[Tramticket]

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Your system includes:
4♥ = To play
3♦ = Transfer to hearts - i.e. invitational or better heart support
4♦ = Splinter

Partner's overcalls are wide-ranging and can be aggressive.

Edit: Multiple Teams of 4

[wank]

splinter. it's not hard to imagine a slam. x akxxx xxxx aqx is an entirely boring hand where slam is good. change the q of c to the king and it's cold.

[ggwhiz]

I'm not fond of a direct splinter as just being too final too fast.

How about 2♠ (confirming hearts as trumps) and if we are fortunate enough to get 3♣ from partner, then jump to 4♦.

[Tramticket]

ggwhiz, on 2016-November-14, 08:41, said:

How about 2♠ (confirming hearts as trumps) and if we are fortunate enough to get 3♣ from partner, then jump to 4♦.

2♠ would be a transfer to clubs for us (weak or strong). Our equivalent bid would be 3♦.

[Phil]

Odd hand and I don't know what's right but I don't love it as much as others.

I don't want partner to feel badly about his diamond honors and I do not want to telegraph the club lead either. X AKxxx KQxx Axx is the kind of hand in slam range and on a spade or diamond out its a spread.

A hand like xx AKxxxx Axx Ax is also a hand to protect.

I'm starting with 3D.

[Kaitlyn S]

Splinter might work out well when partner has a stiff spade but if partner has a doubleton I don't know how you can avoid a spade loser. If partner likes your splinter and bids 5C, you have to guess (unless 5D shows a spade control and not a first round diamond control.)

[nige1]

Tramticket writes "Multiple Teams of 4. Your system includes:
4♥ = To play
3♦ = Transfer to hearts - i.e. invitational or better heart support
4♦ = Splinter
Partner's overcalls are wide-ranging and can be aggressive."

Vulnerability might be relevant. I rank
1. 4♥ = PRE. Attempt to play in a ♥ contract while restricting opponents' opportunities to find a minor sacrifice/game/slam. RHO is short in the majors so is likely to hold 10+ cards in the minors.
2. 4♦ = SPL. Explore slam potential.
3. 3♦ = TRF. Good raise. But releases lots of bidding-space for opponents.

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[Phil]

wank, on 2016-November-14, 07:42, said:

splinter. it's not hard to imagine a slam. x akxxx xxxx aqx is an entirely boring hand where slam is good. change the q of c to the king and it's cold.

Shouldnt he cue with that?

[1eyedjack]

If we have an 11 card fit then they have a 10 card fit, and it ain't in Spades. My guess is that it is in Diamonds, with Clubs coming a close second.

OK, so it is lower ranking than Hearts, but I would still rather do my best to deny them the light. Bidding 3D transfer rather opens the door, so I will content with 4H.It still might not die there, in which case I am pretty well placed.

[ggwhiz]

I misread the conditions the first time but will stick with going slow,3♦ in this case.

The fear of the opponents finding a minor suit sac is misguided imo and as soon as my rho passed 2♥ they have missed that boat. Why go defensive in what should be a constructive auction on offence?

[jogs]

Tramticket, on 2016-November-14, 10:28, said:

2♠ would be a transfer to clubs for us (weak or strong). Our equivalent bid would be 3♦.

There may be some minor advantage to transfers after intervenor doubles. There can't be any advantage when intervenor overcalls. This game is about the majors. There needs to be two more cards(for the partnership) in the minor than in intervenor's major for it to be clearly better to transfer into that minor. The minor requires rising the level of the auction.

I like 2♠. General cue. Intervenor can now bid a minor to show possible slam interest. 3♦ would imply a likelihood of 2 club losers.

[MrAce]

Easy 4♥

When you have such a huge fit, they will have one too and last thing you want to do is to give them the space they need or the double they need if we splinter.
Yes you may miss a slam once in a blue moon, but if you **** around when you have such a fit, you usually end up not being able to play your game at the most successful level you want to.
Unless of course you love torturing yourself and make decisions at 5 or even 6 level. If they still bid over 4♥, this gives you much better idea about their hand.

Bottom line is, forget about making slam, you will have no idea whether they make it or not when/if they bid 6♦ or ♣
Don't fool around and don't try to be genius. Just bid your hand in a way that your side will benefit most of the time.

[rmnka447]

4 ♥ also.

If they can find 5 in a minor after that jump then more power to them. But making the opponents guess what to do at a high level is normally good bridge.

There's just no way to know or find out if partner has enough for slam, so getting a good result is probably best. A couple things that have weight in not exploring for slam are:

. LHO opponent has the ♠ length, partner and RHO may be short. So those two are more likely to be ruffing and RHO gets to ruff after partner, and,

. Partner's ♠ length is unknown. If partner has a doubleton, there's no place for partner to pitch it.

[msjennifer]

PFA.4♥ Let them find out their minor fit at the five level. .if we are white against red I shall bid 5♥.

[661_Pete]

Curiously, a similar deal cropped up for me yesterday. But at least I had no bidding dilemmas.

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I was sitting East, and was rather surprised to hear P come in with spades at the three level. Anyway, once P showed their second suit, I had no ptoblems showing preference! (South's bid was a bit dubious in my books, btw). As you can see, 4♠X makes quite easily, but one can't really blame North for doubling.

[Tramticket]

Thanks, all who responded. At the table I bid 4♥ - for the reasons articulated by Nige1, Mr Ace, rmnka447 and others. On this occassion, partner was full value for her overcall:

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Although I received criticism from team-mates, it is interesting that in a competent field of 12 teams, no one bid the slam:
- 10 X 510
- 1 X 480
- 1 X 800 (5♠x)

[Phil]

Tramticket, on 2016-November-15, 06:22, said:

Thanks, all who responded. At the table I bid 4♥ - for the reasons articulated by Nige1, Mr Ace, rmnka447 and others. On this occassion, partner was full value for her overcall:

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Although I received criticism from team-mates, it is interesting that in a competent field of 12 teams, no one bid the slam:
- 10 X 510
- 1 X 480
- 1 X 800 (5♠x)

If you posted the North hand separately, I think you would get a fair amount of support for x.

[neilkaz]

For me, this is a close decision between 4♥ and 4♦ splinter.

[msjennifer]

Phil, on 2016-November-15, 07:51, said:

If you posted the North hand separately, I think you would get a fair amount of support for x.

Quite right.Personally, I would double the 1S bid.Question of bidding 2♥ will never ever will be there.With a regular partner I would have bid a Michaels 2♠ bid guaranteeing hearts and a minor.( The Ace of D is a compensatory additional value.).

[eagles123]

I voted splinter but imo 3d has to be better than a direct 4h if you're not splintering as it gives p a chance to cue with extras, and if he just bids 3h then 4h must show a mild slam try anyway.