[jillybean]

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Dealer South

Standard bidding,
18 tables played in 4♥
1 table got to 5♥
1 table played in 4♦ oops

How does your system fare?

[DavidKok]

Strong club:

1♣ (16+ unbal or 17+ bal)-(1♠)-2♥ (GF, 5(+)♥)-(2♠);
3♥ (sets trumps)-(P)-3♠ (control)-(P);
?

and now as South you have a question. Do you bid 3NT nonserious to show the minimum in context? The spade control opposite makes the ♠A worth a bit more but the ♠J9 possibly worth less, though now you know there's no spade loser (North either has a singleton, the king, or both). The prime controls and extra heart maybe justify optimistic bidding here, but with 1♣ being unlimited I think I would take the low road and end up in 4♥.
As an aside, East might bid 3♠ rather than 2♠. I think this is anti-percentage, but in practice many people will preempt too much in fourth seat against strong club. On this deal that presents a serious problem as there is no way to raise hearts below 4♥, and South has to settle for a NF 4♥ or a double. What's the vulnerability? It seems 3♠X is at least three off and can be taken for more on the right defence.

In a more standard system I'd probably open 1NT (15-17)-4♦ (Texas Transfer); 4♥ and never sniff slam. There's a case for upgrading to 18-19 though I personally would not with the extreme lack of intermediates. If you do anyway there are some neat Dutch Doubleton auctions on a 1♣-1♥ start, but I think all roads lead to 4♥.

[mw64ahw]

It seems like the clue is in the title.
If you open 1N followed by a transfer and a super-accept then responder's hand can be upgraded to slam territory, otherwise it's Texas and sign-off.
Upgrade to 18-19 and open 1♣. From there for me it's systematic to try for the slam.
As an addition I play
1N-2♦
2♥-2♠ as a range ask/relay
If the response is 3♥ then partner is max. with 3♥ and you can proceed with control bidding.

[mike777]

Maybe
2D!-2S!
2NT!-3D!
4D!-4S!
5C!-6H

2D=18-19 balanced upgraded
2S=forces 2NT
2NT=forced
3D=Hearts
4D=Super accept useful doublton
4S=Kickback
5C=1-4

[mikeh]

As often, systems matter. Every system with which I’m familiar has hands on which it struggles and hands where the methods make getting to the best contract seem easy.

Here, notrump range matters. 15-17…south has a super max and it’ll be hard for the aceless north hand to picture slam. 14-16, now south has the equivalent of 1x then 2N, and has a minimum…north will expect at least thus much (though not specifically so many aces, but they won’t be a surprise).

For me, playing our T-Walsh (with many gadgets)

1C 1D 2N 1C is all balanced hands (no 5 card major) out of range for 1N. 1D shows 4+ hearts and 2N shows a 4 card raise with at least 17 hcp. Now north has reason to get excited.

He has options. 3D transfers to hearts and now 4H is a mild slam try (with no slam interest, we bid 4D over 2N, forcing 4H and now pass…or with a very strong hand, keycard,etc)

Personally, I’d use another gadget…3C over 2N is a relay and opener bids 3H to show a balanced minimum but not 3=4=3=3 (which bids 3N).

North has just enough (I may be being influenced by seeing both hands, but I’m trying to be objective…6=4 hands often play very well especially opposite a hand known to hold four trump and at least one ruffing value…opener is 4432 or 5422) to make one move…3S. Once north makes any move, south should drive to slam. 4 aces opposite even a mild slam try are huge, bearing in mind that opener has limited his hand.

[Cyberyeti]

6♥

1♣-1♥-3♥ start in context of weak NT, 15-bad 19 1N rebid

[DavidKok]

It never ceases to amaze me how easy hand evaluation is if you can see all 52 cards.