[hrothgar]

There
Ain't
No
Justice

Here is an annoying hand from yesterday's Abalucy

Responder
3
A3
AK32
AKQJ92

Opener
AQJT76
JT52
Q
T8

Free and I had a nice relay auction. After a BUNCH of bidding, I knew that he held 6=4=1=2 shape and 5 slam points. [Playing with The Hog, I would have asked for Aces rather than Slam points...]

Regardless, we settled into 6C which I thought would be the best contract.

Sadly, the field felt otherwise

Contract Bid

7N Twice
7C Once
6N Four times
6C Six times
3N Twice

[1eyedjack]

The players in 7 must have thought it was Christmas when ♠K doubleton fell onside.

Looking at both hands, at matchpoints, 6S or 6N by responder looks like the best spot. By opener, a Heart lead looks damaging. Well, your transfer opening at least got the declaration the right side. But there is a lot of bidding space between 3NT and 6C. Might you have been able to use some of that space to determine that opener's Spades were semisolid? (I haven't got that far through the manual yet).

[Free]

Yes, but in our system (moscito) I couldn't show how good my ♠s were. Richard asked my entire hand (shape and strength), but specific strength (using two-pass denial cuebids) he skipped.

Bidding was:

1♥ - 1♠
2♣ - 2♦
2NT - 3♣
3♥ - 3♠
3NT - 6♣

Richard's bids were only relays,
1♥ = 6+SP (9-15HCP) with 4+♠
2♣ = 5+♠, 4+♥
2NT = short in ♦
3♥ = 6-4-1-2
3NT = 5 SP (because 10 cards in 2 suits known, 5 is allowed)

The problem was that any contract we'd play was wrongsided because of the relay answers 2♣ and 2NT, so if Richard would ask more information, he just gives away more info to the defense as well. If he'd play, I'm sure he would ask my entire hand, because it would become dummy anyway

Btw, why did you ask strength to me, while you'd ask aces to the_hog??

[hrothgar]

I must play too much IMPs, since I still like 6C as a contract.
Especially on a heart lead.

BTW, I asked for Slam Points since it would lead to a simplier auction.
Didn't favor RKCB followed by a bunch of control asks in an inexperienced partnership, especailly when I might want to set a different trump suit...

[Free]

Wise decision

[mikestar]

I think 6C is the correct MP contract--it is virtually laydown, while spade and NT slams require Kx onside in spades--terribly against the odds. 7C isn't so bad as you can take the ruffing finesse and don't need the K to be doubleton, but do you want to be in a grand that depends on a finesse?

If you are going to play in spades or NT, why stop at six? Assuming the very likely heart lead, its 5 or 7 in those denominations barring 5-1 spades.

This is one of those cases where accurate bidding was punished and inaccurate bidding was rewarded--there a'int no justice!

[Flame]

1eyedjack, on Apr 12 2004, 05:43 PM, said:

The players in 7 must have thought it was Christmas when ♠K doubleton fell onside.

Looking at both hands, at matchpoints, 6S or 6N by responder looks like the best spot. By opener, a Heart lead looks damaging. Well, your transfer opening at least got the declaration the right side. But there is a lot of bidding space between 3NT and 6C. Might you have been able to use some of that space to determine that opener's Spades were semisolid? (I haven't got that far through the manual yet).

6sp is a teriable contract that you dont want to be in no matter what the scoring is.
7c is a much better contract then 6sp, even at MP.
i like to be in 6cl in MP.

[1eyedjack]

Flame, on Apr 13 2004, 08:01 PM, said:

1eyedjack, on Apr 12 2004, 05:43 PM, said:

The players in 7 must have thought it was Christmas when ♠K doubleton fell onside.

Looking at both hands, at matchpoints, 6S or 6N by responder looks like the best spot.  By opener, a Heart lead looks damaging.  Well, your transfer opening at least got the declaration the right side.  But there is a lot of bidding space between 3NT and 6C.  Might you have been able to use some of that space to determine that opener's Spades were semisolid? (I haven't got that far through the manual yet).

6sp is a teriable contract that you dont want to be in no matter what the scoring is.
7c is a much better contract then 6sp, even at MP.
i like to be in 6cl in MP.

Yup I was wrong

6C is right at any scoring.

I would still prefer 6S over 7C, as a Heart lead is required to defeat 6S, which is by no means assured.

[Flame]

1eyedjack, on Apr 14 2004, 12:49 PM, said:

I would still prefer 6S over 7C, as a Heart lead is required to defeat 6S, which is by no means assured.

Dont forget 7c score is much higher then 6sp.
Its hard to calculate which one is better 7c or 6sp, because to do that you should know the chances for right lead, and the bids at the other tables (this is needed for MP) but I think 7c is better, surly in imp and probebly also in MP

[hrothgar]

1eyedjack, on Apr 13 2004, 01:43 AM, said:

Well, your transfer opening at least got the declaration the right side.  But there is a lot of bidding space between 3NT and 6C.  Might you have been able to use some of that space to determine that opener's Spades were semisolid?

I had a number of different options in the bidding...

After Free opened 1H, I felt that a smal slam was nearly assured and could envision a grand if Free could table something reasonable. After a long and silly relay auction, Free finally resolved shape with a 3H bid showing 6=4=1=2 shape.

At this point in time:

3S = Slam point ask
3N = To play
4C = RKCB in Spades (RR's longest suit)
4D = End Signal
4H = RKCB in Hearts
4S = RKCB in Clubs

In order to accurately asses the grand, the most important piece of information is a count on the number of Aces that partner holds. Sadly, this would have required blasting to 4H. [4C wouldn't distinquish between the Ace and King of Spades]

My plan here would be to bid 4H, RKCB for Hearts.
If parter bid 4S, showing 1 keycard, I'd rebid 4N asking for Spade controls. If partner showed the AK of Spades, I'd be willing to try 7C. However, its always risky setting one suit as trump, intending to play in another.
------

I decided to rebid 3S asking for Slam points. After Free rebid 3N showing 5, I didn't see much chance of making a grand [Free would need to hold AK of Spades and out. Even here, a trump lead could make things dicey.] So, I blasted to 6C, which had the virtual of being unambiguous.

I could have bid 4C, starting denial cue bidding. Free would have rebid 4H (spade control, no heart control). At this point in time, things are looking pretty good...
Free either has

AK in Spades OR
A of clubs and the King of Spades.

Couple more bids and I could have figured out what was what.

BTW: Important note: Singleton honors like the Queen of Diamonds DON'T count as slam points. Free's hand only has 4 slam points and doesn't qualify for a constructive opening, but thats another story.

[Trpltrbl]

I agree with 6♣, but..
Playing in tournaments like Aba, you know most that bid slam will overbid and try NT, no matter how bad it is. You almost have to bid it, to protect youself against the field.

Mike