[Cascade]

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2♦ is one round force

3♥ is splinter showing around (14)15+

6♠ is obviously odd when partner could have made a simple forcing 3♠ bid. Partner is relatively inexperienced.

What actions do you consider? Presumably Pass and 7♠ are the likely alternatives but some might not consider one or the other.

Are there any other actions that you consider?

[jmcw]

Consider biding again...no way ever.

[wank]

i consider 7♦ and 7♠. i'd go for 7 diamonds at imps and 7 spades at pairs.

i presume partner said 3♥ was natural or didn't alert, but i wouldn't say that suggests bidding anything so the question of what is or isn't a logical alternative is somewhat moot.

[Cascade]

wank, on 2011-October-05, 18:16, said:

i consider 7♦ and 7♠. i'd go for 7 diamonds at imps and 7 spades at pairs.

i presume partner said 3♥ was natural or didn't alert, but i wouldn't say that suggests bidding anything so the question of what is or isn't a logical alternative is somewhat moot.

Oh yeah I forgot that 7♦ is also a consideration.

[aguahombre]

Only call I would consider would be 7S; must assume, no matter what partner did, that my bid meant to him what it meant to me. Anything other than a grand is not logical. For whatever reason people have considering 7D, fine; I wouldn't.

Partner doesn't know my suit quality, whether I have a stiff or a void in hearts, whether I have the top Diamond, or whether I have the Club bullet, let alone the king. Whichever one of those (or two) might complete the grand, I have it.

7S is automatic, even if he described my spade suit as solid for the 3H rebid; I am not allowed to know he said that.

[bluejak]

I would consider pass, 7♦ and 7♠, and choose 7♠.

[sasioc]

I too would consider pass, 7♦ and 7♠. I think I'll pass with probability ~10%, depending on how well I know my partner and bid 7♦ the rest of the time.

[barmar]

Anyone considering 7♣? If this is pairs, you may want to be in 7NT if partner has ♥A. Or maybe 7♥ should be the way to get there -- this has to show a void and imply controls in the minors.

Which is presumably where this is leading: there's UI indicating that partner thinks the heart bid was natural, so he might take 7♥ as showing the ace rather than asking for it, which suggests that you should avoid this confusing bid.

[Cascade]

barmar, on 2011-October-06, 11:22, said:

Anyone considering 7♣? If this is pairs, you may want to be in 7NT if partner has ♥A. Or maybe 7♥ should be the way to get there -- this has to show a void and imply controls in the minors.

Which is presumably where this is leading: there's UI indicating that partner thinks the heart bid was natural, so he might take 7♥ as showing the ace rather than asking for it, which suggests that you should avoid this confusing bid.

Interesting thought. With a more experienced partner or in a more practiced partnership perhaps this would make sense.

However opposite an inexperienced partner I would never try something so subtle UI or not.

Indeed there was UI from a failure to alert, then a thought that perhaps she should alert, then finally an obvious decision to not alert the 3♥ bid.

[barmar]

Yeah, I forgot about the issue of partner's inexperience, and fixated on the potential UI issue.

Although an inexperienced player might just not be sure if splinter is alertable or not, so the UI doesn't necessarily suggest a misunderstanding. You might not be in real trouble unless an opponent asks about the 3♥ bid during the auction.

[Cascade]

barmar, on 2011-October-06, 11:43, said:

Yeah, I forgot about the issue of partner's inexperience, and fixated on the potential UI issue.

Although an inexperienced player might just not be sure if splinter is alertable or not, so the UI doesn't necessarily suggest a misunderstanding. You might not be in real trouble unless an opponent asks about the 3♥ bid during the auction.

I think but my memory is a bit hazy now.

There was no alert.

We use written bidding so the player leaned forward to make an alert then stopped.

There was then a question.

The answer initially indicated it might be a splinter then she changed her mind.

Eventually she said natural or the equivalent and did not alert.

The opponent passed and there was more thought and eventually a 6♠ bid.

Just to be clear I meant the subtlety of expecting a bid of 7♥ to guarantee both minor aces.

[AlexJonson]

I would think about the auction and consider and bid only 7S.

[sfi]

Cascade, on 2011-October-06, 16:05, said:

Just to be clear I meant the subtlety of expecting a bid of 7♥ to guarantee both minor aces.

That's pretty subtle. More importantly, partner is likely to bid 7♠ even with the ♥A. We know the diamonds are more likely to run in NT than partner does, so we should be asking for a cue rather than showing our aces.

With an inexperienced partner, 7♠ looks to be the right action. Opposite someone who is experienced enough, I try 7♣.