[shyams]

Board 10 of yesterday's BBF daylong featured this:

---

4NT was a quantitative invite to slam. With a 3-card fit, I chose to bid 6♥ making 13 tricks.

82 other participants were also in 6♥ for an average. In contrast, 33 declared in 6NT, also making 13 tricks and a 88% on this board.

Is a jump to 6NT, instead of 6♥, by South really a merited action? I ask because after the set ended, I felt it was wimpish of me to have blindly bid 6♥. But later I thought maybe I am resulting...

Please help.

[Cyberyeti]

Wondering what a jump to 6♦ would show on the end of this auction ? Partner may now appreciate he has the nuts

[pilowsky]

How many people normally play this as Blackwood in Hearts?

[DavidKok]

pilowsky, on 2024-June-03, 01:23, said:

How many people normally play this as Blackwood in Hearts?

All beginners and maybe 1-5% of advanced players, if that

Cyberyeti, on 2024-June-03, 01:18, said:

Wondering what a jump to 6♦ would show on the end of this auction ? Partner may now appreciate he has the nuts

To me a jump to 6♦ would show 5 diamonds and a maximum, and be an offer to play. By contrast a new suit at the 5-level would be a four card suit and an a maximum (and therefore forcing). 5♥ would be a weird bid - it sets hearts and is forcing (to slam), but a grand should not be in the picture on this start. I also don't know what 5♠ would be - by my rules it would be 4=3=3=3 maximum, but will partner interpret this as a choice of slams between hearts and notrump? Partner denied four spades so what's the point?

I would not find 7, though hopefully I would find 6NT. Or maybe I might have a slight chance - I play 14-16 NT, and the South hand is way too good for that, so I'd show 17-19 and now we might have a shot at the grand. But with a 15-17 NT I don't think you get there easily with standard methods.

Also notice how the double jump in standard Stayman/Jacoby auctions has robbed the partnership of the ability to investigate fit (both primary and secondary) as well as strength.

[Cyberyeti]

We would bid (and I rate the south hand as at least 17) 1♦-1♥-1N(15-bad 19)-2♣(asking)-3♦(5♦ 17-19)-3♥(5+♥)-4♥-4♠(KB)-4N(0/3)-5♣(Q♥?)-6♦(Q♦Q♥, no K, 5♦ would be the K)-7N(5+5+2+1)

[pilowsky]

DavidKok, on 2024-June-03, 01:38, said:

All beginners and maybe 1-5% of advanced players, if that

So that makes 52.37% of intermediates as well

[shyams]

I suppose many of you are aware of this and I apologise for not explicitly stating so in the OP.

The BBF daylong is played with Robots as partner & both opponents. So there isn't much flexibility as far as what North can/will bid.

I like Cyberyeti's point about South hand being worth 17 HCP. However, it makes no difference to the given bidding as the Robots play 1NT as 15-17.

[Cyberyeti]

shyams, on 2024-June-03, 04:55, said:

I suppose many of you are aware of this and I apologise for not explicitly stating so in the OP.

The BBF daylong is played with Robots as partner & both opponents. So there isn't much flexibility as far as what North can/will bid.

I like Cyberyeti's point about South hand being worth 17 HCP. However, it makes no difference to the given bidding as the Robots play 1NT as 15-17.

K&R gives 17.65, my thought was "more than decent 17" so maybe you should upgrade out of 1N

[shyams]

Cyberyeti, on 2024-June-03, 07:32, said:

K&R gives 17.65, my thought was "more than decent 17" so maybe you should upgrade out of 1N

If I do, I am guessing the bidding would reach 6NT with minimal work by South.

1D-1H;
2NT-6NT;
end

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

after showing a heart suit, responder invites slam, I show the fit.
The only question is, if responder should show the suit or just invite.

As it is, there is a spade weakness, KJ doubleton is huge, ... next board.

But I rarely do extremly well in thos competitions, someone said you need to
bid a bit antifield. BBF is most likely a stronger field than the standard daylong.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[AL78]

DavidKok, on 2024-June-03, 01:38, said:

All beginners and maybe 1-5% of advanced players, if that

Why should that sequence not be used as RKCB for hearts?

[DavidKok]

AL78, on 2024-June-03, 09:09, said:

Why should that sequence not be used as RKCB for hearts?

If you want to set hearts and then ask for Key Cards, Roman or not, a lot of pairs can start with some flavour of Texas transfer. Meanwhile, the strong 5M332 hands have nowhere to go - not enough length to set the major, no second suit or six card suit to rebid, too much values for signing off with 1NT-2red; 2red+1 - 3NT.
Now both approaches to slam bidding are honestly awful, jumping from 2♥ to 4NT just to show slam interest is lousy either way. But that's for another time - between quant and RKC, I think it should be quant.

[Cyberyeti]

DavidKok, on 2024-June-03, 09:38, said:

If you want to set hearts and then ask for Key Cards, Roman or not, a lot of pairs can start with some flavour of Texas transfer. Meanwhile, the strong 5M332 hands have nowhere to go - not enough length to set the major, no second suit or six card suit to rebid, too much values for signing off with 1NT-2red; 2red+1 - 3NT.
Now both approaches to slam bidding are honestly awful, jumping from 2♥ to 4NT just to show slam interest is lousy either way. But that's for another time - between quant and RKC, I think it should be quant.

I would recommend using 4♠ as kickback even if you play it in no other circumstances over 1N-2♣/♦-2♥.

[nullve]

Spoiler

---

nullve(S)-nullve(N):

1♣(1)-1♦(2)
1N(3)-2♦(4)
2♥(5)-2♠(6)
3♣(7)-3♦(8)
3♥(9)-4♦(10)
5♣(11)-5♦(12)
5♥(13)-5N(14)
6♣(15)-6♦(16)
6♠(17)-7N(18)
P

(1) "10+, NATish unBAL" OR "11-13/17-19/23+ BAL"
(2) "0+, (3)4+ H"
(3) a) "10-12", 6+C2-H3-S b) 13-15, 22(54) c) "16-18", 5+C2-H3-S, unBAL d) "17-19 BAL", 2-3 H
(4) GF relay
(5) d)
(6) strong relay
(7) 3343, 3244 or 5 D
(8) relay
(9) 5D(332)
(10) 5+ H, slammish
(11) 3 H, odd # of key cards, trump Q, no ♦K
(12) 3352 ask
(13) not 3352 (so 2353)
(14) ♠K ask
(15) no ♠K
(16) ♦Q ask
(17) ♦Q, no ♣Q
(18) contract

[mw64ahw]

Not for the robots, but this approach set trumps and starts the slam try at the 3-level.

45xx goes through 2♦ GI+
54xx & 55xx go through 2♣ GI+

1N-2♦
2♥-2♠ range ask? 2/3N would be 4♠
3♣ GF-3♦ SI ♦ stopper
3♥ sets trumps-3♠ even KCs
4♠ all KCs & Q♥-5♣ K♣
5♦ Q♦-7N