[SimonFa]

Pick-up partner, self proclaimed Expert.

All white, RHO deals.

(1♥) - 1♠ - (2♦) - 3♠
(4♦) - 4♠ - (4NT) - P
(5♦) - 6♣ - (P) - 6♠
(X) All pass

♠AQ764
♥
♦5
♣AQJT643

4NT announced as Ace ask.

My plan was to start with Spades and then do something serious with Clubs. I took partner's 3♠ as pre-emptive but the later bidding made me wonder.

By this time 6♣ was a punt that partner had something in one of my suits and I went on to make 13 on the A♥ lead.

Would it have been better to start with Clubs or is there some other gadget I could use?

How about 5 Clubs over 4 Diamond?

On the bidding was 6 Clubs a wise move and I just go lucky?

Once you've thought about that what do you think of partner's bid?

Spoiler

♠KJT982
♥QJ75
♦7
♣85

As always, thanks in advance,
Simon

[daveharty]

My first instinct was to start with 2H to get both suits in at once, but that could lead to awkward auctions, e.g. (1H)-2H-(4H)-p-p, now 4S seems to distort your relative lengths too much. So I think I would try 2C, planning on following up with 4S at my next turn if possible.

[mikeh]

1♠ is a truly awful bid. You should rarely distort shape with 5-6....certainly never with a hand worth two bids....to distort shape with a 5-7 is a major (pun intended) error.

And so utterly unnecessary.

I wouldn't, btw, use Micheals here.....even with 5-6, this hand is too good for that and with this 5-7, Michaels is all too likely to lead to a poor auction.

I'd 'risk' a 2♣ overcall. We hold 12 black cards and 13 hcp....there is virtually zero chance of this being passed out, and if we bid clubs now, and anyone does anything other than pass, we bid spades at whatever level seems appropriate.

Consider this possible auction: (1♥) 2♣ (4♥) P (P). Now we have the world's simplest 4♠ call......how would your partner interpret this? Presumably as 5-6 or so, with good suits....which is one heck of a lot closer to your hand than any auction starting with 1♠.

Imagine by contrast (1♥) 1♠ (4♥) P (P). Wtf do you do? You bid 5♣ and now partner thinks your spades are at least as long as your clubs and he can't get back to 4♠ if that is where you belong.

On the actual hand, I assume 2♣ would fetch the same 2♦ call as did 1♠, but now partner passes....or does he?

In any event, you will introduce spades at the 4-level all by yourself and partner should get excited about Kxxx in spades and the club K. If he doesn't, he isn't an expert.

[neilkaz]

mikeh's post is spot on. Start with 2♣ and then bid ♠.