[mgoetze]

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North thought his sequence was 100% forcing. South thought he should be allowed to pass with a subminimum.

[PhilKing]

It's not even a slam try in my book - it shows game values with 4♠ and 5+ clubs.

[gszes]

IMHO this bid needs to be 100% forcing BUT not because it is the only way to
go. The sequence as a mild slam try will have a greater frequency but playing it
as forcing can yield vastly better rewards. There is also the "technical" problem
of almost all mild slam tries having an agreed place to play before the slam try
is made. That element is missing here as spades are first agreed upon at the
4 level AND there was no other mechanism in place for partner to both show their
preferred suit AND make any moves to investigate slam.

Preempts work sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[ggwhiz]

4♦ followed by 4♠ is invitational, not forcing and south could hardly have less interest.

One solution could be to rkc over 4♥ as useful information with Axx and then convert to the indicated number of spades.

[Phil]

North is trying to thread the needle with this sequence, but PhilKing's interpretation is correct IMO.

I might want to give up a natural 4♣ call to be able to parse a 'good' 4M bid and a 'great' 4M bid, but this North hand is too good even for this treatment,