[DWM]

Scoring: MP

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So far bidding has gone

1♥ - (P) - 1♠ - (2♣)
4♣ - (X) - 4♦ - (P)
4♥ - (P) - 4♠ - (P)

Firstly do you agree with the NS bidding so far?

Secondly, assume you were forced to bid like above so far, would you bid on beyond 4♠? If so blackwood, 5♥ or something else?

Hand shown is opener

[awm]

I don't understand why I opened 1♥ with 5-5 in the majors. Isn't 1♠ the normal call?

It seems like partner has something like Kxxx xx Axxx xxx. His cuebid of 4♦ should indicate that he has a diamond control, not much wasted in clubs if a minimum response, and probably not four small for trumps. The 4♠ signoff says he doesn't have much more. I don't think slam is particularly good opposite this hand (in fact we cannot dispose of the diamond loser) and even if we add a red queen to partner's hand chances are only around 50%. I don't think he can have anything more than that (♠K + ♦AK for example is too good for a 4♠ call).

I'd give up.

[ArtK78]

If I understand this correctly, the hand shown - 5-5 in the majors - opened 1♥ and partner responded 1♠.

If this is correct, the rest of the auction seems to make sense so far.

Is this hand worth another try? If the 4♦ bid promised the ♦A then the answer is ABSOLUTELY!

Opposite as little as Kxxx Jx Axx xxxx you would have 12 tricks on a 2-2 spade break and the ♥Q coming down in the first three rounds of the suit. If partner has a 5th spade or any other useful card (the ♥Q comes to mind) slam will be well over 50%, and it may be a claim.

I would bid 5♥ over 4♠ and hope that partner can work out if his cards are working for slam purposes.

[Query: Why did this hand open 1♥ instead of 1♠?]

[easy]

Did i really open 1h with 5-5 in majors? i pass 4s.

Here's a question. If you were to open 1s and pard bid 2s would you look for slam? Probably not. That is why you should be done looking for slam with this hand.

And by the way what ever happened to the concept that when we splinter we turn over the captaincy of the hand to partner.

[jtfanclub]

Well, I have one more spade than partner can reasonably expect, and I'd be shocked if we have more than two losers. I'm going for it.

I would not bid 4♦ with Kxxxx xx Axx xxx (I play any minimum bids 4♠, as partner shouldn't have a 3 loser hand). And yet, even this has play for 6♥.

Better people than me are stopping at 4, which should tell me something.

[skjaeran]

Sick opening bid. 1♠ is soooo obvious.
Having bid 4♣ and 4♥ I've completely bid my values. Easy pass over 4♠.

[whereagles]

jtfanclub, on Nov 14 2007, 10:16 PM, said:

I would not bid 4♦ with Kxxxx xx Axx xxx

Well, I would. In fact, I find it mandatory because pard has a strong hand. We need to cooperate and tell him our hand is better than the average

Kxxx
xx
xxxx
Kxx

Still, moving on to slam has some risk attached, so I'm gonna bid 5♥, to see if pard can help there. Controls cannot be the problem because the minors are clearly under control. If there's a risk pard won't understand 5♥, then 4NT.

I find it strange players are letting pard, the weak hand, tell the strong hand to stop.

[brianshark]

I don't see what we are going to learn that will convince us that slam is good here. We have all controls and what we need is extras from partner. Extras he denied by bidding 4♠ knowing all the controls are present.

If I'm going to continue, I'd probably bid 5♠ if I thought p would take that as a general invite looking for extras. But here I'm just going to pass.

[lilboyman]

By starting the bidding in Hearts instead of Spades and then making a splinter raise in Clubs, some information about partners hand has been lost. So, I disagree with the Heart start. Open a Spade and partner gives some kind of informative raise. As it is now, you have 5 losers and partner has shown cover for only one loser. While partner may have the King of Spades there will be days that it is not there. That being said, with the King of Spades and the Queen or doubleton of Hearts, I expect partner would bid the slam if you show second round control of Hearts by bidding 5 Hearts. Hopefully, partner's Diamond or Club losers can be pitched on long Hearts before opponents can take them.

[jtfanclub]

whereagles, on Nov 15 2007, 04:53 AM, said:

We need to cooperate and tell him our hand is better than the average
Kxxx
xx
xxxx
Kxx

Interesting. Is that an average for you? For me:

Kxxx
xx
xxxx
Qxx

is a pass, not a 1♠ call, so the hand you showed is an absolute rotgut minimum. On the other hand, I know the trend is to respond with weaker and weaker hands, so maybe I'm an exception there.