[Dwingo]

Interesting hand that I played recently.

Scoring: MP

P - P - 2NT - P
?

---

2NT is the usual 20-21. No special gadgets. 3C is Stayman, 3D/3H are transfers.

What is the recommended bidding sequence with this hand. How do you make a slam try with this hand.

Bidding died at 4♥ in our table

Started as 2NT - 3H - 3S - 4H - P - P - P

Thanks

Godwin

[TylerE]

Without sophisticated gadgets,I'd transfer to spades, then bid 6H.

[mikeh]

It all comes down to methods. Bidding over our own 2N is a difficult task: most expert pairs have complex agreements: in one of my partnerships, we bid 3♦, which is usually a transfer to 3♥, but can include several less-frequent hand types including a slammish major 2-suiter.

So we would bid 3♦ 3♥ 4♠: announcing the major 2-suiter with slam interest.

However, in a casual partnership, I think I'd bid 3♥, transfer to 3♠, followed by 6♥. Partner will bid 7 with Ax AQxx Axxx Axxx (where the x's will include a couple of points). You'll miss the grand when his hand is a little worse, and maybe reach it when he has a holding of Axx in the side major.

[Gerben42]

In many partnerships I play 2NT - 4♣ as both majors, slammish. Would be useful here But then some like to play this sequence as ♣ and slammish... Everything a matter of agreement!

With a pickup pd you are stuck.

[1eyedjack]

If you want a simple method that results in minimal disruption to your existing response structure, you might try re-transfers, thus:

2N-3H-3S-4C = Diamond second suit
2N-3H-3S-4D = Hearts second suit
2N-3H-3S-4H = Clubs second suit
(or you might set 4C to show Hearts, 4D to show Clubs, 4H to show Diamonds)

This has the advantage that responder's rebid is always forcing.

It has the disadvantage that if responder rebids 4H then opener has no opportunity below 4S to express slam interest in support of responder's minor by way of cue bid.

You pays your money ....
A complete revamp of the 2N response structure may be preferable.

[ralph23]

Without gadgets I think you don't make a slam try. Responder just decides that 4M is too low, 7M is too high, and so just give opener the choice between 6♥ and 6♠... as noted by several, just transfer him into ♠ and then bid 6♥.

[Free]

I'd bid 4♥ (trf) followed by 5♦ (voidwood).

[FrancesHinden]

Jlall, on Sep 5 2007, 04:48 PM, said:

Agree with transfer then 6H with no methods.

As do I.

We just play 2NT - 3H - 3S - 4H as forcing to make our lives simpler (5-4 in the majors is dealt with a different way).

[keylime]

Ditto Frances and Justin. Choice of slams.

[neilkaz]

Transfer to ♠ and 6♥ seems routine with no fancy methods.

[skjaeran]

Agree with many advocating the same.
Without very accurate agreements I'd just transfer to ♠s and rebid 6♥.

[kenrexford]

The obvious practical solution seems to be a transfer followed by 6♥.

But, I'm not so sure that this is necessary. Why not have aspirations? Why not sniff?

I'd start 3♦. Partner is allowed to super-accept, in which case 5♦ from you would presumably be Exclusion. If you get the answer you want (three), that will be a bid of 5♥ (normal style) or 5♠ (1430). With a probable 10 trumps, or 9 with partner having the A/Q, you can bid 5♠ over the former to ask for the needed spade contribution.

Partner probably will not super-accept (he never does when you need it). So, now you bid 3♠, presumably forcing. Hopefully partner will pick a major, and you do the same essential thing again. (Maybe he is even crazy and makes some 4♣ or 4♦ call, whatever y'all have agreed that to mean.)

Worst case is when partner bid 3NT. Now, you could simply bid 5♠, forcing a pick. Hopefully, if partner has AQAQ in the majors and an outside Ace, he will have the decency to bid that outside Ace. With AQ in one major, Ax in the other, and BOTH outside Aces, he better bid the grand however you bid.

[Codo]

kenrexford, on Sep 6 2007, 05:29 AM, said:

I'd start 3♦. Partner is allowed to super-accept, in which case 5♦ from you would presumably be Exclusion. If you get the answer you want (three), that will be a bid of 5♥ (normal style) or 5♠ (1430). With a probable 10 trumps, or 9 with partner having the A/Q, you can bid 5♠ over the former to ask for the needed spade contribution.

Partner probably will not super-accept (he never does when you need it). So, now you bid 3♠, presumably forcing. Hopefully partner will pick a major, and you do the same essential thing again. (Maybe he is even crazy and makes some 4♣ or 4♦ call, whatever y'all have agreed that to mean.)

Worst case is when partner bid 3NT. Now, you could simply bid 5♠, forcing a pick. Hopefully, if partner has AQAQ in the majors and an outside Ace, he will have the decency to bid that outside Ace. With AQ in one major, Ax in the other, and BOTH outside Aces, he better bid the grand however you bid.

Maybe these are not excatly the thoughts I would expect from a pick up pd.
Well not even from my regular one.