Pat Clark   |2009-07-05 21:42:49 I bid 6♥ directly, using spades for discards. P could have: ♠QJxxx, ♥KQxxx, ♦KQx, ♣-. If so, we still make. Too late for splinter. (My first bid would have been 4♦, making for another interesting auction.) If we played 5♦ = Exclusion Blackwood, that would be better.

Millie Dabbs   |2009-07-05 18:07:30 You can't imagine the bidding sequence I had written before I deleted it all. I think he has AQxxx, KQxxx, void, QJx and somehow you end up in 7 Clubs. You take 5 tricks in C, 5 in H and 3 in S. And if my guess of his hand is right, you could have made 7H but since you said YOU played it, I reckon you had to be in clubs! But then you also said, "He made the right call." so who knows? I should stop trying to figure these out since I'm never right.

Anonymous   |2009-07-06 23:18:37 With 5-5 in the majors and a maximum (14 hcp), my partner would open 1H and plan to reverse should I bid 1NT, forcing one round or 2C or 2D, forcing to game. Here, that becomes moot. The sequence would begin 1H - 2NT (suit quality asking and control threshold asking Heart raise). Contingent on partner's response to my 2NT, I would bid 4C, if possible, to ask for the specific number of controls, or 4S, to ask for the round control partner has in Spades (AQ counts as 1st and 2nd). Partner's answers will provide all the information I need. 7NT could be on a finesse; however, partner can't have AQ of Spades, KQ of Hearts, and the A of Diamonds. Partner could be missing both queens and 7H still is a percentage-on favorite.

Michael M.   |2009-07-07 09:50:09 (Follow-up to my above comment) The sequence I want to hear is: 1h - 2nt 4d - 4s 5nt - 7h Unless RHO is void in Spades - and LHO leads a Spade, you can claim before the opening lead. (A practice I wouldn't recommend...smile)

Jim Somma  - Adam knows   |2009-07-08 18:15:51 Why would anyone open 1H with 5-5 in the majors is beyond me. My partner knows that because I didn't open a Precision Club, my HCP's are restricted to 14. After my 2-suit maximum count bid, Adam Kaplan bid 5NT (Grand Slam Force). I followed orders and bid 7H which was cold. LHO sweetened the pot by doubling with the DA which died a violent death.

Pat Clark   |2009-07-08 20:12:58 It may well have made, but you'll have to explain how either one of you could be sure 7H would make. As far as I can see, from the diamond void point of view you could be off the spade A. From the 5N bidder, you could be off the club A. I assume he has D's covered as well as the void holder does or else the opps have 13 trump. Seems like a gamble to me when 6 can't be beat with any set of cards.

Millie Dabbs   |2009-07-08 20:28:08 You show that Adam bid 3H over your 2C. Later you said YOU played the hand and still later you said final contract was 7H. Doesn't compute!

Michael M.   |2009-07-08 23:52:03 Initially, 1H shows 11-14 hcp with a 5-card suit or possibly a 6-card suit with a maximum (top in aces and kings). 2NT can be any kind of hand where slam in Hearts is worth exploring. 4D shows two of the top three Hearts and 4 or more primary controls (ace=2, king=1). 5NT shows 1st and 2nd round control in Spades; ergo, AQ. I "know" partner doesn't have the Ace of Diamonds, because then he would open 1C (S: AQ; H: KQ; D: A). So, he must have the King of Diamonds to get to 4 controls. The only hand partner could have which would create a problem is AQ tight in Spades, King Queen 5th in Hearts, King and one in Diamonds, and four nothing Clubs. 5-4-2-2 generically - irrespective of suits - occurs about 10% of the time. A two spade, five heart, two diamond, four club distribution occurs much less frequently. Even if partner has the 2S, 5H, 2D, 4C hand, Clubs break 2-2 about 40% of the time. Grossly - and very pessimistically, partner will have this hand pattern and Clubs will not break 2-2 significantly less than 5% of the time. More than 95% of the time, 7H is ice. Do you want to be in a grand with a 95% chance of success? (The issue of opening 1H v. 1S is a matter of system and, to a lesser degree, partnership style. Opening 1H with a 2S rebid prepared positions you well for any response partner might make. I would argue jumping to 3H consumes precious bidding space. And, by the way, what do you bid with a five Spade, singleton Heart, three Diamond, four Club hand when partner bids 2C over your 1S? I'm playing 3H would be a Splinter with slam interest in Clubs.)

Anonymous   |2009-07-09 09:21:28 AS 2 CLUBS IS GAME FORCING THE JUMP TO 3 HEARTS MUST SHOW THE KING /QUEEN 5 TIMES----SO TO BID 7 YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHO HAS THE QUEEN OF SPADES--SO I BID 3 SPADES AND LATER BID 1430/RKB DEPENDIND WHAT WE ARE PLAYING---THIS WILL TELL YOU IF HE HAS THE QUEEN --EITHE DIRECTLY OR BY RELAY IF HE SAYES NO QUEEN YOU SIGHN OFF @ 6--YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE ON A HOOK FOR 7 /IF HE SHOWS 2 PLUS THE QUEEN AND YOU ARE A PIG YOU CAN BID 7NT IF YOU NEED A BOARD --@ IMPS 7 HEARTS IS THE BID AS IF SPADES DON'T BREAK YOU ARE DEAD--AND 7 HEARTS IS ON---AFTER YOU GET THE RESPONSE YOU BID HEART SLAM --PARTNER CAN NOT CONVERT--HE HAS NO RIGHTS IN THIS AUCTION

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."