ArtK78, on 2014-February-07, 10:34, said:
I have seen others state that the Q ask isn't even forcing to the small slam, as they can sign off below slam opposite a negative reply. I have always thought that any ask after the initial key card ask guarantees all of the key cards. But others make an exception for the Q ask, as they are willing to bid the small off one key card if the partnership has the trump Q.
Interesting: an occasional partner, who is a multiple national champion, and I had this come up in a home game.
I held Axx AKxxxx Kxx x and he opened a 20-21 2N.
I decided to texas and keycard. To my surprise he showed only 1 keycard.
We are off an Ace and there is room to be missing the trump Q as well. So I can afford to ask for it. Note that since I used texas, he will show me the Q if he holds 4 trump, so the only time I am missing a decent slam is if he holds Jxx. If the best it can be is playing AKxxxx (no 10) opposite Jxx for no losers, then I don't mind missing it.
So I asked and he bid 5♠ showing the heart Q and the spade K.
What to do?
I was confident I knew exactly what to do. Given that we have 34 hcp (he can't have 19+, even tho we both like to upgrade, because we'd never upgrade a hand with only 1 Ace), we can't be off an AK.
Indeed, we might easily have 35 hcp and if his hearts are Qx (or even, on a bad day, Qxx) we could be failing in 6♥. There might be A♦ and a ruff or, more likely, a bad trump split. If hearts run, then both 6N and 6♥ are cold, and if hearts don't run we may easily have 12 winners anyway: only needing 3 heart tricks.
I accordingly bid the obvious 6N and he started to think.
He finally bid 7♥ and they led the diamond Ace. He thought I had promised all the keys