[wank]

Ak9xx
Qx
Kqx
Xxx

You're at adverse at matchpoints.

It goes 2c precision in your right, 2s from you, 4c on the left, natural 5h from p, pass on your right.

[TylerE]

If 5♥ is natural, what would 4♥ have shown?

[FrancesHinden]

No. Not enough aces. I doubt the hq is pulling its weight either.

[gnasher]

Yes. Partner is missing a lot of red-suit fillers, so he's likely to have first-round control of one of the minors. For example, Qx AKJxxxxx Jx x isn't a 5♥ bid.

[wank]

TylerE, on 2016-August-22, 11:24, said:

If 5♥ is natural, what would 4♥ have shown?

natural.

[wanoff]

Yes, 7 more likely than 5.

[mike777]

wank, on 2016-August-22, 10:43, said:

Ak9xx
Qx
Kqx
Xxx

You're at adverse at matchpoints.

It goes 2c precision in your right, 2s from you, 4c on the left, natural 5h from p, pass on your right.

nOn expert answer here...I pass...EASY PASS .given OP

Actually I would not have bid 2s so I would have a different problem.

[MrAce]

Yes

[MrAce]

deleted dbl post

[The_Badger]

6♥ or 7♥ even? Mmmm....

What exactly have the opponents got? Not a lot! Assuming they have bid 4♣ on the Law of Total tricks, that means ♣s are 5-5, so the Precision opener will have a 4 card major too.

I'd certainly bid 6♥ at Matchpoints, as for 7♥? Anyone's guess. (Cowardly I know)

Actually I'm bidding 7♥s. Top or bottom. I can't see partner with anything less than ♠xx ♥AKJxxxxx ♦Axx ♣void, or, ♠xxx ♥AKJxxxxx ♦Ax ♣void to bid 5♥. If he does turn up with a ♣ loser it looks like I'm paying for the round in the bar after the game

[alok c]

6♥.

[billw55]

gnasher, on 2016-August-22, 15:13, said:

Yes. Partner is missing a lot of red-suit fillers, so he's likely to have first-round control of one of the minors. For example, Qx AKJxxxxx Jx x isn't a 5♥ bid.

This was also repped several times so I suppose it must be correct. It had occurred to me that 5♥ might mean specifically "bid slam with a club control", which I suppose must be incorrect.

[wank]

gnasher, on 2016-August-22, 15:13, said:

Yes. Partner is missing a lot of red-suit fillers, so he's likely to have first-round control of one of the minors. For example, Qx AKJxxxxx Jx x isn't a 5♥ bid.

unfortunately partner didn't need any red suit fillers.

---

fwiw i agree with frances, but i would say that as i was the 5h bidder.

considering we had just collected galactic tops on the previous 2 deals (twice bid and made 6NT for those who know the hands), it was rather poor matchplay (your % of the matchpoints on the 8 board round are translated to victory points so there are diminishing returns) for us to bid a dodgy slam on this board. of course we were both to blame for that.

[Caitlynne]

I am not sure what 5H means, but at least you seem to have an agreement that it is natural and non-forcing.

According to Goren, though, jumps to 5 of a major are not only natural, but they generally ask about one of two things - either about possession of control of the opponents's suit (in this case, clubs) or asking for a raise for each high honor (Ace, King, or Queen) held in the trump suit.

Well, I am pretty confident that partner has control of clubs - I have 3 and they have bid and raised the suit to the 4 level with a jump - they surely have 9 if not all 10 of the the missing clubs. So, partner must be asking about hearts.

I happen to have a high honor so I am OBLIGED to raise.

I bid 6H. This really is not a matter of judgment. Partner has asked a question and you really must answer - there is no other choice - if you play partnership bridge.

[Stephen Tu]

Caitlynne, on 2016-August-23, 13:23, said:

I am not sure what 5H means, but at least you seem to have an agreement that it is natural and non-forcing.

According to Goren, though, jumps to 5 of a major are not only natural, but they generally ask about one of two things - either about possession of control of the opponents's suit (in this case, clubs) or asking for a raise for each high honor (Ace, King, or Queen) held in the trump suit.

Yes this is standard - on other auctions where there are more options. When trumps have already been set, where you have alternative options of cue bidding a side control, RKC, exclusion, then yes jumping to 5M is normally asking one of these two things.

On this hand you only really have two bids to show hearts, 4H and 5H. When your options are constrained, it's not really practical to reserve 5M for those meanings - it leaves a ton of other hands essentially unbiddable. You really can only have 5H = "too good for 4H, do you like your hand?". It does leave partner more guessing than a specific ask, but it gives you a chance to find slam on good hands with great hearts and a club control but still needing some other stuff when your only other choice is 4H and partner will almost never move over that.

Fwiw I raise to 6♥ and don't think the wank's hand is a 5♥ bid.

[eagles123]

imo this is just one of those things - wanks 5h seems reasonable and pards raise seems reasonable. I wouldnt lose sleep over it anyway

[eagles123]

Stephen Tu, on 2016-August-23, 14:18, said:

Yes this is standard - on other auctions where there are more options. When trumps have already been set, where you have alternative options of cue bidding a side control, RKC, exclusion, then yes jumping to 5M is normally asking one of these two things.

On this hand you only really have two bids to show hearts, 4H and 5H. When your options are constrained, it's not really practical to reserve 5M for those meanings - it leaves a ton of other hands essentially unbiddable. You really can only have 5H = "too good for 4H, do you like your hand?". It does leave partner more guessing than a specific ask, but it gives you a chance to find slam on good hands with great hearts and a club control but still needing some other stuff when your only other choice is 4H and partner will almost never move over that.

Fwiw I raise to 6♥ and don't think the wank's hand is a 5♥ bid.

i accept the raise is debatable but 5h - i mean come on your way too strong to just bid 4h

[The_Badger]

Ok, I admit I got this totally wrong but this sort of hand crops up once in a blue moon, and that's why bridge is vicarious and can be so cruel. A decision, practically a guess, can turn matches.

Ok, 7♥ is a bid too far, especially as the opponents have opened, but many are bidding 6♥ too which is still not making.

In some ways I don't like the 5♥ bid - but what else do you bid? - as it takes up too much space and puts enormous pressure on partner.

The ♥ suit is self supporting except if you get a weird break, and it looks like you are losing a ♣. So you are still missing 2 aces ♦+♠ between 3 hands. Also, a ♠ finesse may be necessary to get home, too, and that's not guaranteed. So statistically you have presented partner with a quandary with the hand given.

With so many minor suit cards missing, maybe a 4♥ bid is preferable, followed by 5♥ if the opponents sacrifice. Again a guess, but with the opponents non-vulnerable, I believe there is more chance they will give you the opportunity of another bid.

And you still may end in 6♥ - I give up

[jallerton]

gnasher, on 2016-August-22, 15:13, said:

Yes. Partner is missing a lot of red-suit fillers, so he's likely to have first-round control of one of the minors. For example, Qx AKJxxxxx Jx x isn't a 5♥ bid.

I agree. Despite having seen partner's hand, the most likely layout to explain the bidding includes partner holding a club void.

[MrAce]

Deleted nonsense