[pescetom]

A lunatic board from the first day of regional finals, with the only unfamiliar team mate.

IMPS

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Your call (or different start) and where do you think we should be playing?

[mike777]

4C
Diamond void is a negative but still my hand is big, partner is a wide range.

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Excellent practice hand for a partnership

[jillybean]

Why wouldn't we show our hearts - 3♥

[mike777]

We do have support for partner, why not show it and slam interest?

[jillybean]

Can't partner have 3 hearts?

[mike777]

 jillybean, on 2026-September-26, 19:09, said:

Can't partner have 3 hearts?

Yes, can't do everything
Make choices

I suppose the auction might go
3H, 3NT, 4C or it might not

Perhaps 3S over 3H
Choices

[jillybean]

There are so many different approaches to this game.
My thinking is that we are in a gf, I have time to describe my hand.
If partner does have heart support, we have a double fit and are off to the moon.

[mw64ahw]

After a start of 1♦ 3+ - 1♠ GI - 2N (xs)55 I'd be contemplating the grand in ♣ given the mod. loser count, but I suspect I'd end at 6♣

For reference a 1N rebid covers (30)55 hands.

Playing a standard approach following on from above I'd bid 3♥ which retrospectively will be a control bid after I convert 3N to 4♣ SI

[mikeh]

It’s possible but unlikely that partner has three hearts…normally one expects 5=5 minors so he’d need to be 0=3=5=5 which is possible but how would he bid with x xxx AKQx QJ10xx. I’m not advocating for 3C with that hand but it’s not as if te other possible call of 2N is a great bargain. 2H said nothing about responders hand other than that he has 4+ spades and gf values.

So I’d resolve the immediate problem over 3c by bidding 3H. I’m pulling 3N, if he felt it the best bid…not on this hand of course…to 4C which shows my exact shape.

Opener bids 3S…he’s already denied three spades so this is easy. Now responder has a problem. He expects 2=1=5=5 almost all the time and it’s not clear that 5C is fit showing…I’d expect it was cuebid. Exclusion (5D) would create an unusual situation: one which I’ve never seen nor heard of before. How does, if at all, the responder to exclusion show a different void?

Anyway, maybe responder argues that opener is unlikely to be, say, xx x AKQJx QJxxx and all he needs for slam to be good is Ax and the club queen so it’s worth pushing


Am I claiming I’d think that way at the table ? There’s no way I can know.

[pescetom]

I hate playing without firm agreements, particularly in a final. But his partner flaked out and asked me to take his place for the last round (which should have been well deserved rest for me).
My first thought was to rebid hearts, but I couldn't see a clear way forward over 3S and I had a strong suspicion that pulling 3NT to 4C would be taken as Gerber. I bid 4C hoping for a control bid, but got keycarded instead. Oh well, that's better than Pass, and his 6C might be the right place.

He even got the hearts Ace lead. But then discovered that clubs were split 0-5. 6C-2.
The other room was in 4S+1.