[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

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You have a long relay sequence and end up in 7♦ from the south hand. Before congratulating yourself on your good bidding, you have to make your contract. West leads the ♣7.

How do you plan to make sure of your contract?

As a bonus question, how will you bid to 7♦?

[david_c]

Think I can do this one:

Spoiler

Play C9 from dummy, RHO covers (else you're home) and you ruff in hand. Now ruff a small heart high, and lead a small club from dummy. If RHO shows out you can safely ruff low, so then you simply ruff your second small heart high, draw trumps and claim. If RHO follows then you have to ruff with a high trump, but now you can draw trumps ending in dummy and you are assured of another club trick (either from a ruffing finesse if RHO has all the remaining clubs, or from establishing the suit if they break 4-2 or 3-3).

[FrancesHinden]

What david said on the play.
On the auction
1C - 1D
3H - 4H (cue)
4S - 5NT (GSF)
7D - P

[Codo]

Bidding:

1 ♣ 1 ♦
3♥ 3 ♠ (Shortness, Asking)
3 NT 4 ♣ (Chicane, RCKB)
4♦ 7 ♦ (4 KCS, enough)

Play: Kick it like Beckham, at least like david...

[luke warm]

bidding:
1c : 1h
1s : 2d (reds)
2h : 2s (5/5 or better reds)
2nt : 3nt (2560)
4c : 4h (3 controls)
4s : 4nt (no top diamond or all 3)
5c : 5d (no top heart of all 3)
5h : 5s (no top spade or all 3 - now north knows south has all 3 top hearts)
5nt : 6d (queen of diamonds)
7d

the play as david said

[Fluffy]

I wouldn't be surprised if I bid this one:

1♣-1♥
3♣-3♦
3♠-3NT

never finding the 10 card fit .

[jdonn]

For the auction, how about

1♣ 1♥
2♦ 4♦
4♠ 5NT
7♦

I would honestly bid 1♥ first with the discrepency in suit quality, and the rest of the auction seems normal enough.

[cherdano]

jdonn, on May 16 2006, 05:44 PM, said:

1♣ 1♥
2♦ 4♦
4♠ 5NT
7♦

Do you play first round cues? Playing mixed cues, responder can't bid 5N, as opener could have KQx x AKxx AKxxx. In fact, it's not so obvious how to get to this slam playing mixed cues after your start. Probably responder can cue 5♥ over 4♠, over which opener should jump to 7♦.

Arend

[jdonn]

cherdano, on May 16 2006, 11:03 AM, said:

jdonn, on May 16 2006, 05:44 PM, said:

1♣ 1♥
2♦ 4♦
4♠ 5NT
7♦

Do you play first round cues? Playing mixed cues, responder can't bid 5N, as opener could have KQx x AKxx AKxxx. In fact, it's not so obvious how to get to this slam playing mixed cues after your start. Probably responder can cue 5♥ over 4♠, over which opener should jump to 7♦.

Arend

Why not keycard with that hand?

Wow I replied fast I just got here a second after you replied.

[FrancesHinden]

cherdano, on May 16 2006, 05:03 PM, said:

jdonn, on May 16 2006, 05:44 PM, said:

1♣ 1♥
2♦ 4♦
4♠ 5NT
7♦

Do you play first round cues? Playing mixed cues, responder can't bid 5N, as opener could have KQx x AKxx AKxxx. In fact, it's not so obvious how to get to this slam playing mixed cues after your start. Probably responder can cue 5♥ over 4♠, over which opener should jump to 7♦.

Arend

I had a not dissimilar auction, except I responded a diamond.
I don't play mixed cues (except in partner's suit).
This is a good hand to show why.

[jdeegan]

As far as the play goes:

Spoiler

Play small on the club and ruff it in hand. Ruff a small heart high. Come to hand with a trump. Ruff a small heart high. Overtake the diamond jack with the queen and pull trump. At the end, I will pitch my losing spade on the club ace.

Since I try to always bid my longest suit first, my old-fashioned bidding would go:

1♣-Pass-1♦-Pass
3♥-Pass-4♦-Pass
4♥-Pass-5♣-Pass
5♠-Pass-5NT-Pass
7♦-Pass-Pass-Pass

[asdfg2k]

Your line doesn't work with 9xx of Diamonds on your left.

[Echognome]

luke warm, on May 16 2006, 12:39 AM, said:

bidding:
1c : 1h
1s : 2d (reds)
2h : 2s (5/5 or better reds)
2nt : 3nt (2560)
4c : 4h (3 controls)
4s : 4nt (no top diamond or all 3)
5c : 5d (no top heart of all 3)
5h : 5s (no top spade or all 3 - now north knows south has all 3 top hearts)
5nt : 6d (queen of diamonds)
7d

the play as david said

I gave this hand to a couple of friends who are relayers. Auction was same as you up to 3NT, except the next bid was 7♦. Why? A positive response to 1♣ is 2+ controls. Do you care if it is both major suit Kings or the ♥A?

For the play, you need to assume the worst. If diamonds are 2-1, then you can claim. So assume they are 3-0 (they were). Clubs were 5-1 and hearts don't split well either. You are actually surprised opponents weren't in the auction. However, your contract is still cold.

[luke warm]

Echognome, on May 17 2006, 02:27 AM, said:

I gave this hand to a couple of friends who are relayers.  Auction was same as you up to 3NT, except the next bid was 7♦.  Why? A positive response to 1♣ is 2+ controls. Do you care if it is both major suit Kings or the ♥A?

if i understand you, the bidding your friends spoke of would go:
1c : 1h
1s : 2d
2h : 2s
2nt : 3nt
7d

no i don't care whether the (minimum) promised controls consist of an ace or two kings, but i do care whether or not we have the ♦Q (even with 10 trumps), and the only way (for me) to find out is by scanning for it... maybe i'm just overly cautious, and maybe i'd take a chance at 7 even without it... but i feel a lot better knowing we have it

[jdeegan]

asdfg2k, on May 17 2006, 02:21 AM, said:

Your line doesn't work with 9xx of Diamonds on your left.

If RHO shows out of diamonds, I risk ruffing a club to get back to my hand.

[asdfg2k]

David gave the answer earlier in the thread and ruffing a club to get back to your hand wasn't "in the cards."