[S2000magic]

In second seat, partner (a good player whom I just met last night) held:

♠ A Q
♥ A Q J 8 5
♦ A
♣ Q 10 8 6 5

whilst I held my typical sort of hand:

♠ 9 7 6 5 4 3
♥ K 10 9 4
♦ K 3
♣ J

(OK. I exaggerate: that hand's a wee bit stronger than my typical holding.)

How might you bit to 6♥ and how would you play it after the lead of the ♦10?

(Note of interest: nobody else in the room - and it's a strong field - was in 6♥.)

[whereagles]

1H 4H
4NT ??

Play seems simple. Just open up the club ruff and take a spade discard on the diamond. Some chances on spades as well, but the beginning seems clear.

[Mbodell]

 whereagles, on 2011-November-13, 19:17, said:

Play seems simple. Just open up the club ruff and take a spade discard on the diamond. Some chances on spades as well, but the beginning seems clear.

Presumably a heart is returned when they win the club and now you need to win either a club trick or two spade tricks to get to 12 tricks.

[S2000magic]

 Mbodell, on 2011-November-13, 19:39, said:

Presumably a heart is returned when they win the club and now you need to win either a club trick or two spade tricks to get to 12 tricks.

The ruffing finesse in clubs is only a 50-50 chance after you give up a club. The real question is what line will maximize your chance of success against the possible distributions of the spades and trumps.

[S2000magic]

 whereagles, on 2011-November-13, 19:17, said:

1H 4H
4NT ??

The trouble, as you doubtless know, is how my partner continues when I show one key card. Does she close her eyes and bid 6♥? Ask for kings (lying about possessing all four aces)?

Does my 4♥ guaranty a singleton or void? (For me it would, and would generally have 5 trumps, not 4, though I'd probably have bid it here.)

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Look at those trump spots.
If the opps ( and you ) don't lead a trump after you lead a Club at trick 2, and you can ruff once in each hand with a low trump, then the opps' can't overruff after that during the subsequent X-ruff .
Winners are sA, dAK, and 9h.

Edit: As for an auction:
1H - 3C! ( lower Bergen )
3D - 3H
3S - 4C
4S!( kickback-RKC ) - 5C ( 1 key )
6H

This post has been edited by TWO4BRIDGE: 2011-November-13, 20:37

[S2000magic]

 TWO4BRIDGE, on 2011-November-13, 20:30, said:

Look at those trump spots.
If the opps ( and you ) don't lead a trump after you lead a Club at trick 2, and you can ruff once in each hand with a low trump, then the opps' can't overruff after that during the subsequent X-ruff .
Winners are sA, dAK, and 9h.

Unfortunately, my opponents always lead a trump after winning the club. They're nasty that way.

[whereagles]

 S2000magic, on 2011-November-13, 20:29, said:

The trouble, as you doubtless know, is how my partner continues when I show one key card. (...) Does my 4♥ guaranty a singleton or void?

If you play 1M-4M as weak, the odds are excellent that you have a club singleton/void, yes.

It's clear to most players that you shouldn't follow the LAW blindly and shoot 1M-4M with 5M332.

[karlson]

I think control asking bids are probably a good idea after partner preempts, such as this 1♥-4♥ auctions, but barring that, I agree opener should just bid slam.

I would play on spades (♠A,♥T,♦K,♠ ruff high). Seems to require only 3-2 spades or 4-1 spades and 2-2 hearts.

[Zelandakh]

1C = 15+ bal/nat or 18+ any
... - 1D = 0-8 any
1H = 18-20 any or 23+ bal
... - 1S = relay, most hands
2H = 18-20, 5+ hearts
... - 4C = splinter
4S = RKCB
... - 4N = 1 key card
6H