[aleatory]

partner and I play 2/1 with typically light openings.
This hand came up at rubber bridge, but let's pretend its duplicate

partner open 1♣
hero has KQx/AKQxx/KQJT/x
auction (opps silent):
1♣ - 1♥
1♠ - 2♦!
2NT - ??

2♦ is standard 4th suit forcing to game
2NT denies 3 hearts and implies a diamond stopper (the ace obv)

Clearly I'm going to either 6NT or 7NT, but how the heck do I find out if partner has 2 or 3 aces here?

Partner is very competent; we haven't played a ton together, but we have a few agreements:
-We only use Gerber after a NT opening (should we change this?)
-We play RKCB, but generally only after suit agreement.

What should 4NT mean here? If its RKCB what suit is trumps? diamonds were the last bid suit but that bid was artificial...

[mikeh]

I gather that for some weird reason, you would bid 7N if partner showed 3 Aces.

Can you please explain the source of your 13 tricks opposite Axxx x Axx Axxxx?

I strongly suggest that you consider asking for Aces only after you learn when to ask for Aces...which is when you have some reasonable idea of what to do once partner answers.

Heck, opposite the hand I gave you, you will probably go down in 6N if they lead clubs!

Now, opposite AJxx x Axx Axxxx, 7♠ is best. Opposite Axxx Jx Ax Axxxx, 7N is best.

Are you getting the picture? Knowing how many Aces partner has isn't the most important issue facing you at this juncture.

Personally, with the methods you use, I'd probably blast 6N and hope to make.

If you had a hand on which ace asking made sense, which it doesn't on this one, use a jump to 4♣ as gerber...ask why not? You'd bid 3♣ to show clubs. You don't need to 'splinter' in support of your own hearts.

[FrancesHinden]

mikeh, on 2013-May-12, 00:15, said:

Can you please explain the source of your 13 tricks opposite Axxx x Axx Axxxx?

Now, opposite AJxx x Axx Axxxx, 7♠ is best.

On your first hand, 7D makes with a following wind (diamonds 4-2 or 3-3 plus hearts 4-3 or spades coming in (or a major suit squeeze)
On your second hand 7D is also good (although I agree 7D scores better)

So I would bid 3D over 2NT. A good agreement is that bidding 4th suit, then bidding it again when partner bids NT, is natural.
If I had to guess the slam that makes most often it would be in diamonds (although other slams might be equally good or better on some specific hands)

[petterb]

aleatory, on 2013-May-11, 23:41, said:

... but how the heck do I find out if partner has 2 or 3 aces here?

Bid 3♠ setting spades as trumps and follow up with 4NT RKCB.

[Cyberyeti]

petterb, on 2013-May-12, 06:17, said:

Bid 3♠ setting spades as trumps and follow up with 4NT RKCB.

This was what I was going to do if I wanted to ask for aces but I don't as outlined above.

I'd probably bid 3♦ which depends on your agreements exactly what it means (I think natural, but I play 4SF at the 2 level F1 not FG so partner can still be very minimum 4045), but whatever it means, you have it and more.

[JLOGIC]

Hate to say itbut if you wanted to just ask for aces 4C gerber is there for you. I know people are highly anti gerber but this is the purpose it serves (you have a forcing bid in clubs, 3C, but you have no way to ask for aces).

That said I would want some more info before launching into ace asking so I'd start with 3D.