[Fluffy]

vulnerable vs not you get

♠AKQ10xxxx
♥-
♦Qxx
♣xx

1♦-(pass)-1♠-(4♥)
pass-(pass)-??

[pooltuna]

Fluffy, on Dec 28 2009, 11:25 AM, said:

vulnerable vs not you get

♠AKQ10xxxx
♥-
♦Qxx
♣xx

1♦-(pass)-1♠-(4♥)
pass-(pass)-??

I would bid 6♠ instead of 5♥ because I don't want to discourage a ♥ lead

[jdonn]

I bid 5♥ so I can stop in 5♠ if partner has a minimum with heart wastage. I think this can be bid a little bit scientifically, partner actually knows pretty accurately what is and isn't useful for me.

[mikeh]

jdonn, on Dec 28 2009, 01:06 PM, said:

I bid 5♥ so I can stop in 5♠ if partner has a minimum with heart wastage. I think this can be bid a little bit scientifically, partner actually knows pretty accurately what is and isn't useful for me.

That works IF partner reads your 5♥ as a one-suited slam try in spades, but I am not at all sure that he would/should. Couldn't we be any of a wide range of hands with a heart void and grand slam ambitions such as 5=0=4=4, 5=0=3=5, 6=0=3=4 and so on?

I don't think that it is safe to expect partner to robotically bid 5♠ with a stiff spade, or even xx, and heart wastage.

And I don't think the hand is good enough to bid 5♥ and then 6♠ over partner's 6 minor or 5N (5N by him should offer a choice of minors, I think.... 5♣ would be equal minors, and 5N longer diamonds but with playable clubs lest we be 6=0=3=4 or 5=0=3=5). Bidding 5♥ and then 6♠ looks like the same hand with the club A or K, as one example.....a very strong try for grand.

So it seems to me that our choices are double, 5♠ or 6♠. The hand looks wrong for double, altho there are some layouts on which that would be the last attainable plus score. 5♠ won't get the job done if slam is available.....picture xx xxx AKJx KQxx...he will hardly raise.

So I go for the aggressive 6♠. I tend to overbid in these situations.

[TimG]

Did you have available a strong jump shift? That may influence whether partner will expect a single suited slam try if you bid 5♥.

Wouldn't 5♠ at this point generally ask about a heart control for slam?

What would 4N be?

[P_Marlowe]

4S.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Fluffy]

thx for the answers, partner had a dreadful

♠-
♥KJx
♦A10xxxx
♣KQxx

partner (pickup advanced) didn't understand the heart cuebid and we played 7♠X -2, wich only losed 3 IMPs to 5♠ XX -1.

My thoughts:

5♠ could maybe be used as "I have everything bud hearts stopped" or "I have hearts stopped but nothing else". Partner can hardly miss wich one.

Doubling before going to slam risks +100/300 when 650 is avaible, but gives you some safety towards +980 against -100, not sure if there exists a hand that would double and raise to slam if partner pulls, probably not this one though.

[whereagles]

I would just bid 4♠ and bury the slam. If it's there, well, though luck.

Pard had what could be expected: an unbal min with short spades.