[ArtK78]

This is a hand from the second qualifying session.

Matchpoints.

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1NT is 15-17.

I am going to force the 3♠ bid on you, as it systemically shows a game forcing (or better) hand with 5-5 in the majors.

Your plan?

[ggwhiz]

Unless you have exclusion here, I don't think I can find the grand without knowing what 4♣ or 4♦ would mean from the opener. Mandatory cue-bids? Various non-minimums? etc.

A 4th trump is so important to my grand ambitions and I don't think partner should have it and bid 4♥ so I'm blasting 6♥ and hoping for the overtrick on the lead.

That 4th trump is why I would start with stayman, show the 5-5 by jumping to 4♦ over a 2♦ response and carry on from there.

[mycroft]

Yeah, without the meaning of 3NT and 4m, I can't answer.
With those meanings, well, I'm a TD, so I can't play bridge.
What's my cuebidding style? Will partner show kings right away?

[ArtK78]

Given that I have shown 10 major suit cards, I would think that partner would cue-bid aces in the minors and anything in the majors. But I have to admit that we have not discussed the meaning of bids beyond the initial response.

[quiddity]

With no agreements I guess I'd try 6♣ followed by 6♥. I hope this shows a grand try with short clubs.
Another option is to bid 5♣ and then 6♣ over partner's 5♦ - I'm not sure of the difference between these sequences.

[wyman]

Well, at IMPs, I think I bid 6C (or 6D, depending on who's on my right ).

We either play 6C exclusion or not. If so, I bid 6H over 6D(03) and 7H over 6H(14). If not, I bid 7H over 6D (positive) and pass 6H.

This is a good problem though, and I'm not sure how to think about it at MPs. Maybe I actually want to bid 4N here and angle toward 7N if I can find CA/HK/SK, 6N if we have 2KC but no SK, and 6H otherwise, giving up on the heart grand where partners got all the non-club fillers.

[Endymion77]

5♣ looks like the best option here although 6♣ also has some merit and it does scream club void but you should really discuss the responses to 3♠ with partner.

[ArtK78]

Here is the whole hand:

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My partner opened the South hand 1NT. I heard that he was not the only one to choose this action. Needless to say, I thought I had a pretty good hand as North. I could not think of a great action with the North hand over 4♥, so I decided to find out if there was going to be a grand in NT. When partner showed the missing key cards I asked for specific kings with 5NT. Partner thought that was good enough for 13 tricks (figuring incorrectly that he had 7 club tricks) and just bid 7NT. I was amazed when he did not claim after the opening lead. I thought that we had about 18 tricks on the auction.

Bidding and making 7NT was a cold top. Only 2 pairs bid a grand in a major. As this was in the second qualifying session, top on a board was 11.

[cherdano]

I might be more tempted to open 2NT than 1NT...

[ArtK78]

cherdano, on 2013-October-23, 15:02, said:

I might be more tempted to open 2NT than 1NT...

I believe that my proper response to a 2NT opening bid would be 8NT.

[CSGibson]

I don't know if anyone has asked in another thread, but how did you wind up?

[bd71]

I held the South hand at another table and opoened 1C-1S-3C. Thoughts? How many would open NT?

[wyman]

I'm ok with 1c-2n or 1n but I don't like 1c-3c. 2n straightaway is a bit rich for my blood, but I get it.

[ArtK78]

CSGibson, on 2013-October-23, 16:14, said:

I don't know if anyone has asked in another thread, but how did you wind up?

4 consecutive 51% sessions for 7th place.