[jdgalt]

Not just once but TWICE just now -- I asked GIB for aces, it promised some (so we had all but one), I bid slam, we were off two aces.

Pardon my French but Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot???

[Bbradley62]

Absolutely nothing is hard about this. Did you think 5♣ meant something other than "none" here?

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Of course, GIB doesn't hold the hand to match the description he provides of 4♥, but that's a different problem.

[Bbradley62]

Hopefully you realize that GIB plays Roman Keycard Blackwood, which is why the 5♦ bid here is explained as "1 or 4 keycards", not as some number of aces.

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If you're not familiar with RKC Blackwood, you can read about it in GIB's system notes: http://www.bridgebas...ystem_notes.php

[aguahombre]

You could also ask for Aces less often.

[Stephen Tu]

Yes, neither hand is remotely close to the sort of bid you should be asking for aces. Not missing 2 aces is only one of the requirements to make slam, not the only requirement. You still need enough pts and/or distribution to take 12 tricks, control of all suits, and you want to establish that *before* you consider blkwood. Being in the 29 pt range isn't enough! You want around 33 for slam, including whatever you are adding for big fits and ruffing values; with these flat hands you need a lot more in high cards.

North doesn't really have a 4h bid on (1) though.

[daveharty]

As an aside, how many aces does GIB need to hold to double 6NT when it's on lead?

[pigpenz]

daveharty, on 2012-April-30, 06:46, said:

As an aside, how many aces does GIB need to hold to double 6NT when it's on lead?

probably at least 3, since when it does double with 2 and doesnt lead them it
needs one more for protection

[barmar]

daveharty, on 2012-April-30, 06:46, said:

As an aside, how many aces does GIB need to hold to double 6NT when it's on lead?

We have a rule that says to double 6N when you hold two aces, or 7N when you hold one ace (the rules don't distinguish whether you're on lead or not -- I don't think we have a way to check that in the rule language). However, in the above case, it did a simulation and thought that they would run to 7♣. Oops! We don't have any rules that say when to double that, so it thought this would be a profitable escape.

I wonder what the criteria for penalty X of suit grands should be. A, KQ, or QJT of trumps is certainly enough, but a single side ace shouldn't be; if the opponents are bidding reasonably, one of them should have a void there. So maybe two side aces or A and KQ. How about any 3 K, or KQ and K?

[jdgalt]

Bbradley62, on 2012-April-29, 21:34, said:

Absolutely nothing is hard about this. Did you think 5♣ meant something other than "none" here?

---

Of course, GIB doesn't hold the hand to match the description he provides of 4♥, but that's a different problem.

Yes, but after board 7 I figured it must be playing 1430.

[aguahombre]

jdgalt, on 2012-April-30, 22:50, said:

Yes, but after board 7 I figured it must be playing 1430.

It seems it thought clubs were trump on board seven if 4NT was even asking.....but again, lose Ace asking as your only tool.

[Bbradley62]

jdgalt, on 2012-April-30, 22:50, said:

Yes, but after board 7 I figured it must be playing 1430.

Because you didn't read the explanations on Board 7, which clearly indicate that GIB is responding to Keycard for Clubs and showed 1 (♣K) or 4 with his 5♦ bid? And this led to your diatribe about nonsense? I presume you were drinking that night.

[jdgalt]

I did mouse-over the bid for such an explanation. There was none.