[Fluffy]

♠AK3
♥KJ7642
♦A54
♣Q


nobody vul, IMPs you deal

1♣!-1♥!
1♠!-2♣!
2♦!-2♥!
2♠!-2NT
3♣!-3♦! (at this point partner has 5♠3♥3♦2♣ 12+ HCP)
3♥!-4♦! (2 keycards in spades with ♠Q)

4♦ is doubled and partner denies ♦K redoubling.

Now it is easy to ask about any keycard you want (including ♠J), but the order must be first ♦Q, then ♥Q then ♣K then ♠J. Each card will consume a half a level aproximatelly (So 1 qesiton puts you in 5, and 2 questions puts you in at least 6 except ♦Q asking and ♥Q asking when both negative)

4♥ = ♦Q or ♦QJ ask
4♠ = sing off
4NT = ♥K ask (forced 5♣)->5♦ will ask for ♥Q
5♣= ♣K ask
5♦= ♠J ask


As you can imagine partner will deny ♥Q later, or else this wouldn´t be posted, but ain´t it better to just blast 7♥ and maybe get a trump lead?


SORRY, I meant to post this in non-natural system, my mistake.

[FrancesHinden]

So partner is 5332 with the SQ, HA, CA, not the DK and 12+ HCP.
...and the question is, do we (i) bid 7H and hope for the best or start asking for cards?

I'm not sure I completely follow what order I can ask for things in...

There seem to be three problems with the 'blast and hope they lead trumps approach'
(i) partner might not have the H10 (or even the H9), which lowers the odds of you making
(ii) opposite Qxxxx Axx Qxx Ax you need not only the hearts to come in, but a 13th trick. I agree you are quite likely to find it (e.g. partner having the DJ) , but it reduces the odds in favour of grand.
(iii) if RHO has the KQ of diamonds, he's he's probably going to lead one anyway and given that (I assume) he doesn't know for certain that you are going to be playing in spades he's quite likely to have both of them for the double.

It also depends on your opponents. Some have learnt not to lead a low doubleton trump on this auction.

anyway, one approach is to ask for the Q of diamonds. If partner doesn't have it, only bid grand opposite the HQ. If he does, jump to 7H. This is trying to manage problem (iii).

[Fluffy]

When you ask for ♦Q partner has 3 answeres: NO, ♦Q, ♦QJ, so you will know if ♦J is there, in retrspect I think I should have asked, since ♦Q is the card that makes 6 a playable spot (otherwise we are in a 5-7 or maybe 4-7 hand unless spades dont produce 5 tricks)

A problem in this hand is, if he doesn´t hold either ♦Q or ♥Q we are already at the unsafe 5 level (and we might just as well blast 7 for the sake of it)

[FrancesHinden]

It's not going to be a pure 4 or 7 (or 5 or 7) hand, because
- partner might have the DJ (and can duck the opening DK lead) or the J10 even without the DQ
- if partner has neither the DQ nor the HQ he is very likely to have the CK opposite which 5 is safe
- I want to be in 6 opposite Qxxxx A10x Jxx AJ. That just needs hearts to come in (assuming a diamond lead); on a club lead it needs hearts to come in + if there is singleton queen, spades 3-2 or short-with-short. And partner might have the SJ.

If partner has neither red queen I think 6 is still going to be a better contract than 5 or 7. I'm not sure if the odds are such that you should bid 7 anyway.

[Fluffy]

As I am getting this kind of problems more and more I should start learning some extra break calculations, like how often you make 5 tricks with AKx opposite Qxxxx when partner might hold either Jack or Ten, I think the odds are around 85% (better than AKxx opposite Qxxx for having 1 extra card room for Jack or 10).


On this concrete problem I had one extra info, opponents had been very agressive against 1♣ openings that day, with 10 clubs around it was surprising that no overcall was made, and I suposed they were all balanced. I was right, pitched ♥Q10 behind quickly in 7♠. But I was not conveinced because I made too many questions on the process, one of them bringing to the 6 level at least.

[FrancesHinden]

7♠? You know it can't be right to play in spades, hearts must be superior. Or was that a typo?

[Fluffy]

Because I suck I guess, and so worried about ♥Q didn´t think of ♠J hard enough. There is an advantaage in playing by me who has drawn inferences on opponent´s silence, but partner who has been a puppet on the bidding might not have been as awaken as me. But that is a bit egocentric.