[awm]

Watching the USBC there were a few hands where one or both tables were in a really bad slam. On one occasion both tables bid (unobstructed) to 6D off two cashing aces. On another, Meckwell bid a grand with very little play while the other table played in game (missing an excellent six).

Does anyone have a good measure of how frequent this is? Unobstructed slam bidding seems easy to fix with relays or the like, so I’m wondering how often top pairs have issues here.

[Kungsgeten]

Krzysztof Martens seems to have noticed the lacking slam bidding by the pros too. He has written two books on slam bidding, and from what I understand they include many examples of high level auctions where he believe the pros should have better methods. I haven't read these books myself, but have enjoyed other books written by him. http://www.martensun...bidding-part-1/

[straube]

I think it was that same event in which one table decided to open 1D and reverse into 2H with a 19 by 1444 pattern. I watched in awe as they meandered to 6D on what might have been a 4-3 fit. Down two I think. The other table opened 1D and rebid 2N and made 3N.

[foobar]

Perhaps the fear of information leakage prevents top pairs from adopting relays for slam exploration purposes (besides lack of familiarity)?

[Phil]

 foobar, on 2018-May-23, 12:15, said:

Perhaps the fear of information leakage prevents top pairs from adopting relays for slam exploration purposes (besides lack of familiarity)?

Properly structured relays have dummy describing their hand not declarer so any leakage is purely inferential.

[foobar]

 Phil, on 2018-May-23, 12:24, said:

Properly structured relays have dummy describing their hand not declarer so any leakage is purely inferential.

Sure -- but it isn't always possible to always get it right, and sometimes we do end up with the slave hand declaring. IME, it isn't that big of a deal when it happens, but YMMV.

[awm]

It would be interested to hear their opinions on the matter.

A lot of relay players seem to do one or more of the following though (which could be undesirable):
1. Change openings to make relays easier, in a way that could cost in competitive auctions.
2. Change first round responses in a way that sacrifices partscore bidding in order to gain space on relays.
3. Require all GF hands to relay, which loses on certain “pick the right game” hands where slam is very unlikely.

But I don’t think you HAVE to do any of those to fix your unobstructed slam bidding...

[straube]

I would guess that most top players just don’t have the interest in system. Those who do have the interest also have reservations about relay systems, particularly how those systems handle interference.

[kuhchung]

To be fair, Nickell was down a lot in the final quarter and may have been taking a stab at 7 to gain a swing, right? And he bought the worst hand possible opposite.

No comment on the others