[pclayton]

♠Q98xx ♥QT ♦Q98 ♣Axx

Opps silent; MPs.

1♦ - 1♠ - 3N - ?

Any ideas?

[Quantumcat]

What does this show, anyway? A gambling 3NT with an opening hand? Can't be because you have the Q of diamonds. Thus it must be 23-25 so 6NT?

[jdonn]

I want to start with 4♦ but the problem is if partner bids 4♠ over that I can't get back to notrump. I'll do it anyway, bidding 5♣ over 4♥ or bidding 5♦ over anything else. Who knows, if partner is not mikeh or some other old fart he might have xx of hearts

Edit: Oh mps bahhhhhhh.....ok 4NT. Partner should be on the heavy side since he cheated on the solid suit, so I don't like passing.

[effervesce]

Quantumcat, on Nov 3 2008, 08:41 PM, said:

What does this show, anyway? A gambling 3NT with an opening hand? Can't be because you have the Q of diamonds. Thus it must be 23-25 so 6NT?

23-25 would have opened 2♣.

[Quantumcat]

So what is it? It's not a gambling NT

[effervesce]

I pass. It's very unlikely that slam is on (eg Kx Kx AKJxxxx KQ and you're still off two aces). If you bypass 3NT, then you're probably not going to be able to signoff in NT below slam. At MPs, prefer 3NT to 5m.

[Cascade]

Quantumcat, on Nov 4 2008, 02:50 PM, said:

So what is it? It's not a gambling NT

Its a hand too strong for 3♦ with six or more diamonds and without a spade fit.

[Cascade]

effervesce, on Nov 4 2008, 02:51 PM, said:

I pass. It's very unlikely that slam is on (eg Kx Kx AKJxxxx KQ and you're still off two aces). If you bypass 3NT, then you're probably not going to be able to signoff in NT below slam. At MPs, prefer 3NT to 5m.

how about ♠ x ♥ AKx ♦ AKxxxxx ♣ Kx ?

[effervesce]

jdonn, on Nov 3 2008, 08:46 PM, said:

I want to start with 4♦ but the problem is if partner bids 4♠ over that I can't get back to notrump. I'll do it anyway, bidding 5♣ over 4♥ or bidding 5♦ over anything else. Who knows, if partner is not mikeh or some other old fart he might have xx of hearts

Edit: Oh mps bahhhhhhh.....ok 4NT. Partner should be on the heavy side since he cheated on the solid suit, so I don't like passing.

The problem with 4NT is that it's quantitative isn't it? There are minimums where slam is good, and 20-22 counts where you're off two aces.

[cherdano]

Cascade, on Nov 3 2008, 08:53 PM, said:

effervesce, on Nov 4 2008, 02:51 PM, said:

I pass. It's very unlikely that slam is on (eg Kx Kx AKJxxxx KQ and you're still off two aces). If you bypass 3NT, then you're probably not going to be able to signoff in NT below slam. At MPs, prefer 3NT to 5m.

how about ♠ x ♥ AKx ♦ AKxxxxx ♣ Kx ?

This certainly isn't a 3N rebid for me.

[dicklont]

Pass.
When partner wants to set up a good conversation he should not jump 3NT.
He is supposed to have long diamonds and my ♦Q makes me wonder what excactly he's looking at.
Anyway, I have no obvious reason to bid - that would make things different - so I pass.

[P_Marlowe]

Quantumcat, on Nov 3 2008, 08:41 PM, said:

What does this show, anyway? A gambling 3NT with an opening hand? Can't be because you have the Q of diamonds. Thus it must be 23-25 so 6NT?

Usually, 3NT showes a long strong suit, with a singleton
in partners suit.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[P_Marlowe]

4D slam try.

Most likely we have 3-4 loosers anyway,
2 top spades, maybe 3, so even if we stop
in 5D, that may not be too bad.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS (Added later): 4C is better than 4D, this should
be a cue for diamonds, and given partners spade
shortnes and that he has to have club values, 4C
allowes partner to evaluate his hand better.
After 4D, you can simply bid 5D, and you have
finished your description, denying to honors in
hearts and spades.

[Ant590]

I'm a passer. If we have 6NT so be it, I hope partner's declarer play will beat all the other pairs in game like us.

[mcphee]

Pass and surprise pard that I have made a sure thing of the D tricks. I can not hope to make slam I don't think. While Wayne did manage to show one I would be upset if my partner bid that hand this way. x AKx AKxxxxx Kx looks like a better hand to reverse with via 2H especially with no interferring bids.

I'm not sure what my partner is doing, I sure hope they did not mean to pull the 3S bid rather than 3N.

[andrei]

I'd guess partner has: K AJx AKJxxx KQx and I would pass.

But I am aware he might also be: J AKx AKJxxx KQx.

[whereagles]

If I know what 3NT shows, I'll know what to do.

If I DONT know what 3NT shows, I'll just bid 4NT (blame-transfer bid)

[kenrexford]

Part of this depends on who partner is. I'll assume a partner who thinks like I do (objections noted).

First, partner does not have a semi-balanced hand. If he had that, he'd open 2NT. So, he does not have some 2362/2263 hand. TRherefore, he has a stiff, and the auction SCREAMS a stiff spade.

Second, partner has a very strong hand and can just about see 9 tricks, despite lacking two huge cards -- the diamond Queen and the club Ace.

Third, he does not have four hearts, as a 2♥ call would standout. However, lacking the Ace in clubs, he assuredly is counting on quickies from hearts. I'd bet a lot on AKx.

If all of this so far is correct, then I expect something like ♠x ♥AKx ♦AKJxxx ♣Kxx as a starting thought. However, I don't think that's enough.

So, I'd assume a very specific hand. Partner will have a stiff spade. He will have the A-K in hearts. He will have a seventh diamonds. He will have the club King. The probable hand, then, would be ♠x ♥AKx ♦AKJxxxx ♣Kx, although ♠x ♥AK ♦AKJxxxx ♣Kxx is possible.

The whole question, then, is whether my heart Queen is working. I cannot imagine a hand where any other question would arise.

The problem now is how to assess its value. I cannot figure out an auction that reliably answer that question. So, I'll assume that the question has a 50-50 answer and see if I have a backup plan.

I do. Suppose a club lead when partner has the hand with 1273 shape. He wins in hand to play a spade toward dummy, losing, and then wins the club continuation on dummy. He can then trump a spade, diamond to 8, trump a spade, diamond to 9, trump a spade, diamond to Queen.

On this line, partner makes whenever spades split 4-3 OR 5-2 with the AK in spades being tight. If partner has AKJ10xxx, this line has no problems. If partner has AKJxxxx, and the 10 drops stiff on the lead toward dummy, also no problems. If partner lacks the diamond 10, and the 10 does not show up, then partner needs to finesse against 10x to the left to make the contract.

So, this hand yields two exciting ideas. First, the spade suit may yield the 12th trick. Second, taking advantage of that card may require a finesse against the 10 despite having AKQJ-tenth as the trump suit.

That possibility is way too sexy to pass up.

So, 6♦ for me. No screwing around with ambiguous 4NT or 4♦ nonsense.

[pclayton]

Pard held: x AK, AKJTxxx, KJx. This looks like an uber-max to me, doesn't it to you?

The club Q is offside, but with the ♦Q98 of diamonds you have enough entries to get the 5th spade going, assuming no sick trump lead.

I passed. Visions of Ax Kx AKJxxxx Kx kept popping up in my head.

[kenrexford]

pclayton, on Nov 6 2008, 09:07 AM, said:

Pard held: x AK, AKJTxxx, KJx. This looks like an uber-max to me, doesn't it to you?

The club Q is offside, but with the ♦Q98 of diamonds you have enough entries to get the 5th spade going, assuming no sick trump lead.

I passed. Visions of Ax Kx AKJxxxx Kx kept popping up in my head.

Damn shame partner had both the J and 10 of trumps -- ruined the sexy play possibility.