[Phil]

NV/NV Swiss

AJ9x x JTxxxxx x

1♥ - (2♣) - x - (3♣)
4♦ - (5♣) - 5♦ - (pass)
pass - (6♣) - ?

[Jlall]

6D which I obviously would have bid last round also (though maybe I should try for 7 with 5S?). I expect this to make at least 90 % of the time so my 5D bid was horrible unless I was "walking the dog" or something which is also horrible since I don't fear a w/w 7C save when I can lead my stiff heart, and I don't expect the opponents to usually bid 6C.

[pooltuna]

Jlall, on May 4 2010, 10:00 AM, said:

6D which I obviously would have bid last round also (though maybe I should try for 7 with 5S?). I expect this to make at least 90 % of the time so my 5D bid was horrible unless I was "walking the dog" or something which is also horrible since I don't fear a w/w 7C save when I can lead my stiff heart, and I don't expect the opponents to usually bid 6C.

90% make rate sounds a bit high. Aren't there quite a few hands that have to bid 4♦ to compensate for 3♦ being nonforcing?

EDIT: maybe should say "for 3♦ being noninvitational?"

[Jlall]

Yeah I guess 90 % was an overstatement since we could be off 2 aces. Our hand is really good though.

[aguahombre]

maybe 3D would have had too wide a range, but 4D shows quite a bit above whatever that wide range was. Opener did not even know you had diamond support. You get another chance to bid 6D; take it.

[Jlall]

Jlall, on May 4 2010, 10:51 AM, said:

Yeah I guess 90 % was an overstatement since we could be off 2 aces. Our hand is really good though.

It's also worth noting that when we're off 2 aces and down in 6, we COULD be down in 5 (xx KQJxx AKQxx x) which doesn't matter now, but is an argument for bidding 6 the first time. Of course partner could just have a stiff spade (1552 or 1651) or the SK so it's not that compelling, just something interesting to think about.

It's also possible that we are not off 2 aces and go down in 5 when hearts split badly (for instance if partner has xx AQxxx AKQxx x, and hearts are 5-2 without the king dropping), so that's something to be said for bidding 5 rather than 6. Honestly I still think we're just cold for 6 most of the time.

[aguahombre]

IMO, xx KQJXX AKQXX X is within the wide range for 3D after the given auction thru 3C. But, I tend to go low in a new suit partner has not really shown support for. Partner has shown values for the 2-level, and I am bidding on the 3-level.

Others will probably disagree; hopefully, they will help me by explaining why, so I can revise my opinion.

[whereagles]

gonna pass here. Don't like 6 (we can be off 2 keys/aces) nor double (lol), so pass is what I got left. Hopefully pard can make something out of that and bid accordingly.

[jdonn]

I have 3 extra trumps, I bid please.

[Phil]

I held this hand and felt slightly weird about 5♦ knowing 6 could be a cooler. Its easy to imagine the ♥A and a stiff spade on this auction. It seems optimistic, however, and 5♦ looks practical.

Once RHO bid 6♣, I took the push like many of you did for the reasons you gave. 6♦ was not a success - pard held x Kxxxx AKQxx KQ (yeah, seriously the KQ).

[jdonn]

Ouch! Well you weren't getting a huge number anyway. So sue me for overvaluing my 12 card trump fit. You could trade in his king of hearts, king of diamonds, and king queen of clubs for the ace of hearts and slam would be cold (and queen of diamonds too, except that there are 13 diamonds in the deck). I'm not good enough to work it out.

[CSGibson]

Let me add that I think your partner's jump to 4♦ was borderline at best. 3♦ already shows some extras, and the ♣KQ is a big turnoff. If the ♣Q was the ♥Q, then I think she has her jump for sure, and the hand still doesn't make slam, so that's not the reason for the bad score, just an observation - that jump should be, IMO, a much purer hand type, or a more powerful unpure hand.

[aguahombre]

CSGibson, on May 5 2010, 09:04 AM, said:

Let me add that I think your partner's jump to 4♦ was borderline at best. 3♦ already shows some extras, and the ♣KQ is a big turnoff. If the ♣Q was the ♥Q, then I think she has her jump for sure, and the hand still doesn't make slam, so that's not the reason for the bad score, just an observation - that jump should be, IMO, a much purer hand type, or a more powerful unpure hand.

That, but "borderline at best" is being kind.