[whereagles]

It's not just an ace. The 3rd diamond is a loser last time I checked. There are 3 cards to cover and is unlikely pard will cover one of those (♠A). That requires pd to have either ♥AK or ♥A♦Q. Seems a bit optimistic, but...

[helene_t]

I would probably have opened 6♣ but certainly considered 1♣. 2♣ is not my style but I don't think it's very wrong. 5♣ would be a huge underbid.

Now I'd pass, planning to show slam interest by taking partner's double out to 5♣. Not sure if partner should bid 6, then. (FWIW, I prefer to play a direct bid as stronger than pass in such a situation, but that's non-standard).

[jdonn]

whereagles, on Apr 19 2007, 03:28 AM, said:

It's not just an ace. The 3rd diamond is a loser last time I checked. There are 3 cards to cover and is unlikely pard will cover one of those (♠A). That requires pd to have either ♥AK or ♥A♦Q. Seems a bit optimistic, but...

Or the queen of hearts allows a finesse since LHO is much more likely to be long in hearts. Or the jack of diamonds lets the queen fall. Or the opponents screw up since they have about 59 discards to make and you didn't tell them about your shape outside clubs. Or you squeeze LHO who is much more likely to be long in the red suits. Or partner is something like 3622 and you get to ruff a diamond. There is absolutely no way to find out if the third diamond is a loser, but I guarantee you that you will not lose it a lot more frequently than you will lose it on a hand this good.

[jillybean]

Thanks for the replies.
If this hand comes up again in the next 30 years and I open 4nt specific ace ask is there a good chance my pick up BBO Expert/Advanced player will know what Im bidding?

[helene_t]

jillybean2, on Apr 19 2007, 11:42 PM, said:

Thanks for the replies.
If this hand comes up again in the next 30 years and I open 4nt specific ace ask is there a good chance my pick up BBO Expert/Advanced player will know what Im bidding?

Yes I think so. Provided it's a real adv/exp.

[P_Marlowe]

jillybean2, on Apr 19 2007, 04:42 PM, said:

Thanks for the replies.
If this hand comes up again in the next 30 years and I open 4nt specific ace ask is there a good chance my pick up BBO Expert/Advanced player will know what Im bidding?

Hi.

I would not, what ever that means with regards
to my playing strength.

Besides, some play a 4NT opener as a freak Minor
2-suiter, specific Ace asking may be more standard
than the 2-suiter, but because of the frequency
of occurrence, who knows..

If you play with a pickup (Exp./Adv) and throw an
undiscussed 4NT at him, you get what you deserve, if
the auction explodes.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: As was already said, you need more than an Ace to
make slam.

[jillybean]

One more question on specific ace ask

4nt:5x

does the openers rebid set the contract?

[skjaeran]

jillybean2, on Apr 20 2007, 03:28 PM, said:

One more question on specific ace ask

4nt:5x

does the openers rebid set the contract?

YES!

[cherdano]

helene_t, on Apr 20 2007, 01:14 AM, said:

jillybean2, on Apr 19 2007, 11:42 PM, said:

Thanks for the replies.
If this hand comes up again in the next 30 years and I open 4nt specific ace ask is there a good chance my pick up BBO Expert/Advanced player will know what Im bidding?

Yes I think so. Provided it's a real adv/exp.

I would guess it is both minors, 6-6, so I will downgrade to intermediate.

[jillybean]

skaeran, on Apr 20 2007, 07:47 AM, said:

jillybean2, on Apr 20 2007, 03:28 PM, said:

One more question on specific ace ask

4nt:5x

does the openers rebid set the contract?

YES!

Great! I have learned I have to ask the obvious in this game

[FrancesHinden]

I'd like to make a point on the original auction:

2♣ P 2♥ (4♠) ?

There have been a couple of comments that it's right to pass and then bid 5C over partner's double to show a better hand. This is a slightly subtle point, but I don't think you can afford to pass on this hand.

Yes, of course pass is forcing.

The problem is that partner still has no idea why you opened 2C. In fact, you opened 2C because you had a big club suit: you have to tell partner that now. If you pass, partner will know you were uncertain about what to bid. Partner is entitled to believe that you are uncertain about strain. In fact, you aren't at all uncertain about strain, you are confident you want to play in clubs.

Think of it from partner's point of view. Suppose partner is looking at this healthy collection:

xxx
AKJ10xxx
Qx
x

and hears you pass 4S. Surely partner is entitled to think "you didn't double, so you don't have must defence; you didn't bid a suit so you must have some support for all the suits; perhaps you've got something like Ax Qx AKJxx AKQx (after all, wouldn't you pass 4S on that hand?). Opposite any suitable high-card 2C opener with a spade control we must have play for at least 6H, probably 7H".

I don't know what I'd bid on my sample hand above, but I'm pretty confident I'll be playing in hearts at the end of the auction.

So I think it's most important you tell partner as soon as you can exactly why you opened 2C, and you do that by bidding 5C. You are massively light in high cards for a 2C opener, and I would expect partner to raise 5C most of the time that 6C is making. The AK of hearts are certainly enough to raise.