[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

in first position, all green, scoring being IMP, you hold

♠AK
♥T7
♦AKT32
♣QJ83

The auction

1D - (1H (1)) - 1S (2) - (Pass)
2C - (2H) - 3H (3) - (Pass)
3S - (Pass) - 4H (4) - (Pass)
??? (5)

(1) made by a long time member of the national squad, Rubber Bridge trained, i.e. not known to bid on garbage
(2) could be 4
(3) generic game force, asking for further description
(4) obv. a slam try
(5) your bid

As always reason is more important than getting it right.
Feel free to suggest different paths of the auction, although I think in a natural system the auction up to
this point looks normal.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[pescetom]

IMP

---

If I understood correctly.

[mike777]

4NT
If partner responds 6H I will bid 7 Spades


If 5s response will bid 5NT asking for specific kings up the line.

[akwoo]

5D - this should tell partner I’m interested in slam in spades but didn’t bid Blackwood for a reason, and the only reason at this point is lack of a club control (note if I’m only worried about a heart control I’d bid 5s)

Logically, partner should bid slam with both rounded suits controlled (and 1st round control in one), 5h with a club control and no heart control (or 2nd round in both), and 5s with no club control, but I have never been in a partnership where I expect both of us to understand this.

[mr1303]

I'm finding it hard to come up with hands where everyone has their bid. If LHO is a solid citizen, then either RHO is a mouse who hasn't raised when he/she should do, or partner is over-bidding.

The correct text-book bid here is 5D (IMO), since I don't really know what's going on, but I have a lot of sympathy with a 4S bid here. I expect 6 to be on a finesse and a good break at best.

[mw64ahw]

Playing Kickbo/Turbo it's 5♦ showing odd keycards, ♦ control & denying ♣ control

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

all of you would have acted better than I at the table, I choose the (overly) timid 4S bid,
I have to work on my agression in the slam department, I dont like going down in slam.

Partners hand was

♠ QJT932
♥ -
♦ 96
♣ AK642

My 4S did not prevent us from getting to 6S, but after 4S, you wont reach 7S.
Partner wanted to hear / suggested 5D, but also said, that even after 5D it may be hard to get to 7S.

Personally I would have bid 4H instead of 3H (splinter setting clubs), but how it would proceed after
that is anybodys guess, ..., I was asked at the table, I did not get it.

The partner of 2H bidder could have raised to 3H (or 4H), he had a 5332 shape with 2 Jacks.

[mike777]

I really like the choices your partner made, very well done.

[P_Marlowe]

mike777, on 2026-September-21, 12:50, said:

I really like the choices your partner made, very well done.

I dont like the generic cue, if I have a sensible alternative, but this is preference.

[mike777]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-September-21, 23:55, said:

I dont like the generic cue, if I have a sensible alternative, but this is preference.

You mentioned the follow up over the 4H splinter bid, agree clubs, would have been confusing.

I strongly agree. For starters I would take the 4H jump as exclusion for clubs hence I don't like it. Confusing..

Per my first response, I thought 3H then 4H sent the clear message.

I did correctly foresee that the forum would reject RKC and prefer the 5D cue.
That path would still be too confusing for me despite the many posts on that subject..

Again I thought your partners, at the table, choices were well chosen. They had a difficult hand to describe.

Their other option would be a jump to 4Clubs over 2H, very reasonable..

[mw64ahw]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-September-20, 15:12, said:

in first position, all green, scoring being IMP, you hold

♠AK
♥T7
♦AKT32
♣QJ83

How many 1N openers?

[Kaitlyn S]

mw64ahw, on 2026-September-22, 05:38, said:

How many 1N openers?

The five card diamond suit looks like a good source of tricks. If I wanted to bid a balanced hand, I would open 1D and rebid 2NT because I think it's too strong to open 1NT. This also gives the advantage that if partner's response is 1S, you can back off from that plan and bid 2C, potentially right siding the notrump contract.

[pescetom]

I don't like either the generic force with such clear direction or the space eating 4♥ splinter. I would simply bid 4♣, fixing trumps and inviting control bidding.

[mike777]

pescetom, on 2026-September-22, 05:46, said:

I don't like either the generic force with such clear direction or the space eating 4♥ splinter. I would simply bid 4♣, forcing and inviting control bidding.

Very reasonable.

[P_Marlowe]

pescetom, on 2026-September-22, 05:46, said:

I don't like either the generic force with such clear direction or the space eating 4♥ splinter. I would simply bid 4♣, fixing trumps and inviting control bidding.

Also possible.

[pescetom]

I like to limit (as far as possible) use of generic forces to situations where one is in search of direction (a 3 card fit, a stopper for NT, a choice of suit, u.s.w.) and show fit with fit whenever possible.

At MP I could understand messing around a bit hoping to find a better scoring spades slam, but at teams a forcing raise of clubs seems clear.
We need to hear 4♦ and then we have an equally clear 4♥ and again need to hear 4♠.

[Cyberyeti]

akwoo, on 2026-September-20, 16:56, said:

5D - this should tell partner I’m interested in slam in spades but didn’t bid Blackwood for a reason, and the only reason at this point is lack of a club control (note if I’m only worried about a heart control I’d bid 5s)

Totally agree, I don't see why up to this point I have a 17 count rather than 12.

[P_Marlowe]

pescetom, on 2026-September-22, 08:15, said:

I like to limit (as far as possible) use of generic forces to situations where one is in search of direction (a 3 card fit, a stopper for NT, a choice of suit, u.s.w.) and show fit with fit whenever possible.

At MP I could understand messing around a bit hoping to find a better scoring spades slam, but at teams a forcing raise of clubs seems clear.
We need to hear 4♦ and then we have an equally clear 4♥ and again need to hear 4♠.

Sure, but even at IMPs, the 10 trick game is better than the 11 trick game, and you are missing
AK in 2 suits (1 suit being openers suit), so it is not 100% clear to commit to the 11 trick game
early, i.e. and I on board, it would not have been my choice, but I am ok with the bid,
... sometimes it matters, which guy of the partnership, has which cards..

Also we are talking about a 27HCP grand slam, ..., but as I said, I need to work on being more
aggressive in the slam bidding department, ... but I hate going down in slam, I really hate it.

[mike777]

Playing kickback allows opener to RKC over 4C. Responder shows the heart void and AK of clubs with 5NT


Now partnership trust really comes into play for the non experts in this forum.

Will you bid seven.

[DavidKok]

Unbalanced hands try to show. Balanced hands or those that are done describing shape try to ask.
If you have two suits, tell partner. That way they can evaluate their hand.