[effervesce]

16 HCP is the lowest I've seen so far. I was north on this hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

The bidding:

(p) - 2♠ - (3♥)-4♠
(5♥) - p - (p) - 5♠
6♥ - 6♠ - (p) - p
(X) - all pass

Admittedly I'm not fond of partner's unilateral sac in 6♠. but one can't complain about chalking up +1210.

[FrancesHinden]

I have bid and made grand slam on
i) a combined 23-count (with one wasted queen)
ii) a combined 19-count (with one wasted queen)

The first was bid to make and was a good contract. It was a swiss teams match and was a flat board.

The second was mainly bid as a save against their small slam but turned out to be making. Our +1770 scored up with -1310 as teammates had doubled six.

[gnasher]

It wasn't a slam, but I once made 3NT with a combined 15-count and two balanced hands, having opened 2NT on a balanced 5-count.

[jdonn]

If I was north, I would have doubled 5♥ and led a low diamond.

[Sambolino]

gnasher, on Aug 26 2008, 10:54 AM, said:

It wasn't a slam, but I once made 3NT with a combined 15-count and two balanced hands, having opened 2NT on a balanced 5-count.

and pard was pessimistic so he undebid ?

[kenrexford]

My partner and I bid and made a slam on utter garbage many years ago, where the opponents had a cashing Ace in one suit, a cashing A-K in another suit, and an unavoidable trump trick, plus another loser somewhere on power.

After the defense cashed trick one, a ruff-sluff at trick two allowed one trick to slide away. This infuriated my partner's RHO (partner was declaring), who failed to follow suit, catching it at trick #3, for a two-trick penalty. Now, we were destined for only down one.

RHO was so infuriated about the two-trick penalty that he threw his remaining cards face up on the table in disgust, yielding 10 penalty cards. This allowed my partner to play the rest of the hand double-dummy and jettison high cards from RHO's hand at will. After about 7 minutes of careful play, partner barely found that extra trick and made the contract (after adding in the two-trick penalty).

We got no adjustment for the obvious procedural penalty.

I'd say that was the worst slam I ever bid. "I took a position." I think we had about 12-13 comboined HCP. Partner had made a very frisky lead-director over Ogust, and I decided that the OGUST bid was "funny." Wow was my table feel wrong, but ever so right, actually. LOL

[Echognome]

There's one we had in Las Vegas in the KOs where I played 6♠X (and made). Phil probably can remember the details better. I believe he posted his hand. Was an interesting play or defend hand if I recall correctly.

[jdonn]

I bid and made a grand at the Philly national on 17 combined, 3 of it wasted. Of course I was 7-6.

Jxxxx x xxxx QTx
- AKxxxxx AKT98x -

(I actually don't remember, maybe it was AKJT9x of diamonds? The rest is right though)

[kenrexford]

jdonn, on Aug 26 2008, 02:04 PM, said:

I bid and made a grand at the Philly national on 17 combined, 3 of it wasted. Of course I was 7-6.

Jxxxx x xxxx QTx
- AKxxxxx AKT98x -

(I actually don't remember, maybe it was AKJT9x of diamonds? The rest is right though)

Yeah -- I would be hesitant to bid the 17-point grand on a hook, especially as you had to know that the Jack was missing after the leaping Jack LTTC call, right?

[SoTired]

I believe one of our posters has one of my all time favorite articles at http://www.poorbridge.com/?pbotw=9, which is a slam made on 18 HCP (3 of which were not needed).

[kenrexford]

And now for something completely different...

I actually declared four of a major with a presumably competant partner on a combined 34 HCP, shape, a trick source, and about 17 tricks. In an unconstested auction, with a GF 2/1 response.

Partner had declined to show "anything extra," defined as 14+ HCP or fewer than six losers, after opening a 6332 18-count. I went conservative with my 16, figuring the "at best" 29-HCP slam was remote, at MP.

I wonder what is the strongest two hands not bid to slam, with presumed competent partners.

[manudude03]

I don't remember the exact hand, but a year or 2 ago, I had something like AJxx xxx xx AKQx in second seat.

Bidding goes:

(1C!)-P-P-X
P

1C was (self-)alerted and explained by partner as "denies an opening hand". At this point, I have no idea how to respond to this. Opps were vul so good chances for a penalty. So I decide to pass. The contract ended up going off 3 for 800 (declarer had JT98xx in clubs and out opposite xxx QJx Jxxxx xx and I made the mistake of leading out AK of clubs). Naturally I got a surprise when I found out after the hand my partner had a 21 count. 35 combined and we're not even playing in a contract. (yes, not exactly the best field ever)

Looks like a bad result, right? Well, the one of the other opps somehow forgot a 2/1 bid was forcing and so they ended up playing in 2D after a 1S opener (acol). An easy 6N and we're scoring against 2 partscores.

Haven't had any exceptionally light slams myself. Only sorta light one I remember is a 24 combined in the Ireland Youth trials. Bid one 21 combined in partnership bidding room which was cold. Other than those, I pass.

[inquiry]

I thought i might take a look using a program i will not mention. Here are few bbo slams bid and made with few hcp....

First one, 17 hcp. Note, they are laydown for GRAND SLAM on the 17
Second one, 17 hcp, with at least five wasted, there were a fair number of 17 hcp ones making (some bad defense, some laydown). I will look for fewer hcp later.

Produced by BRidgeBRowser
==========================================
IMP-940     marian45    Dlr: East  
Board 2     S 63        Vul: N-S 
            H T5432     
holer_andr  D AT976     s-bear      
S QJ98      C               S KT75      
H                               H K76       
D K543      sverjohn    D 2         
C A532      S              C QJT7      
                 H AQ98      
                 D QJ8       
                C K9864     

12/11/2005  5:12:17 PM 
First   5:08:39 P, Last   5:18:25 P

South      West       North      East       
holer_andr marian45   s-bear     sverjohn
                                      1H         
1S         4H         4S         5C         
Dbl        5D         5S         6H         
Pass       Pass       Pass       

Opening lead: SA    Result: Made 6
Score: 980          Points: 9.40  

MP-594      mariacon    Dlr: North 
Board 1     S KQJT974   Vul: None
                H 2         
tzn           D Q9        kasandra    
S 3           C K65       S 86        
H Q                           H T5        
D AKJT876543           D 2 
C Q     george1955    C AJ987432        
C Q         S A52       
               H AKJ987643 
               D           
               C T         

12/29/2005  7:34:01 PM 
First   7:29:53 P, Last   7:36:53 P

North      East       South      West       
tzn        mariacon   kasandra   george1955 
1D         1S         3C         3H         
5D         5S         Dbl        Rdbl       
6D         Pass       Pass       6H         
Pass       Pass       Dbl        Rdbl       
Pass       Pass       Pass       

Opening lead: DK    Result: Made 7
Score: 1820         Points: 100.00

[pclayton]

Echognome, on Aug 26 2008, 10:57 AM, said:

There's one we had in Las Vegas in the KOs where I played 6♠X (and made). Phil probably can remember the details better. I believe he posted his hand. Was an interesting play or defend hand if I recall correctly.

12 combined I think - I posted it someone on here.

[Echognome]

I found the thread. Was 12hcp combined.

Was:

♠AJTx ♥xxxx ♦xxxxx ♣---

opposite

♠Q9xxxxx ♥--- ♦Ax ♣JTxx


South dealer:
3♠ - (4♣) - 6♠ - (Dbl)
All Pass

Spades were 1-1. It does go down on best defense if I recall. But made in practice.