[mgoetze]

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What's your best shot at figuring out how many losers partner can cover? Or are you just blasting?

[gszes]

4s

Too bad we have the dia Q since that means the odds p will respond 5h have shot up dramatically so 4n is useless w/o partnership agreement that 5s is natural and to play and 5N (over 5h) would ask for extras. Bidding 4s should show a pretty darn decent and long spade suit maybe p has enough "stuff" to invite us to slam so the door is still open. If we opt to just blast we might get lucky but there is no going back. That means 4s gives us 2 ways to win vs blasting to 6 only 1.

Cuebidding 5h is little better than blasting to 6s.

[Fluffy]

Opposite my father I couldn't bid 5♠ since it would ask for a heart control. But with others I think it might work.

Then there is some who would try 4NT for minors and then bid 5♠. So it all depends on partner.

About wanting to play strong jump shifts. The answer is no, because I have no clue about follow ups. Although I now play them on positions where I play NFB. But surprisingly they have shown only once in 3 years.

[mgoetze]

gszes, on 2015-October-01, 16:43, said:

Bidding 4s should show a pretty darn decent and long spade suit

If by "pretty darn decent and long" you mean something like AKJTx, then I agree.

[rmnka447]

4 ♠

Yes, you could have slam. But you could possibly be down 1 in 4 ♠ also (x x AKJxxxx KJxx with ♣ honors offside, doubleton ♣ in weak 2 bidder's hand).

All you can do is bid your most probable plus at this point. If partner can carry on, maybe you'll be able to find slam. If not and it's there, c'est la vie. Preempts do work.

[Vampyr]

I play strong jump shifts, but surely this would be fit for anyone.

[mgoetze]

Alright, it seems the majority of the respondents want to bid 4♠. Opps have had their say, but partner bids 5♣. What's partner showing and what do you do now?

[Jinksy]

mgoetze, on 2015-October-02, 23:26, said:

Alright, it seems the majority of the respondents want to bid 4♠. Opps have had their say, but partner bids 5♣. What's partner showing and what do you do now?

Don't know, and 6♠.

[helene_t]

Partner's bid is natural. We are not showing an 8-card suit so with a 0265-shape he is allowed to take it out.

If it is our style always to bid 4nt with that shape then maybe he is 0274.

[Jinksy]

Yeah, I was semi-joking about not knowing what he had. But assuming it's natural, at these colours he must be serious given (from his perspective) the misfit, and we've got heaps of strength to spare, so whether it's nat or a cue, we want to bid 6♠.

[Phil]

I would 4N followed by 5!s. This shows a heart control, great spades and invites 6. I want partner going with primes and hopefully he appreciates the value of AK + A.

2nd choice is just to blast. It's pretty close but your opponents won't rescue when they are looking at top tricks.

[mgoetze]

helene_t, on 2015-October-03, 03:27, said:

Partner's bid is natural. We are not showing an 8-card suit so with a 0265-shape he is allowed to take it out.

If it is our style always to bid 4nt with that shape then maybe he is 0274.

So you dismiss a xx55 hand completely because it is obvious to you that such a hand must bid 4NT ... but doesn't that require more strength than 3♦? Or must partner, with a weak (or rather, not strong enough to force to the 5-level alone) xx55 hand, always pass 4♠ no matter how bad his spades are?

[helene_t]

mgoetze, on 2015-October-05, 18:49, said:

So you dismiss a xx55 hand completely because it is obvious to you that such a hand must bid 4NT

No, I said "if it is our style". I don't think it should be. Just saying that even if it is, 4♣ is still natural.

[ajfonty]

I'm not seeing the optimism here. I'd bid 4♠. Our hand is great but not extraordinary.

If partner then bids 5♣, I bid 5♠. Let partner look at her hand, count her aces, assume I have ♠A, and do the work from there.

[Jinksy]

ajfonty, on 2015-October-08, 08:32, said:

I'm not seeing the optimism here. I'd bid 4♠. Our hand is great but not extraordinary.

If partner then bids 5♣, I bid 5♠. Let partner look at her hand, count her aces, assume I have ♠A, and do the work from there.

4♠ does not promise eight rock solid playing tricks (or two second-round controls, or a trump suit worthy of grand opposite a void), nor does following it with 5♠. Partner can't play you for a hand nearly this good if you don't give any encouragement. You'd have bid the same way if your top two spades were pips.

[PhantomSac]

5S says "I am too strong to bid 4S and not strong enough to bid 6S."

With that being said, I'd just bid 4S. My hand is not that good.

[Fluffy]

5♣ is natural and "weak" since partner didn't bid 4NT previous round. 5♠ is plenty.

[all loomis]

mgoetze, on 2015-October-01, 15:50, said:

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What's your best shot at figuring out how many losers partner can cover? Or are you just blasting?

4 s is probably the right spot, as a practical bid. some hands are just too hard, and this is one, for me. anything from 10 to 13 tricks possible, so take the money with a sour smile.

[perko90]

PhantomSac, on 2015-October-08, 14:21, said:

5S says "I am too strong to bid 4S and not strong enough to bid 6S."

With that being said, I'd just bid 4S. My hand is not that good.

Yeah, agree with this meaning for the 1st action. And I would choose to use it. 5♠.

[iandayre]

Fluffy, on 2015-October-01, 17:21, said:

Opposite my father I couldn't bid 5♠ since it would ask for a heart control. But with others I think it might work.

Then there is some who would try 4NT for minors and then bid 5♠. So it all depends on partner.

About wanting to play strong jump shifts. The answer is no, because I have no clue about follow ups. Although I now play them on positions where I play NFB. But surprisingly they have shown only once in 3 years.

I have played Soloway strong jump shifts for many years, and they are a great slam tool - both reaching slam and staying out of poor ones. The followups are quite clearly defined. I am sure you could find a write-up, and I'd strongly recommend giving them a try.