My hand: ♠ 3 ♥ A Q 6 4 3 ♦ A Q 3 ♣ A K Q 7
Partner opens 3 spades. I have a 21 count so clearly partner has preempted me. Are we more likely to make 3NT or 4 spades? Can we make 6 of either one?
If partner's spades are rock solid then we have 12 tricks with choice of two red finesses for 13 tricks. If partner has either red K or the club J then we have 6 offsuit tricks and make 7 spades if he has a solid suit and 6 spades if he has a mostly solid suit. If he has a lot of spade losers we're sunk though.
Now, I think bidding 5 spades here should ask him for his trump quality and ask him to bid 6 spades with a solid suit. Does Jack think that? What would he take 4 clubs to mean? How about 4 hearts?
I'll replay the hand afterwards to find out, but for now I think 5 spades and hope is the right play. It gets passed out. East leads the 4 of diamonds.
NORTH ♠ K Q J T 8 2 ♥ ♦ K J 6 5 ♣ 8 3 2 | ||
| EAST ♦ 4 | ||
| SOUTH ♠ 3 ♥ A Q 6 4 3 ♦ A Q 3 ♣ A K Q 7 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 3♠ | Pass | 5♠ | |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
I have 13 tricks but am missing the A of spades so I will only make 6. I might get held to 5 if they get a ruff. 4-A-7-5. I draw trump. 3-5-K-A. East returns another diamond. 9-3-8-J. Spades are not 5-1 so I make 6.
| NORTH ♠ K Q J T 8 2 ♥ ♦ K J 6 5 ♣ 8 3 2 | ||
| WEST ♠ 9 5 ♥ K 9 8 5 2 ♦ T 8 7 ♣ J 9 4 | EAST ♠ A 7 6 4 ♥ J T 7 ♦ 9 4 2 ♣ T 6 5 | |
| SOUTH ♠ 3 ♥ A Q 6 4 3 ♦ A Q 3 ♣ A K Q 7 |
Professor Jack disagrees with my 5 spade bid. He says it's too passive and I should think about slam. Clearly jumping to 5 spades didn't mean what I thought it did. The claim is it shows 3+ spades and 18+ points. What? How can that bid both make sense and not be a slam going move? If he'd thought it was preemptive that would be understandable, but to show a monster and not be a slam try of some kind? Weak. (And did you notice Jack didn't have 7 spades for his 3 spade bid?)
4 clubs would show control in clubs for spades. Doing so gets partner to cuebid hearts. If I then cuebid diamonds he cuebids hearts again. If instead I cuebid clubs again he cuebids hearts again.
If I bid 4NT he would show 1 keycard, and then I can ask for the Q of trump with 5 diamonds. He would bid 5NT showing the Q of trump and one outside K. At this point I'm forced to try 6 spades though without information about the J and T of trump that's very risky. I guess if his preempt has to be solid this is a good play.
On the replay North starts with a mere 2 spades. South bids 2NT asking for a feature. North shows a diamond card. South heads to 3NT where they sit. This seems unconscionably weak. North solidified your diamond suit, so if you can find a trump suit you have slam somewhere. If I had to bid on in my seat I think this South has to as well. They make 6NT.
I decide to fudge the deal and see just how weak partner will go and open 3 spades. He will on KQJ842. He will on KQJ542. He will not on KQ6542. He will not on KQT542. He will not on KQT987, which seems better than KQJ542 in a lot of ways.
If he actually bids what I think he should and start with only 1 spade (10 points, 6-4, void?) we end up in 6NT which makes trivially. (Though only because he follows up my 2H bid with 2S. If he follows up with 3D then we end up in 6 diamonds which also makes trivially.)
Nick: 680
Jack: 690
IMPs: 0 (+18 total)
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