missed slam

[a***@yahoo.co.uk]

MPs, game all:

North
84
AT7
AKT4
KJ86

AKT6
9
65
AQT953

N E S W
3H X P
3NT AP

7C is cold. Is there a better way to bid this (we don't have any agreements on what a cue bid would mean opposite the double)?

[ais523]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
North
84
AT7
AKT4
KJ86
AKT6
9
65
AQT953
N E S W
3H X P
3NT AP
7C is cold. Is there a better way to bid this (we don't have any
agreements on what a cue bid would mean opposite the double)?

South pretty much has a minimum X. North's hand is cold for slam
opposite that minimum, but that feels like luck to me: the hands fit
almost perfectly (move a spot card from any other suit to spades in
North's hand, for example, and this now only makes 6). So missing the
grand slam doesn't seem like a huge problem.

On the other hand, North's hand is probably at least worth a slam try of
some nature; South might not have a minimum, and it contains a lot of
high cards. If 4NT were natural, it would fit very well ("I can make 4NT
if you have a minimum, I don't have a fit for your spades, I have
hearts stopped; do we have slam?"), and South could show clubs in
response; however, I suspect 4NT probably isn't natural here, although
I'm not immediately clear on what it should mean.

To me, the obvious meaning for the cue bid is "I'm interested in slam
and want to play in a suit". That would happen to work on this hand
(probably reaching 6C), but I don't think it's wise in general with
North's hand; it does't have any particular desire to play in a suit.
Maybe that 4NT should be natural after all!

[Fred.]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
North
84
AT7
AKT4
KJ86
AKT6
9
65
AQT953
N E S W
3H X P
3NT AP
7C is cold. Is there a better way to bid this (we don't have any agreements on what a cue bid would mean opposite the double)?

I think the best agreement after a preempt is that all ace asking
conventions are off, and that after 3H the 4H cue bid promises
3 spades, but not necessarily anything beyond what is needed for game.

The reason is that your are going to have enough trouble assessing fit
and playing strength without taking up room for the nicety of asking
for aces. Sometimes just playing in the right strain after a preempt
is enough to win the auction.

On this agreement, the bidding would go

N E S W
3H x pass
4NT pass 6C all pass


I would venture, since no suit has been mentioned by the
intervening side that 4NT cannot be Blackwood, but
I'm not sure that a random partner will agree with me.
Possibly a pickup partner will recognize 5NT as "pick a
slam", but you may have done as well as you could.

As ais523 kind of indicated, trying to find the grand slam after the
preempt is just asking for trouble.

Note that in


N E S W
3H X pass
3NT pass 4C

Intervenor's 4C would be a natural slam try, not Gerber,
though I think the pass of 3NT was correct here.
Advancer's 4NT over 4C would be natural.

Fred.

[Steve Willner]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
North
84
AT7
AKT4
KJ86
AKT6
9
65
AQT953
N E S W
3H X P
3NT AP

I would bid 4C as S. Dbl might work out, but what is South planning to
do if North bids diamonds?

After South doubles, North needs to make some kind of slam try. I think
4NT is natural, but I wouldn't bid it because the hand is too
suit-oriented. Six of whichever minor South has four cards in should be
a great contract. Absent agreements, it's hard to know what to do, but
I'd probably start with 4H. If partner bids a minor, as South will this
time, I'd just raise. If on some different hand South bids 4S, I'll
have a problem. I think 5NT is probably right, but it's scary in an
unfamiliar partnership. 4NT is no good because South will probably
treat it as RKCB for spades. Maybe 5H would work, but that should
really be a strong spade raise. I'd probably try it anyway, wishing I'd
bid 4NT in the first place.

[Lorne]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
North
84
AT7
AKT4
KJ86
AKT6
9
65
AQT953
N E S W
3H X P
3NT AP
7C is cold. Is there a better way to bid this (we don't have any agreements on what a cue bid would mean opposite the double)?

How often would you have a hand that wants to bid a natural non forcing
4C which has bypassed 3N which might be your best contract ?

I think the answer is not very often so why not play 4C or 4D over a 3H
or 3S opener to show a good 5+ card minor and at least 4 cards in the
other major (known as non leaping michaels in the UK). I have played it
for many years and do not remember ever feeling it has stopped me making
the call I wanted to make but it has often worked well as it would here.