auction 1

[Douglas Newlands]

Teams, nil, D-E, you are east

AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ

W N E S
1D 1H
2C 4H ?

You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.

What do you fancy?

doug

[ais523]

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W N E S
1D 1H
2C 4H ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?

We have at least 30 of the 40 HCP between us, possibly more, and the
opponents surely have strength in hearts (in addition to length). As
such, we almost certainly have a slam somewhere, but with partner's hand
type unclear, we need to ask partner where.

I believe most people would interpret 5H as showing such a hand
(assuming that it doesn't have a defined conventional meaning; if it
did, you'd probably have mentioned that). This leaves room for partner
to bid 5S if they happen to have four spades (they shouldn't bid it
with only three as we'd have bid 5S ourself with five); I'd bid 6S
over 5S, pass over any 6-level response but 6H, and would bid 5D over
5NT (which would surely show at least diamond tolerance). I prefer 5H
to 5NT because 5NT probably denies spades (due to bypassing the cheap
5S bid that would allow showing them).

We may well have a grand slam on with this hand, but I don't think I'd
attempt to look for it; we don't have enough bidding space to do any
sort of fine inquiring about particular cards, and you normally need
that for a grand. We could easily be off the Ace of Diamonds, for
example (and I don't think 4NT would be Blackwood after this auction,
so there's no way to check for missing aces).

Incidentally, although I don't think 5H guarantees a heart void on this
sequence, we do actually have a heart void, so if partner misinterprets
the bid as that, no real harm is done.

[Dave Flower]

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W N E S
1D 1H
2C 4H ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

6C

Partner may be 3343 and having to manufacture a bid so they can correct

Dave Flower

[ais523]

Post by Dave Flower

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W N E S
1D 1H
2C 4H ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

6C
Partner may be 3343 and having to manufacture a bid so they can correct

If you're going to slam-force (and I agree that a slam force is
warranted on this hand), why show the shortest of your three suits?

5H and 5NT are also slam-forcing and don't have any emphasis on clubs.
Partner will therefore think you have a lot more than three clubs if 6C
is your choice of slam force.

[Lorne]

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W   N   E   S
        1D  1H
2C 4H   ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
          or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

If 5N asks partner to pick a slam I try that it.

Real question is whether I raise his choice to a grand - I think I will
if he chooses diamonds but not if he chooses clubs or spades.

I think 5H shows a hand too good to bid 6C which this hand is, but
partner will have losing hearts and may not bid a grand with the diamond
ace + club K and little leaving me guessing if the diamonds are good.

[Charles Brenner]

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W N E S
1D 1H
2C 4H ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

5NT, though even that may not sway partner sufficiently toward 6D rather than 6C. I'm leery of clubs as trump. In view of the opponents' brisk bidding with little in the way of HCP, even a single heart tap against dummy's club honors may well generate a trump loser.

On the other hand if partner is Ax, Kxxxxxx in the minors clubs is better.

Second choice: just punt 7D.

[KWSchneider]

On the auction and your hand, I can’t see partner having the flat 12pointer. I see the club suit as trump, and worry about the holes in the diamond suit. At least if partner has a singleton diamond, you can survive in 6C, so I punt that. IMO your minor suit length disparity makes 5N problematic.

[Charles Brenner]

Post by KWSchneider
On the auction and your hand, I can’t see partner having the flat 12pointer. I see the club suit as trump, and worry about the holes in the diamond suit. At least if partner has a singleton diamond, you can survive in 6C, so I punt that. IMO your minor suit length disparity makes 5N problematic.

My concern isn't partner being 3334 11hcp (though I see nothing improbable about that - surely the brisk bidding of the opponents is made easier to justify with every single hcp we allocate to them). But suppose partner is xxx, Qxx, AQ, K9xxx. Then 6D is on ice while 6C needs a 3-2 break which I expect is not forthcoming.

[Hotzenplotz]

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W N E S
1D 1H
2C 4H ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

5NT, hoping to hear 6D. Not too happy with a 6C bid as pd will be forced to ruff straight away with one of the top C honours, exposing us to a bad break.

[Douglas Newlands]

Post by Hotzenplotz

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W N E S
1D 1H
2C 4H ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

5NT, hoping to hear 6D. Not too happy with a 6C bid as pd will be forced to ruff straight away with one of the top C honours, exposing us to a bad break.

The hand was

1087532
Q10952
Q2
-
J94 AKQ6
A8 -
- KJ10954
K10986432 AQJ

-
KJ7643
A8763
75

I couldn't see what bid would enable a sensible choice between a
grand and a small slam.
I really wanted to bid 7C and rely on partner correcting to 7D
but it was a cross imp event so I chickened in 6C and south found a double!
6CX+1 was worth +9.56 cross imps surprisingly.

Still not sure if there is a really good bid here. I suspect not.
I assume Charles meant 7C when he said he would punt 7D.

doug

[Co Wiersma]

Post by Douglas Newlands

Post by Hotzenplotz

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W   N   E   S
       1D  1H
2C 4H   ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
            or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

5NT, hoping to hear 6D. Not too happy with a 6C bid as pd will be
forced to ruff straight away with one of the top C honours, exposing
us to a bad break.

The hand was
       1087532
       Q10952
       Q2
       -
J94          AKQ6
A8           -
-            KJ10954
K10986432    AQJ
        -
        KJ7643
        A8763
        75
I couldn't see what bid would enable a sensible choice between a
grand and a small slam.
I really wanted to bid 7C and rely on partner correcting to 7D
but it was a cross imp event so I chickened in 6C and south found a double!
6CX+1 was worth +9.56 cross imps surprisingly.
Still not sure if there is a really good bid here. I suspect not.
I assume Charles meant 7C when he said he would punt 7D.
doug

North did not lead a spade?

[Douglas Newlands]

Post by Co Wiersma

Post by Douglas Newlands

Post by Hotzenplotz

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W   N   E   S
       1D  1H
2C 4H   ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
            or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

5NT, hoping to hear 6D. Not too happy with a 6C bid as pd will be
forced to ruff straight away with one of the top C honours, exposing
us to a bad break.

The hand was
        1087532
        Q10952
        Q2
        -
J94          AKQ6
A8           -
-            KJ10954
K10986432    AQJ
         -
         KJ7643
         A8763
         75
I couldn't see what bid would enable a sensible choice between a
grand and a small slam.
I really wanted to bid 7C and rely on partner correcting to 7D
but it was a cross imp event so I chickened in 6C and south found a double!
6CX+1 was worth +9.56 cross imps surprisingly.
Still not sure if there is a really good bid here. I suspect not.
I assume Charles meant 7C when he said he would punt 7D.
doug

North did not lead a spade?

No, led the H2.

(yes Ron, it was Stan)

doug

[Charles Brenner]

Post by Douglas Newlands

Post by Hotzenplotz

Post by Douglas Newlands
Teams, nil, D-E, you are east
AKQ6
-
KJ10954
AQJ
W N E S
1D 1H
2C 4H ?
You are playing SA but 1D shows 5 (unless 4=4=4=1 precisely).
2C is either 4+C and FG (may have 4cM)
or 11-12, no 4cM, flat or minor length.
What do you fancy?
doug

5NT, hoping to hear 6D. Not too happy with a 6C bid as pd will be forced to ruff straight away with one of the top C honours, exposing us to a bad break.

The hand was
1087532
Q10952
Q2
-
J94 AKQ6
A8 -
- KJ10954
K10986432 AQJ
-
KJ7643
A8763
75
I couldn't see what bid would enable a sensible choice between a
grand and a small slam.
I really wanted to bid 7C and rely on partner correcting to 7D
but it was a cross imp event so I chickened in 6C and south found a double!
6CX+1 was worth +9.56 cross imps surprisingly.
Still not sure if there is a really good bid here. I suspect not.
I assume Charles meant 7C when he said he would punt 7D.
doug

Thank you for the generous offer but the truth is I did mean 7D as my second choice. I might have misread your system description though, thought that if holding the non-GF hand pard must be balanced.