[obscurans]

Scoring: IMP

North-South
1♠-4NT
5♠-5NT
6♠-7NT
All pass

---

I had the luck to pick up the monster South hand and was wondering how to interrogate partner's spades... when he opened them himself second. The only question is 6N or 7N, so RKC, and he did have he ♠AKQ tight. Either the ♠J or ♣K will freeze 7NT, but I could only ask (and fail to get) the latter.

So, in the tank, I was constructing some possible hands. The worst possible (assuming rule of 20) he could put down was AKQxx, the ♣J and a 5-suiter somewhere: ♥ gives me a 3-3 break, a 3-2 and the finesse, minors just a 3-3 or 50% (squeeze on ♦?). If instead of the J I get a sixth spade, that's a 3-2 or 50%.

And the decision was to ignore the ♣K completely. Close enough to the business 2/3s or no? And if I chickened to 6N, could partner point to his own ♠J and call that a 13th trick?

[kenrexford]

If the answers to RKCB won't be sufficient, why blast into RKCB so soon? There's so much space...

I mean,

1♠-P-2♣-P-
2♠-P-4NT

That's a terribly abrupt auction too, but then you know partner has a sixth spade. Or, if not in your methods...

1♠-P-2♣-P-
2♠-P-2NT-P-
3♠-P-4NT

[obscurans]

I was considering the strong jump-shift available (mostly SAYC), and hence a major rebid could be a "strong" 5-suit (that AKQxx would probably qualify). Without 2/1 I don't want to make any nonforcing bid before the RKC sequence.

Also RKC would do its main job of discouraging pointless slams if ever I missed any of the top three spades.

1♠-3♣-4♠-up could probably happen, although an unhelpful 3♠ is likely.

[mtvesuvius]

1♠ - 2♣ - 3♠ - 7NT.

3♠ shows a solid ♠ suit... That IMO is the easiest way... Otherwise I'm sure Ken has ways to ask for the Jack of Trumps, but I think that the 2/1 auction seems simple and straightforward. Or of course you could use relays

[kenrexford]

mtvesuvius, on May 7 2009, 07:20 AM, said:

...I'm sure Ken has ways to ask for the Jack of Trumps...

Well, let's see.

1♠-P-2♣-P-
2♠-P-3♠(set trumps)-P-
4♠(no controls in any suits, no club Q or higher, but technically possible to have shortness in clubs)-P-4NT(RKCB)-P-
5♠(AKQ in trumps)-P-5NT(anything to show here?)-P-
6♠(no club shortness, no red Queens)-P-???

Still no bid to ask. Damn!!!

[Fluffy]

No real need to ask about ♠J, once you know ♠AKQxxx you can survive in 7NT against 4-1 breaks with a finese+squeeze, that brings the 70% already if you really needed it (you didn't with such a obvious slam hand).