[Siegmund]

From the Sunday Swiss at a sectional last weekend.

♠AKJx
♥x
♦KQTxxxx
♣x

♠Qxxx
♥AJxx
♦AJ
♣Axx

Playing with a pickup partner, we had a simple boring auction, 1NT-2C-2H-6D.

At the other table, a regular partnership took six rounds of bidding, to tie us in 6D. Something like 1NT-2C, 2H-3D, 3S-4C, 4D-5D, 5H-5S, 6C-6D, which resulted in a director call and a bunch of argument about whether their cuebidding style was well disclosed.

I trust all of you can get to a better spot with your regular partners:)

[Lord Molyb]

south is dealer?
1♣ - 2♦
2♥ - 2♠
3♠ - 4NT
5♦ - 5♥
6♠ - 7NT

1♣ = Precision
2♦ = Natural, positive
2♥ through 3♠ = Natural
4NT = RKCB for spades
5♦ = 3/0
5♥ = Q?
6♠ = yes, no king
7NT = can count 13 tricks

[SteveMoe]

How about
1N (14-16)-2♣
2♥-3♦ (GF)
3♠ - 4N
5♦(0-3) - 5♥ (♠Q?)
6♠ - 7♠ (count 13 tricks).

[mike777]

given we have all the keycards....not sure.

[Antrax]

Is it a rare agreement that allows to show a four-card major after a ♦transfer?

[CamHenry]

Antrax, on 2013-August-21, 01:03, said:

Is it a rare agreement that allows to show a four-card major after a ♦transfer?

Not sure - I definitely have that agreement in any competitive partnership. For what it's worth, my auction would be:
1♦ - 2♣ Strong / transfer to ♦, weak or slam try
2♦ - 2♠ No great support / side suit
3♠ - 4♣ Spade fit (4+) / 4 or 6 controls (A=2, K/singleton=1, SQ=1)
6♠ - 7♠ 7 controls, no K/singleton / AK in all suits, AKQ trumps, source of tricks

[Cyberyeti]

Playing weak no trump Acol:

1♥-2♦
2N(GF not always bal)-3♠
4♠-4N
5♣(0/3)-5♦(Q♠?)
6♠(yes but nothing else)-7♠

Playing our system over 1N adjusted for range:

1N-2♣
2♥-2♠(minor suit stayman slammish, not 4♥)
3♠(4-4 majors)-4♥(RKC spades,bid otherwise redundant as cannot hold hearts, 4N would be quantitative)
4♠(0/3)-4N(Q♠?)
6♠(yes and not even another Q)-7♠

[Zelandakh]

1♣ = 15+ nat/bal or 18+ any
... - 1♥ = GF, 4+ spades, if bal or 3-suited then 4+ hearts
1NT = 15-17 bal without 5 spades
... - 2♣ = major ask
2♠ = 4 spades
... - 3♦ = serious SI, asks for diamond control
3♠ = diamond and heart controls
... - 3NT = RKCB
4♦ = 0 or 3 key cards
... - 4♥ = Q ask
5♠ = ♠Q, no side king, no extras
... - 7NT

As long as the spade fit is found and North asks for key cards at some point, it seems difficult to find a sensible auction that does not reach a grand. I really have no idea what the North opponent in the OP was thinking. They know about the spade fit and that partner has ♦A. Sometimes good players think that they are a cut above the rest when they do not use RKCB but here, when all you care about is ♥A, ♣A and ♠Q it is pretty poor to bypass it for a nebulous cue auction. Whatever your cue-bidding style, there is generally no adjustment to be had against the opponents bidding badly.

[PhilKing]

SteveMoe, on 2013-August-20, 22:21, said:

How about
1N (14-16)-2♣
2♥-3♦ (GF)
3♠ - 4N
5♦(0-3) - 5♥ (♠Q?)
6♠ - 7♠ (count 13 tricks).

If I did this, they would lead a diamond which would get ruffed. You can count 13 in NTs.

[Cyberyeti]

PhilKing, on 2013-August-21, 05:19, said:

If I did this, they would lead a diamond which would get ruffed. You can count 13 in NTs.

If I blasted 7N diamonds would be 4-0 offside, partner wouldn't have the J and the spades would split. You pays your money and takes your choice.

[PhilKing]

Cyberyeti, on 2013-August-21, 06:10, said:

If I blasted 7N diamonds would be 4-0 offside, partner wouldn't have the J and the spades would split. You pays your money and takes your choice.

Justifying 7♠ (if you are serious) is just silly.

1. Partner can have the diamond jack.

2. Partner can have 3 diamonds, in which case 7♠ is beatable 11% of the time.

3. Spades can be 5-0 either way (another 4%).

4. Even when pard is 4423 without the jack, 7NT is better because the two 4-0 breaks do not balance, since spades probably need to be 3-2 when diamonds are 4-0 offside.

[Cyberyeti]

PhilKing, on 2013-August-21, 06:25, said:

Justifying 7♠ (if you are serious) is just silly.

1. Partner can have the diamond jack.

2. Partner can have 3 diamonds, in which case 7♠ is beatable 11% of the time.

3. Spades can be 5-0 either way (another 4%).

4. Even when pard is 4423 without the jack, 7NT is better because the two 4-0 breaks do not balance, since spades probably need to be 3-2 when diamonds are 4-0 offside.

If 7♠ is going off on a diamond ruff, it probably isn't going off without a double (since I've only shown 5 diamonds on one of my auctions and 0 on the other) after which I can reevaluate.

[PhilKing]

Cyberyeti, on 2013-August-21, 11:31, said:

If 7♠ is going off on a diamond ruff, it probably isn't going off without a double (since I've only shown 5 diamonds on one of my auctions and 0 on the other) after which I can reevaluate.

This is not correct in decent company. I would regard doubling as a blunder.

[Cyberyeti]

PhilKing, on 2013-August-21, 11:41, said:

This is not correct in decent company. I would regard doubling as a blunder.

How often do you lead a diamond from Jxxx (or xxxx or xxx) against 7♠ without the double, particularly when it's an unbid suit as it is in my second auction, most experts just lead a trump here.

[PhilKing]

Cyberyeti, on 2013-August-21, 12:27, said:

How often do you lead a diamond from Jxxx (or xxxx or xxx) against 7♠ without the double, particularly when it's an unbid suit as it is in my second auction, most experts just lead a trump here.

I didn't even look at your second auction (I am sure I am not alone in that). Yes, if they have had an artificial auction, you have a double.

After the standard auction, where responder has shown long diamonds, you are just wrong. A double would be considered pathetic by any genuinely good player unless they had good reason to believe they could beat 7NT. Joke scenario is when they switch to 7NT and take a first round hook of the eight with xx opposite AKQT8x (psychic double on stiff jack FTW).

[Cyberyeti]

PhilKing, on 2013-August-21, 12:33, said:

I didn't even look at your second auction (I am sure I am not alone in that). Yes, if they have had an artificial auction, you have a double.

After the standard auction, where responder has shown long diamonds, you are just wrong. A double would be considered pathetic by any genuinely good player unless they had good reason to believe they could beat 7NT. Joke scenario is when they switch to 7NT and take a first round hook of the eight with xx opposite AKQT8x (psychic double on stiff jack FTW).

I agree with you if really long diamonds have been shown, but all that's been shown in most of these auctions are 5♦/4♠.

My second auction is not really artificial, it's a consequence of playing the old fashioned 1N-2♣-2M-3m as 4OM6m to play (more sensible over the weak NT we use), so you bid 2♠ over 2♥ to locate a spade or minor suit fit and when you find the spades, the diamonds never enter the auction.