[han]

Trying for slam didn't occur to me. Yes we may have slam, and indeed, we might play 4H cold for slam, but it doesn't pay to get higher than 4H on a hand where you might go for 800 in 4H doubled.

Give me Ax AKQxxx x AQxx and then I might start thinking about double. But even then partner needs at least both black kings plus a few hearts for slam to be good. Give him the perfectly fitting Kxxx xx xxx Kxxx and I think we'd prefer not to be in slam. You need hearts to split 3-2, which is a lot less likely now that RHO has 7+ diamonds. You also need RHO not to have an 8-card diamond suit otherwise you'd be immediately down on a trump promotion. And if you get all that, you still need either clubs 3-2 (which has become less likely even now that RHO needed to hold 2+ hearts) or a black suited squeeze.

So to summarize, we'll be bidding 4H on hands that are quite a bit weaker as well as hands that are quite a bit stronger. The price we pay is that we occasionally go for a number or miss a good slam.

[MrAce]

Tataie, on 2011-July-11, 09:09, said:

X.
If they are to bid 5♦ they will do it even if you x or bid 4♥.
The danger is to lose a slam since 4♥ is to be bid with hands not always strong but with a good quality ♥ suit.
You only need ♣Axxxx to have a chance in 6.With AQxxx♣ in front the slam gets almost cold.
If you bid 4♥ your pd will never know when you do it on this hand or with
♠xx ♥AQJxxxxx ♦x ♣xx. Beside that you conserve the chance to play 3ntx when his pd has a hand with who might stay in x.
X for me.

If they sit on 3 NT DBL, they are probably making it.