[shevek]

Scoring: IMP

             3♥ - no
4♥ - 4♠ - no - ?

---

[whereagles]

5♥. Pard is probably more worried of heart control than club tricks.

[gnasher]

I would have overcalled. I seem to need less for this sort of action than I used to.

Having passed, I'll cuebid 5♣. If partner bids 5♦, I'll drive slam.

[AnJoe]

I have to agree with Gnasher. I don't think partner is worried about hearts. One of us has to be void or single.

[mtvesuvius]

I'll bid 5♣ as it's very likely that partner is concerned about ♣.

[gnasher]

AnJoe, on Apr 5 2009, 03:55 PM, said:

I have to agree with Gnasher. I don't think partner is worried about hearts. One of us has to be void or single.

Partner may well be worried about heart control. By bidding 5♦ he gives me the opportunity to show it. If he doesn't bid 5♦, he says that either he doesn't have diamond control or he's not interested in slam given that I passed over 3♥.

[hanp]

I would have passed and now I will bid 5C. I like this hand.

[FrancesHinden]

While we're at it, what do you think

P P 3H P
4H 4S P 5C

means?

and what about
P P 3H P
4H 4S P 4NT

?

[suokko]

Partner won't take 5♣ as cue but more like natural with spade tolerance.
Because I have good support and slam invitational hand with heart control I'm going to bid 5♥.

[EricK]

I can't believe 5♥ is the correct bid.

For one thing partner might take it as asking for a ♥ control. For another, will partner know what he needs to bid a slam?

[whereagles]

EricK, on Apr 5 2009, 06:39 PM, said:

1. For one thing partner might take it as asking for a ♥ control.

2. For another, will partner know what he needs to bid a slam?

1. Why? A raise to 5♠ is a more common bid to show ♥ worries. I would say 5♥ is positive unless otherwise agreed.

2. He should bid it if he has extras. That's the only thing that can be gauged at this stage.

[JLOL]

Overcalling seems really crazy...

[EricK]

whereagles, on Apr 5 2009, 07:19 PM, said:

EricK, on Apr 5 2009, 06:39 PM, said:

1. For one thing partner might take it as asking for a ♥ control.

2. For another, will partner know what he needs to bid a slam?

1. Why? A raise to 5♠ is a more common bid to show ♥ worries. I would say 5♥ is positive unless otherwise agreed.

2. He should bid it if he has extras. That's the only thing that can be gauged at this stage.

I am worried that partner will say to himself something like "Can that be a cue-bid? If so, why did he cue ♥ and not ♣ or ♦? Has he only got a ♥ control? In that case my ♣ don't look at all promising. Maybe it isn't a cue though - perhaps he is asking about ♥. But doesn't 5♠ that? Or does 5♠ asking for good trumps? Well I have fairly good trumps, but no ♥ control. Or maybe it asks if I have extras. Well I still don't like my ♣. Hmmm I have no idea what to do, and there might be bad breaks around. I'll bid 5♠"

In short, I would be shocked if, after 5♥, partner did anything other than bid 5♠ - in which case we might as well pass 4♠.

[whereagles]

Allright, Erick. Then go ahead and bid 5♣. Perhaps pard with

AKxxx
xxx
AKJx
x

will think "hum.. maybe pard has a really big bunch of clubs, say KQJ 7th and prefers to play there. I'll pass."

Maybe 5♥ isn't 100% clear as to controls, but at least it certainly shows some spades.

[cherdanno]

EricK, on Apr 5 2009, 03:24 PM, said:

whereagles, on Apr 5 2009, 07:19 PM, said:

EricK, on Apr 5 2009, 06:39 PM, said:

1. For one thing partner might take it as asking for a ♥ control.

2. For another, will partner know what he needs to bid a slam?

1. Why? A raise to 5♠ is a more common bid to show ♥ worries. I would say 5♥ is positive unless otherwise agreed.

2. He should bid it if he has extras. That's the only thing that can be gauged at this stage.

I am worried that partner will say to himself something like "Can that be a cue-bid? If so, why did he cue ♥ and not ♣ or ♦? Has he only got a ♥ control? In that case my ♣ don't look at all promising. Maybe it isn't a cue though - perhaps he is asking about ♥. But doesn't 5♠ that? Or does 5♠ asking for good trumps? Well I have fairly good trumps, but no ♥ control. Or maybe it asks if I have extras. Well I still don't like my ♣. Hmmm I have no idea what to do, and there might be bad breaks around. I'll bid 5♠"

In short, I would be shocked if, after 5♥, partner did anything other than bid 5♠ - in which case we might as well pass 4♠.

Come on. Looking at ♠AK, do you really think partner will think that we are moving towards slam missing two top trumps and all minor controls? Looking at ♠AK, do you really think partner will think we are just asking about a heart control when we are also missing the top two trumps?
Partner will take 5♥ as a slam invitation with a heart control. It's not the best bid since 5♣ is better, but clearly partner will be able to bid 6 some of the time.

[mike777]

shevek, on Apr 5 2009, 08:28 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

             3♥ - no
4♥ - 4♠ - no - ?

---

pass, hoping for plus.

[the hog]

5C, hoping to hear 5D over which I will bid 5H.
Would definitely NOT have overcalled.

[jdonn]

Overcalling is nuts, and 5♣ now seems obvious. Surprised such an easy problem could generate so much debate.