[bftboy]

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Just a cool hand that popped up at our local duplicate yesterday. S deals and the 1st question is what to open? Regardless, your granny can get to 6♠ on this one. The trick is to reach the cold 7♠, so you can think about it. I think in a lifetime of playing I've never held 7-0-0-6.

[ahydra]

I like how 7NT doesn't make due to EPIC blockages in both black suits!

1S seems reasonable enough with south. Then

1S-2H
3C-3D*
4S-7S

I don't know!

ahydra

[Cyberyeti]

bftboy, on 2012-June-20, 07:19, said:

Just a cool hand that popped up at our local duplicate yesterday. S deals and the 1st question is what to open? Regardless, your granny can get to 6♠ on this one. The trick is to reach the cold 7♠, so you can think about it. I think in a lifetime of playing I've never held 7-0-0-6.

Your granny will always reach the grand, as she'll get Gerber in somehow and discover you've got 4 aces and the king of spades

Ahydra's auction is not stupid, bidding 5♣ rather than 4♠ would get your extreme shape across and equally prompt 7♠.

[Zelandakh]

1♠ = 10-17, 5+ spades, unbal
... - 1NT = INV+ relay
2♣ = min, 0-3 hearts
... - 2♦ = GF relay
2♥ = 4+ clubs
... - 2♠ = relay
2NT = 5+ clubs
... - 3♣ = relay
4♦ = 6+ spades, heart void
... - 4♥ = relay
4♠ = 0-2 controls
... - 4NT = relay
5♣ = no spade control
... - 5♦ = relay
5♠ = club control, no ♦A or ♦K
... - 5NT = relay
6♥ = ♠Q, 2 of top 3 club honours, no ♦Q
... - 7♠

Unfortunately I have no way of showing a 7006 hand so 6025 (or more) has to suffice. Even so, after finding out the ♥K and ♦KQ are missing it seems pretty clear to be in the grand. The truth is that science is hard on these kinds of hands and worrying about them when not reaching the optimal contract every time is probably going to do more harm than good.

[billw55]

It looks like a construction from a bridge humor story, like the Sherlock Holmes ones. But I guess these things do happen form time to time.

I recall exactly one 7-6 hand at club, RHO had the minors and wouldn't stop bidding. Partner and I had the majority of the honor cards though, and obviously the majors too, so we understandably thought it was our hand. We ended up doubling her, something like 5♦x+1. The traveler was a real mess.

[rduran1216]

if south opens any number of spades, and north doesn't bid 7S, its time for north to give up bridge.

[Statto]

rduran1216, on 2012-June-20, 11:08, said:

if south opens any number of spades, and north doesn't bid 7S, its time for north to give up bridge.

A direct 7♠ seems pushy - why won't there be a red suit loser, and how do you find out?

1♠ 2♥
3♣ 3♦ (fsf)
4♣ (6+-5+) …maybe get to 7♠ after this start. Don't want to end in 7NT

[Fluffy]

1♠-2♥
3♣-7NT

Next time you open with 9 you will think twice before showing extras

[Free]

Fluffy, on 2012-June-26, 03:16, said:

1♠-2♥
3♣-7NT

Next time you open with 9 you will think twice before showing extras

My thoughts exactly...

[KurtGodel]

Opening 5♠ means a solid spade suit missing AK with no outside losers, it's unsurprisingly a rare opening bid. I don't know what I'd do missing the A♣ though.

[rmnka447]

Fluffy, on 2012-June-26, 03:16, said:

1♠-2♥
3♣-7NT

Next time you open with 9 you will think twice before showing extras

I'd have a long conversation with my partner if he bid 7 NT like that. A look at the missing honors by the big hand tells the story. They are ♠ QJ ♥ K ♦ KQ ♣ KQJ. Now, it's just possible the 1 ♠ bidder might hold all those honors. But it's much more likely that opener has a hand with a lot of black cards. Until responder can get a better fix on what opener does hold, it's sheer lunacy to jump to 7 NT.

After 1 ♠ - 2 ♥
3 ♣ - 3 ♦

I think opener should bid 4 ♠ which should show something like a 7-4 hand. Then it's pretty easy to get to 7 ♠.

[Fluffy]

rmnka447, on 2012-June-27, 01:51, said:

I'd have a long conversation with my partner if he bid 7 NT like that.

And you would remember forever not to reverse on 9 HCP

[Cthulhu D]

Fluffy, on 2012-June-28, 00:47, said:

And you would remember forever not to reverse on 9 HCP

How is opening 1S and bidding 3C over 2H reversing? It denies a balanced minimum sure, but it isn't a reverse.

[Cyberyeti]

Cthulhu D, on 2012-June-28, 01:08, said:

How is opening 1S and bidding 3C over 2H reversing? It denies a balanced minimum sure, but it isn't a reverse.

Only if you're playing 2/1, not everybody does, it's the equivalent of a reverse in Acol, and I'd guess in SAYC too.

[Cthulhu D]

Cyberyeti, on 2012-June-28, 10:10, said:

Only if you're playing 2/1, not everybody does, it's the equivalent of a reverse in Acol, and I'd guess in SAYC too.

Weird. What are you supposed to bid with a similar hand and more mild shape. Say:

S: AQJxx
H: xx
D: x
C: KJxxx

[Cyberyeti]

Cthulhu D, on 2012-June-28, 16:20, said:

Weird. What are you supposed to bid with a similar hand and more mild shape. Say:

S: AQJxx
H: xx
D: x
C: KJxxx

2♠, doesn't show 6 (1♠ only showed 4), is what you do with any minimum hand with 5 that doesn't want to raise partner's suit (and can't bid its own second suit at the 2 level) in weak NT Acol.

Old school players will have opened 1♣ on this.

[Cthulhu D]

Cyberyeti, on 2012-June-28, 16:56, said:

2♠, doesn't show 6 (1♠ only showed 4), is what you do with any minimum hand with 5 that doesn't want to raise partner's suit (and can't bid its own second suit at the 2 level) in weak NT Acol.

Old school players will have opened 1♣ on this.

Makes sense for ACOL, but what about SAYC? Rebidding spades there feels.. bad.

[Statto]

Cthulhu D, on 2012-June-28, 01:08, said:

How is opening 1S and bidding 3C over 2H reversing? It denies a balanced minimum sure, but it isn't a reverse.

It's a "high reverse" not technically a reverse but usually showing extra values and probably 1st suit longer than 2nd.

[akhare]

Wow -- the best we can show after 1♠ - 2♣ (GF ask) is to show a 6025 or 6115 (pick your choice of lie).

Seems that we should be easily able to get to a grand, given that partner can locate all the black cards by asking.