[iandayre]

In a ACBL Robot Duplicate tourney at MP I opened 1C with Qx, AKQx, Axx, Axxx. Yes, I know many will open 2NT, and successfully this time. But that's not the point. I rebid 2NT over GIB's 1S response and it bid 3S. With my prime maximum I cuebid 4C, but when GIB signed off in 4S I had nowhere to go. The irritating part? Those who lazily bid 4S over partner's 3S heard Blackwood and reached slam. How can it try for slam over a weaker auction and not my stronger one? Partner GIB held AKT9xx, Jx, xx, Qxx.

[manudude03]

deleted. looked up the hand records, it is explained as a cuebid. I can only guess that the cuebid implied you had some weakness somewhere and that's what put it off, while the guy who just bid 4S basically endplayed the gib into blackwood.

[Bbradley62]

This guy bid slightly more strongly than you did, and also got left in 4♠.

---

[Bbradley62]

Over your 2N, North had alternatives of 3♦ and 4♠. I wonder what those would have shown, and whether there should be a carve-out of the 3♠ explanation. (Presumably, 3♦ is frequently done with only 5 spades, although I suppose he could be 6/5 in the majors with a slam-going hand.)

[georgi]

Over 2NT:

- 3♦ - !New minor forcing -- 5+ ♠; 7+ total points
- 3♠ - Rebid suit -- 6+ ♠; 6+ HCP; 7+ total points

4♣ shows -> Cue bid -- 3-5 ♣; 2-5 ♦; 2-4 ♥; 2-3 ♥; 18-19 HCP; ♣A; 20-22 total points; partial stop in ♦; partial stop in ♥


Not a slam to regret about ( as you have the three aces as super 19HCP with no losers for slams in spades.

If North proceeds with blackwood and bid slam a Q♦ lead might be too bitter to see Kxx in dummy and went down.

With the same Aces put the ♥K as ♦K and slam would revert to 50% as maximum.

Could have try 6NT from safest side, but then you need the best layout or good finesses if required.

[iandayre]

Of course it's true this hand fits perfectly and slam would be difficult to reach by strong human players. My point was that it makes no sense for GIB to bid 4NT over the simple raise to game, but not over the cuebid.