[FrancesHinden]

Scoring: Total Points

P P 2NT P
3♦ P 3NT P
4♣ P 4♦ P
4♥ P ?

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2NT = 20-22 (but 22s are often upgraded)
3♦ = xfer
3NT = 5-2 in the majors
4♣ = natural, may only be a 4-card suit
4♦ = step 1
4♥ = natural, non-forcing

Are you going to move over this?

Scoring: Total Points

P P 2NT P
3♦ P 3NT P
4♣ P 4♦ P
4♥ P ?

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2♣ = game forcing or 23-24 balanced
2♥ = natural positive, 8+ HCP, 5+ hearts
2♠ = natural, but the auction is now forced to 4NT
3♥, 3♠ = natural
4♠ = natural, but forcing (see above)
5♣ = cue bid

[paulg]

Hand 1.

4♠. Controls are too good to pass opposite a probable 6-4 or 5-5 hand. The 5-level should be safe or partner should not have introduced clubs.

Hand 2.

Pass - I expect partner to hold something like ♠xx ♥QJxxxx ♦QJx ♣Kxx and slam does not look better than a finesse, and it could have no play.

I know total points rewards slams well, but partner knows that too.

Paul

[Codo]

Hand 1: Clear pass, I have what I promised but no fit. 4 Heart must be to play opposite my hand.

Hand 2: Pd does not have both minors controlled, else he had rebid NT at some level. Shall I hope for x,KQJxxx,Kxx,xxx? I doubt that, because he surely had make some noise after 5 Club. So I pass.

[whereagles]

1. I dunno what pard is up to, but it looks like he's got slam interest. I'll take a stab at 6♣, in case he has 5 cards.

2. I dunno what pard is up to, but it looks like he's got NO slam interest. Pass

[mikeh]

1. I bid... all those juicy controls: I didn't need this much for my auction so far, and, more importantly, partner cannot be aggressive when he holds no Aces and lacks even the K of his suit. I would bid on at mps... that is how clear I think this is, but I concede that knowing partner's tendencies in strong auctions could persuade me otherwise.

2. Again, I bid.. but it is not, to me, as clear as the first example. I would also like to know how/whether partner could agree on ♠ without forcing.... at the stage that he bid 4♠, could he sign-off? .... if so, then 4♠ is a slam try and I have to move...if 4♠ is devoid of information re slam suitability, then I am really guessing.....I think I will bid 5N anyway... if he has, for example, xx KQJ9xx Qx xxx makes it an okay 6♥, while improve the hand slightly (give him the ♠10, for example...) the contract goes from okay to good to great, depending.

He would have to have poor ♥ (in context with the 3♥ rebid) and no side controls... a quackish hand.. for slam to be downright bad.

[FrancesHinden]

1. I agree with mikeh that you should bid, though what you should bid is another matter... my partner after the event (who held this hand) said he thinks he should bid 5NT to offer me choice of slams. After all, he couldn't have better hearts given the auction... he was worried that we weren't on the same page about the auction, as the 3NT bid had never come up at the table before although it's in the system file.

Partner has K 1087xxx Kx KJ9x and 6NT is very slightly better than 6H, though both make with hearts 3-2. This board was flat in 4H+2.

2.

Quote

Again, I bid.. but it is not, to me, as clear as the first example. I would also like to know how/whether partner could agree on S without forcing.... at the stage that he bid 4S, could he sign-off? .... if so, then 4S is a slam try and I have to move...if 4S is devoid of information re slam suitability, then I am really guessing.....

At the point when he made a positive response to 2C, you become forced to 4NT unless you agreed a major at the 3-level and signed off, so (in effect) the 3H bid forced to 4NT.

Quote

I think I will bid 5N anyway... if he has, for example, xx KQJ9xx Qx xxx makes it an okay 6S, while improve the hand slightly (give him the S10, for example...) the contract goes from okay to good to great, depending.

give him 10x KQJ9xx Qx xxx and you want to play in 7NT.

I bid 6H rather than 5NT in case he had this hand, and he bid 6S (could 5NT have been AKQJxx 10 AKxx AK or similar?). He has a fairly horrible collection:

xx
KJ9xxx
Jx
Kxx

even opposite this, I make slam fractionally over 50% (clubs 3-3 or short HQ is better odds than the various possible squeezes). Clubs were 3-3 so it made.