[Toradin]

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With South dealer, is there a good method of finding the club slam using 2/1?

This is in a teams context, but were it MPs, is there a good method that does not bypass exploring the possible contracts of 3NT and 4H? Thanks!

[Hanoi5]

1♥-2♣
2♥-3♦
4♣-

Then ask for KC and play 6 of the minor.

[Cyberyeti]

Hanoi5, on 2012-July-09, 07:28, said:

1♥-2♣
2♥-3♦
4♣-

Then ask for KC and play 6 of the minor.

All very well on this hand, but can get you to some horrid spots. I'm not qualified to comment on the 2/1 auction, but I can see some slightly different hands where 6♥ or 6N are much better or you play 5♣ for no matchpoints or -2 IMPs.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

I like to bid a slam as much as anybody, but I'm not sure I'd get there on this one.
I do think opener needs to show his solid ( or near solid ) ♥ suit, though, with a 3H-jump over the 2/1 GF :

1H - 2C! ( 2/1 GF )
3H! - 3S ( cue )
4C ( cue, any of top 3 in partner's suit ) - ?? ( ask RKC for ♥ )
?? ( showing 2 + ♥Q ) - ?? ( K-ask )
6H ( no outside K's ): Responder not too happy with Opener's no-show of kings ....

[Cyberyeti]

TWO4BRIDGE, on 2012-July-09, 16:53, said:

I like to bid a slam as much as anybody, but I'm not sure I'd get there on this one.
I do think opener needs to show his solid ( or near solid ) ♥ suit, though, with a 3H-jump over the 2/1 GF :

Playing a bent form of Acol, this is what I'd do, with the bonus that a really good hand with hearts bids 1♥-2♣-2N(GF, not always bal)-3♣-3♥ so I'm showing this sort of 6.5-7 playing trick hand, it shows a good suit but is not suit setting so when it proceeds 3♠-4♣ this agrees clubs for the moment, although partner may put it back to hearts.

6♣ is good on a spade lead but slightly tricky, you have to take the discard on the hearts early, so what happens after you win the spade, cash 2 hearts pitching a spade then play Q♣ and it holds ? You can avoid this decision by playing ace and another club which works on any non 4-0 break I think. 6♥ is much less good.

[rhm]

Hanoi5, on 2012-July-09, 07:28, said:

1♥-2♣
2♥-3♦
4♣-

Then ask for KC and play 6 of the minor.

and you really believe you do justice to the South hand by suggesting slam in a minor, when your major can and should play opposite a void?
On top you have no first or second round control and no quick entry in your side suits.

Rainer Herrmann

[keylime]

1H-2C
2H-3D
4C (from opener's view, spades are a problem) - 4S
5C (nothing to say) - 6C (surely aces help)

Not the greatest slam to ever be in either. Off three kings. I suspect 4H at MPs would score well, and 5C at IMPs be the right spot.

[Antrax]

keylime, why won't opener bid 3♠ to ask for a stopper for NT?

[mike777]

Hanoi5, on 2012-July-09, 07:28, said:

1♥-2♣
2♥-3♦
4♣-

Then ask for KC and play 6 of the minor.

ditto.


for me north has a minimum range hand for this bidding.

[keylime]

Clubs don't present themselves in the auction as a source of tricks for 3NT. Consider that pard has bid and rebid hearts and you're showing a shape hand in the minors. Pard isn't expected to have the QJx of clubs for this auction. They could be making the same bids on Qxx of spades instead. And, if pard held Qx(x) in spades, playing 3NT from their side should net us two tricks. So, 3D gives pard an out for 3NT with that holding.

If you're playing MPs, the decision between 3NT and 4H is to me not that challenging. The auction tips the opps to a spade lead, which sways me strongly towards 4H on the excellent heart suit. Once trumps are drawn, use clubs as your trick source. If the K is right, then claim your overtricks.

Now at IMPs, I want to be in the safer contract and with a ton of clubs only missing the K-T (ty pard for the 98) you can afford to play trumps safely catering to K-T-x-x in either hand.

[han]

keylime, on 2012-July-10, 18:43, said:

Not the greatest slam to ever be in either. Off three kings. I suspect 4H at MPs would score well, and 5C at IMPs be the right spot.

You do realize that you are allowed to ruff when you can't follow suit?

On a spade lead (worst) you could play the ace of clubs, then two rounds of hearts pitching a spade and continue with a second round of clubs. You'll make if clubs are no worse than 3-1 and hearts no worse than 4-2. If hearts are 5-1 you'll still make if the king of clubs is singleton, or if the person with the singleton heart has king doubleton of clubs. 6C by noth is a very good slam.

[rhm]

han, on 2012-July-11, 00:51, said:

You do realize that you are allowed to ruff when you can't follow suit?

On a spade lead (worst) you could play the ace of clubs, then two rounds of hearts pitching a spade and continue with a second round of clubs. You'll make if clubs are no worse than 3-1 and hearts no worse than 4-2. If hearts are 5-1 you'll still make if the king of clubs is singleton, or if the person with the singleton heart has king doubleton of clubs. 6C by noth is a very good slam.

6♣ is without a doubt a great contract, but North bidding 4♣ on the third round is a joke, smelling of hindsight.
At the table I doubt that any good player would bid 4♣ over 3♦

How should the bidding go if the hands turn out to be

---

Rainer Herrmann

[mike777]

thn you get to 5c, I could even see a way to 4h if north downgrades her hand.

btw you gave north a dead minimum hand for me...north could not have a worse hand and start with a gf 2c.

I dont think it is best bridge to assume pard always has the worst possible hand, lets give her an average hand or a bit worse, ok.

[keylime]

Still not getting to slam on the original hand. And yes Han I'm acutely aware that I can ruff in a non-NT contract, but seriously, as South, you're not going to cooperate much with a slam try missing a keycard and wide open in spades.....

[mike777]

over 4c I expect north to keycard with 4d(kickback)

North has shown doubt about 3nt and you as south have extras. not sure why you would not bid 4c, you have 3 card support with 2 honors and solid hearts and north is unlimited. North has a minimum hand as is for her bidding and could have much more. As south you dont know what you are missing in terms of keycards.


3h over 3d would show a much worse hand you never show your club support when north is unlimited.

3h over 2c would show a much stronger hand.

[mikl_plkcc]

Not a great slam.

5♣ is the best.

[Zelandakh]

mikl_plkcc, on 2012-July-19, 22:21, said:

Not a great slam.

5♣ is the best.

I didn't respond here because the OP specified 2/1 but Mikl, please go back and re-read han's post (#11). This can explain to you exactly why this is a good slam. I recommend to play through the recommeded line a couple of times, perhaps with the remaining 26 cards shuffled randomly or whatever. This is the kind of thing that can help you improve your card play and visualisation.

[SteveMoe]

1♥ - 2♣
3♥ - 3♠
4♣ - 4♦
5N - 6♣
would be what I expect.
Slam is a good proposition as mentioned above.