[ahydra]

(2♠)* - X - (4♠) - ?

* weak

You have

♠J10x
♥xx
♦AQxxx
♣AKJ

While you can probably assume partner has a singleton spade (at most), what contract do you pick? It's not clear whether to pick ♦ or ♣, and 5 or 6 of them.

ahydra

[mike777]

I will try 6d.
this might be wrong.

7 could be lay down.

[mgoetze]

I think vulnerability and strength of the field are relevant for this decision. If these factors are to my liking I might bid 5NT (ye olde pick-a-slam).

[cherdano]

5NT is awful, just bid diamonds at the level you think is right. I would bid 6D.

[Fluffy]

don't bid partner's hand, just 5♦, partner can see his void

[nige1]

ahydra, on 2010-December-31, 08:18, said:

You have ♠ J10x ♥ xx ♦ AQxxx ♣ AKJ
(2♠)* - X - (4♠) - ?
* weak
While you can probably assume partner has a singleton spade (at most), what contract do you pick? It's not clear whether to pick ♦ or ♣, and 5 or 6 of them.

IMO 5♦ = 10, _X (if ops vul) = 9, 6♦ = 8.

[ahydra]

This was a practice hand so there wasn't any real vulnerability as such. My first instinct was to X (definitely if we're NV and they're vul), but on the actual hand 6D was the correct choice when partner had

♠x
♥AK10x
♦Kxxxx
♣Qxx

If you trust partner to have the right amount of values for his X I feel that 6D is probably right as he's an overwhelming favourite to have those three key cards (♦K, ♥AK). If you bid 5D and partner has a minimum hand similar to the above he isn't going to bid on.

Thanks for your replies all

ahydra

[MinorKid]

Bidding 6♦ is completely right! 6♦ = 10 4NT = 8 5♦ = 7
It is a matter between 6♦ or 7♦. Shown in the bidding, partner would have at a singleton spade + >12 valuable Point count, or void in spades + >10 valuable point counts. Either way a 6♦ bid would be sufficient.

If I were partner holding the void + >12 valuable point counts (smth like ♠- ♥AKxxx ♦Kxxxx ♣Qxx), provided I can figure out how you decides 6♦, i would take a shot for 7♦.
Another suggestion is to bid 4NT which asks p to pick a minor suit. However, when you raise from 5 to 6 he would rarely find 7 himself. Anyway, ♣ or ♦ is not a very big deal for me. As long as partner has 3 diamonds it's enough, and the bidding do not suggest a bad break at all, isn't it?

I do not completely disagree 5♦ if you consider your partner bidding slightly weaker over a weak 2.

5NT is awful, unless your partner is nicknamed Minor*what*.

[the hog]

Fluffy, on 2011-January-01, 15:30, said:

don't bid partner's hand, just 5♦, partner can see his void

Agree with Fluffy. I have noticed a tendency for various players on this forum to overbid because they "know" their partner is void. Shock horror if the opps have suckered you into such a bid. Partner is still there; as Fluffy said, don't bid her hand for her.

[MinorKid]

Let me guess: LHO has ♠AKQx..s RHO has ♠xxxxs... nothing to spare. Why not bid boldly?

[MinorKid]

nige1, on 2011-January-01, 15:37, said:

IMO 5♦ = 10, _X (if ops vul) = 9, 6♦ = 8.

why DBL ?

[nige1]

MinorKid, on 2011-January-08, 00:53, said:

why DBL ?

Penalty suggestion

[JLOGIC]

the hog, on 2011-January-08, 00:25, said:

Agree with Fluffy. I have noticed a tendency for various players on this forum to overbid because they "know" their partner is void. Shock horror if the opps have suckered you into such a bid. Partner is still there; as Fluffy said, don't bid her hand for her.

Partner had a stiff spade and an almost complete minimum, and slam was 100 %. We don't need partner to have a spade void to make 6, nor do we need extras.

[Ant590]

I think bidding 5 because partner will bid 6 with a void spade is losing bridge. You will also bid 5 on weaker hands with longer diamonds, for instance, and here we do not want partner to raise to six. Unless partner has an awesome hand, 5 diamonds is getting passed out when 6 is often cold.

[mtvesuvius]

Yep, partner is never expected to raise just because they have a spade void. Just like you shouldn't bid their hand, they shouldn't bid yours, meaning that they should assume you can draw logical conclusions from an auction, in this case, that they have short or very short spades. Obviously if the opponents have done this on KQxxx facing Axx or something, they have earned a good board. Either way, I think not bidding 6 is masterminding the hand, and expecting a lot more out of partner than you should... After all, would you not bid this way with xx xxx KQJxxxx x?

[nige1]

IMO, it depends on how much you trust opponents. Another thread posed the question of what you would open on something like ♠AKQxx ♥ xxx ♦ x ♣ Txxx

Even so, the weaker partner's hand is, the shapelier it will be. And, effectively, we may well be playing with a 30 point deck, so on reflection 5♦ is a bit wimpy

[vuroth]

Yeah, it's the 30 point deck that ultimately leads me to bid 6♦. Partner rates to have at least 12 HCP outside spades, to go with our 14. To me, slam seems a decent bet.