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[wank]

ok i was south. i thought i must be showing something like i had: lots of aces, but a paucity of (quick) tricks, such that i just needed a little extra playing strength from p.

 

north is a pretty well known player who didn't approve of my bidding, thinking i had a slam drive.

 

fwiw, my view is norths are undervaluing their hand:-

 

1) kx of hearts is a positive feature - it sounds like p has the ace and at least 1 more (the opps have stopped in 3 at favourable vul). compare the value of the k♥ to the k♦ on the actual hand (edit: ok the diamond king is good if north also has the jack). even more acutely, imagine the value of the k♥ as opposed to the k♦ if north has Aqxxxx xx Kxx xx.

 

2) the 6th trump is obviously an extra trick.

 

3) the extra shape in the minors is better than people might expect. you're expecting at least 1 long diamond to ruff in partner's hand (though yes that might counterfeit a discard if p has AK of clubs). you do have the 2nd round control of clubs. if partner is ace rich, that's very possibly a good holding.

 

as for anyone thinking i could envisage a heart singleton in p's hand, perhaps i'm more used to the level of opps' aggression they demonstrated here - not only did p have a 2nd heart, it was the king.

[gnasher]

Maybe 4♥ and then 5♥ shows ♥A? If you had a heart void, you could have bid 5♥ straight away.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

If you think the South hand is a slam drive, I don't see the point of keycard; just bid 6S. You can't have grand on opposite a sign-off.

If you don't think the South hand is a slam drive, I don't see the point of keycard because it won't tell you anything useful.

 

FWIW I think the blame, if any, is with North. 5S must show all the side aces and North has a 6th spade and some extra shape.

Maybe my keycard-ask is all wet, but I would think Responder needs another outside K to accept the 5S-ask .

( Shortness in partners opening suit seems a put-off too ) .

[Finch]

I gave the North hand and the given auction to Jallerton, and he bid slam, saying that 5S must show all the side aces (or possibly a singleton heart and the other key cards) and his singleton club was a very good card. He constructed KQxx Ax Ax Axxxx and similar hands for this auction.

 

So there is one opinion unbiased by the actual hands.

 

Personally I don't like driving slam on the South cards, although it does have something going for it, but I don't see why partner can't have AQxxxx xx Kxx xx or AQJxx xx xx Kxxx or any of a number of hands.

[ArtK78]

Perhaps everyone is misunderstanding my support of using keycard here. I will explain.

 

I intend to bid slam under all circumstances. I am merely going to inform my partner that we have all of the keycards (if we do) so that, if he does have some sort of surprise, we can reach a grand.

 

Yes, it is unlikely that we have a grand in light of partner's 4♠ bid. But I am willing to trust his judgment and I am not worried about his bidding a grand when it is not there.