[manudude03]

Scoring: IMP

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West passes, your bid now. Do you open this 2♣, 1♦ or 1♠? What is your plan for future bids.

You may not agree with my bidding of this hand, but I chose to open 1♦, got a 2♣ response from partner. I then rebid 2♠ which I hear 3NT. What is the next bid now?

I chose 5♠ hoping partner to take it as "pick a slam" and 6♠ ends the auction (I think its safe to say my partner decided to not trust my reverse when he bid 3NT - will post later). Let's just say that although it was +1 (insta-claim provided there wasn't some awful spade split or a quick ruff), it wasn't a great board.

[rogerclee]

I'd open 1♦ and pull 3NT to 5♥, exclusion (in diamonds, not that it matters on this deal).

[andy_h]

I'd always open this 1D. You have an easy rebid and the auction is very unlikey to go 1D all out. I hate 2C because it takes away too much room to show your true nature of your shape, and not to say it is prone to interference given our lack of round suits (and we have like only 0.5-1 defensive trick?). I won't open this 1S because I am not going to lie about my shape - Spades is the boss suit, you can easily out-bid anything if you start with 1D then bid some spades later.

In your auction, I would also bid 2S over partner's 2C. Whether that shows reversing values or not, is up to your partnership agreement. For me it would show reversing values and partner's 3NT would tend to show a crap hand as it denied further bidding space for investigation. I would like to bid 5H over 3NT now, as it probably diagnoses my void but if partner won't pick that up I won't try it on him. Maybe I'd bid 4D, and go from there.

[Codo]

I would always open this 2 ♣ and rebidding Diamonds and spades as much as possible. This hand is so strong and has so many spades that I do see a danger of 1 ♦ all pass.

[helene_t]

Either 1♦ or 6♦, no other options appeal.

Obviously the advantage of 6♦ is that we may avoid a club lead or avoid a 6♥ sac. I wonder how big those advantages are.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I like your auction.

with kind regards
Marlowe

[SchTsch]

This is clearcut 1♦ for me.

[SchTsch]

manudude03, on Mar 14 2008, 03:07 AM, said:

I chose 5♠ hoping partner to take it as "pick a slam"

That is good idea but wrong choices if i may say.
After 2♣ my inquiry would be shall we play 6 or 7, not which suit to play it in.
I like 5♥ better.

[brianshark]

5♥ may be misinterpreted by partner. If you're sure he'll know what it means, then by all means. But I like the original poster's bidding plan and auction.

[dicklont]

I would have about the same auction i guess, but the bidding was useless.
You only want to know if partner has the black aces. How do we do that?
I guess you need voidwood at some point, but that is not on my convention list.

[SchTsch]

brianshark, on Mar 14 2008, 08:28 AM, said:

5♥ may be misinterpreted by partner. If you're sure he'll know what it means, then by all means. But I like the original poster's bidding plan and auction.

How can you misinterpret 5♥?
What can 5♥ be if not ♥void in a strong 65 hand?

[Cascade]

SchTsch, on Mar 15 2008, 02:50 AM, said:

brianshark, on Mar 14 2008, 08:28 AM, said:

5♥ may be misinterpreted by partner. If you're sure he'll know what it means, then by all means. But I like the original poster's bidding plan and auction.

How can you misinterpret 5♥?
What can 5♥ be if not ♥void in a strong 65 hand?

As a starter a void in some other shape hand - 4063, 4072 etc.

Basically I wouldn't trust the inference that it is 5=6 without a prior discussion I have had too many disasters where one partner thinks something undiscussed is obvious and the other has a reasonable or even an unreasonable alternative understanding of what would be normal in the situation.

[Flameous]

I'd open 4NT since I play it as asking for specific aces. If I get 5♥ as response I can still play safely in 5♠ and if I get 2 I can bid 6♥ to show my void.

[hrothgar]

helene_t, on Mar 14 2008, 02:04 PM, said:

Either 1♦ or 6♦, no other options appeal.

Obviously the advantage of 6♦ is that we may avoid a club lead or avoid a 6♥ sac. I wonder how big those advantages are.

Agree with Helene

(I'd probably open 1♦ at the table, but 6♦ has a distinct appeal)

[Cascade]

Flameous, on Mar 15 2008, 08:57 AM, said:

I'd open 4NT since I play it as asking for specific aces. If I get 5♥ as response I can still play safely in 5♠ and if I get 2 I can bid 6♥ to show my void.

Safely in your 5=0 fit?

[manudude03]

Or safely in 6♠ on a 5-0 fit if partner had the heart and club Aces.

Out of interest for the people opening this 4NT, how do you show THREE aces?(maybe thats a slight hint to what partner had- as I said, looked like he chose not to trust my reverse).

Also, it was probably a good idea I didn't open 2♣, might get us to a cold 7NT easily, but partner might have a heart attack when he looks at his hand. Winning is good, but best to make sure partner is still alive after the hand

It's a very good hand to test partnership trust though (as will be seen when I finally post them)

EDIT: time is too precious

Scoring: IMP

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15 top tricks in NT lol.

[Codo]

If your opens 4 NT as specific ace asking, you simply jump to 7 with three of them. But this "never" happens IRL. (And this hand is never ever a 4 NT opening)

I think that you should still find 7 NT after a 1 Diamond opening 2 Club response.
2 Spade is gf and shows extras, so pds jump to 3 NT was silly.
After 3 NT you should rebid 4 Diamond. I play this as RCK for Diamonds, which had worked lovely here, but even if this ist just asking for controls, this may work much better then your jump.

[skjaeran]

manudude03, on Mar 14 2008, 10:21 PM, said:

Scoring: IMP

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15 top tricks in NT lol.

Well, if someone would get the idea to rebid 3NT over my reverse with this powerhouse, I'd quit the partnership forever after the event.

I really can't imagine missing the grand on these two hands.

[manudude03]

You may want to stay well away from my local bridge club then
I asked a pair who are considered one of the best there and they were saying that you should probably stay in 5♦! That's after a benji 2♦ opener, 3♣ response, 4♦ setting trumps, 4♥ cuebid followed by a signoff in 5♦ because opener thinks he's missing the 2 black aces. And typically, that was followed by the comment "Well, no system is perfect".

I just checked the BBO traveller for this hand, and it seems only 2 were in 7NT, another 2 were in 7♦, the rest (bar 2) were in 6N/6♦, one wimped out at 3NT! and the last must have had some misunderstanding and played in 7♣ going off since the suit isn't working.