3 losers and partner opens

[mikl_plkcc]

[hv=sn=marmit&s=SATHK9632DA852CJ4&wn=samuelam&w=SK864HJT85DT4C652&nn=mikl_plkcc&n=S32HDKQJ976CAKQ97&en=Grott&e=SQJ975HAQ74D3CT83&d=s&v=b&b=39&a=1HP2DP3DP6DPPP&p=C3C4C6CADKD3D2D4D6S5DADTCJC2C7C8H2H5D7H4CKCTSTC5S2S7SAS4H3H8D9H7S3S9D5S6H6HTDJHQCQSJH9HJC9SQD8S8HKSKDQHA]400|300[/hv]

 

The above deal has a grand slam in diamonds. From North's perspective, a fit in either minor and first-round controls in the remaining suits guarantee grand slam. I have a few questions to discuss:

 

1. If North bids 4♣ at the second round, will you interpret it as a cue-bid or the second suit? If it is cue-bid, the bidding may go follows:

1♥

--- 2♦

3♦

--- 4♣ (first round control in ♣)

4♠ (first round control in ♠)

--- 5♣ (second round control in ♣)

5♥ (second round control in ♥)

--- 5NT (trump ask)

6♦ (1 of AKQ)

--- 7♦ (That's all I need)

 

I didn't bid 4♣ because I was afraid that it would be interpreted as a ♣ suit. If 3♥ or 4♥ was bid in place of 4♣, it is a delayed support in ♥ which shown exactly 3 ♥s and I couldn't bid.

 

2. Assume that North becomes the dealer. I would be tempted to open 2♣ and rebid 4[dl]. However, this kind of bidding is extremely bad with such kind of 2-suited hand. In this hand, if I opened 1♦, the bidding would go:

1♦

--- 1♥

3♣ (forcing to game)

--- 3♦

4♦

--- 4♠ (cuebid)

5♣

--- 5♥

5NT

--- 6♦

7♦

 

This is still fine, however, imagine that South had only a ♦A and ♦ fit but nothing else. Now, the HCP distribution would become 19-21, and the 1♦ opening would be passed out if E-W were conservative and the small slam would be missed. If you open 2♣, you are betting that a minor suit fit exists, if not, a disaster happens doubled. (This kind of hand is great when a fit exists, even when partner has 0 HCPs, but is rubbish when no fit exists. Even 3NT is not possible when there is no fit and no stopper in one of the majors)

 

3. If I were East, I would bid 2♠. The ♠ fit has a high potential of interrupting N-S slam finding sequences. Although 3♠ is the limit in this deal, if one more spade is given to West, N-S attempt to cuebid would be blocked by West's 4♠ preemptive bid and the 7♦ is hard to find.

 

However, on BBO, it was very strange that no table bid 7♦, and about half stopped at game! One table stopped at 5♠x, better than opponent's slam but worse than a game.

http://www.bridgebase.com/myhands/hands.php?traveller=M-1363090584-41082961&username=mikl_plkcc

[lalldonn]

1. If North bids 4♣ at the second round, will you interpret it as a cue-bid or the second suit? If it is cue-bid, the bidding may go follows:

1♥

--- 2♦

3♦

--- 4♣ (first round control in ♣)

4♠ (first round control in ♠)

--- 5♣ (second round control in ♣)

5♥ (second round control in ♥)

--- 5NT (trump ask)

6♦ (1 of AKQ)

--- 7♦ (That's all I need)

If we accept the bidding through 4♠ then it seems much simpler for responder to just bid blackwood over that since he knows his partner doesn't have the heart ace.

[aguahombre]

When you said you were afraid 4C would be interpreted as a suit, I decided this was an April Fools joke.

[Fluffy]

As josh says, once partner bypasses hert cuebid blackwood makes this very easy. The most important thing is that 3♦ must promise 4 card support.