[pescetom]

MP

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How would this go with your usual agreements, NS silent?

[WasWinM]

My normal partnership died almost 20 years ago and at the time we didn’t open 11 point hands often.
Our auction
p-p-p-1S
p-2H-p-3S
p-4C-p-4D-
p-5D-p-6S
p-p-p

[Cyberyeti]

1♥-2♠ (GF will treat as one suited, either single suited or fit)
3♦ (nat, at least xx or stiff Q♠)-3♠ (single suited type)
4♣-4N
5♦-6♠

Not perfect

[mike777]

1H-1S
1NT-3S!, slamming
4C-4D
4S-then RKC to 6S

[smerriman]

Same as Cyberyeti.

[mw64ahw]

Playing a version of KI5
1♥ - 1♠ forcing
1N BD or ♦ - 2♣ <which?> taking a slow approach - ultimately slamish.
2♦ x54x - 2N GF UB 6♠ (3♠ is also an option with a self-sustaining suit])
3♠ 2♠ - 4♣ ctrl & 2+♠ honours (3♣ would ask for a 4-card minor/shortage, e.g. opener could be 0544)
4♦ ctrl denies ♥ ctrl - 5♠ odd KCs, AKQ♠,♥ ctrl
6♠
A slower auction as East initially thinks the grand may be on.

Do we gat a ♣ lead?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I will give it a try

1H - 1S
2D (1) - 3C (2)
3D (2) - 3S (3)
4C (4) - 4NT (5)
5D (5) - 6S

(1) playing 5 card major and a weak NT system
(2) FSF, default
(3) setting trumps, showing SI
(4) Cue, honor based, denying add. values, obv W knowes, it happens to be the Ace
(5) RKCB, 1KC

With regards to play, I would try ruffing a club, cashing one round of trumps,
... without a diamond attack

There may be better lines.

with kind regards
Marlowe

[P_Marlowe]

<snip>

[DavidKok]

It's difficult to be objective having seen both hands. The other posters have shared a number of uncommon treatments, including strong jump shifts, Kaplan Inversion and bidding NT with a two-suited hand.

I think I would start 1♥-1♠; 2♦. At this point East has two options: 3♠, a slam try setting spades as trumps, or 3♣ 4SGF. Over 3♣ I think West should not bid 3♦ (showing 5-5) but 3♠ (showing a doubleton) - but notice how high the auction already is if East has, say, ♠AKxxx, ♥Kxx, ♦Ax, ♣Kxx! These 1♥-1♠ starts are often a weak point of bidding systems. Since the spades are self-sufficient I think bidding 3♠ might be the better choice, and now West actually has a really nice hand on the auction - unexpected trump support, an outside ace, and the lack of wasted values in hearts might actually be good here (though of course having better hearts, keeping all else equal, is even better).

So:

1♥-1♠;
2♦-3♠;
3NT-4♣; (3NT is Nonserious NT - even though I said the hand is nice here I think showing the HCP minimum is important. If you play a version of Gazzilli, so that 2♦ is limited to approximately 11-15, there is an argument for bypassing 3NT here).
4♦-4NT; (RKC 1430)
5♣-6♠;
p.

[shyams]

A partner from many years ago and I would very likely reach 6♠ with these hands using nearly the same sequence as provided by Cyberyeti.

We used to play Strong Jump shifts so 2♠ is normal in reply to West's 1♥ opening. For us, West's 3♦ is natural although perhaps West might bid 2NT to show a minimum hand and <3 card fit in spades.

My key issue/worry is that if West passes (unlikely but not impossible) then we are not getting to slam; 4♠ would end it for us.

[P_Marlowe]

DavidKok, on 2025-August-20, 02:33, said:

<snip>
3♣ 4SGF. Over 3♣ I think West should not bid 3♦ (showing 5-5) but 3♠ (showing a doubleton)
<snip>

FSF is tricky, ..., there are so many flavors.
3D as 55 is one of those variants, in this case 3H being the default, but I would have always assumed,
that 3S showes 3 card support.

[DavidKok]

With 3=5=4=1 on the start 1♥-1♠ I raise the spades if I'm in the range for a simple raise. This particular 4SGF auction is awkward, but on e.g. 1♥-1♠; 2♣-2♦ or 1♦-1♠; 2♣-2♥ it is very nice to have 2♠ as a doubleton and higher bids showing a spade shortage.
Additionally, the 3♣ bid here shows at least 5 spades or 4=1=4=4 for me. That makes it safe for opener with 3=5=4=1 and a strong hand to bid 3♠ and then bid spades again. This way the 3♠ bid need only promise a doubleton.

I want to be able to show all of

• A fifth diamond.
  
• A sixth heart.
  
• Spade support or tolerance.
  
• A club stopper for 3NT.

I believe that raising the spades on 3-card support earlier is good. This way I get the spade bid as a punt, and can then show all the other features with fewer compromises.

[Cyberyeti]

DavidKok, on 2025-August-20, 02:33, said:

It's difficult to be objective having seen both hands. The other posters have shared a number of uncommon treatments, including strong jump shifts ...

Only unusual in short club strong no trump land, where the club shows 4 and weak NT is common, most play SJS

[pescetom]

Thanks all for the reasonable replies. What puzzled me was that only just over a third of all tables played 6♠ and I was wondering if there was some glitch in standard methods and/or opening West (which my partner did not) that made things less straightforward than they were for me.
Had West opened (and I would have done so) then we would bid much like Davidkok suggests.
As it was, I got to open in East and decided that all I was really interested in was controls, so I bid 2♣-2♦;3♠, imposing spades and requesting control bidding. That made it plain sailing here, although on reflection it might be better to open 1♠ as we might have struggled to bid a grand if partner turns up with (say) ♥A and long clubs.

[mw64ahw]

pescetom, on 2025-August-20, 06:47, said:

Thanks all for the reasonable replies. What puzzled me was that only just over a third of all tables played 6♠ and I was wondering if there was some glitch in standard methods and/or opening West (which my partner did not) that made things less straightforward than they were for me.
Had West opened (and I would have done so) then we would bid much like Davidkok suggests.
As it was, I got to open in East and decided that all I was really interested in was controls, so I bid 2♣-2♦;3♠, imposing spades and requesting control bidding. That made it plain sailing here, although on reflection it might be better to open 1♠ as we might have struggled to bid a grand if partner turns up with (say) ♥A and long clubs.

Partner didn't want to bid 2♥ over 2♣ or are you playing 'birthright'?
13 total points (Goren style) & 2 quick tricks has historically been taught as an opener.

[pescetom]

Anyway, the play is the thing (as poor bidders like to console themselves).

South leads ♥A, then a small trump. Does anyone have a more ambitious plan than P_Marlowe?

[pescetom]

mw64ahw, on 2025-August-20, 07:00, said:

Partner didn't want to bid 2♥ over 2♣ or are you playing 'birthright'?

We are playing a simplified Birthright, not that it influences partner's choice here, see following. With this partner I actually play 2♥ as a Red Flag and 2♠ as any strong suit (neither is true here). But even if we were playing traditional semi-natural suit responses, West's hearts are not good enough for my liking. And we don't play any response as showing generic strength (2NT is both minors). So it is a clear 2♦ in any partnership of mine.

[mw64ahw]

pescetom, on 2025-August-20, 07:00, said:

Anyway, the play is the thing (as poor bidders like to console themselves).

South leads ♥A, then a small trump. Does anyone have a more ambitious plan than P_Marlowe?

Play off a few winners watching for the minor suit discards looking for the 4th ♦ trick

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2025-August-20, 07:00, said:

Anyway, the play is the thing (as poor bidders like to console themselves).

South leads ♥A, then a small trump. Does anyone have a more ambitious plan than P_Marlowe?

Relying on the club ruff to stand up relies on clubs 4-3 or Q/Qx which would appear to be about a 2/3 chance, ruffing a heart high before ruffing the club adds AK stiff to this.

Can you do better ?

Draw trumps, club to the ace, ruff a heart (high if they're not 5-0), rumble the trumps. Now the odds depend on the auction, if we get this defence after W opened 1♥, S almost certainly has the K to back it up, and now the squeeze WILL operate, if S doesn't have it it's less clear. You need to rely on a minor suit squeeze against S or a heart/club squeeze against N, so the right line of play MIGHT depend on the auction, what do you think the probability of the lead of an unsupported ace is ?

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2025-August-20, 08:11, said:

so the right line of play MIGHT depend on the auction, what do you think the probability of the lead of an unsupported ace is ?

Fair point. Let's assume our actual auction - Declarer made noise about a strong hand and imposed spades as trumps, Dummy showed control of clubs, Declarer showed control of diamonds, Dummy denied control of hearts or dual control of clubs and showed control of diamonds plus an odd number of keycards, Declarer jumped to the small slam.

I don't know much about their lead style, but a very experienced regular pair. The only question they asked about the auction was the meaning of 3♠.