Where should we be?

[apjames]

[hv=d=e&v=b&w=sj8654hqdaj6caq106&e=sak9hak54dkckj973]266|100|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

At the table, the bidding went 2♣ / 2♥ / 4NT / 5 ♥ / 7 ♠ all pass

Is this the correct place for us to play in, or is 7nt or 6s better?

Cheers

[Hanoi5]

1♣-1♠

2♥-3♣

 

That's a good start on your way to 7♣.

[gwnn]

Hi, welcome to the forums, nice hand diagram:)

 

Well 7♠ is definitely not the correct to play it sorry. You are a nice favourite to go down. East shouldn't bid 4NT with that hand. I assume West's response was 2♠, in which case East should bid 3♠, to show a fit. If West's response was 2♥ showing spades, then maybe East should bid 2♠ if that shows a fit or 3♠ if 2♠ just shows a balanced hand.

 

West should not show spades either, they are too weak. The idea is that when your partner bids 2♣ you should try to bid 2♦ as often as possible and make all other replies as specific as possible. In the case of simple natural bidding, 2♦ can be waiting, 2M and 3m can be 6+ with two out of top three cards. 2NT should be something that you probably don't want to be in NT with. For example 5-5 in the majors. Usually it's fine to just accept a response structure and then revert to natural bidding. 2♣ openers come up rarely, it's OK to play something suboptimal but sensible and easy to remember.

 

Anyway, play Roman Keycard Blackwood and that way when West or East bids 4NT at some point in the auction, they can find out about the trump Queen.

 

RKCB is the following thing, assuming spades are trump

key cards:

♠A

♠K

♣A

♦A

♥A

 

4NT asks partner how many keycards he or she owns

5♣ 0 or 3 (you usually know which)

5♦ 1 or 4 (you usually know which)

5♥ 2, but I don't have the ♠Q

5♠ 2 and I do have the ♠Q

 

over 5♣, 5♦ asks for the trump Queen. Also over 5♦. responses should be that if you rebid 5♠ you deny her, if you rebid something else you show her and that king.

[apjames]

Thanks guys, really appreciate that! B)

[gwnn]

for the record, I agree with Hanoi5 that this is not really a 2C opener, but I hadn't noticed that before I read his reply. my points are nonetheless relatively valid.