[kcostell]

This hand came up in a Daylong yesterday:

♠A9
♥AJ984
♦-
♣KJT732

Partner opened 1NT in first seat, and it became a question of how to show your suits in the bidding. I chose 2NT (transfer to clubs) then 4H , which was precise in terms of distribution but a serious underbid in terms of strength. I paid the price when partner passed 4H and slam was cold. Is there a better way to get input from partner as to strain while keeping slam options open?

[DavidKok]

Transfer to hearts then bid clubs (game forcing), and if partner doesn't correct to hearts bid the clubs again. This shows a 5-5 rather than a 5-6, but with a balanced hand with 2 hearts partner will have club support. We may end up in the 5-3 heart fit with a better club fit available though, but I don't think the transfer to the minor can handle hands with this extreme distribution, so I'll settle for the other (lower) route.

[apollo1201]

The transfer to m then bid M is indeed limited to game strength only: 4H is NF, and having eaten so much space, slam investigation is hard after such a start.

As you said, it is an underbid for your slam invitational hand. So too bad for the 6m5M convention, we need to find sth else, sth more progressive, sth that might get us learn interesting things.

Like David, I d bid 3C (54 for some; 55 for others who use 2NT after M transfer as artificial GF), and bid C again if partner bids 3NT. Or start controls is partner confirms H fit. True, I ll sell my hand like 55, but will learn more and involve more partner in the decision. It will become obvious for partner what we re up to. But if he refuses slam after that, I ll respect.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

First of all you need to agree, that showing the 2-suiter showes an unbal. hand.

Transfering to hearts and bidding 3NT showes a (semi) bal. hand, bidding clubs is either
choice of game (expressing doubt that 3NT is right), the 2nd suit could be 4 cards,
with a 5431 distribution, or slam interest.

Also a sensibel agreement, I dont play, but quite common, after a xfer to hearts and bidding clubs,
bidding 3♥ showes the club fit, all other suit bids show the heart fit and a control.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mw64ahw]

Over a Major suit transfer how about responder taking captaincy and playing
3♣ 5M generic slam try
.. 3♦ BD/24oM(52)
.... 3♥ 5-card minor?
...... 3♠ ♣s
...... 3N ♦s
...... 4♣ no 5m
........ 4♦ sets ♣s Kickback
........ 4♥+ sets ♦s Kickbo

.. 3♥ 2M(32)6♣
.... 3♠ 3♦? with 5♦
...... 3N 2M3oM26
.. 3♠ 2M3oM62
.. 3N 2263
or
.. 3♥ equal length minors
.. 3♠ longer ♣s
.. 3N longer ♦s

.. 4♣ 3M
.. 4♦ 4M
.. 4♥ 5M

[pescetom]

Another sensible agreement (but that obviously needs detailed discussion) is to bid the secondary suit in transfer (1N 2♦;2N here).
This allows you to assign various meanings to simple completion of transfer, to disambiguate control-bids in the primary suit without undue acrobatics and to make the sequence initially invitational if you so wish.

[mw64ahw]

pescetom, on 2024-March-11, 16:11, said:

Another sensible agreement (but that obviously needs detailed discussion) is to bid the secondary suit in transfer (1N 2♦;2N here).
This allows you to assign various meanings to simple completion of transfer, to disambiguate control-bids in the primary suit without undue acrobatics and to make the sequence initially invitational if you so wish.

You could also play 2M as 4♠ GI and 2♠ as a range ask. This may help with the marginal slams.