[inquiry]

Ideally the right spot is 6♦ by south. This isn't going to happen. However, 6♦ by North is at great risk of losing first two tricks in ♥. The bidding given below is what happened at one table. Note the 5♠ bid was an excellent attempt to steer the contract out of ♦ and into ♠'s I think.

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     Pass  1♠
 Pass  2♦    Pass  2♥
 Pass  3♣!   Dbl   3♦
 4♣    4♦    Pass  5♣
 Pass  5♠    Pass  6♦
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

Can anyone give a reasonable auction to steer clear of the dangerous 6♦ to 6♠? On this combination, do you even think 6♠ is a superior contract?

Thanks.

Ben

[Trpltrbl]

I am not sure if 6♠ is better contract, ♦ ruff is looking very likely.
6♦ in my eyes is better contract, you need a ♥ lead and the ♥Ace to be wrong to beat it. In 6 ♠ you have that ♦ problem.
But on auction you gave I think after 4♣ from opps instead of 4♦ I would bid 4♠. I rather have AJ in possible trump suit then xxx.

Mike

[1eyedjack]

How about a few "lead directing" heart cue bids on the way to 6♦. If no-one doubles the cue then they are less likely to lead them. If someone doubles the cue then you have an indication of whether the Ace is over the King.

[luke warm]

i think that even if north bid 4♠ after 4♣, south will correct to diamonds... he'd figure north for honor doubleton, but probably not 2 of top 4

i know i'm missing something elementary here, but what was the purpose of 3♣? 2♦ was game force, right? seems to me that 3♦ was better, then 4♦ can be rkc by south... i know i'm missing something here lol

btw i think north gets a club lead, not a heart lead, but i could be wrong

[inquiry]

luke warm, on Apr 14 2004, 02:25 PM, said:

i think that even if north bid 4♠ after 4♣, south will correct to diamonds... he'd figure north for honor doubleton, but probably not 2 of top 4

i know i'm missing something elementary here, but what was the purpose of 3♣? 2♦ was game force, right? seems to me that 3♦ was better, then 4♦ can be rkc by south... i know i'm missing something here lol

btw i think north gets a club lead, not a heart lead, but i could be wrong

I grabbed this hand off the myhands site. The auction given was the one at the table I happened to be kibitzing... I am not trying to explain the bidding used, guess a deletiton of that might have been better. 6[di[ is down on ♥ lead from JTx.

Ben

[Fluffy]

All biddings I think about end on north making a 4♠ control forcing south to ask for keycards or to get decisions, since he is the only one with a ♥ control, his lack of the ♠J makes it imposible to bid 6♠ sadly.


About wich contract is best, 6♠ is better theorically because only fails on ♠5-1, or ♦3-0 with them being able to score a ruff (only 75% of 3-0), I don´t know the exact % of this, but its for sure better than the 50% of 6♦.

In practice it can differ, weak opponents (or those who don´t have a good concept of you ) will tend to lead ♣ against 6♦, while on 6♠ lightner double can come (and even north may try 6NT there on some biddings!).

Still we have to consider those 2 IMPS advantage for playing in ♠, maybe important since the choice seems tight.

I know a way to find 6♠ would the best contract on my bidding system... but after 2♦ weak in majors opening there is no need of playing in ♠ to guard the ♥K

[Flame]

6♠ is a better contract.
I wouldnt reach it.
the only way i see to get there is by bidding 2sp rather then 3cl, this could be done if your system is flexiable enough that partner would accept a bid like 6d as a final contract. setting spades as trumps with 2 spade, put you in a good spot for checking slams, since the cards you miss are clubs and heart controlls and the KQ of spades.
The other way i thought about first, is bidding 4nt after the 4c which should imo be for spades (since can make a forcing bid for diamond and cant make one for spades) however i dont see how you can ask for aces when you dont have the suits controlled.

[Free]

I think 6♠ is inferior, because you have a 10 card fit somewhere else, and the risk of a ruff is too high (perhaps even 2 ruffs, doubled,...) How to get South to play in ♦ is quite impossible with natural bids, but with the scientific approach you might reacht it.

Moscito fails because the bidding starts:
1♥ - 1♠
2♣ - 2♦
...

1♥ = 4+♠
2♣ = 5+♠ and 4+♥
(North only bids relays)
And this already wrongsides the contract...

I don't know any local systems either which would be able to rightside it