[Rossoneri]

You pick up this hand as East:

Scoring: IMP

---

The bidding goes (from North):
1♦ - 1♠ - 2♥ - 3♠
4♥ - 4♠ - 4NT - P
5♣ - 5♠ - 6♥ - P
P - ?

What do you bid now?

Also, do you agree with the bidding by East so far, if not how would you bid differently?

[rogerclee]

I would've bid 5H instead of 4S (very little point in trying 5D). Now this auction is a little weird since we have two keycards, but the odds of making 6S are so good (as they were the last two rounds of bidding!) that I would just do that. It's not like we're getting rich from defending 6H, and they could easily make (sounds like LHO is void in spades?).

[lmilne]

wow, yeah give partner Kxxx spades and out...

would've def bid more than 4S. 6S now for sure.

edit: kinda looks like LHO has a spade void and is backing us to have the spade ace rather than his partner. so RHO might have a spade trick. still, if this is the case 6S is probably a good dive vs 6H.

[Rossoneri]

Not sure if this information will tilt the choice, but 4NT was meant as RKCB.

[Hanoi5]

I think I'd bid 6♠, now. East's bidding might be a ruse to get doubled in 6♠ and make it, and that way it is ok.

[Phil]

Considering 6♠ on a real good day makes, and on a bad day its about the equivalent of their game, how can I not bid it?

[Jlall]

Hate 4S, woulda bid 6S to begin with. I guess I was walking the dog, so now I bid 6S since that was my plan it seems?

Don't understand roger's 5H bid, is partner supposed to bid 6S with the SK?

[655321]

Agree with everyone, 6♠ looks clear. It is better to score +1660 than -980.

Also I would have bid more than 4♠ earlier.

[rwbarton]

Just because LHO bid 4NT and then 6♥ doesn't mean they can't be off two cashing aces; maybe LHO would have signed off in 5♥ if we hadn't bid 5♠ but wants to bid 6♥ as insurance now.

I would have just bid 6♠ the second round. I'll do that now, I guess.

[the hog]

I would have bid 6S over 3S. Was East trying to be funny?

[jjbrr]

Agree with everyone else. 4♠ strikes me as the last thing I would choose to bid. I'm not sure if I would choose to show my ♣ or just bid slam or something, but 4♠ is sort of lol. Anything besides 4♠ has to be better.

[gnasher]

Despite all the complaints about 4♠, it seems to have worked out quite well. I'd rather be playing 6♠x than waiting for partner to lead to 7♥.

[Rossoneri]

Thanks for the replies guys. On hindsight, I thought 4♠ was a gross underbid as well, which was why I was not very happy with this sequence.

In any case, I bid 6♠ and the X appears on my left.

K♦ led and now partner tables his hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

How would you play the hand now after a heart continuation from South?

Hint:

Spoiler

South has 2 trumps, North has 1. On the first round of clubs, South produces the 6 and North the 8.

[Cyberyeti]

Rossoneri, on Apr 5 2010, 06:15 AM, said:

Thanks for the replies guys. On hindsight, I thought 4♠ was a gross underbid as well, which was why I was not very happy with this sequence.

In any case, I bid 6♠ and the X appears on my left.

K♦ led and now partner tables his hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

How would you play the hand now after a heart continuation from South?

Hint:

Spoiler

South has 2 trumps, North has 1. On the first round of clubs, South produces the 6 and North the 8.

Spade to dummy, diamond ruff high, spade to dummy, diamond ruff, ace of clubs, how much information do I have ?

[OleBerg]

After 3♠ from partner, I will always go to 6♠.

My main priority however, is to buy the contact, not to do it at the 6-level.

Whether a direct 6♠ or walking the dog is best, is both a matter of technique and psychology.

Walking the dog, they might already have doubled me in 5♠, but maybe now, it is a little less likely they will double me in 6♠. But I need to know my opponents to choose strategy.

Edit: Maybe a direct 5♠ is the best way to buy the contract, as the opponents are in a forcing sequence, but low on aces. And if they believe I am stoopid, which is often the case, I might still get a "walk the dog" effect, when I bid 6♠.

[Rossoneri]

How then, would your bidding strategy differ if:
a) Opponents were average tournament players
Opponents are world-class internationals?

Cyberyeti: read the hidden text

[OleBerg]

Rossoneri, on Apr 5 2010, 02:14 PM, said:

How then, would your bidding strategy differ if:
a) Opponents were average tournament players
Opponents are world-class internationals?

Cyberyeti: read the hidden text

I would need to know something about their style, but the more old-fashioned they are, the more likely it is, that I would walk the dog.

I would be so outgunned I would try something desperate, probably 5♠. If however, I should advice a young, up an coming world class player, I would advice her to bid 6♠.

[Cyberyeti]

Rossoneri, on Apr 5 2010, 07:14 AM, said:

How then, would your bidding strategy differ if:
a) Opponents were average tournament players
Opponents are world-class internationals?

Cyberyeti: read the hidden text

I did, need to know how the diamonds split which it doesn't tell me, there may be no guess to make.

[Hanoi5]

I'm finessing. South is probably 2=8=2=1. If he had a singleton ♦ (I have to ruff the first diamond with the Ace) then it's 2=8=1=2, and no finesse, but I'm sure it's the first one.

[pooltuna]

Cyberyeti, on Apr 5 2010, 07:46 AM, said:

Rossoneri, on Apr 5 2010, 07:14 AM, said:

How then, would your bidding strategy differ if:
a) Opponents were average tournament players
Opponents are world-class internationals?

Cyberyeti: read the hidden text

I did, need to know how the diamonds split which it doesn't tell me, there may be no guess to make.

You have to assume N started w/6♦ to even have a prayer of making. If RHO only has five he would never start the auction with 1♦ holding 1552. Your real problem is deciding whether RHO would start with 1♦ holding 1561 (♠x ♥KJxxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣x) vs 1462 (♠x ♥KJxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣Qx). Given the existing auction we need to know how the opps play 2♥ and how they play an immediate 4♥ call by our LHO. I suspect LHO's inability to call a natural 4♥ in this auction would favor a holding of xx AQTxxxx x Qxx which means RHO was planning to reverse his hand with a 1561 hand that I would probably open 1♥ so IMO it is still a tossup as to whether or not to finesse.