[harikannan]

https://tinyurl.brid...se.com/bdbymz2k

I had no idea how to find out if a spade slam existed. It was a bot game, so i didn't trust its heart strength.

Assuming I had a human partner, is there a way we find it?

Thanks.

[Cyberyeti]

The slam is on a finesse, it's not one you necessarily want to bid, while it's reasonable to assume the A♦ is onside, K♥ could easily be offside.

[awm]

I'd recommend starting with a strong jump shift on this hand (and on really any hand where you want to set a particular suit unilaterally and look for slam).

While I agree that this slam isn't great, it gets a lot better if opener has ♥AK and it's not clear your auction would be any different.

[mw64ahw]

It is indeed tricky
Playing KI5
1♥ - (P) - 1♠ 0-4 weak or 5+♠ GI - (2♦)
2♥ - (P) - 3♠ self-sustaining SI - (P)
3N no ♠ honours - (P) - 4♣ ctrl - (P)
4♦ ctrl - P
Now I'm a bit stuck
4♠ no ♥ ctrl which leaves partner to progress, which in theory they should given 4♣ over 3N with 5♥ odd KCs
4N even KCs now 5♥-6♠ a bit of a blast
6♠ partner should have the ♥ even more of a blast

[mikeh]

awm, on 2025-October-21, 03:31, said:

I'd recommend starting with a strong jump shift on this hand (and on really any hand where you want to set a particular suit unilaterally and look for slam).

While I agree that this slam isn't great, it gets a lot better if opener has ♥AK and it's not clear your auction would be any different.

Very few players use strong jumpshifts. There are so many other uses for the bids. Furthermore I have never heard of anyone who plays that a strong jumpshift promises a no loser suit opposite a void. I suspect it’s because one could play a lot of bridge for a lot of years and never hold such a hand.

As it is, in theory I think the south hand, if willing to gamble a slam opposite a diamond control, should bid 5S over 2H. The diamond cue s not only a wasted bid but it’s misleading and is virtually guaranteed to produce no useful information

Now, would any North player raise my 5S to slam? They should but I suspect few would.

[Huibertus]

If you find a way to see if this hand is a slam or not, you need to be reported for cheating, as it involves having the means to find out which opponent holds ♥King and whether or not they can give each other a ♦ or ♥ ruff at trick 1 or 2.

Assuming this is actually not what you are really asking for. This is NOT a slam, Ignoring small ruffing chances for the opps in ♦ and ♥ trick 1 and 2, this is a 50% slam at best. 50% is NOT enough for matchpoints as you tend to lose more then you win because of the field making mistakes such as bidding 7, play ♥ on any level et cetera, which you will always beat by playing your ♠ game. You did well NOT to bid it, mission accomplished.

[awm]

mikeh, on 2025-October-21, 09:04, said:

Very few players use strong jumpshifts. There are so many other uses for the bids. Furthermore I have never heard of anyone who plays that a strong jumpshift promises a no loser suit opposite a void. I suspect it’s because one could play a lot of bridge for a lot of years and never hold such a hand.

As it is, in theory I think the south hand, if willing to gamble a slam opposite a diamond control, should bid 5S over 2H. The diamond cue s not only a wasted bid but it’s misleading and is virtually guaranteed to produce no useful information

Now, would any North player raise my 5S to slam? They should but I suspect few would.

Perhaps most critically, the robots play strong jump shifts. No one is saying that strong jump shifts promise no losers opposite a void, but it's pretty common to play that a strong jump shift followed by rebidding the suit sets trumps and asks for cuebids. I believe the robots play this as well!

If not playing strong jump shifts, it's possible that bidding 1♠ followed by 3♠ could have this meaning; for example it's fairly common to play that a direct 2♠ is "weak but constructive" (like 4-8 or whatever), which makes 1♠...2♠ invitational and 1♠...3♠ game forcing (and likely setting trumps, with weaker suits going through a 4sf or a cuebid if opponents overcall as they did here).

Anyway, the right way to do this depends on methods but it's pretty useful to have a way to show a game force with a very strong suit one way or another. Obviously this is usually a seven card suit and not a nine card suit, and it might be missing an honor (i.e. AQJTxxx would qualify).

[Cyberyeti]

awm, on 2025-October-22, 02:40, said:

Perhaps most critically, the robots play strong jump shifts. No one is saying that strong jump shifts promise no losers opposite a void, but it's pretty common to play that a strong jump shift followed by rebidding the suit sets trumps and asks for cuebids. I believe the robots play this as well!

Not a robot method, but:

We play that:

1♥-2♠
2N-3♠

shows a spade suit happy to play in a slam opposite singleton J or less, any other bid by opener shows at least Q or xx in partner's suit, 2N says nothing other than the lack of spades.

[P_Marlowe]

Sometimes you make overtricks.

As it is, I think that 3D / 5S are overbids.
Just bid 4S.

I am ok with a 2S SJS, but than you stop as fast as possible.