[luis]

---

How would you reach this excellent slam?
At the match I was seeing the bidding was

Table 1:
1♦ - 1♥
1NT - 2♠
3♦ - 4♥
pass

Table 2:
1♦ - 1♥
1NT - 2♣*
2♦ - 3♥
2NT - 4♥

[POJC]

After openers 1NT i see two options:
1. Bid 2♠ which in my book is a reverse (5-4) and forcing to game. Rebid 3HE] which should be better than a jump to 4♥ after slow arrival methods. now P must do something to show that his 1NT is a very good one.
2. Bid some kind of forcing minor and rebid ♥ after slowarrival methods.

I play 2♦ as forcing to game combined with the reverse as also game force. The reverse is better since it shows the distrib better so would do 1. I would guess my p would bid 4C after my 3♥ bid and thats it...

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

in my partnership the bidding could go similar to
table 2, altough I am pretty certain, that I would
not bid 2C over 1NT, ... I think I would just bid 4H.

Dreaming I found the 2C bid, and that opener is not
to lazy and awake, I would expect that opener bids 3S
over 3H, as a cue bid, afterall he is controll rich, and
responders 3H bid showed some slam interest.
=> Over 3S, responder can bid 6H direct.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Winstonm]

I like the first auction with an exception:

1D-1H
1N-2S* *This simply has to be game forcing in my views.
3D-3H* *This should show a suit that can tolerate xx or Q in support.

Now it can continue
4C*-4D *Should agree hearts.
4S-4N

yada, yada, yada.

The key I would think is to emphasize the good heart suit at a level that still allows exploration.

Winston

[Double !]

Hmmmm.......

Another bidding problem involving a hand that, in the days of the dinosaurs, would have made a strong jump-shift. Verry interesting.

[POJC]

P_Marlowe, on Aug 22 2005, 10:40 AM, said:

Hi,

in my partnership the bidding could go similar to
table 2, altough I am pretty certain, that I would
not bid 2C over 1NT, ... I think I would just bid 4H.

Dreaming I found the 2C bid, and that opener is not
to lazy and awake, I would expect that opener bids 3S
over 3H, as a cue bid, afterall he is controll rich, and
responders 3H bid showed some slam interest.
=> Over 3S, responder can bid 6H direct.

With kind regards
Marlowe

I would see a 3♠ bid as baiting for a 3NT (club control needed) or 4S contract on italian 4-3. It's never a good thing to start a cuebiding sequence in a naturally bid suit...

[Al_U_Card]

We play Bergen style CBS, so the auction after the 2D denial would be 2S (showing 4 and a GF hand) 3S showing a 3 card suit, 4H promising a sixth H and slammish intentions (by bypassing 3NT with the 5 loser hand) 4S as a q-bid, 4NT as 1430 RKCB for H. After 5C, a 5D Q ask gets 5H so the question becomes is 5NT asing for specific Kings, or just for trouble.....?

[inquiry]

Two options. 1. Open north 1NT (14-16 on upgrade), or 1♦

Option 1.

1♦ - 1♥
1NT - 2♦
3♦ - 3♥
3♠ - 4♦
5♣ -

• 1NT = 11=13, balanced, can have 4 card spade suit
  
• 2♦ = xyz, GF. Not 2♠, if partner has four, we will hear about it now, if not, I want to place emphasis on ♥'s. Reverse then rebid hearts should be 4-5.
  
• 3♦ = five diamonds. So, 3-2-5-3 (with 3352 or 2353 I raise ♥ instead of bidding 1NT, but that might not be standard. With 3163 I rebid diamonds, and with 5422 I rebid over 2♦ my four card suit, which here would have to be clubs.
  
• 3♥ high card heart suit rebid, with distributional GF ♥ hand I rebid 3♥ (forcing) over 1NT.
  
• 3♠ advanced cue-bid planning on bidding hearts even if partner bids 3NT to play
  
• 4♦ diamond cue-bid. bypassing 3NT here makes hearts trumps on this auction
  
• 5♣ cue-bid, clearly heart support. Opener would like to bid 4NT or 4♠ as RKCB, but after 1NT rebid, my rules do not allow him to bid blackwood (booo). No cue-bid second round of clubs here. This has to be the ACE and slam ambition. 5♥ is also a possible bid instead showing slam interest, here, 4NT by opener would be a "cue" bid of a ♥ honor.

Remember this 2♦ bid when you are trying to reverse. Save reverses for hands with both majors and fit for openers first suit (reverse, then raise), 4-5 and balanced or the "other suit" (reverse then return to nt), or 5-6 (reverse then rebid spades). Using 2♦ with 4-6 and 4-7 where if you miss ♠ fit, you can place emphasis on your long heart suit.

Option 2.

My NT auction is based on ETM victory over 1NT.

1NT - 2♣*
2♦ - 3♠
3NT - 4♦
5♥ - 6♥
Pass

• 2♣Can be no major, or can be quite unbalanced with majors
  
• 3♠ 4♠, 5+♥, with 6♥ or more, slam interest as can signoff without it in four immediately via a second round transfer at the four level.
  
• 3NT = doubleton heart, minors well stopped
  
• 4♦ = at least 10 cards in majors (6 or more hearts), hearts are trumps, something useful in diamonds.
  
• 5♥ = looking for good ♥s for slam. Opener can also bid 4♠ as a cue-bid, 5♣ as a cue-bid or 4NT as a fitting heart honor and slam try. So this shows small doubleton heart, and sufficient grounds to try for slam.
  
• 6♥, this is good enough. You must have both ♣A and ♠King to choose not to cue-bid one or the other one and yet try for slam.

Not sure either of these are "vanilla 2/1". Vanilla I guess would allow 1♦-2♥ strong, followed by a ♦ raise and then blackwood settles the issue.

[mike777]

inquiry, on Aug 22 2005, 11:31 AM, said:

Remember this 2♦ bid when you are trying to reverse. Save reverses for hands with both majors and fit for openers first suit (reverse, then raise), 4-5 and balanced or the "other suit" (reverse then return to nt), or 5-6 (reverse then rebid spades). Using 2♦ with 4-6 and 4-7 where if you miss ♠ fit, you can place emphasis on your long heart suit.

Nice piece of advice.

Not sure if I would find this at table, this is a very difficult bidding hand. Lots of judgement here.

1d=1h
1nt=2d (g/f checkback)
3d( nice judgement rebid rather than 2nt to show outside stoppers)=3h(6 card slam try)
4c( keeping things simple cuebid ace not k of s)=4s=kickback

Again a lot of judgement involved and a lot of these posts come across a bit double dummy bidding. IF you guys and gals are really bidding this one at the table you will be very tough to beat.

[awm]

How about something like:

1♦-1♥
1NT-2♦
3♦-3♥
3♠-4NT
5♣-5♦
5♥...6♥ or perhaps 7♦!!

Basically a natural start, 2♦ is GF checkback, 3♦ shows a good five-card diamond suit without a fit for hearts (with poor diamonds would just bid 2NT here). 3♥ sets trumps, 3♠ is a cuebid, 4NT 1430 keycard and 5♣ shows one. 5♦ asks for the heart queen which 5♥ denies. Most likely responder's next bid is 6♥, ending the auction.... however a 7♦ call is possible here since opener has shown good diamonds despite lacking the ace. It's probably not a grand you want to be in unless looking for a swing, but it's better odds than 7♥. Certainly you'd want to bid the grand if one of responder's small spades was a small diamond!

[P_Marlowe]

POJC, on Aug 22 2005, 10:57 AM, said:

P_Marlowe, on Aug 22 2005, 10:40 AM, said:

Hi,

in my partnership the bidding could go similar to
table 2, altough I am pretty certain, that I would
not bid 2C over 1NT, ... I think I would just bid 4H.

Dreaming  I found the 2C bid, and that opener is not
to lazy and awake, I would expect that opener bids 3S
over 3H, as a cue bid, afterall he is controll rich, and
responders 3H bid showed some slam interest.
=> Over 3S, responder can bid 6H direct.

With kind regards
Marlowe

I would see a 3♠ bid as baiting for a 3NT (club control needed) or 4S contract on italian 4-3. It's never a good thing to start a cuebiding sequence in a naturally bid suit...

Hi,

you have a fit, opener promised 2, responder
promised 6, 3S is a cue bid.

Sure this is a matter of philosophie, but when
I have found a major suit fit, I play the mayor,
that makes life simpler, a whole lot simpler.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[P_Marlowe]

Double !, on Aug 22 2005, 10:48 AM, said:

Hmmmm.......

Another bidding problem involving a hand that, in the days of the dinosaurs, would have made a strong jump-shift.  Verry interesting.

Hi,

I though about that as well, but the 4 card spade
suit, although not the most impressive one, stopped
me from mentioning strong jump shifts ...

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mikeh]

1st point: several posters have commented on the use of 2♠ as a reverse after the start of 1♦ 1♥ 1N.

I prefer 2♠ to be invitational with precisely 4=4 in the majors. All game-force hands either go through 2♦ or make various specialized rebids commencing with 2N (a puppet to 3♣, either to play or the start of a slam try with 5+ support for opener's suit and a 4 card major) or 3-level bids: in new suit, 5+ - 5+ picture bids, if rebid of responder's major, then 6+ good suit.

Of course, this method works best when 1N could hold a 4 card ♠ suit: if you are a confirmed up-the-line bidder, then this method is not for you.

As for the actual hand:

1♦ 1♥
1N 2♦ art. gf
2N 3♥ 3♦ is an alternative to 2N, but I have both blacks stopped
4♣ 4♦ 4♣: cue: good hand in context
4N 6♥

For me, 4N is a ♠ cue, not blackwood. If you do not switch 4♠ and 4N, then bid 4♠: the ♦ cue has enormously upgraded your hand, and partner is slamming with his sequence. The ♠ cue has to be the K, since you bid 4♣, not 3♠, over 3♥.

South has to be making slam tries. Anyone who thinks 'I have only 16 points opposite 12-14' isn't playing bridge This is a hand with great potential, with all those Aces, and a good, long suit assured of at least tolerance over there.

This is an excellent teaching hand for one of my pet points: the need to constantly re-evaluate one's hand with every round of bidding. The North hand, in particular, warrants an initially cautious approach due to the lack of early fit, and then a gradually more aggressive upgrading as partner conveys his slam interest and then reveals that critical ♦A.

South declines a look for the grand because it requires 'magic' cards: something like Kxx Qx KQxxx Axx. 14 with an establishable 5 card suit and not a Jack wasted.

Now, in my old relay method, we'd cruise to 7♥, but that is another story.

[luis]

mikeh, on Aug 22 2005, 06:37 PM, said:

1st point: several posters have commented on the use of 2♠ as a reverse after the start of 1♦ 1♥ 1N.

I prefer 2♠ to be invitational with precisely 4=4 in the majors. All game-force hands either go through 2♦ or make various specialized rebids commencing with 2N (a puppet to 3♣, either to play or the start of a slam try with 5+ support for opener's suit and a 4 card major) or 3-level bids: in new suit, 5+ - 5+ picture bids, if rebid of responder's major, then 6+ good suit.

Of course, this method works best when 1N could hold a 4 card ♠ suit: if you are a confirmed up-the-line bidder, then this method is not for you.

As for the actual hand:

1♦ 1♥
1N 2♦ art. gf
2N 3♥ 3♦ is an alternative to 2N, but I have both blacks stopped
4♣ 4♦ 4♣: cue: good hand in context
4N 6♥

For me, 4N is a ♠ cue, not blackwood. If you do not switch 4♠ and 4N, then bid 4♠: the ♦ cue has enormously upgraded your hand, and partner is slamming with his sequence. The ♠ cue has to be the K, since you bid 4♣, not 3♠, over 3♥.

South has to be making slam tries. Anyone who thinks 'I have only 16 points opposite 12-14' isn't playing bridge This is a hand with great potential, with all those Aces, and a good, long suit assured of at least tolerance over there.

This is an excellent teaching hand for one of my pet points: the need to constantly re-evaluate one's hand with every round of bidding. The North hand, in particular, warrants an initially cautious approach due to the lack of early fit, and then a gradually more aggressive upgrading as partner conveys his slam interest and then reveals that critical ♦A.

South declines a look for the grand because it requires 'magic' cards: something like Kxx Qx KQxxx Axx. 14 with an establishable 5 card suit and not a Jack wasted.

Now, in my old relay method, we'd cruise to 7♥, but that is another story.

7♥ in the 6-2 fit missing the heart queen? Good to know you don't play that methods anymore :-)

[Al_U_Card]

[quote name='luis' date='Aug 22 2005, 01:58 PM'] Now, in my old relay method, we'd cruise to 7[he], but that is another story. [/QUOTE]
7[he] in the 6-2 fit missing the heart queen? Good to know you don't play that methods anymore :-) [/quote]
Those were the BAD old days of 12 card hands.....lol

[mikeh]

[quote name='luis' date='Aug 22 2005, 01:58 PM']


South declines a look for the grand because it requires 'magic' cards: something like Kxx Qx KQxxx Axx. 14 with an establishable 5 card suit and not a Jack wasted.

Now, in my old relay method, we'd cruise to 7[he], but that is another story. [/QUOTE]
7[he] in the 6-2 fit missing the heart queen? Good to know you don't play that methods anymore :-)[/QUOTE]
You misread my post

I gave a hand opposite which 7[he] is great: Kxx Qx KQxxx Axx... that is the hand to which the relay method would cruise: responder would learn that opener was 3=2=5=3, with 4 controls, the red Q's, and one of the top two cards in each of the blacks and the [di]K: therefore Kxx Qx KQxxx Axx... and could write that down for the opps before the opening lead, if he wanted to show off.

[luke warm]

maybe there are good reasons not to play a weak nt, but it does seem to find slams more easily (playing something like truscott 2-way stayman)

[Fluffy]

I don't find it easy at all.

Of course if bdding starts 1♦-1♥-1NT-4♣ you will easylly reach 6♥, but I don't think 4♣ is the proper bid.

after something more likelly as 1♦-1♥-1NT-2♠-3♦, there is no way for south to imagine the quality of the ♦s, and this can very well be a 5/7 hand from his point of view, and settle for just 4♥.

I cannot see any way to reach 7♦.