[Apollo81]

♠AKx
♥Kx
♦xxx
♣AKJ9x

all white IMPs, 1st quarter of a 48 board match

partner in 1st chair opens 4♥, passed to you. you have no special methods besides RKC

Partner is a professional player and is known to be a straight man (has his bids, doesn't fool around much)

[jillybean]

I'd have to try a cue bid 4♣ ?

[Apollo81]

jillybean2, on Feb 22 2007, 02:53 PM, said:

I'd have to try a cue bid 4♣ ?

Partner opened 4♥.

[inquiry]

If 5♦ is asking for a singleton, then I might be tempted. We are sure a straight man would not have A or K of diamonds, so bidding slam risk losing two quick diamond tricks (if they find a diamond lead) unless partner is short in diamonds. Without such a gimmick, bidding on not only risk losing top two diamond tricks, but the chance partner's hearts are not as good as we hoped for and even if we lose only one diamond we might not lose a heart as well.

So, either pass (no 5♦ singleton ask) or 5♦ (if it is an ask). At mp, I would pass, because if you bid 5♦ and then signoff in 5♥, they surely will find the first two tricks... to often.... but this is imps, so is not a concern.

[pbleighton]

"We are sure a straight man would not have A or K of diamonds"

Really? At the 4 level?

No science, I don't have a method to find out what I need, I'm bidding 6H.

Peter

[Apollo81]

inquiry, on Feb 22 2007, 03:08 PM, said:

....a straight man would not have A or K of diamonds...

This statement is ridiculous. You are saying partner is not going to open 4♥ with x QJ10xxxxx Ax xx.

[inquiry]

Apollo81, on Feb 22 2007, 02:23 PM, said:

inquiry, on Feb 22 2007, 03:08 PM, said:

....a straight man would not have A or K of diamonds...

This statement is ridiculous. You are saying partner is not going to open 4♥ with x QJ10xxxxx Ax xx.

Well this is a little harsh... I do preempt with side values, but I would never (not even on a dare) call myself a "straight man". As far as the hand you showed, I wuld open with 4♣ as that is too good for 4♥.

Opening preempts in first and second seat are generally taught (at least to the best of my knowledge) as vary by position. A first seat preempt should be fairly well defined (in third seat, obviously even a straight man could have anything). Since preempts generally call for hcp in the bid suit (prefereable two honors or more) and, to quote one website, (bridgeguys) "The honor strength or location of the values should be in the suit bid. The number of tricks taken will come mainly through this suit."

I also have some beginner books at home that I could refer too to see if my memory serves me correctly on the side ACES issue, (again, I preempt with all kind of stuff). But I am pretty certain that most text would describe opening preempt requirement (in first/2nd seat) as something like this...

REQUIREMENTS,

• 7+ suit
  
• 5 to 9 hcp (open 1 suit with 10+ hcp)
  
• High cards should be in the long suit. (2 of top 3 honours)
  
• Non Vulnerable: expect to take 3 less tricks than your bid, vul two less

Now that probably is not verbatim, but I would say that is pretty close. Anyone who plays with me will know I frequently preempt on a five card suit, and have done so on a four card suit from time to time. I have had 0 hcp, and I have had pretty darn good hands with side suit stuff. So I surely don't practice what I "preached" in this thread, but again, no one would ever mistake me for a "straight man".

But if you allow preempt with all kinds of side suit stuff, the 5♦ bid still works, it just ask for a control (first or second round). Sadly in this case, however (opposite your hypothetical hand), if your partners diamond was king rather than ACE you are in slam off two red suit aces. This is why some sort of standards are nice when you prreempt BEFORE your partner has bid.

[temp3600]

RKC. I think that if partner has his white vs white 4♥ bid and we're not off two aces, slam is a good bet.

[inquiry]

Jlall, on Feb 22 2007, 03:11 PM, said:

I would bid 4N. If partner has 2 with the queen I'll bid 7. If partner has 1 I'll bid 6.

I wouldn't worry too much about the diamonds. Partner may have a stiff, may have the king, or they may not lead it. Unless you're playing against echognome they don't always make the right lead.

4♥-(Pass)-4NT-(Pass)
5♦-DBL-6♥

Where 5♦ is 1, what do they lead?

4♥-(pass)-4NT-(pass)
5♣-(pass)-6♥

Where 5♣ is one and they do not double, what is the chance some will lead a club or heart? Figure that out, then what is the chance they will lead a diamond even if the opening leader lack the D-Ace or some sequence like D-KQT, QJ9, etc. Your clubs and spades are so good, that a diamond lead seems more likely than not based upon their potential holdings in the suit, and your RKCB helps them.

If you want to risk getting to slam bid 6♥. I really truely do not think parnter can ahve AQ-sevnthi in hearts and the ace of diamonds, so trying for grand seems a huge and unnecessary stretch.

[SoTired]

4N is so obvious. 0, 1, 2 = 5, 6, 7. To heck with the Q. If partner does not have the ♥Q, I hope partner has 8♥. I agree with Justin, to heck with the diam, also. It's like bidding 3N without a stopper. Maybe partner has a stopper, maybe they won't lead it.

[inquiry]

Jlall, on Feb 22 2007, 03:26 PM, said:

they're going to double 5D to tell themselves to lead one?

Lead directing doubles don't help the guy who's on lead.

As far as just bidding 6H, partner could have AQ A where we make 7 or he could have -- QJTxxxxx KQx xx where we are off 2 aces and make 5.

Lol... ok, ok.. I am up too late last few nights.... color me silly.....

[Edmunte1]

I'll bid 4♠, cue, my partner will make first cue-bid, first or second round, if i want to make a scientific bid. Otherwise i'll take a poker 4nt bid

[mikeh]

The one thing I am not going to do is to cuebid... which will help with the opening lead. My instinctive reaction was to bid 6♥, but I don't see any downside to 4N, which may help us considerably.... so 4N it is.

[cherdano]

I am not so optimistic about getting a good lead if partner has ♦xx. Most players lead aggressively against such an auction, even from A-empty. Since we know opening leader can't have any other A or K, the chance seems at least 75% that they will lead a diamond if that's right.
(If we simplistically assume that opening leader will just pick the suit where he has the highest honor -- but that seems to come very close.)

Arend