[rmnka447]

I normally play Woolf, so all 3 level bids other than 3 ♣ are forward going after a jump rebid of 2 NT.

But here I think I prefer 1 ♦ - 1 ♠ - 2 NT - 4 ♦ sequence. This should be slammish with 5+ ♦ as 3 ♦ would still show a fit and be forward going. It should be easy to get to the slam from there.

[ArtK78]

 PhantomSac, on 2014-November-23, 17:43, said:

1D 1S 2N and you have to guess what to do in an indy (eg might partner pass 3D?). Bidding grands is not gonna be easy in an individual.

Technically, this was not an individual tournament - it was the BBO Forums pairs tournament held on Sunday afternoon. But most of the pairs were put together at the last minute, and I had never played with my partner previously. There were 8 pairs.

I have to admit, when I bid 3♦ over 2NT, and my partner took some time before bidding, I had a small fear that he would pass. After he bid 3♥ over 3♦, I bid 4NT, intending it as RKCB. Again, he took some time in responding, which really had me worried.

Getting to 6NT (which I could have bid over 2NT) was worth all of the matchpoints, even if it was only 3 out of 3.

[nige1]

Jasmine
On a good day

---

[vbartone]

Gave the West hand to my wife (Adair Gellman). Will admit that having a regular partnership helps with hands like this. Systemically, our 1D shows 4+ (an advantage here), and although 3D (over 2N) would be forcing, who needs the headache of lots of cuebids when FOUR DIAMONDS over 2N is Keycard (far superior to the USP/kickback use of 4H):

---- 1D (4+)
1S 2N (18-19)
4D (RKC) 5C (2 + Q)
5H (K's) 5S (spade K)
5N (K's) 6C (club K)
7D (knowing only 15HCP in the East hand)

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 rbakerlv, on 2014-November-24, 12:52, said:

Our auction: 1D 1S, 2NT - 3C ( New Minor Forcing), 3H (4 hearts), 4D ( 3014 Key Card in D), 5C (two with QD) - 5H ( specific Ks?); 6NT ( all missing Ks) 7NT

The use of 4D as RKC and the 6NT showing all missing kings makes this almost laydown

I've learned something today ( from above ) ...
.... that 6NT = all 3 outside Kings in reply to the specific K-ask .

[Cascade]

 vbartone, on 2014-November-24, 18:08, said:

Gave the West hand to my wife (Adair Gellman). Will admit that having a regular partnership helps with hands like this. Systemically, our 1D shows 4+ (an advantage here), and although 3D (over 2N) would be forcing, who needs the headache of lots of cuebids when FOUR DIAMONDS over 2N is Keycard (far superior to the USP/kickback use of 4H):

---- 1D (4+)
1S 2N (18-19)
4D (RKC) 5C (2 + Q)
5H (K's) 5S (spade K)
5N (K's) 6C (club K)
7D (knowing only 15HCP in the East hand)

What is USP?

On its own being one step lower obviously 4♦ Key Card is superior to 4♥ Key Card. However to determine whether it is far superior you need to tell me how you handle hands that are worth a quantitative slam try which I would put through 4♦. Maybe not on this auction where there is plenty of room but certainly on similar auctions.

[Ace0Spades]

Why west would bid spades is beyond me here.

1♦ - 3♥ (splinter)-4♥ (redwood) -- 5C (3 controls) -- 7D (12 top tricks plus the Q that partner needs somewhere for this bid.)

Don't worry, nobody else bids their damn slams either!

[Fluffy]

 Ace0Spades, on 2014-November-25, 14:00, said:

Why west would bid spades is beyond me here.

Just spend 10 seconds making a hand for partner where 4 spades is the only making game and you will understand.

[dB451]

With methods among my partners, we would bid (OK, on a good day):
West East
1D;
1S; 2H (5 losers, reverse);
3C (Xfer Leb., inv. or better); 3D (completing xfer);
4H (Redwood, 1430 for Diamonds); 5C (2 keycards w/ Queen);
5H (Specific King-Ask in D); 7N (w/ all 3 outside Kings)

[Zelandakh]

 TWO4BRIDGE, on 2014-November-24, 18:50, said:

I've learned something today ( from above ) ...
.... that 6NT = all 3 outside Kings in reply to the specific K-ask .

Not for the first time either...

Edit: if it wasn't clear, the "..." is a link to an older thread.

[neilkaz]

 whereagles, on 2014-November-23, 17:26, said:

my pard perpetrated a 1NT opener after which it went

pd me
1NT 2♣
2♥ 3♦
3NT

I tanked for a bit and finally passed... lol

Your partner bid this hand like he had a dead min 1NT.

ROFL unless you were playing 16-18 (I'd rather shoot myself) he has a flawless 18 count and is too strong for 1NT. Then after your 3♦ with 4 card support and a doubleton and a fine hand for suit play he signs off in 3NT (gag)

I hope this wasn't a regular PD. His bidding is especially bad if scoring was IMPs since it is hard to imagine that 5D+ isn't cold and even if matchpoints he was taken astray but 3NTitis.

[whereagles]

I think pard (not regular, ofc) just wanted to hog the hand.. lol. In the end he said "pard, bid 6NT". With 30-32 (1NT was sayc, thus 15-17), a possible misfit, and no intermediates, I didn't bother to reply

He was a good player, though. Bit of a wierd bidder, but fine cardplayer.

[Lovera]

 Siegmund, on 2014-November-23, 17:45, said:

I expect 1D-1S-2NT-6NT (or 6D) was a very common auction.

With one partner, however, I could have had a nice cuebidding auction after agreeing diamonds at the 3-level. I would think most pairs that could agree diamonds and have room for West to ask for keys would be able to bid it. Easy for West to count to 13 after he knows that East's controls include the ♠K.


Edited to add: most regular/good pairs, I mean. With an unknown partner in an individual I would be leaping to six too rather than investigating.

I agree with you from second part but i prefer 1NT(=16-18), 2♣-2♥, 2♠-3♦, ..

[yunling]

Not really hard with careful cuebids, even if using 4NT for RKC
1♦-1♠
2NT-3♦
3♥-3♠
4♣-4♥
4♠-4NT
5♠-7♦

Well, slams are always hard for non-regular partnerships.

[Cyberyeti]

 eagles123, on 2014-November-23, 17:00, said:

---

East is dealer, opps are silent.

For us:

1♦-2♦(F1 not denying 4M)
2N (15+ bal GF not denying 4M)-3♠(nat extras)
4♣(cue, not broke)-4♥(KC)
5♦(2+Q)-5N (all the keycards no K to bid, still interested in grand)
7♦ (well whatever you wanted, I have it)-7N (for pd to bid like this he has both major suit Ks or he'd have bid one of them)