[Poky]

Expert casual partner.

♠Axx
♥Axx
♦Kxx
♣Qxxx

1♠ - pass - pass - 2♣
2♥ - 2NT* - pass - 4NT!!!

* I know you may not agree with 2NT but that was the actual bidding!

What you expect from 4NT?

[luke warm]

i'd expect it to be a strong hand that would have reversed into diamonds if not for 2nt... i could be wrong but i'm bidding 5C... i'd bid 6 had he doubled first

[Free]

He has about 4 bids to show slam interest, so I think it's "choose your best minor". Bid 5♣ now.

[flytoox]

Should be for minor. I vote for 5C. I really hate this kind bid which gives pd much headache. 2N is a good bid.

[whereagles]

I think pard is trying for something more than game. What he has I don't know and, quite frankly, I don't care. My hand is about as good as it can get for my bidding, so I bid 6C now.

[inquiry]

This is difficult to say. What would a balancing cue-bid be? Any two suiter? Hearts and minor? Forcing? I play it as any two suiter, but I doubt that is even close to standard (many will play as major and a minor).

The two opinions are 1) Quantatitive and 2) pick a minor game. For Quantatitive, however, partner would need a balanced hand and around 20 points. Clearly he would not start 2♣ with that hand as his balancing call (dbl then notrump or jump to 2NT to begin with). How about long clubs and semi-great hand? Well, he bid only 2♣ not 3♣ or dlb then jump in clubs, so that hands like 7 clubs to AK and heart and diamond stoppers and is inviting is also out. So I have to agree with the earlier posters this is a minor two suiter. And my hand is "golden" opposite a minor two suiter, we might even be cold for 7♣ (give partner x x AQxxx AKxxxx), but I see no way to investigate logically so I will just bid 6♣.

[shanbari]

i choose 6c too, hopefully find partner has D: AQXX, C: AKXXXX(X),
or D: QJXX, C: AKxxxxx

shan

[mike777]

Partner is bidding 2 clubs with these example hands? I know 2nt in balance seat is strong NT, so that is out, but bidding only 2 clubs on these concentrated two suited hands surprises me.

Is 4nt not an option in balance seat, first bid? 3 Clubs? Perhaps even X( p is allowed to bid D sometimes) then club rebid if hand with lots of playing tricks?

On actual bidding I would guess weak two suiter with far less HCP

[inquiry]

mike777, on Jan 5 2005, 11:45 AM, said:

Partner is bidding 2 clubs with these example hands? I know 2nt in balance seat is strong NT, so that is out, but bidding only 2 clubs on these concentrated two suited hands surprises me.

Is 4nt not an option in balance seat, first bid? 3 Clubs? Perhaps even X( p is allowed to bid D sometimes) then club rebid if hand with lots of playing tricks?

On actual bidding I would guess weak two suiter with far less HCP

Why 4NT with a weak two suiter? I mean, why go negative when you can be positive? Partner clearly can not be weak, and he certainly has no idea that you have a magic hand that might well make opposite a weak minor two suiter. Your hand clearly could be a whole lot worse than it is, and could have significant wasted value in both majors.

[mike777]

Assume 2clubs could be much less here.

[Free]

Imo if partner is interested in slam, he should bid 3♥, 3♠, 4♥ or 4♠ first, not 4NT... He has room enough to investigate controls and the like, so I don't think he has a hand interested to go higher than the 5 level

[mikestar]

It must be a strong minor two-suiter with longer clubs (he starts with 2D if equal or with longer diamonds).


A method I have heard of in the balancing seat uses the Qbid to show an unspecifed 1 suiter too strong for a simple overcall and uses Roman jump overcalls.

So over 1S: 3C=minors, 3D=red suits, 3H=hearts and clubs.

[pclayton]

Same as Ben, I play the Q in balance as an unknown 2 suiter. However, I wouldn't expect this with a casual partner, who I can see making a simple 2♣ balance on a 5-6.

While I have an absolute moose (wow, can my hand be ANY more perfect for pard?); I'll also settle on 6♣. 7 may be gin, but again not be makeable; doesn't x, x, Axxxx, AKxxxx? sound about right?

[firechief]

I'll bid 6 clubs. I don't understand why partner didn't bid 3 diamonds or even 4 diamonds over 2nt instead with both minors. Could he really have 12 or 13 cards in the minors? I think what's more likely is that partner was very short in hearts, and didn't want to reopen with a double. Partner's 4nt is actually a strong hand...something like QJx x AQx AKxxxx. If he has the spade ten also or a 7th club, I'll apologize for not trying harder for 7, even though I doubt we'd get there after I bid 5h.
Joel

[Winstonm]

Partner didn't have enough to double back in or jump...but he has enough to commit to game over my 12-14 2NT. Must have a distributional medium strength hand with clubs and diamonds. I'd guess along the line of x, x, AJ10xx, AKxxxx.

With such a great two-suited fit and both majors controlled I'm bidding 6 clubs and expect to make it.

winstonm

[LH2650]

IF partner is showing the minors, some of the example hands would have poor play for game opposite a 2N response not including a major suit Ace. Therefore, they are minimums. My hand is so golden that I will try 5S, which partner should interpret as an RKCB response for clubs. He may even work out that my hand is too good for a mere 6C, and infer that I have the diamond King. Then he can make an intelligent decision. Even if he is totally confused, he will retreat to 6 clubs, which would be my second choice.

[HeartA]

6C.

[Fluffy]

I would take it as quantitative, wich kind of hand can partner have for not doubling that can play slam?, IMO he expects a bit more from our 2NT he probably has the super maximum (good 16?) with 6♣, I don't think playing 6 is good because we don't have KJ or A10 or similar at all to make 29 HCP into 32 after finesing.

I would pass at MP, 5♣ at IMPs.