settle for small slam, or try for more?

[CSGibson]

[hv=pc=n&s=saj98h6dkj73cat84&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1dp1sp2hp3d(game%20forcing)p3hp3sp5dp]133|200[/hv]

 

Playing with a good partner, but without good agreements about what 5♦ means. Cross-imps on BBO, playing against an expert pair.

[TylerE]

I'll settle for 6. Sounds like partner is 6-5 or maybe even 7-5, so black suit aces may well not be what partner needs, especially since partner didn't ask and removed any chance of me asking.

[quiddity]

Try for more.

[cherdano]

Seems it's worth trying 6♣, as it describes your hand pretty well. I am fine with playing grand opposite 1561 with ♥AQ and ♦AQ, and I don't see partner going to 7 with less than that.

[DJNeill]

Try for more - 9 card fit, 30 HCP, slammish controls.

[TylerE]

Partner's auction suggests he needs tricks, not controls, and we don't really have tricks.

[ggwhiz]

I would have bid rkc on diamonds over 3♥ and if I get 5♠ (2 with) 5nt asks for specific kings with us. I'll go to 7 if pard shows any of them and they may go themselves once I've shown all the keys.

 

Over a 5♥ response I'm tempted to bid 5nt as well but only tempted since I might endplay us into a no play 6nt. Better would be 5♠ relay to 5nt followed by 6♦ if you think you could get away with it.

[rmnka447]

I'd give it one more try also with 6 ♣.

 

7 ♦ has a reasonable play if partner has as little as x Axxxx AQxxxx x. You know pard has much more than that with the 2 ♥ reverse. Unfortunately, you can't be absolutely sure that pard does hold both red As.

 

I would have bid 4 ♦ directly over the 2 ♥ reverse. It would show a hand with a big ♦ fit that is much better than a game force and, therefore is slammish in ♦s.

[masse24]

I'm a wimp...so 6♦

 

Partner's failure to Q-bid 4♣ smells like ♣xx B-)

[TWO4BRIDGE]

I'm a wimp...so 6♦

 

Partner's failure to Q-bid 4♣ smells like ♣xx B-)

I'd sure like to know why Opener jumped to 5D in the GF auction when 4D would suffice and deny a Club Ctrl as well.

[akhare]

Did 3♦ agree upon ♦s as the trump suit?

 

If so, assuming that you are playing non-serious 3NT, what is the significance of the jump to 5♦ (presumably 4♦ would show serious slam interest as well, while denying first and second round ♣ control)?

[johnu]

First round controls in black suits, ♦KJ, and a singleton heart. I'm having trouble constructing a reverse hand for partner where 7 won't be either laydown or just needing something close to normal breaks at worst. Looks like a clear 7♦ to me. With this many unannounced controls, partner probably won't be able to determine that 7 has a good play so you'll have to take control.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=saj98h6dkj73cat84&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1dp1sp2hp3d(game%20forcing)p3hp3sp5dp]133|200|

 

Playing with a good partner, but without good agreements about what 5♦ means. Cross-imps on BBO, playing against an expert pair.

[/hv]

IMO 7♦ = 10, 6♣ = 8, 5N = 7, 6♦ = 6.

[mike777]

7d

 

 

Hope pard is not worse than:

 

void....AKxxx...Axxxxx...xx

 

and expect much more.

[CSGibson]

Follow-up - how convinced are you that partner is 6-5 or better, as opposed to just cue-bidding a heart control?

[TylerE]

Convinced until a later action shows otherwise.

[akhare]

Follow-up - how convinced are you that partner is 6-5 or better, as opposed to just cue-bidding a heart control?

 

 

Pard's 3♥ should show a 6=5 or better, but the jump to 5♦ makes me want to second guess. Since we are already in a GF, it looks like partner is trying to back pedal for some reason -- perhaps, a hand that regretted making the bid?

[johnu]

Follow-up - how convinced are you that partner is 6-5 or better, as opposed to just cue-bidding a heart control?

 

Not sure at all. With 6-4 or worse, I expect a full reverse, at least 1 black king. With 5-4, cue bidding hearts, 7 can still be ok, something like

 

♠x

♥AKQx

♦AQxxx

♣Kxx

 

you can pitch 2 clubs on hearts and ruff a club and a heart. Of course, maybe partner has nothing like you expect and you have no play for 7. Oh well, it won't be the last time I bid an unmakeable grand. Next hand :)

[gnasher]

I don't think 5♦ exists, unless you agree it as something very specific. Partner certainly shouldn't have bid it without discussion.

[JLOGIC]

I mean I think partner just reversed with a bad hand and is trying to warn us. It depends on style, with --- KQxxx AQTxxx xx I would open 1H but I know that people exist who would open 1D and reverse if it came to it.

 

I don't really have doubt about what partner is showing, the real question is whether a hand like --- AJxxx AQxxxx xx is a good grand or not, partner should certainly bid it if we try for 7 and he has that (in context of his auction). And there is no risk we get to 7 off the ace of hearts if we try, as our cuebid will deny that card.

 

IMO it is clear that I do not want to be in 7D playing cross imps on BBO needing at least a 4-3 heart split. Many people will open 1H or bid 1D 2D and will just play game. Our pot odds are extremely bad to bid a grand in these conditions, we need to make it more often than that. So I would just bid 6D.

[JLOGIC]

Follow-up - how convinced are you that partner is 6-5 or better, as opposed to just cue-bidding a heart control?

 

It is reasonable to play 3H does not promise 6-5 (probably correct even, depending on your methods over reverses), but if it does not show that then it would simply be a punt with no club control rather than a cuebid, a typical hand being 1462 or something with no club stopper. I know I posted this recently but playing 2N as artificial weak creates an impossible problem, you can't bid 2N as a natural bid with a club stopper which is the most important feature of this auction, so you bid 3D and partner has no room to punt over it. If 3H is 6-5 and 3S is 3 spades or whatever, and 3D is forced on a lot of hands with club stoppers then that doesn't sound playable. Life is so much easier if you can bid 2N natural and forcing and hear a natural bid over that and go from there. /rant

 

If partner is trying to warn us because he is not 6-5 then that's fine too, I wouldn't want to play grand opposite that.

[beatrix45]

I think you can, theoretically, have it both ways by bidding six clubs. Maybe on BBO with an unfamiliar partner six diamonds is the best practical bid.

[johnu]

Playing with a good partner, but without good agreements about what 5♦ means. Cross-imps on BBO, playing against an expert pair.

 

 

Would a good partner reverse with a very minimum 5-6 hand in your system? Can we work out what partner is trying to show with 5♦? If partner did have a non-reverse 5-6 reverse, I'm guessing most players would bid 4♦ over 3♠, and sign off in 5♦ the next round, but it's just a guess.

 

What should a jump to 5♦ show? Thinking a little more this morning, what about something like,

 

♠----

♥AKQx

♦AQ10xxxx

♣xx

 

With a club lead expected (or feared) on the bidding, you don't need just a club control to make slam good, since with king empty, you're 50-50 on a club at trick 1. Asking partner to bid on with a sure club control, KQ or A, and pass if less?

[rmnka447]

First round controls in black suits, ♦KJ, and a singleton heart. I'm having trouble constructing a reverse hand for partner where 7 won't be either laydown or just needing something close to normal breaks at worst. Looks like a clear 7♦ to me. With this many unannounced controls, partner probably won't be able to determine that 7 has a good play so you'll have to take control.

How about something like ♠ - ♥ KQJ10x ♦ AQ109xx ♣ Kx where ♥ A opening lead defeats 7 ♦?

[PhilKing]

I can't see the harm in bidding 5♠. This promises first round control in clubs as well, given the auction.

 

On the issue of 3♥, I feel strongly that bids below 3NT are descriptive after we have agreed a minor, and cue bids apply above 3NT. Within that context, partner could have four good hearts, or any five.