[Phil]

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Here's a hand from BBO Juniors yesterday. Can you come up with a sensible auction to get to 6♣?

[MickyB]

No. There's no wastage and it's still not that great a slam, unless I am missing something it is below par on a trump lead.

[cherdano]

MickyB, on 2011-January-19, 10:41, said:

No. There's no wastage and it's still not that great a slam, unless I am missing something it is below par on a trump lead.

If hearts are 3-3 or 4-2, and if trumps are 3-2, you can set up the hearts with two ruffs. Pavlicek's suit break calculator tells me that this is a little below 58%.

I think the auction should start
1C 1H
2D 2H
3N
Then responder has a close decision, but it seems he is just about worth 4♣.

[mtvesuvius]

Well, you can set up hearts (if 4-2 or better) on 3-2 trump I think...

Win in hand and lead a heart. Opponents win and return another trump (their best defense)... Win in dummy with the ♣T.

Ruff a heart high. Club to dummy. Ruff another heart high. ♣ to dummy and claim.

As for getting to 6♣, I looked at a normal reverse auction, something like:
1♣-1♥
2♦-3♣
3N - AP

EDIT: Or Cherdano's auction above

I've seen this problem a lot lately, and I think there should be a way to set clubs lower when possible... i.e. 2♠ here. Not sure how that would work for this hand, but in the past month I've seen 3 hands that missed a good 6♣ contract to play in 3N after 1♣-1M-2♦-3♣, since opener with 3oM to an honour or two feels obligated to bid 3N.

It seems that using 2oM as a 3♣ bid here works really well. Opener can bid 2N now with the 3145 hand that was forced into 3N before. Opener can rebid 3♣ as a catchall/6♣, 3♦ with 6-5, 3M with 3M, etc... Basically, I'm suggesting bidding 4SF on almost all hands with club support.

By reversing the meaning of 2oM and 3♣, 3♣ should become whatever 2oM was... Perhaps Artificial and showing exactly 6M is reasonable as well.

[MrAce]

cherdano, on 2011-January-19, 10:57, said:

If hearts are 3-3 or 4-2, and if trumps are 3-2, you can set up the hearts with two ruffs. Pavlicek's suit break calculator tells me that this is a little below 58%.

You can also make when trumps are 4-1 and ♥ 3-3. I think that increases your percentage.

[Fluffy]

1♣-1♥
2♦-2♥(2♥ relay)
2♠-3♣(2♠ nat, 3 spades, 3♣ nat)
3♥-3♠(3♥ 3145, 3♠ seminat, worried about diamonds)
4♣-4♦
6♣/4NT


Don't think this is really possible, but it is pretty


EDIT: I though for unknown reason that east was a passed hand, then it would make sense, but if east is unlimited he won't make all those moves with a minimum hand.

[xxhong]

1C 1H
2D 2S(5+H, gf)
2N(natural, denies 3H, 5D) 3C( may still belong to 5C or 4H when partner's D is very weak, also, this 3C shows 3 clubs)
3D(value showing, denies doubleton H) 3NT(no need to show 6 hearts, usually slam shouldn't be good)
4H(stiff honor, super maximum, 3-1-4-5 shape) 6C(stiff D, SK, CK and HQ should offer some plays)

Phil, on 2011-January-19, 10:06, said:

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Here's a hand from BBO Juniors yesterday. Can you come up with a sensible auction to get to 6♣?

[mycroft]

I'd probably start it
1C-1H
2D-2H (2S is the bad hand, 2H doesn't guarantee extras, but)
2S-3C (why not pattern out - surely 4045 bids 1S, not 2D?)
3D-3S (DA makes this hand a whole lot better - I'm assuming strong hand bids first round, but weak hand can 1&2)
whatever 4m is blackwood- one KC

Now West knows the entire hand (East could be 5-2 in the reds, I guess, but with extra strength).

Like many, I'm not sure I want to be in 6C, even if it is a good slam. Too many are going to be +430 in 3NT. Once I've blackwooded though, I'm pretty much committed (at MPs, at least).

Also, I'm assuming *a lot* of specialised conventions. I happen to play them, though :-)