[Elianna]

You hold:
♠ Axx
♥ QJTx
♦ KQTxxx
♣ --
You are playing SA. The opponents mainly stay out of the auction except the bids in parentheses.

You Partner
1♦ (2♣) 3♣ <-- This is NOT a limit raise in diamonds.
3♥ (4♣) 5♣
??

Your partner has emphatically stated that he "doesn't believe in limit raises for the minor suits", so you believe (and hint: you're right) that 3♣ is not a limit raise + for diamonds, but instead a general force asking for more description.

What do you bid now, and how do you feel about your previous bids?

BTW, before there are any comments about your partner or his choice of methods, you are playing with him because he is your bestfriend's boyfriend, so suck it up.

(I'm posting this for my mother, who wanted to get other people's interpretations on what the 5♣ bid means, and what people would do after it.)

[neilkaz]

OK 3♣ is a general force now, likely GF. 3♥ sure seems natural with 4 of them and a relative minumum. 5♣ seems like a Q bid. I'm not sure if it agrees to ♥ so I'll just bid 5♦ and leave things up to PD. The 5♣ bid may have been made instead of 4NT since PD could have a suit with no second round control, like ♠.

As a general rule, when I am confused about the bidding, I don't want to make overcommittal actions like commiting to slam unless I have more than I hold here.

.. neilkaz ..

[kenberg]

Can't say I feel on solid ground here, but if he didn't want me to act when I have the ace of spades he shouldn't have bid 5C. So I bid 5S. I really hope he doesn't bid 6D over that. I think hearts are trump, but am I sure? But I sense a trend. He will probably bid 6C over 5S. Maybe I'll pass.

[the hog]

I fail to understand this bidding at all. If 3C is a general force, what is the difference between this bid and a X? What is 5C supposed to be? Can we assume that H is trumps? Oh, what the heck, I just bid 6D here, at least I have a decent suit.

[HeartA]

well, I bid 5S now. I am in dark, 5S can be Q-bid or pattern out.

[helene_t]

Agree with Ron. What's next? Your partner says that he doesn't believe in natural 2♦ openings. Then he opens 2♦ and you have to guess what it means.

[whereagles]

Pard probably has some kind of strong hand with the majors. I don't know what he wants, so I'll just bid 5♦ and wait for him to make his first descriptive bid at the 3rd round and at the 5 level.

[kenberg]

I am going to offer a bet about what partner has: 4-5-3-1, or maybe 5-4-3-1, with lots of goodies. Suppose for a moment the 4-5-3-1 shape. He reasons: "I could bid 2H over 2C but if lho bids 3C partner, holding four spades and a club stop, might choose 3NT. I think I'll start with a game forcing cue and hope to sort out the suits later." This may not be the best strategy, but it makes some sort of sense. Along the lines that Hog points out, he didn't negative double, he didn't bid 2M over 2C, he din't sign off in 4H over 4C, he didn't bid 4D over 4C. What can he be thinking? Whether or not I would bid as he did I am not sure (I really don't like these "guess what this means" cue bids), but I can imagine it with a 4-5-3-1 monster. Hence the 5S bid.

[hotShot]

You showed 3+♦ and 4♥, partner showed a forcing hand, wanting to know more. He did not show any fit, but he must have a plan.
5♣ can be 2 things:
1) partner more information about your hand please (you showed little up to now)
2) a cue bid (could be setting ♥ as trump)
We have 3 choices:
6♣ => should show partner shortness in ♣, 4♥, not 4♠ therefore a lot of ♦
5♦ => long ♦, 4♥, minimum strength
4♠ => ♦,♥ and ♠, distribution between 4432 and 3460, if ♥ is not set as trump some pairs will require a♥ control for that.

I'll bid 6♣, partner must have a pefect fit for my hand, and he should pik the slam.

[uday]

I think we're just guessing as to what he means by 5C, since there are no meaningful agreements in place.

All we know is he has some sort of strong hand and some sort of stronger hand (5C).


Strain is in doubt, and the auction is at 5C. I would want to simplify the auction now.


So, if I wanted to stop at the 5 level, I would bid 5D, planning to pass 5H.

If i wanted to bid a slam I would bid 5N. I would hope he'd read it as "pick a slam".

To me, 5C means that partner is being careless; he knows opener has no idea what the trump suit is, and he keeps making ambiguous forces with vast potential for later misunderstandings.

If P is a scientist, you could argue that 5C is a H raise since he could have bid 4D, forcing, but not 4H forcng. But you can't argue that science applies, imo; we're just groping .

[keylime]

I'm bidding 5NT, pick-a-slam. Partner doesn't have 5 spades here by implication.

The other thing to keep in mind is the 2♣ found a 4♣ rebid. What happens if they now find a 6♣ followon? The silence of my RHO is worrysome.

[SoTired]

6C???? - Partner is making us guess, so we want to make partner guess back?

3C = general force for whatever reason
3H = Good natural bid
5C = Clubs under control, slam interest, what else you got?

I love my hand for slam in whatever suit partner wants it in.

So I bid 5S. I have spades under control and confirm that I like slam. With the SK rather than the ace, I'd bid 6D. 5D with no spade control. This might be heading for grand. Partner may have something like Qxxx AKxxx Ax Ax and just needs some spade help.

[inquiry]

I will not comment about the method for the 5C rebid, but I don't like the 3H rebid. I would have rebid my 6 card diamond suit (that is, 1D-(2C)-3C-(pass)/// 3D )

Since clubs were not raised, I serious doubt those who think partner has some clubs. Futhrer, he thinks he knows where he is going. I think it is hearts, but I can't be certain, but surely with diamond support he could have bid a forcing 4D, and with a major one-suiter he could have bid 2M over 2C). I will bid only 5D here. I assume partner will make another bid, and if he supports hearts or bids spades, I will carry on. My biggest fear is that partner has spades and is too good for a non-forcing 4S over 4C, so has made a second nebulous forcing bid. and if partner has good spades and the club ACE, he may not have a heart honor and we could lose two quick heart tricks. But with just spades, he should have bid 2S over 2C.

[kenberg]

And the winner is? What did this wild and crazy guy actually have?

[paulg]

6♣

I am prepared to go a level too high in order to understand what is going on. I also do not wish to imply that I may have a club stop by bidding 5NT 'pick a slam' in a confusing auction.

Paul

[keylime]

Ditto Ken's comment.

[mike777]

Agree 3H this hand is extra for me....5s now telling partner where my hcp are!

[Walddk]

uday, on Aug 3 2006, 04:01 PM, said:

If i  wanted to bid a slam I would bid 5N. I would hope he'd read it as "pick a slam".

Not sure why you think partner would understand this since he is not able to bid his suit at the 2-level, or if he has support for diamonds, support them at any stage.

I usually shrug and pass when I don't understand a bid, and I certainly do not understand 5♣. He deserves to play there!

It's pure guessing. Partner is punishing me, and I don't understand why. At the table I would likely bid 5♦. I have no idea of what's going on, but I am sure partner can enlighten me afterwards.

Roland

[bid_em_up]

I do not believe the 3H bid requires extras. When partner makes a forcing bid asking you to further describe your hand, then your doing so does not show anything extra. However, I would have shown my good 6 card diamond suit instead of the 'weakish" four card heart suit instead and bid 3D. I will not fault the 3H bid however.

Having been forced to bid 3H, who knows what 5C is intended as, but assuming partner is competent, I will bid 5S now to show the rest of my hand.

(And I bet when we are done, nobody will agree with 3C or 5C).

[willow23]

I think that the auction is slam going ..

I cue aces first..so I would bid 5♠ and let p take it from there...the hand with the ♣ void is concealed ..which should work out ok....

If p bids 5NT then I bid 6!d....

Interesting auction though:)