[kfgauss]

In a bidding room, we had trouble with one of these, and my partner suggested (and possibly thinks is the standard meaning) that, when you've agreed both majors, a jump (or raise) to 5M in one of the majors should ask about the quality of the other major (assuming you've cuebid both or neither of the minors so it isn't needed for asking about a control in a specific minor).

This makes a lot of sense to me: you get to play the major with better suit quality if partner passes.

Is this something you've have heard of before and/or think is standard? (If not, is there a standard?)

Do you like this treatment?

Andy

[keylime]

There is something called 6A-RKCB that will allow you to ask about both majors for slam. Jumping to five on paper looks good, but I fear is prone for forgets because of the rarity of having both majors, with good hands, looking for slam.

[kfgauss]

Six key works well, but there are times you won't want to or be able to use it, just like normal RKC doesn't make jumping/raising to 5M ineffective in single-agreement auctions (a frequent case is when you have a void).

A benefit of doing it with two agreed suits, though, is that you're in fact looking for suit quality *or pitches* -- for example, this Nov 1989 Challenge the Champs hand:

Scoring: MP

-- 1S
2H 3H
3S 4C
4D 4H
?

---

I will be the first to admit that making agreements based on CTC hands isn't great, but this agreement seems very logical and is hopefully easy to remember because you're actually bidding the suit you want to play (the reverse is basically unplayable).

Andy

[SoTired]

A common method is 5N when it cannot be GSF is "choice of slams".

[pclayton]

6 ace key card is very effective in 1x - 2y - 3y - 3x auctions. In one partnership, this is the ONLY sequence I play it in.

Is it cumbersome? A little. But its better than trying to set too many default rules of "what are trump" in these auctions.

[luke warm]

i'm sorry, i know someone will jump on me for showing my favorite methods here, but i just had to

2S (5+ and 4+ clubs, 11-15) : 2nt (gf relay)
3S (5314) : 4C (asking)
4nt (5 controls) : 5c (spiral)
5d (no top spade or all 3) : 5h (scan)
5s (no top club or all 3) : 7H

he knows about AKQx in clubs, stiff diamond, Axx in hearts.. if opener had 4 controls, responder can pass 4♠ (if he wants).. with 3, he can pass 4♥, if he wants, and with 2 he can bid 4♠

[kenrexford]

Personally, I strongly suggest avoidance of agreements where two majors can be "agreed" as trumps simultaneously. For example, 1S-P-2H-P-3H should agree hearts, with 1S-P-2H-P-3H-P-3S being a cuebid in support of hearts.

If that suggestion is not agreed, then this auction creates a problem in many respects. Whenever 4NT is later the call, 6KCB must be used, or some default "agreement" operates. Now you have a serious problem, as posed.

It makes more sense, to me, to at least assume that hearts, in this example, are agreed. Then, perhaps a later "weird" action should re-focus spades. Alternatively, assume that the higher-ranking is always the default, such that a call of slam in the lower-ranking suit is now a "choice" bid.