[the hog]

You are Nth. vul vs not Sth opens

Jxxx
Ax
QTxx
K98

1D (1H) 1S (2H)
4C (P) ?

You are playing a canape system - the Caroline Club, if you want to know. opener has shown 5/6 very good C, 4D and a max hand - 14-15. Your bid is?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

5D, unless you have a way to agree diamonds as
trumps below 5D.

I would like to make some positive noise, but I am
not willing to drive to slam. I probably have the
"golden" cards, partner needs, but ...

I assume
- 4C is passable
- 4D is preference
- 4H / 4S are cue bids, agreeing clubs ???
- 4 NT, RKCB for clubs ?`
- 5C / 5D, to play

With kind regards
Marlowe

[han]

I'm not familiar with the system, but it seems very strange to me that partner can bid this way with only 4-5 in the minors, 5-6 seems far more likely.

This is a great hand, and chances for slam are excellent. I'll start with 4H (not necessarilly setting clubs as trump as we have no way to show diamond support). Over 4S I'll bid 6D. Over 5C I'll sign off in 5D. If partner takes control immediately, great!

[PriorKnowledge]

4H. If partner q-bids 4S, I am bidding 6D.
I have a magic hand. If partner has x xxx AKxx AQJxx, which is very likely on the bidding, we have 12 tricks in diam.

[Free]

Partner seems to be short in ♠s. So slam isn't pretty far away probably. I just wonder if 4♦ would set trumps or if it's a signoff bid. Otherwise I'll use some kind of cuebid (4♥).

[Fluffy]

If partner has 6♣, singleton ♠, and no honnor in the majors 6♦ seems the right spot. But that is probably just a dream, 4♥ can drive us too high quickly, so I would just bid a game, I am not sure of wich minor but I'll try 5♣.

[hrothgar]

GOOD problem

The big question is, of course, whether partner has a "miracle" hand...

♠ A
♥ x
♦ AJxx
♣ AQxxxxx

or some such...

With this said and done, I am having a lot of trouble constructing hands for partner that have play for slam but don't require a Diamond hook. The bulk of the opponent's HCP are sitting over partner so I'm worried that any hook is going to be off. From my perspective, slam hinges on whether partner is 6-4 or 7-4 in the minors and I don't see a good way to explore this.

Barry Crane once said (approximately) "Don't play me to have the perfect hand. I won't". I'm going to heed his advice and bid a "quiet" 5♦.

If I were to try for slam, 4♥ seems clear.

[joker_gib]

I really have great cards ! I'll start with 4♥ hoping to hear 4♠ and play a minor slam.

Alain

[luis]

4♥ I have a monster hand and I want to know if pd can cuebid 4♠. Seems easy.

[the hog]

4H is nice guys, now over 4S?

[luis]

After 4♥ - 4♠ I bid 4NT 6 aces keycard. I think it will be quite clear that the 6 minor suit keycards are important.
If I get a 4KC response I can ask with 5♥ about a minor suit queen and go to 7♦ when pd can show the club queen. If we don't have the 6 keycards then I can signoff in 6♦.

Luis

[Free]

luis, on Jun 13 2005, 04:08 PM, said:

After 4♥ - 4♠ I bid 4NT 6 aces keycard. I think it will be quite clear that the 6 minor suit keycards are important.
If I get a 4KC response I can ask with 5♥ about a minor suit queen and go to 7♦ when pd can show the club queen. If we don't have the 6 keycards then I can signoff in 6♦.

Luis

I have nothing more to add...

[awm]

An easy "magic hand" for partner:

x
xx
AKxx
AQxxxx

I agree with the 4♥ call. It seems like with a hand like the above though, partner pretty much knows we have slam after the 4♥ bid. He has many keycards in the minors and spades locked up. My concern is getting to slam opposite a hand like:

x
Kx
KJxx
AQJxxx

I'm not sure how Luis' 6-ace keycard works, but if the "two" response is past 5♦ (as it is in pretty much every form of 4NT keycard I'm aware of) then we have a problem.

I think I'd just bid 5♦ over 4♠ and let partner decide the next step. I've announced slam interest opposite his shape and range and shown my heart control; I will trust partner's judgement.

BTW, what would a 3♣ free bid by partner show? It seems like partner's 4♣ really should be 4-6 at least, I'm having trouble imagining a 4-5 hand with 14-15 hcp that wants to leap to the four level opposite a simple 1/1 response.

[Fluffy]

After 4♥-4♠ its time to put double brakes and bid 5♣ , but I woul bid them first round.

[Winstonm]

I apply my rule of thumb: is there a minimum pard might have for this bidding that makes slam laydown? x, xx, AKJx, AQxxxx. Seems so. I will bid 4H (my one try at slam). Regardless of what pard bids next (exluding blackwood), my next bid is 5D - I've had my say and now it is up to him or her to go on.

WinstonM

[the hog]

I think if partner bids 4S you really must bid 6D Winstonm.
You must evaluate ow good your minor cards really are.
Partner, (me), held
x
Qx
AK9x
AQTxxx
On the 3-2 D break 6D was laydown.

[luke warm]

whew, glad ron said that.. i'd bid 4h then 6d over 4s

[Winstonm]

Quote

I think if partner bids 4S you really must bid 6D Winstonm

Perhaps different styles, but I must humbly disagree. It is pard who knows he holds:

x,
Qx
AKxx
AQxxxx

instead of

x,
Kxx,
AKJx
A10xxxx

After making a try, showing the heart Ace, what else could north have to then sign off except the minor suit cards? With the second hand, if north held xxxx, Ax, Qxxx, KQx he would not sign off - the sign off then must be a missing minor suit card to my way of thinking. Close decision, but then isn't that what separates the good from bad result?

WinstonM