[han]

See thread 1 first, this session we are west.

1. ♠KQ987♥AKJ♦Axx♣Ax, N dealer, none, pass pass pass to us:

2NT - 3S
3NT - 4C
??

3NT was forced, partner has shown clubs.

2. ♠AJ32♥53♦AQJ954♣2, E dealer, favorable

- - - 1C
(p) - 1D - (1H) - p
(2H) - 2S - (3C) - 3D
(3H) - ??

We play Walsh, we have shown at least good invitational values. 3C was a natural gametry. We do not play support doubles over 1C-1D, don't ask me what the double would have shown.

3. ♠AQJ9♥AK1093♦J10♣J4, N dealer, favorable

1D - 1H
2D - 2S
3C - ??

4. ♠K10♥K10843♦987♣KJ2, S dealer, none

(2D) - p - (p) - 2S
(p) - ??

2D shows typically 5 diamonds.

5. ♠AKQ4♥KQ2♦32♣10965, N dealer, both

(1C) - p - (2C) - ??

2C was NF.

[markleon]

1. Your partner in this event and I are playing this as a slam try in clubs. If the same here, I'm going to start co-operating with a 4♦ cuebid.

2. X

3. 3♦

4. Well, with transfer advances, this would be easy. 3♦ transfer to hearts, and then 3♠ to show about 10 points, 5 hearts, and 2 spades. Without that, I guess I'll just have to raise to 3♠.

5. X, Life is rarely perfect.

[kenrexford]

1. It makes little sense to play a convention like you are playing without any follow-up discussed. Of course, the auction reverts to natural at this point, so the omission is not fatal.

You have a rock on this one. Primes, with your only real non-primes being in a five-card trick source (missing only the Ace). I would not cuebid, as you already have informational advantage over partner (the spade suit). Simply use whatever you have agreed to be RKCB for clubs in this auction. For me, that would be 4♥, but whatever you use seems right.

2. It seems remote that partner has the golden hand (maybe ♠KQx ♥x ♦Kxxx ♣Axxxx), but it is possible, and 4♣ costs nothing. That's my call.

3. 3NT.

4. 3♥

5. Pass. My partner will reopen with a stiff club when it is right.

[Robert]

Hi everyone

If you do not have more system information after 2NT-3S-3NT-4C you might want to add additional notes here. We are bidding almost bidding blind by the 4C level with the information that 'partner has clubs.' Five? Six?

My methods make the 2NT bidder declarer at about a 99+% rate so that 4C bid showing 'clubs' is not included in my bidding style.

What 2NT range are we playing? What is the partnership style on making slam trys, does he need the perfect hand or just a good one?

With the kenrexford example hand, I would show 5(+)Cs and 4Ds using my methods, unless partner 'bless him' had already bid 4Ds instead of 3NT.

I would also have denied a balance slam try because no CONFIT(control/fit asking bid) was used.

kenrexford is correct in that we do hold a moose here. What to bid next is a matter of what partner's club bid really meant and what he expects our bids to mean.

Blackwood is a checkup bid to keep out of bad slams. I think that six is safe(if partner is sane) and seven should be at least hinted at.

Hand #2. You play 'modified' Walsh? Isn't standard Walsh GF if responder later shows a major after bidding a minor?

I play support doubles and in this auction my double does show three card diamond support. With a 'dog' hand or a hand that 'has dropped' in value, the support double is not always made.

What is your 1NT opening range? What is your bidding style? Light? Roth Stone?

What would a double of that (3C) bid mean?

You might want to expand your system notes here. What does a direct 3D mean after the (2H) bid? What would a delayed 3D bid have meant?

Using your 'modified' Walsh style is the auction forcing to any given level?

#3 3D. wtp?

#4 Pass and hope that my partner can either make it or keep the minus number fairly small.

#5. Marshal Miles bids 2Ss here.

Does your partnership normally pass out a 'freely bid and raised' 2C contract?'

If I pass here, I would expect my partner to bid something. If I did not follow the Marshal Miles style of bidding, the problem will be delayed until the bidding gets back to me next time.

With four clubs, I am not too worried. If the minors were exchanged, a 2C pass out would be much more likely.

Regards,
Robert

[pclayton]

1. Disagree with 2N - I think the hand is a little too good. I'd like to investigate a 5-3 spade fit if possible, and I think the only way to look is 5♠.

2. Matchpoints? Pard didn't hit 3♣ so I don't expect wastage. I'd probably try 5♦ here.

3. 3♦

4. Pass. Save the plus.

5. I know the hand. Pass is indicated.

[han]

1. This didn't seem like such a good hand to me, Ax in clubs. I could have bid 4NT as a sign off but with Axx in diamonds I decided to bid 5C. Partner bid 6 with Ax Q 10953 K108652, making.

2. Well, I bid 4D only. Maybe a deep position but I figured that partner would raise with a good cards in spades and diamonds. 4C with this partner is asking for trouble.

These were the hands:

Scoring: MP

---

Lefty lead the club king. I decided to try to see if I could get a discard on the 5th club. I won, ruffed a club, played the diamond ace and diamond queen, planning to overtake and LHO showed out (pitching a heart). Hmm, that meant that I wouldn't have enough entries to set up the club even if they split 4-3. Perhaps I should have planned the hand a little better.

I won the second diamond in hand and exited with a heart. RHO won and played a third diamond, LHO pitching a club. That suggested that clubs were 5-2. Indeed, when I lead a club RHO showed out, so LHO must have started with a 2-5-1-5 shape. Therefore the best play in the spade suit was to cash the ace and king before playing towards my jack. When lefty had ♠Qx we still got a great score.

3. I bid 4C, maybe just as dangerous as 4C on the previous hand. Partner bid 4H and that's where we played. Partner had ♠K102♥Q2♦AKQ832♣98.

As you can see, 4S is the best spot but how to get there....

4. I bid 3H. McCallum doubled and I ran to 3S, also doubled for -300. I should have passed, sorry partner.

5. I bid 2S, partner raised to 4 on ♠J1082♥J1083♦KQ964, good spot.

I imagine that partner would have doubled 2C, would you get to 4S then?