Can I do a big splinter via 2NT?

[gnasher]

Gnasher's post seems right, I'll agree with whatever he is going to bid.

On this occasion it seemed easier to snipe at someone else's post than to form a sensible plan myself.

 

I think I'd bid 2NT, as long as that doesn't require partner to bid 4♥ with something like Ax KJxxx Kxx xxx.

 

This might get a bit messy, though. For example, if partner shows short spades, I'll want to know whether he has ♣A, but only if he doesn't have ♦K. And I don't care at all about ♣K, but I'm not going to be able to stop him cue-bidding it.

 

If he doesn't have short spades, I'll want to know the same, except that something like ♠AK doubleton without any minor-suit honours might be enough for a grand, or ♠AQ might make it a five-or-seven.

[hanp]

Agree with gnasher.

[ONEferBRID]

I like the Jac2NT call too ( like gnasher ) . If a Spade stiff is found, you don't need many hcp with shortness-opposite- other shortness for slam. I wouldn't go Exclusion either -- your losing Diam could go on the Cl Ace.

[whereagles]

I would just bid 1♠ to try and go slow. I can go to the 5 level on my own, so I'm ok with this.

 

Who knows, maybe pard can raise spades?

[MarkDean]

Obvious 2♣. /Rexford

 

Tough hand, I guess I will try 1♠, but I could be convinced that 2NT is better.

[dake50]

2minor GF, so I can quickly get Q-bids I want to hear.

[ONEferBRID]

2M GF, so I can quickly get Q-bids I want to hear.

??? 2M ??

[nige1]

♠ Jxxxxx ♥ AQTxx ♦ Ax ♣ - Partner opens 1♥

IMO

• 6♥ = 10 (Reduces chance that LHO will find the killing lead if OXO has say ♠ Ax ♥ Kxxxx ♦ Jxx ♣ QJx).
  
• 4♣ = 9. (Or 3♠ or whatever shows a ♣ splinter).
  
• 2N = 8. (Jacoby - because it may work when partner is short in ♠).
  
• 1♠ = 6. (But could deter a ♠ lead which you may prefer to a ♦).
  

[CSGibson]

This looks like a hand where I need to get information from partner instead of a hand where I'd give partner information. I will choose to do that through a Jacoby 2N, and then hunt and peck for a spade cue-bid. Who knows, this might even confuse the issue so that I don't get a Lightner double for a spade lead in 6 hearts.

[aguahombre]

Only Nige1 mentioned that, if there is a problem lead against 6H, it is most likely to be a ♦ lead, not a spade. So, if I don't choose the science of J2N, whatever inhibits a diamond lead will probably be best.

 

There are damned few constructions where all of dummy's spades can go away without a spade lead.

[Fluffy]

I'd bid 1♠ (Actually 1NT in my system) to get to know what he's got in spades.

[hanp]

6H bidders must have a really low opinion of themselves.. or their partners.

[nige1]

6H bidders must have a really low opinion of themselves.. or their partners.

• :) We respect our opponents' ability to understand the auction.
  
• :) We seek to protect our brilliant partners from best defence. but yes ...
  
• :D We're realistically modest about our own ability,
  • to reach 6♥ opposite a mountain like ♠Ax ♥ Kxxxx ♦ x ♣ Qxxxx and
    
  • to avoid it opposte rubbish like ♠ Qx ♥ KJxxxx ♦ K ♣ AKQJ
    

[nige1]

Ax KJxxx Qxxx Qx is a 12-count where it's no play.

Gnasher correctly argues that avoiding a ♠ lead may not help you but this example may be slightly flawed. The leader may fail to lead a ♦ or he may hold ♦K. Then, against normal ♠ breaks, 6♥ is excellent.

[gszeszycki]

2nt --my form of j2n includes balanced invitational raises from responder so with a

balanced minimum opener responds 3 of their major as a sign off try. If opener has a short spade this hand has "how do we search for a grand" written all over it and 2nt gets us off to the best start. Bidding spades then belatedly raising hearts might show a tepid raise at best not this monster of a fit we have. The mantra raise with support is huge here becasue just bidding 2n alone might get a strong

p to take control of the bidding :D)