[bd71]

Scoring: MP

First-time intermediate partner, playing very basic Standard American with standard Blackwood. Specifcally agreed NOT to play splinters.
No opposition bidding.

1S-2D
2H-4S
4N-5D
5S

Feel free to comment on bidding to this point, but it is what it is...should you bump it up to 6S?
Does your answer change with vulnerability and scoring?

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[jjbrr]

I don't like the 4♠ bid. It ate up way too much room in the auction. I'm no SAYC wizard, but isn't 3♠ forcing in this auction?

After standard blackwood, I would bid slam with the understanding that this is a great way to piss off a new partner. I just think we have way more in our hand than we've been able to show so far in the auction and if partner is the one making slam tries, then our hand is really darn good. Maybe the opponents don't cash both their aces against us if they have 2 cashing aces.

Many advanced players have a way to show a void with their response to blackwood, but these responses force the partnership to slam anyway, so against these pairs we come out exactly even.

[vuroth]

What do I know, but I agree. Partner making a slam move seems like extremely good news.

[Bbradley62]

At this point in the auction, you basically have to go for 6♠, since you'd likely make 7 opposite AQJxx Axxx x xxx, and partner should have more than that for his slam try. If you're playing fourth suit artificial and forcing to game, it might have been interesting to bid 3♣ over 2♥ to see what partner did.