[helene_t]

Scoring: MP

---- (----) Pass-(1♥)
X-(pass)-?

---

East bid 3♥, intended as a splinter for spades. West did not understand this but that's not such an interesting problem. A more interesting problem is what agreements EW should have that allowed East to express all if this:
- I have GF values
- Spades are trump, I might want to include in the king of spades in a keycard ask
- I have a strong diamond side suit, does that make your hand improve?

Without specific agreements, I think it could have started
X-2♥
2♠-3♦
4♦-4♥
4♠-4NT
.... but now diamonds are trump. An additional complication is that South, who doubled 3♥ (she had a 7-card) might have bid 3♥ over 2♥.

A more radical solution I thought of (after having read the Robson/Segal book) was to define an immediate 4♦ by East as passing all three messages at once.

Any thoughts?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

a different solution would be to play
transfer responses, I never heard
about it in the given scenario, but it sure
exists somewhere.
The adv. being, that the frequency of the
bids is a lot higher.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[FrancesHinden]

An immediate 4D by East is quite useful to mean "I have a lot of diamonds".

A non-standard, but useful, treatment is to play the jump to 3H not specifically as a splinter for spades (too rare that responder to a t/o double has such short hearts) but more generally as a forcing spade bid.

While that would help, this is still a desperately difficult slam to bid - any slam with a perfect and no wasted high cards is tough. East doesn't really have room to find out about all of
i) 4-card spade support to the AK (admittedly AQ might be enough)
ii) One of the aces of hearts and clubs
iii) The Queen of diamonds

[whereagles]

Why not a simple 2♥, intending to follow-up with 4♠ if pard makes a min bid? (If he shows strength, you can follow up with RKCB or 5NT pick-a-slam).

[mike777]

whereagles, on Apr 15 2007, 08:43 AM, said:

Why not a simple 2♥, intending to follow-up with 4♠ if pard makes a min bid? (If he shows strength, you can follow up with RKCB or 5NT pick-a-slam).

ditto.

Not going to spend too much system time trying to find 22 hcp slams after lho opens 1h in second seat. Most of us lose from messing up much easier hands.

If I got to do something then I vote to open one spade in first seat if partner expects this.

[cherdano]

whereagles, on Apr 15 2007, 07:43 AM, said:

Why not a simple 2♥, intending to follow-up with 4♠ if pard makes a min bid? (If he shows strength, you can follow up with RKCB or 5NT pick-a-slam).

What is a minimum bid? For most of us, 2♥ promises a rebid, so 2♠ by doubler is unlimited.

[whereagles]

Good question. Well, over 2♠ by doubler you can try 4♦. If pard signs-off in 4♠ now, well.. pass :/

[helene_t]

FrancesHinden, on Apr 15 2007, 03:04 PM, said:

An immediate 4D by East is quite useful to mean "I have a lot of diamonds".

Hmmmm ..... but most hands with a lot of diamonds would not like bypass 3NT based on a diamond fit, especially at matchpoints. East was a passed hand. I should have added that a weak 2 in diamonds was available, while a preempt based on spades+diamonds was not.

Quote

A non-standard, but useful, treatment is to play the jump to 3H not specifically as a splinter for spades (too rare that responder to a t/o double has such short hearts) but more generally as a forcing spade bid.

I like that.

[Edmunte1]

I prefer using a jump cue-bid here as asking for stopper, showing a good long minor (AKxxxxx will do). Then 2♥ followed by 3♥ shows both minors, obviously GF. With spades and strong i have to start with 2♥ followed by spade fit. And in my methods 2♠ response on 2♥ shows a minimum hand