[vuroth]

Hopefully this is an instructive hand for B/N. Or hey, maybe it'll be instructive for me.

Club game, MPs. Don't recall the vuln.

Scoring: MP

Playing 2/1, short minor.

---

1♦ 1♠
2♠ ?

[aguahombre]

Time and time again I have seen an immediate B/W and blast. I would prefer to find out partner's response to a random game try (in our case 3C) before blasting or subsiding. It might not belong in spades (3-card raise). Possible auction:

1D-1S
2S-3C
3N-4NT quant.

1D-1S
2S-3C
3S(wk)-4S

etc.

[pooltuna]

vuroth, on Oct 2 2009, 11:47 AM, said:

Hopefully this is an instructive hand for B/N. Or hey, maybe it'll be instructive for me.

Club game, MPs. Don't recall the vuln.

Scoring: MP

Playing 2/1, short minor.

---

1♦ 1♠
2♠ ?

Is 3♦ not forcing?

[jdonn]

I think regardless of strategy this hand is a slam force as long as we aren't missing two keycards. A little light on strength, but the double fit and amazing controls (no jacks!) make it worth it. Slam makes opposite some really dull looking hands, like Axxx Jx KJTxx Qx. A forcing 3♦ or a 2NT asking bid both would be a good start, but if you aren't confident those bids would be forcing for you then 3♣ is fine to see how partner reacts.

[hrothgar]

Some of this might presume agreements that aren't part and parcel of the beginner / intermediate playbook.

Few random thoughts:

1. I have a control rich 18 count. Partner really isn't going to be excited about his hand. Any kind of quantitative invite is dangerous. Normally, I'd bid

I'd start by bidding 2NT asking partner to clarify

1. The length of his trump support
2. Whether he is a maximum or a minimum for his bid.

In this case, I don't expect to hear anything new information other than "I have X Trump"

2. The great "danger" on this hand is that we could easily have a 4-4 Diamond fit that could produce slam. As Pooltuna points out, 3♦ is natural and forcing. This bid will put Spades and Diamonds into the picture. Partner will learn soemthing useful (we have a double fit) and I'll get the same info that I would from a 2NT ask.

If partner rebids 3♠, I'll cue bid 4♣
If partner rebids 4♦, I'll cue bid 4♥

If partner rebids 3NT... I'll probably go into a deep tank, partner will be barred from doing anythign intelligent, and I'll end play myself into something silly like bidding 5N and hoping that partner reads this as pick a slam...

[vuroth]

The reason I shared this hand is that, once upon a time, I would only have considered 2 bids - 4♠ and 4NT.

Today, I considered things, and while I was leaning slam, I decided that it couldn't hurt to ask a question or two along the way, so I bid 3♣ (agreed HSGT). When partner continued 4♠, I felt much more confident (slam was 50%, and came home).

I had also missed that we were playing short club. That might have helped a bit.

Just wanted to share, in case it helped someone.

V

[Echognome]

My answer depends on what I have agreed with partner. If I have no agreements as to this sequence, then I guess to bid 3♣. If I were playing with Phil, I would bid 2NT, as 3♦ (while forcing) would show 5♠ (which may lead to partner making a wrong valuation or selecting the wrong strain later).

[vuroth]

I don't play many club games, due to distance. I've played with this partner a half dozen times over the last year, but we've hardly hammered out much in the way of agreements.

[woefuwabit]

Typically I play that a suit bid at the lowest possible level is a game try, and a jump into a suit is a cue bid looking for slam. Bidding 3♣ is not a good idea if opener can bid 4♥ game with a good minimum hand.

I want to check if partner has the ♦K before checking for keycards, so I'll bid 4♣ first, then 4NT over the response. Without the ♦K i will bid slam only with all 5 keycards.