[lenze]

In a recent Pro-Am team event (One life master paired with a novice) neither team reached slam. How would you bid these cards to six? OR seven?

South Deals and opens one spade. Opponents are silent

North holds

S KJ742
H T
D A865432
C T

South

S AQ853
H AJ43
D 7
C A65

[Cave_Draco]

Depends on the system (I assume 5-card majors), and who is the pro, but...

I can defend 1S-5S-6S, ;D.

[Codo]

Bidding with myself is always ve4ry helpful, no misunderstandings, so maybe at the table I had failed:

1 Spade 2 NT (4+ Spades forcing
3 Diamond (Shortage)
4 NT (RKCB)
5 Club (3)
5 Diamond (Queen of Spade?)
6 Spade Yes but no outside king
7 Spade

Respond has to upgrade his Hand :
With the powerful two-suiter he must force to game.
When teh opener shows his singelton in Diamond, he can smell many tricks. Pd has 5 trumps and a singelton/Void diamond, so with 2-4 ruffs, he surely will establish the suit. Pd shows all missing aces and the queen of trump...so here we go...

Kind Regards

Roland

[lenze]

Hi Roland Thanks for the reply. I was the pro sitting south. Your sequence was also my first thought. The problem is, what if South's hand is

S AT853
H A43
D K7
C A65

The grand is still laydown. but won't North be discouraged when South shows no singleton (YES, I know south would(SHOULD) open 1 NT with this hand) BTW: The Q of trumps is irrelevent for all practicle purposes

[lifemonster]

S KJ742
H T
D A865432
C T



S AQ853
H AJ43
D 7
C A65

Since it's a LM paired with novice game, I'd suggest the old-school-less-convention bidding line.
One assumption has to be made that North's hand is treated as forcing raise.

South North
1S 2D
2H 3S
4C 4D
4H 5C
5D 5H
5NT 6D
7S PASS

3S: it's a forcing raise with great trump; I don't think Jacoby FR would do the job because this
is not a "general raise". South's 6 loser 3 Ace hand certainly doesn't look minimum.
4C:OK, I have 1st round control in clubs and let's start having some cuebidding fun
4D: I have 1st round control in diamonds
4H: I have 1st round control here
5C: I have 2nd round control here
5D: I have 2nd round control here
5H: I have 2nd round control here
5NT: What else? We've got all the 1st and 2nd rd controls covered. How many honors have you
got in trumps?
6D: one
7S: OK

[lifemonster]

In fact, when South applies 5NT, North's KJxxx should be treated as 2 honors, because of the 5th
trump and the J. In case South has Axxxx, there is still great chance that you can pick up the
suit with no loser. This way, even if South holds
Axxxx
Axx
Kx
Axx
7S will still be duly reached with the help of the same cuebidding line.

BTW, I don't think this hand
Axxxx
Axx
Kx
Axx
is worth 1NT opener, though practially 1NT immediately tells the pattern, but there are several
reasons I think it's better to open 1S
1.all your honors are primary, ie, AK's
2.not very many high spots
3.there ain't very many trick sources in NT, after cashing the honors

[Codo]

Hi Lenze,

I agree, that a flat hand makes it more difficult to bid the grand.
I don`t know exactly what the majority plays after jacoby 2 NT, so my bidding may not be common sense, but lets give your second hand another try:

1 Spade 2 NT
3 NT (artifical, strong and balanced)
4 Club (cue bid, slam try)
4 Diamond (Wow that is good news,
because it must be Kx)
4 NT
5 Club 7 Spade

In the first example, I asked for the queen, because I was not sure, if I imay need it, in case the Diamonds are spliiting bad. But you are right, no need to ask.

BTW here at bbo I just lost a slam against Qxx behind my AKxxxx in a ten card fit :-))

And I won`t open the given hand 1 NT. I have no rebid problem in my system, so I love to bid the major. :-)

Kind Regards

Roland

[lifemonster]

It is too quick to leap to 7S right after 5C response of Blackwood. What if South has Kxx in diamonds? You need diamonds break 2-2, pretty poor chance for a grand.

Therefore, after Blackwood, you need to bid 6D(5D would be relay for trump Q), checking the 3rd rd control.

[Codo]

Hi,

Diamonds cannot be 2-2 if responders hand is 5171 like it is posted :-)
But otoh then you may get no score anyway with your 14 cards....

So with 4171 I will not fear Kxx with pd, but with 5161, U R right.

Anyway, I wonder, how many people will understand that after 1 Spade 2 NT .....5Club a jump to 6 Diamond is asking for third round control.
This is a nice tool, but at least I did not discuss that with my standard pard. :-(

But without getting to know about the special diamond holding from pd:
Without doing the math I believe, that the chances of pd having a doubelton in diamonds are quite high.
With a holding like 5,4,3,1 opps have 10 clubs ( or 10 Hearts!) and stay silent?
With 5332 from pd, they have 19 cards in H and C and stay silent?
Of course, they could be just to weak.
But again, then pd may hold KQx or KJx in diamonds.

I have to guess and believe, that 7 Spade is still a fair shot and that your way is much better, but not avaiable for me :-)

Kind Regards

Roland

[inquiry]

Quote

Anyway, I wonder, how many people will understand that after 1 Spade 2 NT .....5Club a jump to 6 Diamond is asking for third round control.
This is a nice tool, but at least I did not discuss that with my standard pard. :-(

Hi Roland....

Perhpas you missed the thead started by Yzerman on kantar's version of Roman Keycard Blackwood. Go now, this instant, to http://www.kantarbridge.com/rkb.htm and send your standard parnter there too... There are so many really wonderful tools following KeyCard Blackwood there. I think you will like it. BTW, in kantar's version, over the jump to 6D asking for specific cards, the responses are not as simple as bid 7 with third round control.

Ben

[lenze]

Thanks to all who responded. Sorry I miss posted the original hand. It should be obvious that North holds only 6 diamonds (My mistake)

Still, this is an interesting hand

[inquiry]

Quote

North holds

S KJ742
H T
D A865432
C T

South

S AQ853
H AJ43
D 7
C A65

1S 2D (playing 2/1 GF)
2H 2S (can't bid 4S... as denys C/H control)
3C 3D
3H 4C (by pass serious 3NT)
4D 4N
5S 6D (5s="SQ +2 key cards, 6D = SSA)
7S Pass (7S = singleton Diamond)

This is the second problem hand today I have used SSA on. For more about SSA see....

http://www.kantarbri...com/rkb_vii.htm

Ben