[kfay]

Scoring: IMP

P-1♥-Dbl-1♠
P-?

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How do you like to handle this one?

[han]

5C, exclusion.

(do I look cool now?)

[jdonn]

I bid 5♦ exclusion on this auction once and got passed. But I bid it here, I'll take my chances opposite a keycard and though 5 is not completely safe I don't see any other way to confidently avoid it.

Sorry, I am not one of the group who seem to only bid exclusion as a psych

[han]

If you often get passed in your exclusion bids then I would recommend bidding exclusion in suits where you have something. More seriously, this is a clear exclusion auction for me so I don't fear a misunderstanding. I don't like 5D though as it pinpoints the club lead, the lead most likely to beat us.

(Don't tell anybody but I've never actually psyched exclusion at the table. Somehow the right hand hasn't appeared at a time when I was both alert and brave enough.)

[rogerclee]

Just want to point out that after 5D we should always be planning on playing in hearts not spades (passing 5H and bidding 6H over 5S). That way we cannot get a club lead through us. I agree with that plan though.

[jdonn]

han, on Oct 24 2008, 01:51 PM, said:

If you often get passed in your exclusion bids then I would recommend bidding exclusion in suits where you have something. More seriously, this is a clear exclusion auction for me so I don't fear a misunderstanding.

What was funny about it was that just a day earlier, that partner had asked me if I wanted to play a splinter then rebidding the splinter as exclusion and I said no. So I was very confident he would read this one.

What was doubly funny was that, although I forget his exact hand, it included Axxx of diamonds and a couple other honors and I was quite sure he should raise a natural 5♦ anyway!

[cherdano]

han, on Oct 24 2008, 12:43 PM, said:

5C, exclusion.

(do I look cool now?)

Nope, cool people bid it with ♣xx.

[kfay]

Does anyone here play 3NT as a big raise in spades with a long solid heart suit?

Kind of akin to 1m-1M-4m

Or is this just a raise to 3NT with a long solid heart suit.

By the way I'm not a huge fan of exclusion since the 5-level isn't even super safe. Say pard has diamond wastage and no spade jack.

[han]

I don't play 3NT as a spade raise and I agree the 5-level isn't super-safe, especially given the double on our left. But what are we supposed to do, we need about king-fifth for slam, a grand could be laydown and we have no other sensible way to investigate.

[neilkaz]

I'll take my chances with a direct jump to exclusion as well.

[matmat]

p probably psyched one spade, and even if he didn't KJx is probably off-side

[Echognome]

rogerclee, on Oct 24 2008, 10:53 AM, said:

Just want to point out that after 5D we should always be planning on playing in hearts not spades (passing 5H and bidding 6H over 5S). That way we cannot get a club lead through us. I agree with that plan though.

Although we might get a spade lead ruffed?