[sceptic]

We had agreed SAYC standard carding and that was about all

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South

 -     -     1♦    Pass
 1♥    1♠    Pass  Pass
 3♥    Pass  4♣    Pass
 5♣    Dbl   5♥    Pass
 Pass  Pass  


Slam 1

I bid 4 clubs to show a control (expert pard on profile, he seemed a lot better than me and was tolerant of all my many mistakes) what I want to know is did my 4!C show mild slam try, good slam try or as I intended just not giving up on looking at the possibility of a slam

Then I would like your opinions on my pards 5 club bid, did I lead him on or should he have bid 4Diamonds possibly or just shut us out at the 4 level

Also I would like to know does his 3 heart bid make hearts trumps and was I right to assume that?

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South

 -     Pass  1♥    Pass
 1♠    Pass  4♣    Pass
 4♦    Pass  4NT   Pass
 5♣    Pass  6♠    Pass
 Pass  Pass  


Opinions on my splinter bid here and also continuations, I am interested in my pards bids here also as he cue bid diamonds, I thought 4NT was a better option than bidding 4 spades (and I would like your opinions on that also please and my option of just signing off in 4 hearts)

[jvage]

1. Here I agree with your bidding, since you did not bid 2♣ over 1♠ 4♣ can not be natural (maybe 3♠ was an alternative?). Partner should have bid 4♦ (or maybe 4♥ directly if cuebidding singelton in partners suit is not allowed) and then passed your 4♥ rebid. It is reasonable to get to the 5 level, and as it is 5♥ is far from hopeless. Even with both minor-suit aces wrong it is still makeable if opponents don't lead trumps early.

2. Here I strongly disagree with your bidding! 4♣ was a good bid, but then you have shown your hand (some may even say it was a stretch). I would have rebid 4♥ over partners 4♦ and leave the rest to partner (who may actually decide to bid on with his actual hand). If you bid 4NT (an overbid IMO) you should if possible continue with 5♦ over partners 5♣ (I assume showing 1 of 5 Key-Cards, inverted RKCB). This asks for the trump queen, when partner denies this (normally by 5♠) you should pass.

If you didn't have this last option 4NT was an even bigger overbid, since you will be no wiser if partners shows 1 ace.

John

[whereagles]

My opinions:

Hand 1. If I'm not mistaken, in sayc 1m-1M-x-3M is game forcing, though it doesn't necessarily sets trumps. Your bidding should show a hand close to that, but you haven't got enough hcp to do it. I would just double 1♠ and hear what pard has to say. He'd probably rebid 2♥, after which you can now try 3 or 4♥. Slam is never in the pic because pard passed 1♠ - that must show a min.

Hand 2. It is a modern tendency to stretch and splinter on medium opener hands (15-17 range), thus making the splinter a 15-20 hcp bid. I don't I fully agree with that because it leaves responder a bit in the dark as to how high the partnership can go. A splinter should, I think, show a max hand, like 18-20. With 15-17 just jump-support. You'll end up in game most of the time anyway. In the present auction, there seemed to be a bit of a mix-up as to who's in charge. Responder bid 4♦, possibly thinking you had a max 18-20, in which case he's definitely worth a cue. You might have thought "He bid 4♦, so he's interested in slam. Let's keycard". You can reason like that but only if you know responder thinks you might have 15-17. Now, since you don't know what pard thought of your splinter, a 4♠ bid would be better after 4♦ (definitely shows a min), or perhaps 4♥ if you're weary 4♠ might deny heart control.

[inquiry]

Hand 1. It is save to assume that in this partnership 3♥ did not set trumps, because your partners 5♣ bid was clearly a raise. There is also the issue of rather 3♥ should set trumps, or just show GF hand with good hearts (that is, 3NT is still in the picture). In other system, 3♥ may not even be forcing, but rather invitational, since 2♠ cue-bid is available and can be used for game force hand where you want to set the trump suit as hearts (you can then just insist on hearts).

I think the problem here was your immediate lack of a raise to 2♥. With your hand I would have bid 2♥ over 1♠ (unless playing support doubles, in which case I would have doubled 1♠.

Hand 2. Four clubs is a fine bid, the auction however should have died a natural death in 4♠... 1H-1S-4C-4D-4H-4S-Pass

4D = cue
4H = cue
4S = nothing more to say
Pass = I am on lower end of my 4C bid.

[SoTired]

#1: If not playing support dbls, you must raise hearts. Especially after the 1S overcall. It is a good principle opener to raise responder's major with 3 when holding a singleton. With the 1S overcall taking spades out of the picture, a 3-card raise solves your problems. In the original auction, 3S is far superior to 4C. First, it is an unambiguous heart raise. Second, if 4C is a "control" then it denies a spade control because you could have bid the cheaper 3S.

#2: 1) You are lite for the splinter, but not unreasonable. 2) Responder rightly bid 4D, because even removing the CK, responder has a very respectable 1S response with the SA and DK. 3) I do not have a problem with 4N once responder cooperates with 4D, since you have 1st or 2nd in all side suits and your hearts should provide a good source of tricks. 4) You must ask for the trump-Q once you know you are off a key card. Don't bid slam off a keycard and the trump-Q, especially when you know the keycard is not the trump-K. You lost one of the great advantages of RKC by not asking about the trump-Q. 5) You got terribly unlucky with the bad trump split and responder having 3 small hearts.

[kgr]

About previous replies:
- Is RKC part of SAYC?
- Is 3H of 1st hand in SAYC GF or only invitational?
- Not sure that 4C on 1st hand is control and set Hearts. Maybe it should because you passed previously and without Heart fit it seems more logical to try for 3NT (3S without stop).

[jillybean]

kgr, on Sep 1 2006, 07:09 AM, said:

About previous replies:
- Is RKC part of SAYC?
- Is 3H of 1st hand in SAYC GF or only invitational?
- Not sure that 4C on 1st hand is control and set Hearts. Maybe it should because you passed previously and without Heart fit it seems more logical to try for 3NT (3S without stop).

strictly speaking..

1. No
2 Invitational
3 I dont think 4♣ sets ♥ here

jb

[whereagles]

Hand 1: sorry, I thought you were the one who bid 3♥. Being opener, after 1♠ I don't think you HAVE to show support, especially if you're not playing supp doubles nor have agreed to raise on 3 cards. Pass seems perfectly ok, given the circumstances. Now, 4♣ the next round was slightly dangerous, and that became obvious because pard thought it was natural (hence his 5♣ raise). Better just bid 4♥. It's no lie anyway: a min hand with support.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

1) I dont like the pass after the 1S overcall,
if you dont play suppX, a raise seems clear cut,
maybe even if you are playing suppX
3H does not set the trump suit, 3NT is still to play
and you may still bid 4D
4C is a control bid, you would have bid 2C with a real
club suit, 5C is unclear
2) 4C is fine, 4D is a cue but ..., he has a min. hand,
since the King of Clubs is waste paper, i.e. he should
sign off.
Over 4D, 4NT is the best bid, partner shows the King
and a hand better than min, and thats exactly what you
did want to hear.

With kind regards
Marlowe