[MarkDean]

Scoring: XIMP

---

If your balanced options are 19-20 and 21-22, what do you open this hand?

I chose 1♠, and partner surprised me with a 2♦ call, normal 2/1 stuff, what is your call? Any plans?

[dicklont]

2NT for now, see what partner rebids, he might even support spades.
If he doesn't I support diamonds in the next round.

[JLOL]

2N then later raise diamonds and drive to at least slam. Would have opened 21 to 22 bal.

[kenrexford]

JLOL, on Apr 12 2009, 01:11 AM, said:

2N then later raise diamonds and drive to at least slam. Would have opened 21 to 22 bal.

I agree. If anything, this hand might be too strong for "21-22." LOL

[MarkDean]

So I also bid 2NT, partner bid 3NT. What now?

[Phil]

MarkDean, on Apr 12 2009, 10:35 AM, said:

So I also bid 2NT, partner bid 3NT. What now?

Obvious slam try after 3N



Yesterday in San Diego we had this auction:

1♥ - 1♠ - 2♥* - pass
4♥ - pass - pass** - pass

* - tank
** - looonnng tank lol

she held QT9xxx AKJ xx xx and was considering a slam try. +480. In fairness, her partner's 4♥ was VERY quick so maybe she should have made a move.

[kenrexford]

MarkDean, on Apr 12 2009, 10:35 AM, said:

So I also bid 2NT, partner bid 3NT. What now?

I don't get it.

If I open 1♠, partner bids 2♦.
If I open 2NT, apparently 21-22, partner bids 3NT.

I pass, because it gets the round over faster. I'm obviously playing with a loon, and I'd simply like to leave sooner rather than later.

[MarkDean]

Oops, I should have been clearer, the opps silent, the auctions has started:

1♠ 2♦
2NT 3NT
?

[JLOL]

MarkDean, on Apr 12 2009, 11:54 AM, said:

Oops, I should have been clearer, the opps silent, the auctions has started:

1♠ 2♦
2NT 3NT
?

4D obv

[kenrexford]

JLOL, on Apr 12 2009, 12:35 PM, said:

MarkDean, on Apr 12 2009, 11:54 AM, said:

Oops, I should have been clearer, the opps silent, the auctions has started:

1♠ 2♦
2NT 3NT
?

4D obv

I don't think 4♦ is obvious. I would rather bid 4♣, myself.

[xcurt]

kenrexford, on Apr 12 2009, 01:53 PM, said:

JLOL, on Apr 12 2009, 12:35 PM, said:

MarkDean, on Apr 12 2009, 11:54 AM, said:

Oops, I should have been clearer, the opps silent, the auctions has started:

1♠ 2♦
2NT 3NT
?

4D obv

I don't think 4♦ is obvious. I would rather bid 4♣, myself.

How is this supposed to help partner focus on the cards we know are important? I don't care what he has in clubs, I need to know if he has the missing diamond and spade honors. If he has the ♠K and the ♦KQxxx then I want to be in 7♠ (since he has to have a little something else to make up a 2/1, aceless, and playing in spades lets me ruff out diamonds if need be).

Anything other than 4♦ is hopeless IMO.

Keep in mind that partner, looking at zero aces and at most 9 HCP in our two suits, is trying hard to slow down the auction. He's probably already doing exactly that with that 3NT slam-killer call. I need to unambiguously set diamonds so that later calls will be interpreted as grand slam tries instead of groping for strain.

[gnasher]

4♣ is a cuebid for diamonds. 4♣ and 4♦ show the same degree of diamond support, but 4♣ denies ♣A. 4♣ also has the advantage of allowing partner to mark time with 4♦ if he has something like xx Qxx KQJxx KQx, whereas over 4♦ he'd probably just sign off in 4NT.

[JLOL]

Why wouldnt 4C just be 5224?

[nick_s]

No no no
4C is clearly G****r

[Winstonm]

4C after partner has bid diamonds is Last Train Gerber.

[JLOL]

It seems crazy to me to be forced to rebid 3C with 5224 and extra values on a hand like KQxxx AQ Qx AJxx.

It also seems crazy to me to be forced to rebid 3C over 2N with some 1354 minimum that just wants to play 3N opposite a minimum.

It seems like 4C showing clubs gains very little as opposed to 4C natural when you could still have a 44 fit in that suit. I quite like bidding 2N then 4C with that type of hand rather than being forced to bid a silly 3C.

[kenrexford]

I don't get it.

This seems like such an easy situation. If you go past 3NT in this sequence and bid a suit, you have diamond support. It is not so much a matter of possibly being 5422. It is a matter of frequency and utility. You are vastly more likely to have diamond support than to have 5224 and some reason to not bid 3♣ initially (which makes a lot more sense when you are prepared to go past 3NT anyway).

I also don't understand the objection to 4♣ as to somehow focusing incorrectly what partner should do next. As gnasher said, 4♣ allows a 4♦ call (cue?) from partner, which is not possible if you bid 4♦. I think (hope) gnasher made a typo; 4♣ shows control of clubs, such that 4♦ denies club control. I would expect 4♦ to be bid with something like ♠AKJ10x ♥AKx ♦KQx ♣xx (assuming that the partnership does not open these hands 2NT).

I mean, in retrospect, the problem is somewhat insane anyway. You have to assume that this hand would not be opened 2NT, which seems impossible. I cannot imagine not opening 2NT unless, at a minimum, you have a worthless doubleton somewhere. So, in theory, 4♣ should advertise something like ♠AKJ10x ♥xx ♦KQx ♣AKx and 4♦ the worthless doubleton club. In other words, you cue around the worthless doubleton.

Now, I could buy that more is going on here. Perhaps 4♣ should imply a heart problem and 4♥ should imply a club problem, such that 4♦ just shows a hand right below a 2NT opening, controls undefined. I would think that this would require more discussion, though. Easier to just cue what you have. If you cue 4♣, and partner bids 4♦, you bid 4♥ wtih a heart control (just below 2NT, or wrong for 2NT) but bid something else without a heart control (flawed 2NT).

[skjaeran]

I'd have opened 2NT, upgrading this to 21-22.

After 1♠-2♦-2NT-3NT I'd cuebid 4♣, promising diamond suppport.

[Old York]

Is 6♦ going to play better than 6NT?

If we have 33+hcp then I am happy to bid 6NT with a pickup partner, with a regular partner 4♣ cue bid seems best
Any votes for 1♠-2♦(GF)-3♦(3+Diamonds + Extras) ??

Tony