bid zis

[gwnn]

AKJx

xxx

Ax

AQJx

 

Txxxx

AK

xx

Kxxx

 

standard system, you can use some gadgets of your choice.

 

N is dealer, imps.

[billw55]

Lacking imagination, my auction would go 1C - 1S - 4S - all pass.

[TylerE]

1♣ - 1♠

2NT(forcing) - 3♣ (Checkback)

3♠ - 4♥

4nt - 1

Q? - no

6♠

 

Even 1♣-1♠-4N etc isn't ludacris.

[Flameous]

1S - 3S - 4C - 4D - 4H - 4NT... 6S

[aguahombre]

Lacking imagination, my auction would go 1C - 1S - 4S - all pass.

Yeh, am afraid, under normal circumstances, we would do that also.

 

But, if this were a major championship, I might consider:

 

1C-7C

[andy_h]

1C-1S

4C-4H

 

4C=4card (bal-ish) GF raise, and South should love his hand with AKK and a 5th trump and North has the missing diamond control along with all of the other keycards so the final contract would be 6S after finding out the trump queen is missing.

 

I don't see how South not making a move after a standard 1C-1S-4S.

[Hairy_Scot]

Assuming opps are silent :-

 

1♣ 1♠

4♦ 4♥

4NT 5♦

??????????? do you have the cojones ????????

[billw55]

I don't see how South not making a move after a standard 1C-1S-4S.

I thought about that, but what sort of move? Perhaps 5♣ or 5♥? And with weak trumps is it obvious to make a move?

 

This slam isn't bad but isn't the greatest, declarer will need to find the ♠Q, maybe a 60% proposition?

[JLOGIC]

2 possible auctions:

 

2N 3H

4C 4H

4S 5C

5D 6C

p

 

2N 3H

3N 4C

4D 4H

4N 5C

5D 5S

6C p

 

Shouldn't be too hard to get to 6C after a 2N opener which I think is automatic.

[gnasher]

2 possible auctions:

 

2N 3H

4C 4H

4S 5C

5D 6C

p

 

2N 3H

3N 4C

4D 4H

4N 5C

5D 5S

6C p

 

Shouldn't be too hard to get to 6C after a 2N opener which I think is automatic.

Why would you want to be in 6♣?

[JLOGIC]

2 possible auctions:

 

2N 3H

4C 4H

4S 5C

5D 6C

p

 

2N 3H

3N 4C

4D 4H

4N 5C

5D 5S

6C p

 

Shouldn't be too hard to get to 6C after a 2N opener which I think is automatic.

Why would you want to be in 6♣?

I like to be in the best contract, that's how I roll.

[mikeh]

I don't see how 2N can be considered 'automatic' unless you have indicated that your range is 19+-21...I upgrade a lot of hands into and out of 2N, but while I love the controls, the xxx in hearts and the lack of any 10's or a 5 card suit make this a good but not a great 19.

 

Anyway, after a standard 1♣ - 1♠, I suspect that I would make a move over 4♠...the 5th trump and the AK ♥ plus the club fit make this too good, by a modest margin, to pass. And I'd try to include clubs as a possible spot...but I have no idea how! Keycard doesn't work and nor does cue-bidding....I wonder what 5N would accomplish? It can hardly be GSF on this sequence.

 

It's the kind of call I'd think about, then not make...and ask partner later what he would have taken it as.

 

If I did open 2N, I wouldn't super-accept as N, and I would try 4♣ over 3♠ and now N can go nuts....and try for grand.

 

But S would reject all tries and I'd hope to play 6♣...I agree that North should see that clubs has an edge if partner is 5=4, and that the cost of 2 imps when he is 5-5 and both make is good insurance, but I suspect I'd reach 6♠. 6♣ is superior because they don't always lead their best suit.

[fred]

I don't see how 2N can be considered 'automatic' unless you have indicated that your range is 19+-21...I upgrade a lot of hands into and out of 2N, but while I love the controls, the xxx in hearts and the lack of any 10's or a 5 card suit make this a good but not a great 19.

AQJx

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[JLOGIC]

I don't see how 2N can be considered 'automatic' unless you have indicated that your range is 19+-21...I upgrade a lot of hands into and out of 2N, but while I love the controls, the xxx in hearts and the lack of any 10's or a 5 card suit make this a good but not a great 19.

In my bridge judgement, this hand is easily worth 20 HCP. I find it hard to believe you upgrade a lot of hands into 2N and wouldn't with this one, but maybe you place more importance on a 5 card suit and less on good honor structure/location than me when upgrading. It's pretty funny because I *don't* upgrade a lot of hands into 2N.

 

When I have a hand with suits like AKJx AQJx, I view all of my honors as working very well together maximizing their potential. I also have these holdings in my long suits, which is good (obviously much better than AKJ tight or AQJ tight). My side card is an ace, obviously that's good.

 

I believe that upgrading a hand like this is far better than upgrading a random hand because it has an AJxxx suit.

 

I will say that while I understand it may not be your judgement to open 2N, I think not super accepting after doing so is just awful. Just because we open a hand that is marginal or close to sub-minimum for our action does not mean we should not treat our hand like a real 2N opener and bid accordingly after re-evaluating.

 

Opening 2N with this hand was marginal at the time, but once we know partner has 5 spades and we're going to play in a suit contract, our hand has become completely massive imo. Now our controls/source of tricks/ruffing values/good spades are all much better. I mean, game is on a hook opposite as little as QTxxx xxx xxx xx (that's a hand with 3 small hearts, not really cherry picked!), and partner certainly won't bid it if we don't super accept. And if partner wants to bid slam over our super accept, I'll be very happy.

[JLOGIC]

I don't see how 2N can be considered 'automatic' unless you have indicated that your range is 19+-21...I upgrade a lot of hands into and out of 2N, but while I love the controls, the xxx in hearts and the lack of any 10's or a 5 card suit make this a good but not a great 19.

AQJx

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

I knew you'd be on my side at least with opening 2N :)

 

Actually this is pretty funny since I don't upgrade much compared to most experts and I don't super accept much compared to most experts and I am advocating both on this hand heh.

[mike777]

AKJx

xxx

Ax

AQJx

 

Txxxx

AK

xx

Kxxx

 

standard system, you can use some gadgets of your choice.

 

N is dealer, imps.

maybe?

 

 

2d(18-19 bal)=2h(tfr)

3d(superaccept, useful doubleton)=3h(retfr)

3s(forced)=4c

5c?=5nt(pick a slam)

6c

 

or I may just get to 6s.

[peachy]

Standard for me would be 1C-1S-4S-5C-5D-5H etc. We will end up in 6S instead of 6C because my auction does not identify that opener has real (and good) clubs. Responder has more than his minimum response by about 6HCP, by three to four controls, and by the golden club support. It does not mean slam makes, but my partnerships would get there.

[gnasher]

Why would you want to be in 6♣?

I like to be in the best contract, that's how I roll.

One of us must be losing his marbles. How often do you think you'll escape a diamond lead in 6♣, after an auction like the two that you gave earlier?

[kenrexford]

2 possible auctions:

 

2N 3H

4C 4H

4S 5C

5D 6C

p

 

2N 3H

3N 4C

4D 4H

4N 5C

5D 5S

6C p

 

Shouldn't be too hard to get to 6C after a 2N opener which I think is automatic.

Seems about right.

[JLOGIC]

Why would you want to be in 6♣?

I like to be in the best contract, that's how I roll.

One of us must be losing his marbles. How often do you think you'll escape a diamond lead in 6♣, after an auction like the two that you gave earlier?

More than 0 % of the time!

 

You must play in some tough games, sometimes against me they would be tempted to lead from the QJ of hearts hoping dummy has just the king (I don't think partner is obligated to double 4H with the ace), or sometimes they would lead their stiff spade hoping partner has a trump entry or the spade ace on at least the auction where I didn't ask for the spade queen (by the way this scenario is why asking for the spade queen when you have it and are off 1 keycard is awesome).

 

I don't think our auction has guaranteed the AK of hearts and denied the AK of diamonds. I don't think no matter who I'm playing against I am getting a diamond lead 100 % of the time, so it is absurd to me to think that 6S is better than 6C. It is pretty easy to construct hands where a heart lead is better than a diamond lead, heck just make the HK the DK and then switch it with one of north's spade honors.

 

However, even if we do get a diamond lead ONE HUNDRED percent of the time, it is not clear to me that playing spades is better. In clubs we can get a count, if our LHO has 6 hearts or 4 clubs, I would hook the spade. And we might be able to get a count in diamonds based on the spot card led. I'm sure you have sometimes been able to figure out pretty reasonably what is likely happening in the heart suit just by playing AK and ruffing one before. This might not make up for losing 1-2 imps (depending if they're in slam or not) and the risk of 5-0 clubs with the club void on lead and spades coming in (not that likely though) where 6S makes and 6C is down, but it is something.

[Fluffy]

playing checkback (wich is standard here) it is easy to get to clubs

 

1♣-1♥ (or 1♠)

2NT-3♣

3♠

 

 

3♠ showing 3+ spades but denying 4♥ so must have 4+ clubs. Next 4♣ is not a cue but natural and for some partnerships you will play 6 keycard blackwood now or just 5, but playing in clubs is obvious.

[gnasher]

I was talking about 7♣, not 6♠. I assume that's why this hand was posted.

 

On a diamond lead, 7♣ is only slightly worse than 6♣; on a non-diamond lead it's much worse. So, we should consider 7♣, but the decision depends on the likelihood of a diamond lead against 6♣, and the likely contract at the other table.

 

For example, suppose that we thought that they'd be in 6♣ at the other table, and we thought there was a 50% chance of a diamond lead against 6♣. To make the arithmetic easier, assume that the chance of spades coming in is 50%.

7♣ will:

- Gain 13 IMPs 50% of the time

- Lose 17 IMPs 25% of the time.

for an average gain of 2.25 IMPs.

 

On the other hand, if we think they're likely to be in game at the other table (still with a 50% chance of a diamond lead), 7♣ will:

- Gain 4 IMPs 50% of the time

- Lose 25 IMPs 25% of the time.

- Lose 3 IMPs 25% of the time.

for an average loss of 4.37 IMPs.

[JLOGIC]

edit: ok im kinda retarded, we can ruff a heart.

 

I did not consider playing 7C. Since the field will often be in game it doesn't seem that good to me. As you say it depends on how often they are in slam at the other table, and how often we avoid a diamond lead.

 

I think they lead a heart a reasonable amount of time plus they are not in slam at the other table a reasonable amount of the time, but it's interesting to consider playing 7C.

 

It also depends which slam they're in at the other table, if they're in six spades then 6C is better since 6S may go down while 6C makes on a non diamond lead.

 

It seems pretty greedy to get to 7C here though heh. I am always fascinated by hands where it might be right to bid a <50 % grand though.

[gszeszycki]

AKJx

xxx

Ax

AQJx

 

Txxxx

AK

xx

Kxxx

 

standard system, you can use some gadgets of your choice.

 

N is dealer, imps.

 

1c normal (sorry no upgrade to 2n for me with this balanced hand and no heart stopper)

 

1s normal

 

2d it rarely hurts to show p a strong hand and maybe gather some useful information. When i raise spades later P will know I am not short in hearts since i failed to bid 3h now. Not showing spade support right away should not be a problem. Note how often bidding a fragment saves a ton of bidding space so great care is needed when raising openers secondary forcing suit. We would not bid this way with a boring 19 count say with Axxx Kx KQJ KQJx. with this quack filled 19 count we would merely bid 4c to show a balanced powerhouse but not very slam worthy.

 

2h extra values no reason to not keep bidding low and see why opener chose to reverse. This bid does not promise any extra values. Might just be a hand with nothing else useful to bid. I am willing to treat my rotten 5 card spade suit like a 4 card suit for now else I would bid 2s.

 

3s now comes the raise to show 4 card support dia ace (else why waste time with 2d bid if I have spade support) and powerhouse hand. A 2s bid would show only a 3 card raise. Since a 4s bid here would show around 16-17 this 3s bid should show 18-19. Our earlier failure to jump to 4c (over 1s) now reveals a hand with lots of controls and much more slam worthy.

 

4c cue bid

 

4s cant cue in dia again no heart control even with superb spades must bid 4s and

hope p can bid again. We can also hope the inability to cue bid a red sit will convey something useful.

 

4n the fact that p could not cue 4d and no heart contol (they are not short) should make risking blackwood safer now since we know opener doesnt have dia K at least (else easy 4d bid).

 

5d 1/4

 

5h spade Q?

 

5s no

 

6c alternative contract 44 might play better than 54 spades. Opener will know there

is no reason to suggest clubs over spades unless it is to play 44 vs 54. I am not going hunting for 7 mising Qxxx spades.

 

As is often the case going slow yields much greater accuracy in bidding and that why opps preempt because they know it.

 

My applause to others that bid 6c vs 6s just in case it was superior at IMPS no matter how they bid it. At MP i would probably just settle for 6S on the theory that 6C will make only around 20% more often than 6s if that.