[paulg]

Scoring: IMP

(3♥) Dbl (4♥) ?

---

Your call (at favourable vulnerability).

[Codo]

If I have just one bid, I try 7 Spade. But I am allowed to start lower.

I wish that 5 Heart would be Exclusion, but it is not, I bid 6 Heart and hope that my pd understands it.
Will he bid 7 with Axxx,xx,KQxx,AQx? I hope so.

[655321]

7♠

I have no methods to find out if partner has both black Aces.
Either 12 or 13 tricks should be wall to wall.

The obvious possible dangers are:
(1) We are missing a black Ace, and
(2) We have the black Aces, but Partner's diamonds are missing the King, and we can't pitch enough diamonds from one hand or the other.

I rate (1) as a low risk, and (2) also low, but perhaps more likely.

The rest of the time I expect there to be 13 tricks, I can't get the information I need, so 7♠ it is.

[sceptic]

how on earth can 7 spades be sensible

[655321]

sceptic, on Jan 10 2008, 06:14 AM, said:

how on earth can 7 spades be sensible

LOL

Maybe it is not sensible, but I think 13 tricks will often be available, and there is no way to find out what you need to know.

But here is a more delicate alternative:
Bid 5♥ now, and make your next bid 6♠. Perhaps partner will be able to move when 7 is cold, and pass when it is not.

Still, I seriously don't mind an immediate 7♠ bid, and I think I would bid it at the table.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

4NT, 2-places to play, followed by?

Maybe 6S, this should send the message
and partner will surely bid 7S, if he looks
at both black Aces.

On the other hand, bidding 6S direct may well
be best, it gives up on 7S, but how certain
are we, that 7S is better than 50% even if
partner is looking at both black Aces?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Codo]

What do you expect as the worst hand to double 3 Heart in second seat with an unpassed partner?
Jxxx,x,KQJx,Qxxx? No? If you expect just a little more, then slam is on.

Axx,xx,KQJxx,Axx? Grand Slam is on a finesse or breaking diamonds.

Of course there are hands where pd has his double but the Grand is on a finesse. There ares even hands, where an ace is missing. But these are hard to find. With just AJxx,-,KQJx,Qxxx it is bad luck that he has his double because of the shape and we are missing an ace. But if we make a strong move towards GS, he should be able to see if his hand is good opoosite a strong spade hand with a heart void or not.

[SchTsch]

I bid 5♥.
I guess P will take it as a slam try for spades not some minor suit mumbojumbo.

On 5♠ i bid 5NT.
On 6♠ i bid 7♠.

[pclayton]

7♠ has to be odds on. The opponents are vulnerable and the only meaningful cards we are missing are the ♠A, ♣AQ and ♦K (which may not matter).

The problem with 5♥ or a non-spade call is that pard might bid spades. Since LHO very easily could have a club void for the preempt, I don't want to give LHO the chance to make a lightner x.

[Roupoil]

I think I would have bid 5♥, but I am not sure what the meaning of the bid is supposed to be, and what I am going to do at my next turn .

[Apollo81]

I'd bid 5♥ followed by 6♠. I certainly wouldn't force a grand that could easily have no play.

[miguelm]

First, some food for thought.....

- what should a double be in this position...? Surely not for penalties...

- what should 4NT be in this position....? Do I hear "pick a minor"...? Is that the best (in terms of frequency) treatment here...?

- what is the difference between 5H followed by 6S and bidding 6S directly....?

- what a jump 6H should be....?

[Apollo81]

miguelm, on Jan 10 2008, 11:37 AM, said:

- what is the difference between 5H followed by 6S and bidding 6S directly....?

The former is a try for grand. The latter is not.

[jdonn]

I agree with 5H then 6S, maybe I will miss 7 but I am missing too many important cards to drive there.

[miguelm]

Apollo81, on Jan 10 2008, 12:12 PM, said:

miguelm, on Jan 10 2008, 11:37 AM, said:

- what is the difference between 5H followed by 6S and bidding 6S directly....?

The former is a try for grand. The latter is not.

Okay

So, what should be the difference between that (5H followed by 6S) and 6H

[paulg]

Partner held:

♠ATx
♥Jx
♦KTxx
♣AQxx

In real life my club partner forgot to double ... and then did not want to punish me for bidding, so we played in 4♠

Paul