[jocdelevat]

[FONT=Courier]

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South

 -     2NT   Pass  ?

pard open 2nt 21-22 points

[hrothgar]

This looks like a hand where asking for aces is best

Mark me down for an immediate 4♣

[HeartA]

Jlall, on Mar 22 2007, 10:06 PM, said:

YES, GERBER!!! SCORE.

If we have 4 Aces, I would go to grand (7NT) directly!

[FrancesHinden]

At last! A good hand for Gerber!
pity I don't play it...

[helene_t]

3♣ followed by 4♠ is the way to ask for aces in Dutch Pubbet Stayman.

Pitty that it hasn't come up for five years so partner is unlikely to remember the same version of the convension as I do.

[kgr]

4D is slem invite for me. asking partner to cue.
Over cue I bid 4NT RKC.

[Gerben42]

And if partner has two aces, you play 6NT doubled down 3? I am sure there ARE good hands for this "Gerber" convention, but much more good hands for natural bidding.

Since you are short of room, let's just play 2NT - 4m as natural and slam-interest?

2NT - 4♦. We'll hear partner skip the ♥ cue.

[chicken]

depends what funny things u play after the 2NT opening.

with some of my pds it goes 2NT - 3♠(x-fer to 3nt or STR minor)
3NT - 4♦
4♥♠ (pos/neg for slam)
and so on.

in a casual partnership i like 4♦ but i am afraid that many will take it as Majors.

[kenrexford]

I'm not sure how anyone thinks this can get out of hand if we simply ace-ask. Partner has 21-22 HCP's. We have 14 HCP's. That means the opponents have 4-5 HCP's.

So, if we are missing an Ace, at most a Jack is also missing, making 12 tricks impossible to avoid.

If we are missing a KQ together, any attack in that suit by the opponents will render one of them useless, and again 13 tricks is easy, even if partner has KQ tight in clubs.

If we are missing a K-Q separated, the "worst" might be missing the K1098 in hearts, behind partner's AQJ, KQ tight in clubs from partner, and Q109 behind our KJx in spades. We still get 12 tricks without thinking, and the missing 13th is very unlucky.

[han]

4♦, Gerber!

[kenberg]

If playing Gerber:

I ask. 2aces->6NT of course. Hard to imagine it failing.

Suppose I find partner has three aces. I guess the question is "Do I want to be in a grand missing a king?" If that prospect scares me, I can regerber to ask for kings. If partner has two I can count thirteen tricks. With one I can sign off in 6N.

Should I try for a grand missing a king? I think so. [Definitely! See "added" below] If we are missing the king of hearts or clubs but have the Queen of spades (and the other king) I can still count thirteen tricks: three spades, seven diamonds, the AK in one suit and the ace in another.

So, given that partner has three aces, the grand is there if partner has both kings, one king and the queen of spades, if the finesse wins, or something else turns up. This seems like enough.

Nonetheless, I ask for kings. If partner has two I bid 7NT and claim. If partner has one I bid 7D. If I need the "something else turns up", having some trumps just might help bring it about.

If not playing Gerber: Beats me. I suppose I start with 3S and then bid 4D (if this is a diamond slam try). Hopefully cue bids will now lead me to the true and brilliant contract.

About Gerber: When it works, it works. Ugly maybe, but like the elephant child's trunk, useful.

Ken

Added: My error. If we have the aces, 7NT is cold given the 21 points in partner's hand. If partner is missing a king, say the king of clubs, and also missing the spade queen, then partner has everything else. Thus we have two spades, three hearts (four actually because he has the jack as well as the queen) seven diamonds and a club. Similarly if he is missing the king of hearts and the queen of spades. So unless he is missing an ace we have thirteen tricks. No need for bidding 7D.

Nice problem.

[Apollo81]

gerber 7NT

[whereagles]

Why is everybody mentioning the G-word? yuck