[jillybean]

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Matchpoints, tough N/S crowd.

[mikeh]

I probably use keycard less often than 99% of posters here but I’m using keycard. If he shows what I’m looking for, I’ll bid 5N, hoping to find him with the club King eve which I’ll bid 7S.

I’m bidding slam anyway: while 4H needn’t promise the moon, with a really bad hand, say AQxxx Axx Jxx xx, he should bid 4S. Of course, hands like these are why many pairs play some form of serious or non serious 3N.

[mike777]

Again I don't see any need for serious or non serious, certainly not on this poor wretch. Easy 4s over 3S.

Agree that after 4H I am rolling out Keycard..

I know it is a very popular convention and no doubt I will see the need based on frequency but not yet..

I bring this up as my new partner wants me to play all sorts of things, my response, show me the problem hands, convince me that they are frequent enough. Let's run into the problem ourselves at least once in actual play if they sound infrequent.

Besides we have so much other stuff to focus on.. stuff that actually comes up, smile

[shyams]

4NT RKCB

[jillybean]

Alas, I was wishing on a star

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[mike777]

Seems easy pass, balanced hand, only 8 card fit, partner shows minimum nothing hand

[mikeh]

My earlier post was an error. I said I'd keycard and, after a 5S response, bid 5N looking for the club King. That was silly. He can't have the club King. With that card he should bid 4C, not 4H.

[mw64ahw]

South is on cusp of looking for the slam and the 4♥ bid denied controls in the minors, possibly suggests solid ♥, but with extras for the slam try. I bid 5♦ showing odd KCs, a control in ♣ and AK♦. Success may rest on the ♣ finesse, but it looks like we have all KCs plus Q♠ as I would play it.

Edit: 4♥ was a fantasy bid

[pescetom]

As we play, North bidding 4H is serious, denies clubs King and has hearts Ace or King (almost certainly Ace or both, given a max of 11 HCP elsewhere).
Now I just bid 6S, nothing I am likely to learn is going to change my mind (assuming 2S means what I think).

If instead North just bids 4S we have an automatic pass.

[jillybean]

Always the optimist, I gave it one more try. (Another one of my bad habits)

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Do you want to be in 6 at any vulnerability/scoring?

[mike777]

jillybean, on 2026-August-03, 08:04, said:

Always the optimist, I gave it one more try. (Another one of my bad habits)

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Do you want to be in 6 at any vulnerability/scoring?

Again easy 5H control bid after 5C, opener has already said they have a nothing opening bid, now is time to perk up..

However, I disagree with 5C.

[mikeh]

jillybean, on 2026-August-03, 08:04, said:

Always the optimist, I gave it one more try. (Another one of my bad habits)

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Do you want to be in 6 at any vulnerability/scoring?

We’ve all been in worse. On a good day you could take 13 tricks. On a bad day you could be down 2 in 6….on a truly horrific day you could be down 3 (both black suits lying very badly). I think this is one where I don’t particularly care one way or the other.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-August-03, 08:04, said:

Always the optimist, I gave it one more try. (Another one of my bad habits)

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Do you want to be in 6 at any vulnerability/scoring?

I'm too diplomatic to comment the auction at all (and I see that I did not understand 2S).
But reasonably happy to be in 6 at any vulnerability/scoring if that's what you mean, especially if Versace gets to play it (I would probably need one of trump Q onside or clubs behaving to have much chance).

[DavidKok]

 mikeh, on 2026-August-02, 20:18, said:

[...] while 4H needn’t promise the moon, with a really bad hand, say AQxxx Axx Jxx xx, he should bid 4S. Of course, hands like these are why many pairs play some form of serious or non serious 3N.

I agree with the rest of the analysis but disagree with signing off immediately with this hand. This is exactly why I want the artificial 3NT, indeed, but without it I can't bear to conceal two aces.
Simon de Wijs is fond of saying that every hand is worth at least one last try.