[Double !]

Game format is Imp Pairs
Opponents both represent selves as Experts
You are red, the opps are white

Bidding: LHO is dealer and, nv, opens 4♠.
Partner, red vs. white, bids 4NT
RHO passes

What is your bid holding ♠Axx, ♥ J9xx, ♦AKx, ♣975 ?

[Double !]

Obviously option #2, bidding 4NT is an error, so please disregard.

dhl

[Fluffy]

I cannot use blackwood? what kind of problem is this?

Now seriously, if you weren't gonna reopen 4♠ then you clearly don't have the rights to bid 1 more, so Just pick ♦ to play on a red suit at the 5 level.

[mikeh]

5N

If I held Axx Jxxx AKxx xx, I'd bid 5♠, since I'd have grand interest, but I am not risking x AKQxxx void AKxxxx as an example, but I am bidding slam

[the hog]

I would have bid 5S and then over 6C correct to 6D, but after reading Mike's post above believe that 5NT is better, again correcting 6C to 6D.

[skjaeran]

I've got no grand slam ambitions here, so 5♠ is out.

I'll bid 5NT - pick a slam, and remove 6♣ to 6♦.

[helene_t]

I voted 5♠ but some other posters say that 5♠ is stronger than 5NT so I should just bid 5NT.

[Edmunte1]

I like 5NT, pick a slam, no grand intentions (all the time a Queen is missing ). I'll corect 6♣ in 6♦

[Apollo81]

5NT pick a slam

[ulven]

I'm a bit indecisive about this one.

It looks clear to bid 5NT when partner has overcalled red/white. But, there are serious warning signs. Partner is likely to have H's and C's and we wouldn't be without AK in one of the suits. So, we don't have any H's in partner's long suit and at least one will not split favorable.

This comes down to partner's strategy for 4NT. Is he the kind who hates getting shut out or a conservative player?

Put me down for 5H. If partner has minor's, we play slam. The downside is, besides missing a making slam, that preempter gets the lead and a singleton club lead may be the difference between making 11 and 12 tricks.

[hotShot]

Partners 4NT means "pick a minor" in my book and red vs. white he is not planing a sacrifice.
With an unknown partner I'll pick 6♦. (A trustworthy partner would have known that down 2 is to much in red vs. white, so he should hold 10 tricks. So i should bid 7♦ with 3 top tricks.)

[jdonn]

I guess I'll get us to slam too, but I'm not nearly as optimistic about it as everyone else. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if a doubleton club would have turned out to be more valuable than the spade ace. I am extremely worried about a bad break in that suit.

Should partner pass over 4♠ with - KQ QJxxxx AKxxx? x A QJTxx AQxxx? Not saying slam couldn't be making (I'm bidding it after all) but many a good slam bid after a preempt has gone down on bad breaks. I am only bidding it since partner made this bid vul, no way would I bid slam if that wasn't the case. If we were NV I would bid 5♣, reason being that way I could reevaluate and bid slam if partner had the red suits.

[jdeegan]

5♠. The preempt has done its job. There is very little bidding room. I can't bid an uncertain seven. Six looks like a make, maybe. So, I'm going to try to find the best strain for a small slam. I am assuming that 4NT may be a three suit takeout bid. Furthermore, I do have first round spade control. If pard has a real rock crusher, and he/she hints at seven, I'm going to bid it.

[FrancesHinden]

This hand is nowhere near a grand try, and it is arguable whether it is worth driving to slam.

I believe 4NT is any two suits, and looking at my hand it seems very likely the suits are hearts and clubs. Your AAK will be worth at most 2 tricks, possibly only one, as partner is likely to be very shapely. If partner has - AQxxxx x AKxxxx then slam is hardly great after the pre-empt. You want some way of asking partner if he has bid on shape or on high cards, and bidding a slam (or a grand slam) if it's the latter!