[kriegel]

In Roman Keycard Blackwood, Eddie Kantar suggests using 4m as RKB in double-agreement sequences. This gives us more room - very useful, considering we have 6 keycards plus 2 queens to deal with. If you buy into this, you'll bid 4♣ and the auction will proceed:

4♣ - 4♥ (0 or 3, obviously 3)
4♠ (queen-ask) - let's say 5♦ (3rd step = higher ranking queen; 1st = neither, 2nd = lower, 3rd = higher, 4th = both)

Now we know partner has something like ♠x ♥KQxxx ♦Axx ♣Axxx, assuming partner cuebid a singleton spade (he could also have the king). If you're willing to gamble on 3-2 hearts (or partner holding the jack or similar), you an bid 7NT now, or the IMP-smart 7♣, (1 spade, 5 hearts, 2 diamonds, 5 clubs). If you're worried about that, you can ask for kings, 5♠ - if partner shows the king of spades, now if you get a bad heart break you still have a spade finesse or a squeeze to fall back on - or if you don't want to risk a lot of IMPs to win a few, bid the nearly laydown 7♣.

If instead, partner shows no queens with 4NT, 7♣ is still pretty good (opposite ♠x ♥Kxxxx ♦Axx ♣Axxx, and you might try that. Or, you could ask for kings to see if partner cuebid shortness or the king of spades.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 Hanoi5, on 2012-March-03, 21:18, said:

What can go wrong if you bid 1♠ over 1♥?

Between "lots and everything " .

[kriegel]

 TWO4BRIDGE, on 2012-March-03, 21:30, said:

Between "lots and everything " .

Like, for example, 2♥? Now you'll have to make a fancy 3♣ bid, which might not be natural at all... then, if partner shows 3-card spade support, you'll have to bid 4♥ to show your support (true, this shows more than if you had raised to 4♥ directly, but partner might not be able to make an intelligent decision about whether or not slam is good).

[aguahombre]

Nothing can go right when you have longer clubs than spades, game forcing values, and heart support and respond 1S. You have started to show nothing, and will spend the next 2 rounds of bidding in confusion...still not having shown what you have.

[the hog]

 aguahombre, on 2012-March-03, 22:05, said:

Nothing can go right when you have longer clubs than spades, game forcing values, and heart support and respond 1S. You have started to show nothing, and will spend the next 2 rounds of bidding in confusion...still not having shown what you have.

That is incorrect if you are playing a Mafia style of responses. However you need to have agreed this and know your followup responses of course.

[aguahombre]

I will have to check with the Mafia about that. My guess is they don't call their system 2/1 or SAYC.

[the hog]

Agua, you can play a 2/1 gf system and still use Mafia responses. We have been through this before.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Hanoi5..... I'm ready to "see" partner's hand whenever you are ready to show it.

[ I think I tried to be a bit too clever with my Sp Q-ask ( post # 18 )
If partner has shown, 9 cards in ♥ ♣, then the 3S cue could easily have been shortness ( and not the ♠ K ) as many have suspected. So, a more prudent plan would be to ask for the ♥ Q .
And kriegel's suggestion to use Kantar's 4C! = 6-Ace RKC is better . However, I would only include the "higher"-Q ( ♥ here ) in the replies ( it makes the replies so much easier ). The "lower"-Q ( ♣ here ) would be included in the King replies . ]

[Hanoi5]

Partner held ♠x ♥KJ9xx ♦AQx ♣AJxx. Only one pair got to the club slam, all the others went to hearts where only 11 tricks were available.

1♥-1♠ was the beginning of their bidding. 2♣ by opener followed by KC. 16 imp's for them. After 2♣-3♣ responder has to give up hearts which isn't easy.

[aguahombre]

I wouldn't get too concerned about both queens in double fit- six key situations. In most cases the asker has one or the other; otherwise perhaps a different route than Wood would be taken. Such is the case, here.

Anyway, it was easy to establish both fits on this hand via 2/1 by the time 3H occurred ---and as shown by many above, easy to abandon hearts for slam and choose 7♣ or 7N when all the keys, but no heart queen are possessed.

[mike777]

 Hanoi5, on 2012-March-04, 09:48, said:

Partner held ♠x ♥KJ9xx ♦AQx ♣AJxx. Only one pair got to the club slam, all the others went to hearts where only 11 tricks were available.

1♥-1♠ was the beginning of their bidding. 2♣ by opener followed by KC. 16 imp's for them. After 2♣-3♣ responder has to give up hearts which isn't easy.

edit I put this up to discuss how to reset trumps but I think opener should really jump to 3s not rebid 3c. Opener has a huge hand across from a gf 2clubs.



1h=2c
3c=3h
4c=4d
4nt=5d
5h=5nt
6c=pass or 7c?

2c could only be a 4 card suit.
3c could be only 3 card raise but often 4, does not promise extras.
3h=resets hearts as trumps, 3 card raise.
4c=resets clubs as trumps...4 clubs
4d=rkc in clubs
4nt=2 deny qc
5d=specific K ask, deny KH, grand try
5h=KH
5nt=KD, deny Ks


As I pointed out in my first post the hard part is having agreements on what is trumps and what is rkc. Not an easy hand.
---


As I said opener should really jump to 3s here IMO.

1h=2c
3s=4d
4nt=5d
5h=5nt
6c or 7c=7c

3s=splinter
4d=rkc in c
5d=grand try specific k ask deny kh
5h=KH
5nt=kd deny ks

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 aguahombre, on 2012-March-04, 10:41, said:

...... easy to abandon hearts for slam and choose 7♣ or 7N when all the keys, but no heart queen are possessed.

If you have a way to ask for the ♥Q and you find it is "missing", then 7♣ seems safer ... since you may need a ♥-ruff ( hopefully only 1) but 2 ruffs may still be OK ) to establish 13 tricks . [ Of course it is known ahead of time that the 3rd ♥ in the short ♥ hand can be discarded on the ♦ Ace ].

[Hanoi5]

Really? Declarer won the club lead in hand, drew another round and ruffed two spades in his hand before entering the table and drawing the last trump to claim 13 tricks. This seems better than setting up hearts.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 Hanoi5, on 2012-March-04, 12:06, said:

Really? Declarer won the club lead in hand, drew another round and ruffed two spades in his hand before entering the table and drawing the last trump to claim 13 tricks. This seems better than setting up hearts.

If the "long ♣" hand did the "asking" , he doesn't know about the ♦Q .
But after dummy falls, ruffing two ♠ is the better line.
In either case, 7♣ should be the contract.... since both involve ruffing.

[aguahombre]

 Hanoi5, on 2012-March-04, 12:06, said:

Really? Declarer won the club lead in hand, drew another round and ruffed two spades in his hand before entering the table and drawing the last trump to claim 13 tricks. This seems better than setting up hearts.

Of course it is. The diamond queen was a bonus, this time. I think twofor was referring to picturing the play during the auction.

Oops, twofor took care of that himself

[Raff90]

cause you cant show 5 clubs and 4 spades anymore.
and after 2clubs gf your partner will can still bid 2 spades to show 4 spades.

[the hog]

 Raff90, on 2012-March-04, 13:13, said:

cause you cant show 5 clubs and 4 spades anymore.

snipped

WRONG!

As an example:

1H 1S
1NT
2N = a) invite with 6+m, or
b) GF with 5+C Now 3C = rejects C, maybe accepts D 3D = accepts C, rejects D else = GF

[mike777]

AS i SAID in second post....bid splinter 3s over 2c...you have a really good hand....



3c over 2c can really be nothing in many styles.

[P_Marlowe]

We prefer to show the gf raise for partners major immediatly.

But there is nothing wrong with 1S.

It keeps the bidding low, gives opener the most room ro describe
his hand.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[bluecalm]

There is very useful bidding idea that if you have only 4♠ and GF hand you don't bid 1S after 1H but you start with 2/1.
You need good system after 2/1 to make it work probably but it save you tons of trouble and benefits are there. For example:

1H - 1S
2H - 3C/D now promises 5 spades and:

1H - 1S
2D - 3C = promises 5 spades again

Which is very useful for game/slam exploration purposes.
After 2/1 it's good to play that:

1H - 2C/2D
2S - 5-4 majors, any strenght and then relay for pc/shape follows.

It's even better to reverse it (or in other words play symmetrical as in 1S - 2C/D):
1H - 2C/2D
-2H - 5-4majors
-2S - one suited hand with hearts

This way after 2H you have two relays 2S/2N. You could use 2S as promising H support and 2N as denying it (again symmetrical with 1S - 2C/D - 2H). This way you have a lot of space for exploration.
One additional bonus of this agreement is that:

1H - 2C/D
2H/S (depending what you agree) - 2N

Defenders don't know if declarer has 4 spades here and spade is what they lead on those auctions so you could be waiting there with your AQTx.

Quote

1♥-1♠ was the beginning of their bidding. 2♣ by opener followed by KC. 16 imp's for them. After 2♣-3♣ responder has to give up hearts which isn't easy.

3C should promise extras so now you have basically grand slam force depending on keycards.
With 5H-4C in 12-14 range you bid 2H and after 2N from partner:
3C - 4clubs (then relay for shortness)
3D - 3clubs (then relay for 6th heart)

Enough of improving 2/1 for today