[kgr]

Updating our system and discussing with my partner (5-card Majors):
1♠-(3♥)-??

Partner's suggestion:
1♠-(3♥)-??
- DBL: negative, (normally no can be with 3c♠ and a good hand. Bids 4♠ next
- 3S: competitive
- 4m: natural, forcing
- 4H: Slam interest, Not 1st/2nd control H
- 4S: to play (but not weak?)
- 4NT: RKC
- 5m: to play
- 5H: Slam interest, with 1st or 2nd control H
- 5S: Slam interest, with 1st or 2nd control H but 4 small ♠

My suggestion:
1♠-(3♥)-??
- DBL: negative, normally no ♠-support, but can be with 3c♠ and a good balanced hand
- 3S: competitive
- 4m: natural, forcing (or better control with S-fit and bid 5m to play in minor?)
- 4H: ♠-fit, slight slam interest
- 4S: to play (but not weak)
- 4NT: ♠-fit, RKC
- 5m: to play
- 5H: ???
- 5S: ???
We don't have really any agreements for bids like 5H and 5S.

Didn't feel comfortable about best meaning for 4m, 5H, 5S, 4NT (?), ...
...Your suggestion? :

[Fluffy]

I think the normal thing to play is 4m natural, 4♥ strong spade raise but not neccesarilly slammish, 4♠ gambling, 4NT RKCB, 5m to play, 5♥ exclusion, 5♠ lack of heart control. Perhaps not perfect but easy to remember IMO

[kgr]

Thanks for the reply.

Fluffy, on 2012-September-19, 03:54, said:

I think the normal thing to play is 4m natural, 4♥ strong spade raise but not necessarily slammish, 4♠ gambling,

Where is the line between 4♥ & 4♠, and when can opener try for slam?

Fluffy, on 2012-September-19, 03:54, said:

4NT RKCB, 5m to play, 5♥ exclusion, 5♠ lack of heart control. Perhaps not perfect but easy to remember IMO

Is that standard usage for 5♠? Is it the same for e.g.:
(4♥)-4♠-(Pass)-5♠
(3♥)-3♠-(Pass)-5♠
(2♥)-2♠-(Pass)-5♠

[Quantumcat]

kgr, on 2012-September-19, 09:04, said:

Thanks for the reply.Where is the line between 4♥ & 4♠, and when can opener try for slam?

General rule is when there is interference you are allowed to bid one higher than you would have without it. So a single raise becomes a raise at the 3-level (1♠ 2♠----->1♠ 3♥ 3♠), and an invitational hand just bids game (1♠ 3♠------>1♠ 3♥ 4♠).
4♥ is for when you would have gameforced anyway. It may be important for pard to know this.
When you are pre-empted, you generally find a sensible spot and play there. The more heavily you get pre-empted, the more you lean to the side of caution and don't bother looking for slam. This is cause pard has many less options about what to bid, and can make a certain bid with a large variety of hands, so you never quite know what you're going to get in dummy. So when you look for slam, you're going to be way more solid than if you hadn't got pre-empted. For instance, a balancedish 16 would have investigated slam after a gameforce by partner, but after 1♠ 3♥ 4♥ it would just bid game and be grateful it has extras. Sometimes you miss out on slam because you both have a few extras but neither of you had lots. That's life, that's why people pre-empt. Way better to occasionally miss out on those slams than to be minus one in 5♠ on a regular basis.
So anyway, the sorts of hands that would be investigating slam after the 4♥ bid will be fairly sure of making five even opposite a weird random hand from partner: either be quite solid on HCP or with lots of controls possibly with a nice side suit. With the nice amount of HCP you might blackwood (knowing there are no holes {i.e queens and kings in your suits} that the opponents can get three tricks with if you are missing two aces), and with the large amount of controls/side suit you might show a control, then if pard has the one you said you didn't have, he will jump to slam.

[P_Marlowe]

The alternative is, to play X as the inv. raise.

It could be, that this is, what you meant, when you wrote

<quote>
DBL: negative, (normally no can be with 3c♠ and a good hand. Bids 4♠ next
<\quote>

I would define the neg. X to show fit or explicit deny fit.

This may imply, that opener should strain to reopen, if it goess pass / pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe