[Winstonm]

Scoring: IMP

The Auction:

N E S W
1♣ 1♥ 1♠ P
3♠ P 4♣ P
4♠ P P P

Thin but another excellent slam - who should have done more? How would you bid this hand?

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[EricK]

I am certain that I would not have reached this slam. It is often difficult to identify a useful J. here there are two of them.

1♣ (1♥) 1♠
2♠ 4♠

looks likely to me. At this point, North might suspect that there is more, but who knows?!

Eric

[mike777]

If you really want to bid this slam then splinter with 3H.

[Free]

Disagree, this is NOT a good slam! A ♥ start and you get into trouble whenever trumps are 4-1 or ♦K is offside. This slam has less than 50% chance, so it's not a good slam.

But I would bid 3♥ instead of 3♠...

[luke warm]

Winstonm, on Aug 14 2005, 10:14 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

The Auction:

N  E  S  W
1♣ 1♥ 1♠ P
3♠ P 4♣ P
4♠ P  P  P

Thin but another excellent slam - who should have done more?  How would you bid this hand?

---

my bidding

1d (1h) x* (p)
2c (p) 2s** (p)
3s (p) 4nt (p)
5h (p) 6d

*=normal neg x OR game force
**=game force

it doesn't look like a great slam, but if diamond finesse is on everything ends ok

[PMetsch]

After the 4♣ bid by south (which must be the ace) the north hand becomes very good. North can almost count 5♣, a heart ruff or two, 1 or 2 ♦, 4 or 5♠, so about 11 or 12 tricks and only 1 direct loser. Bidding 4♦ or 4♥ will not help if south does not have a control in the other red suit.

If anybody should bid more I think it is north. Instead of bidding 4♠ he could have tried 4NT and then 6♠ is clear. South can hardly go on after 4♠ without controls in both ♦ and ♥.

By the way it takes a high ♥ lead by west and a ♦ swith to have chances to defeat this slam.

[Free]

luke warm, on Aug 14 2005, 07:40 PM, said:

... 6♦

it doesn't look like a great slam, but if diamond finesse is on everything ends ok

If ♦'s are 4-1 you're always down (unless stiff K). Then I still prefer 6♠...

[luke warm]

that's true, but i don't know the clubs will run and maybe i can toss a couple of them on spades (if everything behaves).. and it's imps anyway

[Winstonm]

Free, on Aug 14 2005, 01:18 PM, said:

Disagree, this is NOT a good slam!  A ♥ start and you get into trouble whenever trumps are 4-1 or ♦K is offside.  This slam has less than 50% chance, so it's not a good slam.

But I would bid 3♥ instead of 3♠...

Agree with your assessment other than a 4-1 trump split doesn't do much if the diamond K is onside. Overall, this is probably around a 40% slam - so let's change the hand 1 tick and substitute the diamond King instead of the Q.

Now, once the club A is accounted for with the cue bid, doesn't North have to find a more aggressive call than 4S?

[pclayton]

I think North should cue the A♦.

Even then, with 6 losers (opposite a presumed 6 loser hand) and the real nice ♣AJ, South should take another call with 5♠.

[Fluffy]

3♠ is not forcing right? then north has no rights to deny a cuebid after it, denying 2 its just nuts .

3♥ would had shown 4 trumps, so I don't think it is the right option.