[manudude03]

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Spot cards are approximate. Do you make a slam try here? A direct 2S from partner would have been weak (around 5-8).

Also, partner is not with the current bidding theory and is likely to take 5S as a slam try without trump control rather than asking for club control.

[ArtK78]

I can't imagine why 5♠ would be asking for a club control - he bid clubs.

Having said that, I would not make a slam try. Too few working cards. If pard can't do more than bid 4♠, then 4♠ is likely to be the limit (and I would not be shocked if it didn't make if breaks are the least bit unfavorable).

[mike777]

pass pard could have bid 3s with extras.

[aguahombre]

mike777, on 2012-August-16, 17:03, said:

pass pard could have bid 3s with extras.

Yes. Bouncing around with 4S suggests pard has heard all he needs to hear about your hand. Perhaps if you had rebid something other than 3D, he would still be torturing you. But, this auction is over.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

ArtK78, on 2012-August-16, 16:54, said:

I can't imagine why 5♠ would be asking for a club control - he bid clubs.

His bid of 3C! was artificial 4th Suit GF ....

[stevenagy]

Pass. In most of my partnerships we have a simple rule. When one jumps to game in a GF contract, they are showing a minimum if they haven't yet been able to limit themselves. Here, West bid us into a fsf contract and has a minimum to do that (were it my partners), so they have 6+ in spades, 12-14 points. If I had a stellar fit, or a K more than I have, I'd consider exploring a small, but I'm gonna trust the rule, and my partner, here.

[lalldonn]

5♠ asking for a club control is moot here. Partner could never have a hand that wants to bid that off both red aces.

Partner must think slam is at least possible since he didn't bid 4♠ over 2♦ (or over 1♥ for that matter). However I don't think partner is supposed to have totally solid spades plus a club honor here, so I expected two black suit losers. If my honors were more spread out to make Q Axxxx AQxxx Kx then I would be expecting to cover more of his holes and I would bid keycard.

[Phil]

Tough sequence for sure, but I'm not inclined to try to ferret out 4♠ after 2♦, 3♠ + 4♠ after 3♦ or the actual, since I think there are better methods available.

I suppose this gets down to a partnership's meta-rules. The main question that should be asked is, "does 4♠ show a better suit than 3♠, or did the 3♦ call damper enthusiasm?"

[SteveMoe]

I think I am reading responder's bids slightly differently.

3♣ is natural, showing extras.
4♠ is picture - denying controls in the red suits but extra length or strength in ♠.

I suspect partnerholds something like AKJxxx(x)-a-b-AKxx. If so the question comes down to whether we can hold trumps to one loser. That seems to be a touch more than 42% (1/2 of 84% plus the stiff trump queen on side). Marshall Miles used to say that bid any slam that is at worst on a finesse. This one is worse than that.

If partner has a black 4-loser, shame on him or her for not opening 2♣. Partner should not be, say, AKQxxx xx x AKxx.<-- Not relevant.
With a black 6=5 or 7=5, I would expect partner to rebid 4♣ over 3♦, not 4♠.

So I pass, but it is close.

Edited to correct errors - Steve
Misread auction and responded to nonexistent post.

After 4th suit, jump to game in ♠ must be weak (fast arrival). No way my covers are enough for safety even at 5 level.
(Thanks Aguahombre)

[aguahombre]

Aside from the fact that the hand you are discussing is not the opener, not much else is right either.

AKQXXX X XX AKXX should not be opening 2C even if he were the first to act.

[SteveMoe]

aguahombre, on 2012-August-16, 18:58, said:

Aside from the fact that the hand you are discussing is not the opener, not much else is right either.

AKQXXX X XX AKXX should not be opening 2C even if he were the first to act.

Thanks - meant to say responder. Fixed.

[gszes]

in typical light opening fashion your hand is
x KQJxx KQxxx JT

the bidding goes (noint)
1h 1s
2d 3c
3d 4s

now what??
to paraphrase crocodile dundee "now that's a pass"

if p had bid 3s over 3d that would have been a virtual
slam forcing sequence. The 4s bid merely acknowledges
just how weak your hand can be. Your hand is very slam
oriented. If p bidding makes any sense whatsoever
you are very close to slam and it is probably more a case
of avoiding 2 trump losers than anything else. The only
way to get this message across is

5s

We do have concerns but not too many misgivings here.
P has made a mild slam try and we should not go quietly
with such a slam oriented type holding (vs the dreg we
could have)