[Phil]

Benlessard's thread about the KTxxx xx Kxx Kxx hand got me thinking about a bidding problem.

The auction starts 3♣ - pass - 5♣ to you...

Say you pick up the absolute nuts of AQJx, AKQx, AQJxx, void. It's r/w, and you wish to make the reasonable decision of forcing this hand to the 6 level, by playing partner for one useful card (I silently thank Fred every time this comes up by the way).

If you double, pard rates to pass a lot of the time. Pard probably has 2-3 clubs, and probably doesn't have a long suit or much shape to pull. How happy are you (me? not very).

5N is probably a two suited takeout. 6♣ is certainly the majors.

Why can't there be a bid to show a three suited takeout? Obviously that's a double, but with the above hand, I don't want partner passing. Why should I chuck 1370 / 1430 / 21-something for a measly 800 / 1100.

It would seem playable to me to weave in the majors into a 5N call. This would leave open 6♣ to be the three suiter described above.

By the way, this is not a new idea. A cue as a strong takeout is a very old idea. We've just forgotten about it.

[kenrexford]

If the auction started 3♣-P-5♣, and partner bid 5NT, and I bid 6♣, and partner bid 6♥, and we had never discussed this sequence, I'd bid 6♠ if I preferred spades.

If the auction started 3♣-P-5♣, and partner bid 6♣, and I preferred diamonds to either major, I'd bid 6♦, expecting partner to correct to 6♥ if he actually has both majors.