[DavidKok]

mike777, on 2026-November-07, 08:14, said:

Your having an
interest in bidding theory, particularly slam bidding theory, in your opinion are Sjoert and Bas good slam bidders?

Do consider that part of their game strong or weak?

Sorry, I really don't know their approach well enough to judge it. I think in many situations it is better to allocate limited bidding space to expressing degrees of interest in slam rather than controls. They have taken this to the extreme, and I really do not know if they are taking it too far.

[mikeh]

mike777, on 2026-November-07, 07:32, said:

"Gavin Wolpert answered:

Yes I show shortness in my partners suit as a control. I went over this a few weeks ago in the practice session.

I was taught the “accepted way” of only showing kings and aces and had more disasters because we didn’t know the suit was controlled.

Since switching to show shortness as a control in my partners suit I’ve yet to come across this famous problem of partner needing to know it's the king"

I don’t know anyone who thinks that one should never control bid shortness in partner’s suit. I agree 100% that it can be very important. I frequently control bid shortness in partner’s suit. I just don’t do it as my first cuebid. As for never finding the ‘famous problem’….I’m surprised he hasn’t encountered it given that I’ve encountered it several times and he plays far more than I.

[WasWinM]

It should be easier. If one hand has shown a lot of strength, it makes sense that a non-trump-suit bid is a control. In a more delicate auction, where tricks are a priority, then filler cards, not just ace and king but even Q can be the key to slam. Of course, this doesn't fit real well with those who use a lot of artificiality, like a nebulous 2C.

[akwoo]

mikeh, on 2026-November-07, 09:03, said:

I’m surprised he hasn’t encountered it given that I’ve encountered it several times and he plays far more than I.

But he's frequently playing with clients where this guess might not be that significant on top of all the other guesses he has to make.

[mikeh]

Another situation in which I’d cue bid, as a first (if convenient) cue is when we have a massive trump fit, such that I can expect to ruff all of his loses in the suit. That’s rare but would be easy to recognize