[Hanoi5]

Both Red, Butler, you dealt:

♠KJTx
♥AQJTxxx
♦---
♣J9

1♥-(Pa)-1♠-(2♦)
???

Which Major and what level?

And an additional question:

Spoiler

Would you pass partner's NT rebid if he made one?

[mike777]

1)4d no problem yet.
2) no I would go out on a limb and take it as rkc for spades. I would respond 5nt

[aguahombre]

The question is about whether we should set the spade suit or the heart suit as trumps. If I had to be the one making that decision, I think hearts had better be the strain. Can't lose control if hearts are trump.

Of course we could let partner make the decision (blame transfer), if that 4♦ rebid were the non-serious Convention with No Name rather than a splinter.

[Fluffy]

Imagine partner with AQxxx x xxx xxxx we make 6 spades on diamond lead if ♥K falls in 2 rounds and spades are no worse than 3-1, or if ♥K falls in 3 rounds and spades are 2-2. 11 tricks are sure.

I'd always play in spades. My bid would be a tactic 4NT followed by 6♠ if partner has any keycard, hoping to induce a diamond lead.

[rmnka447]

It's still possible for partner to have anything from a very good hand to a near bust.

So I'm going to opt for a simple 3 ♦ cue and see what partner does next.

[Free]

Definitely raise ♠s to game level (4♦ should be splinter here).

[PhilKing]

The spoiler made me chuckle.

[jdeegan]

3♦ for me. If partner is weak and has only four spades, like ♠ AQxx and out, then 4♥ is the right spot. Otherwise spades should be OK. The question is how high? 3♦ is sort of a gutless bid, but I don't feel comfortable masterminding this hand on my limited information. If I do mastermind, then how is partner supposed know what to do?

Obviously, 4♦ is a possible call, but to me it suggests something more like 4-5-1-3 or 4-5-0-4 with 15-18 HCP. It is a picture bid that tells rather than asks. I need partner to describe his hand. Accurately describing my hand (assuming it becomes necessary) is hard enough, the more so if I start out with a flagrant misrepresentation. We can't both be tellers. All we need for a near laydown grand is:
♠AQxx
♥Kx
♦xxx
♣Axxx

[cherdano]

I am really tempted to start with a support double here. Unless partner has 5 spades or we are going to play in slam, I probably want to play in hearts. Over a support double, I will hopefully find out more (and hopefully "more" doesn't mean "partner wants to play 2♦X with 4243").

[Fluffy]

I like the support double idea, although it is not something you can fully trust, if partner bids 2♠ he could have only 4, if he doesn't bid 3♠ over a 3♦ raise it doesn't either mean that he doesn't have 5, but at least it will often mean he doesn't have AQxxx.

[VM1973]

I'll make a limit raise in spades and see what happens. Exactly how that is done varies on your method, I suppose. With most of my partners a cuebid shows a limit raise or better.

[aguahombre]

VM1973, on 2013-August-29, 16:57, said:

I'll make a limit raise in spades and see what happens. Exactly how that is done varies on your method, I suppose. With most of my partners a cuebid shows a limit raise or better.

Most people think that as opener, if we want to invite game in responder's suit, we jump raise responder's suit. I don't think we want to do that, here. The clever support double to ferret out whether spades or hearts should be trump is interesting, but I wouldn't like to be defending 2D; so we are back to the original question...hearts or spades or somehow get partner to choose?

[cherdano]

Fluffy, on 2013-August-29, 16:46, said:

I like the support double idea, although it is not something you can fully trust, if partner bids 2♠ he could have only 4, if he doesn't bid 3♠ over a 3♦ raise it doesn't either mean that he doesn't have 5, but at least it will often mean he doesn't have AQxxx.

Sure, but I will bid 4♥ in either of the two auctions, and I think we will be in the right contract no matter whether partner passes or corrects to 4♠.

[PhilKing]

A support double is worthy of a zero even on the Guthrie index.