[cyrenman]

Playing in a Gold Rush pairs event, I picked up the following hand:

---

How would you bid this? (Spoiler below for how I proceeded.)

Spoiler

We were by far the least experienced partnership in the field: we have each been playing for less than a year, competitively for less than six months, and have around 20 MPs between us. This was also only our second time playing together competitively.

We play 2/1 with bells and whistles, and unfortunately I had no access to Exclusion Blackwood or a similar gadget. I was 99.9% certain that partner had the ♦A, especially at unfavorable vulnerability, so I decided to ace-ask (we play RKC) and hope that he had neither the ♠A or the ♣A or both of them.

---

Unfortunately, partner came back showing two aces, so I had a 50/50 decision to make. 6♠ is virtually certain, so I decided to stay there and hope that some people would miss the slam.

The opening lead was the ♣A, so I made 13 tricks cold. I was very frustrated at the time, assuming that many of the stronger partnerships would find the grand slam, but this was actually a rather good board for us: only one partnership bid the grand slam, while a few partnerships were in diamonds, a few were only in 4♠, one pair was in notrump and the opponents took 5 club tricks off the top, and one partnership had a miscommunication and ended up in 5♣ down 7.

[Cyberyeti]

This is easy for me, partner doesn't preempt 2nd R/W with 2 aces or an empty suit so 6♦ at teams, 6♠ at pairs. AJxxxxx and an ace is an easy 1 opener for us.

[sprayguy]

If you play new suit forcing over a preempt just bid 3 spades and wait for partner's response. Then you can key-card (or other Blackwood form). I wouldn't have been worried about missing 7 because my partner(s) won't preempt with a side ace.

[Jinksy]

In my book 2nd in unfavourable preempts need to be pure - ie good ODR. If I found P with with any side suit aces here I'd get a new partner. I might as well go via 4N, in case he's opened on an 8 card diamond suit to the jack and out (though that sounds more like a 4♦ bid to me), then (assuming he shows the AD) place the final contract as Cyberyeti.

[billw55]

Welcome to our game. Please stay a while and enjoy yourself

cyrenman, on 2015-June-08, 10:57, said:

The opening lead was the ♣A, so I made 13 tricks cold. I was very frustrated at the time, assuming that many of the stronger partnerships would find the grand slam, but this was actually a rather good board for us: only one partnership bid the grand slam, while a few partnerships were in diamonds, a few were only in 4♠, one pair was in notrump and the opponents took 5 club tricks off the top, and one partnership had a miscommunication and ended up in 5♣ down 7.

In time, I think you will find that not many grands get bid in events at this level. Especially ones with missing aces. And as you see, a sampling of subpar contracts will often come in as well. 6 of major making will almost always be a good score.

[ArtK78]

I can't imagine that partner could open 3♦ vul in second seat without the A, K or Q of diamonds. Still, it doesn't hurt to ask. So 4NT is not unreasonable. If partner shows one key card, I will assume it is the ♦A and bid 6♠. 6♠ is only in jeopardy on a diamond ruff. Hopefully the opps won't find it. 6♦ might be in jeopardy on a spade ruff, but I would expect 6♦ to be safer than 6♠, so it is the right spot at IMPs.

Even if I were playing in a major North American pairs event, I would expect 6♠ making 7 to be a reasonable score if partner has both pointed suit aces. It is difficult to sort out these situations. Playing in a gold rush pairs, 6♠ making 7 should be a fine score.

[karlson]

This hand is not a perfect example, but I'll make the point nonetheless: if (between the two hands) you have two semi-solid suits that could be trump and you're missing the ace in one of them, you should prefer the one where you're missing the ace to be trump. So if you found out that partner had ♠xx ♦AJT9xx, 6♠ is the safer contract. But of course the matchpoint considerations make 6♠ clear anyway.

I don't see how you can reasonably bid grand after this start.

[ycos]

1) How to open 3d with 2 Aces?
2) Exclusion blackwood must be standard.

[diana_eva]

ycos, on 2015-June-09, 04:04, said:

1) How to open 3d with 2 Aces?
2) Exclusion blackwood must be standard.

I play with some very good albeit old style partners who would preempt with a side ace or other goodies vul in 2nd. In fact if I were playing with one such partner and looking at KQx of diams in my own hand I'd bet my right hand he has a side ace too else he wouldn't have opened at all.

That's of course not standard, and a matter of style or partnership agreements, but I wouldn't go as far as dismissing the whole idea as unheard of.

[nige1]

cyrenman, on 2015-June-08, 10:57, said:

Playing in a Gold Rush pairs event, I picked up the following hand:
How would you bid this?
We play 2/1 with bells and whistles, and unfortunately I had no access to Exclusion Blackwood or a similar gadget. I was 99.9% certain that partner had the ♦A, especially at unfavorable vulnerability, so I decided to ace-ask (we play RKC) and hope that he had neither the ♠A or the ♣A or both of them.

---

IMO 3♠ = 10. 6♠ = 9. 6♦ = 8. 4♣ (asking for key-cards) = 7. There's a strong case for a direct 6♠ or 6♦, especially if there's an appreciable risk of losing a wheel, in the course of a slower more scientific approach.

[WesleyC]

Assuming teams scoring, I'd bid 6D.

I'm not going to investigate grand-slam missing 2 aces when partner has preempted.

[helene_t]

I think your auction is fine. I don't think many pairs have methods to ask for specific aces after partner's preempt. Even if 4♣ sets diamonds as trumps and asks for specific controls, it is stille the question if a 4♠ bid by opener might be a singleton or void.

[wank]

jump to slam in spades and partner can raise to 7. you know partner's got the ace of diamonds. no need to ask for it.

[WellSpyder]

wank, on 2015-June-09, 10:15, said:

jump to slam in spades and partner can raise to 7. you know partner's got the ace of diamonds. no need to ask for it.

My answer was just to bid 6♠ since I "knew" partner wouldn't have ♠A as well as ♦A, but it is rather a good point that if he is looking at ♠A he will know when you bid 6 that he should raise to 7! He won't do this with ♦A and ♣A, of course, since he won't know ♣A is useful or that ♦A is a surprise.

[ArtK78]

WellSpyder, on 2015-June-09, 10:20, said:

My answer was just to bid 6♠ since I "knew" partner wouldn't have ♠A as well as ♦A, but it is rather a good point that if he is looking at ♠A he will know when you bid 6 that he should raise to 7! He won't do this with ♦A and ♣A, of course, since he won't know ♣A is useful or that ♦A is a surprise.

Generally speaking, I would say that one should never raise a jump to 6♠ under any circumstances. However, if opener had both the ♦A and the ♠A, it is hard to construct a hand that is a legitimate 6♠ call that will not make 13 tricks.

[mikestar13]

Lacking tools like Exclusion, I like direct 6♠ best. I can't imagine partner going to seven without both ♠A and ♦A, and it is hard to imagine him not bidding it if he does have them. In any case, your actual result was fine: 6♠ making seven always outscores 7♠ making six (=down 1)!

[KurtGodel]

I think I would just bid 6♠. Whilst I'm sure partner would raise with their actual hand, some times you just have to be practical. I'm guessing that 6♠+1 would be scoring the lion's share of the matchpoints. Bidding grands can often be tough, sometimes you have to settle for the best result possible rather than the best possible result.

It also did not occur to me that partner could have two aces.

[silvr bull]

How about a 5C splinter? Without a rock solid agreement, partner will not know if the splinter was a stiff or void, but it is clear that it is a splinter. My KISS rule is that when a suit bid is forcing (like 4C would be here), then a jump in that suit is a splinter. Opener will almost certainly bid 5D. Then a que of 6C will make it clear that you have first round control of Cs. Correcting 6D to 6S should complete the picture of your hand for partner, and he will have an easy raise to 7 holding the SA. On the remote chance that opener has the CA and decides to que it with 6C after the splinter, then you can be sure that he does not also have the SA, so you can stop in 6S with no worries.

[WellSpyder]

ArtK78, on 2015-June-09, 12:57, said:

Generally speaking, I would say that one should never raise a jump to 6♠ under any circumstances. However, if opener had both the ♦A and the ♠A, it is hard to construct a hand that is a legitimate 6♠ call that will not make 13 tricks.

Generally, I would also be reluctant to raise a jump to 6♠, since partner has implied that he thinks he knows what the contract should be. But if I am looking at the ace of trumps which partner cannot possibly know that I have, then I am inclined to think that when partner knows he can make 12 tricks without the ace then he must be able to make 13 with it.

[gszes]

Without some very fancy bidding tools I will make a direct bid of 4n and settle for 5d or 6d (a strong case can be made for 6s at MP) depending on partners reply. Now if my spades had been AQJTxxx I would begin with 3s since then the spade K would count as an ace w/o guesswork and if p showed 2 key cards I would "gamble" on 7.