[ggwhiz]

♠ void ♥Kxxx ♦AKQJxx ♣xxx

Red v Red partner opens 2♥ - p - to you

Your plan? Possible follow up auctions to come.

[nige1]

I rank...
1. 4♥ = NAT Hope to win the auction. 4♥+2 by us scores better than 7♠X-2 by opponents.
2. 6♥ = PRE Let's play Poker.
3. 7♥ = PRE Could be a 4/5 or 7 hand opposite say ♠ x x ♥ A Q x x x x x ♦ x x ♣ x x x
4. 4N = RKC Misdirection.
5. 4♣ = SPL Another bit of fun (but some modern partnerships use this as a half-key ask).
6. 2N = REL And lead a ♦ to opponent's ♠ contract.
7. 3♠ = SPL Another Dance Invitation to opponents.
There are other cunning bids.

---

This post has been edited by nige1: 2018-March-19, 16:14

[diana_eva]

6H

[helene_t]

Yes 6♥, unless we have a way to find out if partner has ♥A. I don't want to be in slam if he hasn't it, although we could still hope to ditch his club losers on the diamonds before drawing trumps.

[Cyberyeti]

nige1, on 2018-March-18, 17:51, said:

I rank...
1. 4♥ = NAT Hope to win the auction. 4♥+2 by us scores better than 7♠X-2 by opponents.
2. 6♥ = PRE Let's play Poker.
3. 4N = RKC Misdirection.
4. 4♣ = SPL Another bit of fun (but some modern partnerships use this as a half-key ask).
5. 2N = REL And lead a ♦ to opponent's ♠ contract.
6. 3♠ = SPL Another Dance Invitation to opponents.
There are other cunning bids.

---

4♣ should be fit not splinter IMO, and I quite like psychic fit jumps in circumstances like this.
We would use 4♠ as blackwood, so 4N would be voidwood with a spade void, which has the advantage opps may not have discussed what X means.
5♣ voidwood is probably my favourite piece of subterfuge.

[diana_eva]

Main reason I'm all for 6H is that someone has the spades and it's not us. I'd prob sac all the way to 6H anyway so why not blast and hope to make it.

[MrAce]

diana_eva, on 2018-March-18, 19:40, said:

Main reason I'm all for 6H is that someone has the spades and it's not us. I'd prob sac all the way to 6H anyway so why not blast and hope to make it.

[mikeh]

It would be nice to know the form of scoring. At imps, we don't want to risk a disaster, while at mps we may want to generate a big result while risking a terrible one.

At imps I use Blackwood. I don't want Lho bidding any number of spades over my slam bid and I think that sounding as if I have a powerhouse, with no obvious voids, and then bidding slam is the route that generates the least likelihood of Lho bidding. Since I am not even sure I can beat 6 !s, I really want to act as if I own the hand. Blasting slam sounds like what I have and is imo more likely to induce the call I really don't want to hear, 6!s. If my Lho is incapable of 6!s, when it is right, we're probably winning anyway.

At mps I'd like to think I'd psyche 2!s against most opps. There is the risk that partner will keep correcting to spades ever after, but surely even the most obtuse partner will pass 7!H if I pull 6 !s. Meanwhile, if partner can't raise spades, good luck to them finding the save. This might increase the odds of a club lead, but it might also get a lightner double, which I will not send back.

[steve2005]

4♣ as controls asking bids for holding in clubs. Usually has a trump fit but not totally guaranteed.
Blasting has its advantage as this bid will tell opps what to lead if you have losers,

[dsLawsd]

At matchpoints I might walk the dog and bid only 5 H.
At imps it might be fun to pass and then keep bidding over the opps.
If I knew what Zia would do then I would bid the same.

The tragic result usually is that partner will be void in diamonds and hold AQ sixth plus the QJx of clubs.

[FelicityR]

Lots of alternatives, but I like the psychic bid of 2♠ one round force as a bid, followed by a raise to 6♥! I trust partner hasn't got any four card ♠ suit with the weak ♥s so I'm going to try to put the opposition off the scent of getting involved in spades. That said, a direct raise of 6♥ is probably the best bid to keep them out of the bidding, but with both sides vulnerable how do we know they are going to compete?

[Tramticket]

One option that hasn't been mentioned is 6♦. The opps might still bid 6♠, but at least partner will then lead a diamond.

I've no idea what I would do at the table. I suspect that my bid might be affected by my view of how strong are our opponents.

[ggwhiz]

mikeh, on 2018-March-18, 21:00, said:

It would be nice to know the form of scoring.

If it matters this was the Sunday Swiss against opponents I don't know but they won the Open Pairs the day before. Match#5 at the top of the leader board.

[NickRW]

5♥. Both sides can probably make 4M, but there is less certainty at the 5 level and even less at 6. 5 seems to me a quite possible make and, if not, a good save over 4♠. The rest is playing poker (and you could be right do so - or not)

[PhilG007]

diana_eva, on 2018-March-18, 19:40, said:

Main reason I'm all for 6H is that someone has the spades and it's not us. I'd prob sac all the way to 6H anyway so why not blast and hope to make it.

That is the equivalent of playing Russian Roulette with the Russians (!)

[diana_eva]

PhilG007, on 2018-March-19, 07:52, said:

That is the equivalent of playing Russian Roulette with the Russians (!)

No it's not. Look at the cards, look at those monster fits. You're not giving away that many tricks, and opps are making at least 4S on their side. And if you defend you don't know whether those diamonds are cashing, or if you'll ever get the lead to cash them. I actually think this will make a lot of times, and you're a lot less likely to get a favorable lead by fooling around and allowing opps to explore their fit and strength.

[Left2Right]

I authored a convention for just this hand type after seeing a lady world champion friend of mine and her world class partner struggle to find the right spot with just such a hand.

Ogust is a well known convention for inquiring further information about the weak two bidder's hand.
Ogustus is my add-on to Ogust.

See the slide show that explains it in detail at My web site.

Cheers.

[ggwhiz]

It is a 5 or 7 hand in hearts depending on the lead with a spade ruff and 6 tricks in each read suit or 6♦ again depending on the lead.

17 ways to approach it, almost all of which would work (except science) including a direct 7♥ and that would be tasty in a midnight game when the leader has both black Aces. Partner had a 3-6-2-2 with ♥AQJ and out. I don't know the opponents exact hands but RHO had ♠KQ+ and no reason to lead anything else.

I walked the dog a bit with 2nt hoping to divine or influence the opening lead.

3♣ (uh oh) - p - 3♠ (back in the game?) back to me so I cue bid 4♣

4♠ by lho passed to me so I bid 6♥ now, float +1. LHO noted that he almost bid 6♠ which only goes -2 but I think I would bid 7♥ over that and maybe should have bid it already and see if they smell a rat. Voidwood on clubs would do the trick but sadly was not on our card.

At the other table it went 2♥ - p - 4♥ - 5♣ back to my hand for a 5♥ bid.
One of the opps now bid 5♠ which inexplicably went float for -1.

Fun hand but I'll try to get to the grand next time. And voidwood is now on our card.

[diana_eva]

ggwhiz, on 2018-March-19, 10:08, said:

It is a 5 or 7 hand in hearts depending on the lead with a spade ruff and 6 tricks in each read suit or 6♦ again depending on the lead.

17 ways to approach it, almost all of which would work including a direct 7♥ and that would be tasty in a midnight game when the leader has both black Aces. Partner had a 3-6-2-2 with ♥AQJ and out. I don't know the opponents exact hands but RHO had ♠KQ+ and no reason to lead anything else.

I walked the dog a bit with 2nt hoping to divine or influence the opening lead.

3♣ (uh oh) - p - 3♠ (back in the game?) back to me so I cue bid 4♣

4♠ by lho passed to me so I bid 6♥ now, float +1. LHO noted that he almost bid 6♠ which only goes -2 but I think I would bid 7♥ over that and maybe should have bid it already and see if they smell a rat. Voidwood on clubs would do the trick but sadly was not on our card.

At the other table it went 2♥ - p - 4♥ - 5♣ back to my hand for a 5♥ bid.
I think my lho was 5-1-1-6 and now bid 5♠ (maybe passed back to rho for that bid?) which inexplicably went float for -1.

Fun hand but I'll try to get to the grand next time. And voidwood is now on our card.

I don't see why you'd want to be in grand with two quick losers. IMO pat yourself on the back that you pulled off a slam which should go down and stop dreaming about the grand

[neilkaz]

NickRW, on 2018-March-19, 07:43, said:

5♥. Both sides can probably make 4M, but there is less certainty at the 5 level and even less at 6. 5 seems to me a quite possible make and, if not, a good save over 4♠. The rest is playing poker (and you could be right do so - or not)

5♥ for me also.