[lalldonn]

You are not vul, opponents are vul, south is dealer. Use any system you want. First bid with no interference, then bid with west overcalling 2♦ (if available, whether it's a jump or not) and east raising to 4♦ (if available, whether its a jump or not).

---

For any who know where the hand came from, sorry that I'm sure most of the spot cards are wrong since it's from my memory. I'm at least confident the shapes and AKQs are correct, maybe even the Js too.

(I just looked up the hand and corrected it to what it really was, only spot cards changed no AKQJs)

[Cyberyeti]

2♠ (Acol 8 playing tricks)-3♥
3♠-5♦(exclusion)
5♥(0/3)-5♠(signoff opposite 0, effectively rolling as partner known to hold 3)
6♣-6♦
6♠

or

1♠-(2♦)-2♥(minimum strength 9)-(4♦)
4♠-P-5♦-P
6♣-P-6♠

[quiddity]

Maybe without interference, something like
1♠ 3♥
3♠ 4♦
4NT 6♦
6♥
and North has a problem. Stop in 6? Offer 7♣?

With interference, maybe:
1♠ (2♦) 2♥ (4♦)
X 4♥
and now South has a problem. Partner could be 1534 without much stregth though, so maybe 4♠ is enough?
4♠ 5♦
6♣ 6♠?

I'm sure this is idiotic though. Blech, I hate these double-dummy bidding problems.

[lalldonn]

I'm particularly interested in any auctions starting with a strong 2♣ if anyone feels like having one, or maybe 1♣.

[Cyberyeti]

lalldonn, on 2012-July-31, 14:10, said:

I'm particularly interested in any auctions starting with a strong 2♣ if anyone feels like having one, or maybe 1♣.

Starting with 2♣ you're going to be guessing.

2♣-(2♦)-2♥-(4♦)
4♠-P-5♠-P
6♠

Maybe

[kayin801]

Strong club auction:

1♣-(2♦)-2♥-(4♦)
4♠-5♦
6♥-???

Not sure whether 6♠ or pass is right here, but 6♥ is definitely natural, maybe with 2 small and better spades south would try 5NT instead, but it's also not clear that 6♥ shows Hx rather than xx.

Honestly after 5♦ with the S hand I'm thinking grand if partner has spade support but I feel like 6♣ is way too ambiguous.

Edit: In an undisturbed relay auction I guess we might find the decent 7♣ but you might have to be peeking to get there after diamond interference unless N can show 5-5 early on (and with that suit disparity they might not even want to)

[Phil]

It seems you could generate a worthwhile discussion of responder's 2nd call after a 2♣ opening, 2♥ response, and a 4♠ rebid. Everything seems to be straightforward until then.

[Quantumcat]

Both very natural and simple:

1♠ 1NT
3♠* 4♦
5♣ 6♠

*=strong invite, and setting trump

1♠ (2♦) 3♣* (4♦)
4♥ (pass) 5♦ (pass)
6♥

*=shows hearts, weak or gameforce

[Zelandakh]

1♣ = 15+ nat/bal or 18+ any
... - 1NT = hearts or hearts and clubs, GF
2♣ = relay, usually 18+
... - 2♠ = 5+ hearts, 5+ clubs
2NT = relay
... - 4♦ = 6+ hearts, diamond void, no spade void, no extras
4♠ = relay
... - 5♦ = 3 controls
5NT = queen ask
... - 6♣ = no ♣Q
6♥ = ♥Q?
... - P = no

This is another of those bidding problems where it would be nice to be able to ask for a queen in either of 2 suits. Unfortunately that is simply unavailable here so you have to guess. I suppose I also have all the information necessary for 7♣ too but am too scared to bid it - perhaps if I were a better card player I would be more confident .

Contested auction...

1♣ = 15+ nat/bal or 18+ any
... - (2♦) - 3♦ = very good hearts and GF
(4♦) - 5♦ = good hand
... - 6♣ = natural, choice of slams
Pass (IMPs)/6♥ (MPs)

I found this quite difficult since there are options at most of the calls. I found it even stranger looking back at the auction afterwards and seeing that South never mentioned their 7 card spade suit! Perhaps 5♠ was a better bid than 5♦; surely 4♠ is too wimpy though?

After Phil's start: 2♣ - (2♦) - 2♥ - (4♦); 4♠, maybe
... - 5♦
6♣ - 6♦
6♠, but this is perhaps over-optimistic and might persuade either player to go to 7.

[dbsboy]

Playing short club I would bid

1♣ (2♦) 2♥ 4♦
4♠ (Pass) 5♦ (Pass)
6♣ (Pass) 6♥ (Pass)
6♠ (Pass) Pass (Pass)

5♦ should confirm ♠ support.
As a semi-solid suit I think opener should set ♠ as trump (and ignore the hearts),
and 6♣ is looking for grand.

I am not sure if I would bid 6♥ or 6♠ with N's hand though.

[lalldonn]

What do people think of my opponents' auction? They are two of the strongest players in the world.

2♣ 2♥
2♠ 3♣
4♣ 5♦ (double)
5♠ (three) 5NT (queen?)
7♣ (yes)

Particularly the 4♣ bid? It seems weird and I would never have done it, but the more I think about it the more I like it, maybe I'm crazy too. I also don't get to complain too much when I passed over the 2♣ opening with a bad 7 card suit since I was chicken at this vul.

[Zelandakh]

If 2♠ can be 5 and 3♣ only 4 then the 4♣ bid looks like a pretty gross distortion; but perhaps that is one reason they are two of the strongest players in the world.

[the_clown]

1♣-(2♦)-
2♥-(4♦)-
4♠-5♦
5N-6♣

I think 5NT should be pick a slam and 6♦ Grand slam try or something, but its not clear.

[wank]

Zelandakh, on 2012-August-01, 08:28, said:

If 2♠ can be 5 and 3♣ only 4 then the 4♣ bid looks like a pretty gross distortion; but perhaps that is one reason they are two of the strongest players in the world.

one of the strongest players in the world isn't going to be introducing jxxx in a slammy auction.

[twoshy]

wank, on 2012-August-03, 01:49, said:

one of the strongest players in the world isn't going to be introducing jxxx in a slammy auction.

Really good point. To add, rebidding 3♠ feels wrong when resp would have raised with 3 and may be able to get spades across later with Qx for example.

I didn't draw that inference so my uncontested auctions would have started

2♣ 2♥
2♠ 3♣
3♦* 3♥
4♣

Not sure what responder would rebid over a fourth suit 3♦, first instinct is 3♥ (3♠ with Qx or most 2515s for example). Then 4♣ sounds like a cuebid for ♥. I almost certainly wouldn't get to 7♣ after this start, but maybe I'm lacking some imagination.

With interference:

2♣ (2♦) 2♥ (4♦)
4♠ 5♦
5♠ 6♠

Auto slam drive as responder, the only question is whether or not to invite grand. However, solid ♠, the ♥Q doubleton, ♣A in a 2♣ opener would definitely have bid slam over 5♦, so I think it's not worth a grand invite.

Maybe 5♦ is the wrong bid, though. What do people think about bidding 5NT choice of slams then raising 6M to grand or bidding 6♦ over 6♣? That might do the trick but it could be ambiguous.

Your opponents' unobstructed sequence is perfect.

Edit: just noticed that my 5NT then 6♦ over 6♣ suggestion just about mirrors the_clown's, except with opener and responder's roles reversed

the_clown, on 2012-August-02, 02:07, said:

1♣-(2♦)-
2♥-(4♦)-
4♠-5♦
5N-6♣

I think 5NT should be pick a slam and 6♦ Grand slam try or something, but its not clear.

[JLOGIC]

lalldonn, on 2012-August-01, 08:19, said:

What do people think of my opponents' auction? They are two of the strongest players in the world.

2♣ 2♥
2♠ 3♣
4♣ 5♦ (double)
5♠ (three) 5NT (queen?)
7♣ (yes)

Particularly the 4♣ bid? It seems weird and I would never have done it, but the more I think about it the more I like it, maybe I'm crazy too. I also don't get to complain too much when I passed over the 2♣ opening with a bad 7 card suit since I was chicken at this vul.

Prefer 1S to 2C but not a huge deal.

4C, really really don't like, our hand is not that great for slam if we get tapped in diamonds...we cannot set up spades. Even if partner has say x AKxxx xx Jxxxx slam will be quite poor on diamond diamond (which will be a normal defense). It's never good to have all your entries in a short trump hand with a side suit that isn't running, I guess this is just another way of saying the 4th club is very important.

This is not to mention that when we don't have slam and it's a game hand, playing clubs will often be a disaster.

I think people overrate hands like this and underestimate the difficulty of playing clubs when you get tapped. Even when you don't get tapped, it can be pretty bad since you'll often have to ruff out spades and pull trumps in 3 rounds, which will require 3 3-2 breaks.

Things are much better when partner has 2 spades and 1 diamond, but I don't think we can expect that when we have 7213 and partner is 5-5 in the round suits and the opps didn't bid, he must be some massive favorite to be 1-2 at best.

[Fluffy]

a strong club one:
1♣-(2♦)-3♥-(4♦)
4♥-5♦
5NT(GSF)-6♥
pass

missing the clubs completelly.

without interference its a bit easier, with the only problem that this shape ends up too high meaning that clubs cannot be stablished as trumps, but lucky blackwood for in hearts solves all.

1♣-1♠!
1NT!-3♥!
3♠!-4♦! (2605 8-11+)
4NT-5♥ (blackwood in hearts, 2 without queen) and now its just a matter of finding ♠Q to play 7♠ instead of 7♣, it takes a lot of effort to ask for it.
5♠!-5NT!
6♦!-6♥!
6♠!-6NT!
7♣