[Cyberyeti]

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We had these hands in today's club game, how high do you want to go ? and how do you get there ?

[DavidKok]

Spoiler

1♣-1♥;
2♥ and now East has a decision to make. I have two options:
2♠ - Spiral ask.
4♣ - splinter for hearts.

With extreme shape I prefer to show rather than to ask, especially since it is likely that opener has an unbalanced hand with primary clubs based on our hand (short clubs) and auction (uninterrupted). However, while 4♣ shows the slam interest, confirms a fifth heart, and shows short clubs it also leaves some things to be desired. It does not show 5-6 for me, nor does it promise a void. I simply don't have good agreements for hands this extreme. I think I'll have to bid it anyway, so 4♣ it is. But it is interesting to figure out how a Spiral auction might fare.

Over 4♣ I think West is worth a 4♦ Last Train. The empty clubs are a good sign, and we have good heart values and a spade control. Plus, East showing short clubs means the diamond QJ rate to be worth their weight in gold (even though, as mentioned above, due to the extreme 5=6=2=0 distribution they are not as powerful here).
I can't see East stopping below small slam now, though I would try 4♠ first in the hope that we can get partner to bid Blackwood.

I am not sure I want to be in a small slam at matchpoints. It is where I would end up, but I think the chances are pretty mediocre. We have a lot of spade losers to clean up, and we can't lose a diamond in the process. Our hearts are good enough that we can afford to ruff spades higher a couple of times, but we don't have the timing. Thankfully 6♥ is played by East so a diamond start can't hurt us. On a heart lead we still need pretty good luck to get to 12 tricks though - the onside ♠A third or fourth would do it, as would the onside ace with a different length and then the onside king of diamonds, and there are squeeze chances too. Actually that ♥8 looks really powerful, I should perhaps be playing on a dummy reversal and ruff five clubs - though again I don't have the entries? I don't know what the best line is in 6♥, and for now I'm putting this on hold to see what others come up with.

[mikeh]

If feeling lucky, I want to be in 6H. If feeling unlucky, I want to be in 4H.

Slam is borderline, especially if south owns the spade ace. Now, whether south recognizes the urgency behind a trump lead would depend on the auction. East has options after a 2C response….many would bid 2S, and west will never reveal short spades.

In my preferred method, it’s plausible for east to suppress the spade suit,at least temporarily, in order to rebid 2H which, in our methods, shows a good 13+ with 6+ hearts. In standard methods, some play that 2H could be 5, some play as promising 6, but few play it as showing (mild) extras (we open 2H with 9-13), so I think 2S is best, especially if it shows some extra values, as I play in more orthodox partnerships.

In any event, whether west splinters over a 2H rebid or cooperates in slam moves after 1H 2C 2S 3H, south should be leading trump from most holdings with strong spades.

I simply can’t be objective, but my thinking is that a splinter would cause east to swing low. Btw, I think it both normal and advisable for splinters by responder, in all auctions, deny power….they suggest looking for slam if the splinter improves partner’s hand or if partner has a lot of extras. I wouldn’t splinter with, for example, x KQx Kxx AQxxxx. I’d just bid 3H, which is itself a slam try when 2H showed 6+.

So I’m waffling. Put another way…tell me where the spade ace is and I’ll tell you where I want to play. It’s not that 6H is cold when north has it or even that 6H fails every time south has it….but it’s far better in the first instance than the second….especially in a club duplicate where few norths would dream of ducking when the spade is led from dummy.

[pescetom]

Bidding it how it would probably go in our club game:


1♣ - 1♥
2♣ - 2♠
3♥ - 3♠(ctl)
4♣(ctl) - 4♦(ctl)
4♠(ctl) - 4N(even)
5♥ - P

West knows we are off a keycard and we probably have spade losers and it hangs on the position of spades Ace, this is MP.

[mw64ahw]

East has 4 modified losers and an assumed 26+ hcp so slam is on once you find a fit. Systematically I bid.
1♣ - 1♠ GI
2♣ 5+ - 2♦ 4+♥
2♥ 3♥ - 3♠ SI ♠ ctrl
4♣ ♣ ctrl + ♥ honour denies ♦ ctrl - 4♠ even KCs + ♦ ctrl
6♥

[Cyberyeti]

mikeh, on 2024-September-19, 13:25, said:

If feeling lucky, I want to be in 6H. If feeling unlucky, I want to be in 4H.

Slam is borderline, especially if south owns the spade ace. Now, whether south recognizes the urgency behind a trump lead would depend on the auction. East has options after a 2C response….many would bid 2S, and west will never reveal short spades.

In my preferred method, it’s plausible for east to suppress the spade suit,at least temporarily, in order to rebid 2H which, in our methods, shows a good 13+ with 6+ hearts. In standard methods, some play that 2H could be 5, some play as promising 6, but few play it as showing (mild) extras (we open 2H with 9-13), so I think 2S is best, especially if it shows some extra values, as I play in more orthodox partnerships.

In any event, whether west splinters over a 2H rebid or cooperates in slam moves after 1H 2C 2S 3H, south should be leading trump from most holdings with strong spades.

I simply can’t be objective, but my thinking is that a splinter would cause east to swing low. Btw, I think it both normal and advisable for splinters by responder, in all auctions, deny power….they suggest looking for slam if the splinter improves partner’s hand or if partner has a lot of extras. I wouldn’t splinter with, for example, x KQx Kxx AQxxxx. I’d just bid 3H, which is itself a slam try when 2H showed 6+.

So I’m waffling. Put another way…tell me where the spade ace is and I’ll tell you where I want to play. It’s not that 6H is cold when north has it or even that 6H fails every time south has it….but it’s far better in the first instance than the second….especially in a club duplicate where few norths would dream of ducking when the spade is led from dummy.

Dealer West in the title, it starts 1♣-1♥

[thepossum]

I want to respond 2H but can't - why not?

2H (no support for clubs) followed by splinters and cue bids - bid it as a 1 suiter but not allowed to splinter - or a two-suiter where my other suit isn't clubs
I am hoping my partner is forced to respond to 1H and didn't open extremely light

As usual am in the wrong forum

[Cyberyeti]

Our auction was fast, I reckoned the turbo needed engaging if we were going to get anywhere in this session.

1♣-1♥
2♥-5♣ (exclusion)
5♥(1)-6♥

The opening lead was a diamond which solved that problem and a spade from dummy now quickly wrapped up the slam

[pescetom]

 Cyberyeti, on 2024-September-20, 08:21, said:

The opening lead was a diamond which solved that problem and a spade from dummy now quickly wrapped up the slam

It's not hard to imagine layouts where a heart lead would set the slam, though.

[Cyberyeti]

 pescetom, on 2024-September-20, 09:28, said:

It's not hard to imagine layouts where a heart lead would set the slam, though.

Indeed, but weaker players lead trumps less often than they should, there's also the possibility that the holder of the ♠A doesn't have a second trump.

We needed to press the accelerator at that point, and did so without pinpointing the trump lead like some auctions would