[TWO4BRIDGE]

What is your method to reach slam ?
Do you start with Stayman ... planning on Smolen if a 2D reply ?
But here, partner replies 2H -- he's got 4 cards to your 6 cards Hts.

---

--- - 1NT
2C! - 2H
?? continue ( how do you show a splinter ? )

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
EDIT: Can you find the 4-4 Sp fit ? ( Do you want to ? )

This post has been edited by TWO4BRIDGE: 2011-September-29, 20:30

[jjbrr]

I usually play 3 of the other major after a stayman response is an unbalanced slam try with support for partner's major.

So in this case you would bid 3S, partner bids 3NT to ask the shortness, you bid 4C to show short clubs, and partner bids keycard.

This frees up 1NT 2C 2M 4C/4D for keycard and slam tries without shortness.

[BunnyGo]

I would also start with stayman, but I wouldn't bid smolen afterwards, I'd "retransfer" at the 4 level.

When I hear a 2H response, I too use 3S as an unbalanced slam try.

[mike777]

 BunnyGo, on 2011-September-29, 23:33, said:

I would also start with stayman, but I wouldn't bid smolen afterwards, I'd "retransfer" at the 4 level.

When I hear a 2H response, I too use 3S as an unbalanced slam try.

what?


you retransfer after stayman...confusing

after 2h 3s is what an unbalanced hand??? I am confused


fwiw ....I think my pards have forgetten to tell my what these bids mean.

[Zelandakh]

As you know I play a weak NT and Puppet so perhaps not my thread, but in Standard I would have thought West would continue with 4C over 2H as a splinter. This will excite East who can cue diamonds, then West can take control with RKCB/Kickback. Something along the lines of: 1NT - 2C; 2H - 4C; 4D - 4S; 4N - 5D; 5H - 6H As for my auction, well the possibly (inter alia) is there for the 6KCB auction I know you are waiting for...

1C = 15+ nat/bal or 18+ any
... - 1H = 4+ spades, GF
1N = 15-17 bal
... - 2D = 5+ hearts
3S = 4 hearts, 4 spades, max
... - 4C = 6KCB
4D = 1 or 4
... - 4N = Q ask
5D = 1 queen
... - 6N (partner has no space for a 13th trick)

[Cyberyeti]

This is a hand where reaching 6♥/6N is easy, but reaching the good 7♠ is much harder.

I would upgrade the E hand and treat it as 18 (AK, A, A and good intermediates), but I'm not sure that this would in fact help.

While I can believe an auction of: (4 card majors)

1♥-2N (4+ card raise to at least 3)
3♠-4♠
4N-5♣
5♦-5♥
7♠

There are plenty of other choices that could be made on the way. The key to reaching 7♠ is for the smaller hand to do the asking and establish that the opener has 4 spades, 3 aces, the K♥ and the Q♠, which can be done if premature heart agreement doesn't make it impossible.

[the hog]

Am I missing something? Why doesn't anyone want to play 7S, which is cold, barring a ruff or a 5-0 Spade break?
What is this talk of 6H or 6NT?

[Zelandakh]

 the hog, on 2011-September-30, 01:41, said:

Am I missing something? Why doesn't anyone want to play 7S, which is cold, barring a ruff or a 5-0 Spade break?
What is this talk of 6H or 6NT?

You are right, and serves me right for posting from work. In my auction I even have all the information required for 7S too.

[the hog]

 Zelandakh, on 2011-September-30, 01:49, said:

You are right, and serves me right for posting from work. In my auction I even have all the information required for 7S too.

Yes, I often do the same myself. It is probably poetic justice - posting from work!

[kenrexford]

Mothods for 6-4"

With light, 2♣, then if 2♦ use Texas (e.g., 1NT-2♣-2♦-4♦ = 4♠/6♥ weakish)
With slam interest, 2♣, then Smolemn if 2♦, then re-transfer if 3NT (e.g., 1NT-2♣-2♦-3♥-3NT-4♥ slammish)

On this actual, the auction ends up geared toward the heart strain, as the auction unfortunately hits that way (probably).

[aguahombre]

 the hog, on 2011-September-30, 01:41, said:

Am I missing something? Why doesn't anyone want to play 7S, which is cold, barring a ruff or a 5-0 Spade break?
What is this talk of 6H or 6NT?

Most posters, I assume, started out recognizing the obvious ---that 7S is a good thing. I, for one, though envious of those whose style could get them to spades, knew it was not going to happen for us. Then I moved on to determine the strain I would actually reach.

After:
1N-2C
2H...yes, we use 3S as slammish for hearts; but 4S would not follow as a natural raise.

We might even be able to construct a situation where a grand in a different 4-3 fit is better than the 6-4 strain. We won't get to that one, either.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 the hog, on 2011-September-30, 01:41, said:

Am I missing something? Why doesn't anyone want to play 7S, which is cold, barring a ruff or a 5-0 Spade break?
What is this talk of 6H or 6NT?

As it was there were only 12 tricks at Sp.... a 4-1 split killed 13.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 jjbrr, on 2011-September-29, 21:52, said:

I usually play 3 of the other major after a stayman response is an unbalanced slam try with support for partner's major.

So in this case you would bid 3S, partner bids 3NT to ask the shortness, you bid 4C to show short clubs, and partner bids keycard.

This frees up 1NT 2C 2M 4C/4D for keycard and slam tries without shortness.

Ditto: 3oM agrees M and announces shortness.

4D! agrees M and is a balanced slam try ( something I have never used ).

... and 4C! for me is RKC-"G-word" ( agreeing M of course ).

[Cyberyeti]

 TWO4BRIDGE, on 2011-September-30, 07:00, said:

As it was there were only 12 tricks at Sp.... a 4-1 split killed 13.

If your declarer play is that bad, don't bid 7♠, A♣, ruff a club, draw trumps and cash winners, 5 trumps, 6 hearts, 2 aces.

[aguahombre]

 TWO4BRIDGE, on 2011-September-30, 07:00, said:

As it was there were only 12 tricks at Sp.... a 4-1 split killed 13.

That doesn't seem likely. Win opening lead, ruff a club; draw trumps and claim?

six hearts, four spades, one diamond, one club, and the ruff.

I see Cyber beat me to it by a minute; but there is still value in the duplicated posts ---comparison of posting styles

This post has been edited by aguahombre: 2011-September-30, 07:13

[ArtK78]

 kenrexford, on 2011-September-30, 06:19, said:

Mothods for 6-4"

With light, 2♣, then if 2♦ use Texas (e.g., 1NT-2♣-2♦-4♦ = 4♠/6♥ weakish)
With slam interest, 2♣, then Smolemn if 2♦, then re-transfer if 3NT (e.g., 1NT-2♣-2♦-3♥-3NT-4♥ slammish)

On this actual, the auction ends up geared toward the heart strain, as the auction unfortunately hits that way (probably).

That's funny. I play exactly the opposite.

All Smolen auctions are game forcing without slam interest. With this shape and a minimum game forcing hand, I would bid 2♣ then, over the expected 2♦ response, I would Smolen with 3♠. Over partner's expected 3NT call, I would bid 4♦ (transfer to hearts).

With a slammish hand, I would transfer to hearts and bid 2♠, showing 5+ hearts and 4+ spades with slam interest. It should be easy to reach the spade grand after that start.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 Cyberyeti, on 2011-September-30, 07:08, said:

If your declarer play is that bad, don't bid 7♠, A♣, ruff a club, draw trumps and cash winners, 5 trumps, 6 hearts, 2 aces.

You are right.
Only one pair played in Spades ( 4S + 2 ) and took 4 rounds of trumps first ... duh.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
EDIT: @aquaman ... you both are right.
( I didn't look past the result ).

This post has been edited by TWO4BRIDGE: 2011-September-30, 07:43

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 ArtK78, on 2011-September-30, 07:11, said:

With a slammish hand, I would transfer to hearts and bid 2♠, showing 5+ hearts and 4+ spades with slam interest. It should be easy to reach the spade grand after that start.

More common is for 2S as invitational:
1NT - 2D!
2H - 2S = 4s/5h, 8-9 hcp

[Zelandakh]

 TWO4BRIDGE, on 2011-September-30, 07:34, said:

You are right.
Only one pair played in Spades ( 4S + 2 ) and took 4 rounds of trumps first ... duh.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
EDIT: @aquaman ... you both are right.
( I didn't look past the result ).

Are you posting from work too, Don?!

[jjbrr]

 TWO4BRIDGE, on 2011-September-30, 07:05, said:

Ditto: 3oM agrees M and announces shortness.

4D! agrees M and is a balanced slam try ( something I have never used ).

... and 4C! for me is RKC-"G-word" ( agreeing M of course ).

Probably slightly better to switch your 4♣ and 4♦ responses. It's better to have more room to explore after the quantitative raise, and you have plenty of room for keycards with 4D. So you lose nothing by switching but gain an extra cuebid for the bal slam try.