[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     -     1♠
 2♦    3♦    Pass  4NT
 Pass  5♣    Pass  5♠
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

[badderzboy]

1♠-2♦-4♦(Splinter)-
4NT*-5♣*(1/4)
5♦*Qask-6♣(y & K♣)
6♠

or

1♠-2♦-3♦ game force cue
4♣*-4♦Cue
4NT*-5♣*(1/4)
5♦*Qask-6♣(y & K♣)
6♠

Possible auction but needs an established partnership to bid it this way I suspect

Steve

[sceptic]

it was the 3 diamond bid that made me back off I had no way of knowing how many losers I had here, I think my 4nt was a major flaw after 3 diamonds

[paulg]

Over 3♦, which is a non-specific spade raise, a jump to 5♠ would ask partner about diamond losers.

Jumps to 5[suit] have different meanings depending on the auction, but typically when the opposition has bid a suit it shows two losers in that suit. Here partner would raise to 6♠, but with the ♦A/void he will cuebid 6♦.

Paul

[fred]

Here are a couple of good rules involving Blackwood. The first of these is generally well known and understood. The second is not. Both of these rules were violated by the 4NT bid in the auction you presented.

1) Don't bid Blackwood if there is side suit in which you do not have a control and in which partner has not promised a control.

2) Don't bid Blackwood and then signoff if only 1 Ace is missing.

There are rare occasions when it is reasonable to break both of these rules (more so the first one than the second one), but until you play very well I suggest you always follow both of them. I suspect you will find that they serve you well.

There are other points on interest worth mentioning in the bidding of this deal, but if you learn nothing more from this deal than the 2 Blackwood-related rules described above you will have easily gotten your money's worth

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com