[FrancesHinden]

Due to my being in another country, I got sat out for a recent KO match while my husband played with my other regular partner. I thought they did well on this hand:

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Playing IMPs, you have an uncontested auction, starting with partner:

1♠ 2♣
2♠ 3♣
4♦ 4♥
4♠ 4NT
5NT ?

1♠ = 5+ spades
2♣ = nat FG
2♠ = either 6 spades, or a minimum 5332 (2NT would have been 15+ 5332)
3♣ = good suit
4♦ = splinter
4♥,4♠ = cue bids
4NT = encouraging, have you anything else to say?
5NT = spade cue bid

What is partner's hand? What is the correct bid now?

p.s. they won the match by 60 imps. I'm worried I'll be sat out the next round now...

[badderzboy]

My guess\

Spoiler

♠AKxxxx ♥xx ♦x ♣Kxxx]

7♣

Steve

[MickyB]

I can't see an alternative to 7♣, most likely hand is AKxxxx xxx x Kxx possibly with a little extra.

[mikeh]

A minor quibble, and one that may be invalid for the partnership, but I prefer 5♦ to 4N: it seems to me that I am committed, with this hand, to at least 6♣, so I would make my grand slam try with an unambiguous 5♦: showing both red aces and the good 6+ ♣ suit that I showed with 3♣. If partner cannot bid grand over that, I don't want to be there.

But that is a quibble, and depends for its validity upon what 4♦ shows. To me it shows a solid opener... not necessarily extra hcp but (if minimum) a pure hand. I would not expect a splinter on AJxxxx QJx x Kxx for example, but AKQxxx xxx x Kxx is an easy splinter.

In any event, the auction worked out okay, since my 4N did not force to slam and my partner accepted while showing the ♠K and (I assume) denying the ♥K.

Before predicting the hand, I need to know if he would rebid 2♠ with AKQxx xxx x Kxxx? I would: 2♣ is often a stall.

So I will 'guess' that he would and therefore I predict AKQxx xxx x Kxxx or AKJxxx xxx x Kxx as minimum holdings. He could have a little more, either by way of a wasted ♥ honour or by way of AKQxxx of ♠.

Grand rates to be at least 68.5% and that is good enough for me: it will often be better.

[Winstonm]

I would think to reemphasize the spades like this that partner is trying to get across that singleton Q will fill in the suit - so I picture this hand for partner:

AKJ10xx
Jxx
x
Kxx

Although I don't have the Q, the doubleton spade will allow me to make anytime the spade Q is stiff or the spades 3/2 as long as clubs aren't 4-0. So I bid the grand.

Winston