Standard - Recommended Slam Auction

[monikrazy]

[hv=pc=n&s=sak876ht85da93cj2&n=sq2haq6dkqjtcakq4&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1sp2cp2np6nppp]266|200[/hv]

 

Responder picked up a massive hand, and wasn't sure of the best way to bid the slam (playing Standard). What auction would you recommend and would you bid for the grand? Thanks in advance.

[Cyberyeti]

This is a tricky hand, if the S hand is AKJ10x, xxx, Axx, xx you have 13 laydown tricks. You want to be in 7 by N, 7 by south is slightly less good but still nearly 70% if you get a heart lead, fly the A and cash the minor suit winners, you make if spades are 3-3 or the long spades are with the K♥.

 

I still use the old fashioned quantitative structure, and I think there's a case for 1♠-2♣-2N-5N-6N (I probably want to be in 7 opposite 14), of course the grand is much better played by N.

 

Getting to 7♦ which loses to 5-1♦, but allows you to cope with 3-3♦ and 4-2♠ is also an option.

[aguahombre]

If North wants to assure being declarer here (probably a good idea), he can use the common toy of J2N. He sets spades as trump for the keycard Wood auction, then converts to NT in the end.

[Codo]

It is quite a while ago that I mentioned my dislike for a 2 NT rebid with openers hand- use the french style and rebid 2 ♠ and take it from there. This makes north declarer and with a lot of room to find out more about south hand.

But whatever you do, it is very hard to bid a confident 7 NT: Even played from the north hand, you need spades 3-3 or the heart finesse or a spade heart squeeze.

[Siegmund]

With most my partners I reproduce cyberyeti's auction, 1S-2C-2N-5N-6N. North is a bit heavy to sign off at 6N knowing nothing about how strong his partner is. South is turning him down.

You need either 3-3 spades or the heart finesse (or a few squeeze chances) to make 7, technically enough to make it worth bidding against a strong field, but in the real world 1470 is going to be above average at least up to a regional open pairs.

 

I don't have any science at all to recommend finding the good 34-35 point grands, short of full relays.

[aguahombre]

The grand is better than just those chances, before dummy comes down. An extra spade, or the spade Jack instead of the club Jack would do it. These are things we are not going to explore for. If we haven't already ensured NT will be played in responder's hand, we better not ask for Kings here. Opening leader might well put South to the test right then, with or without that card.

[P_Marlowe]

Assuming 2NT showes 12-14, North knowes, the partnership has 35-37,

if I counted correct.

 

The simplest way would be to invite a grand via 5NT, South will decline

given he has a min, but would accept with 14.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe