MPs playing Acol, what do you do here?
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Slam investigation?
#2
Posted 2024-June-23, 13:23
4NT (RKC) looks OK. I would be tempted to bid 4♠ instead, but partner likely does not have a club control (no splinter last round either, if you play those here) and cannot take charge from there. We will just have to gamble on partner having a diamond control. We have such a strong hand that we should not pass. Unfortunately after the successful preempt we can't investigate a slam more sensibly, so we just have to take our best guess.
#3
Posted 2024-June-23, 13:28
36 points accounted for so the remaining 4 sit with West with distribution to justify 4♥. On that basis slam looks to be on the cards.
Alternative scenario:
West opened a 10-pointer 0463 and jumped in an attempt to stiffle the ♠ contract. Maybe slam is still on the cards.
Alternative scenario:
West opened a 10-pointer 0463 and jumped in an attempt to stiffle the ♠ contract. Maybe slam is still on the cards.
#4
Posted 2024-June-23, 13:49
Unless your partner will think it shows first round control, 4♠. Of course partner will be worried about a club control, but they can always bid 5♦ with a diamond control and no club control.
If partner thinks 4♠ shows first round control, I'll bid 5♣.
Yes I could end up in slam off 2 key cards, but I think given the bidding the risk of being off two top diamonds is bigger than the risk of being off 2 keycards.
If partner thinks 4♠ shows first round control, I'll bid 5♣.
Yes I could end up in slam off 2 key cards, but I think given the bidding the risk of being off two top diamonds is bigger than the risk of being off 2 keycards.
#5
Posted 2024-June-23, 14:10
akwoo, on 2024-June-23, 13:49, said:
Yes I could end up in slam off 2 key cards, but I think given the bidding the risk of being off two top diamonds is bigger than the risk of being off 2 keycards.
A problem with this is that if you are missing both top diamonds - which does seem very unlikely - you've almost guaranteed the opponents' first three tricks of A, K, ruff, so haven't really gained anything.
4nt gives us a chance of finding grand too, so seems practical to me. (Edit - actually, maybe no better than the alternative, so ignore the grand part.)
#6
Posted 2024-June-23, 15:21
I chickened out and passed thinking if I did Blackwood or cue bid clubs I would not find enough information about the diamond holding to know whether slam was good or not, and I wasn't sure if partner's jump was based on firepower or distribution. I should have just gone for it anyway, this was the full deal:
13 tricks on a diamond lead which was worth 72%. A meaningless score as it was a four table movement with the last round cut off for time reasons (England were playing which was the theory for the poor turnout which was unusually low for Thursday evening).
13 tricks on a diamond lead which was worth 72%. A meaningless score as it was a four table movement with the last round cut off for time reasons (England were playing which was the theory for the poor turnout which was unusually low for Thursday evening).
#7
Posted 2024-June-23, 15:22
DavidKok, on 2024-June-23, 13:23, said:
4NT (RKC) looks OK. I would be tempted to bid 4♠ instead, but partner likely does not have a club control (no splinter last round either, if you play those here) and cannot take charge from there. We will just have to gamble on partner having a diamond control. We have such a strong hand that we should not pass. Unfortunately after the successful preempt we can't investigate a slam more sensibly, so we just have to take our best guess.
I'm happy bidding 4♠, the fact that partner could not splinter looks positive to me.
If partner can now show 4NT even keycards then I'm happy with 6♥, if not then I press on with control bids hoping she didn't have a freak hand or misbid.
#10
Posted 2024-June-23, 17:38
AL78, on 2024-June-23, 15:21, said:
I wasn't sure if partner's jump was based on firepower or distribution.
I understand you might be playing with a partner where you don't have this agreement, but the jump to 4♥ should always be on firepower - bids to game based on distribution should splinter.
I don't think West's hand was worth a 4♥ bid; especially when playing weak NT 3♥ is enough. Ironically in this case it gives you an extra round of control bidding making it easier to find the slam.
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