[BunnyGo]

Your partner preempts in first seat, naturally you have a monster hand. Now what?

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You're playing a Meckwell version of Ogust where the 3♣ response says it was a 5 card preempt. You've agreed that 4♣ is a modified key card. It's undiscussed what Ace ask you have available *after* an Ogust bid (suggestions are welcome).

How do you bid this hand?

Spoiler

If you bid Ogust he bids 3♦ showing bad hand bad suit 6 card suit.

If you bid 4♣ the first time he bids 4♥ showing one keycard no queen.

If you have other systems here, I'd be interested in hearing those if you prefer.

[han]

I like playing 4C as modified keycards also after the Ogust reply.

After either ask it seems obvious to bid 4S. If partner has a 4-card minor we likely have a slam in that minor but there's no way to find out and 4S may be high enough.

[cherdano]

Given that you don't have clear follow-up agreements to Ogust, I would just bid 4♣. If partner has a keycard and ♠Q, then slam is quite unlikely to be worse than needing a 3-2 break and avoiding a heart lead, and it could be laydown after you avoid the ♦ ruff at trick 2.
Still, having Ogust+keycard available would be much better, opposite a bad spade suit you don't want to be in slam unless partner has two aces.

[jdeegan]

2NT
Pard needs almost the magic hand for six. Might as well see if he thinks he has it.

[Cyberyeti]

jdeegan, on 2011-August-31, 09:48, said:

2NT
Pard needs almost the magic hand for six. Might as well see if he thinks he has it.

Agree with the bid, not sure about the comment, AQxxxx and a stiff heart or only 4 cards between hearts and clubs gives you decent chances, hardly magic, ditto A♦ and QJxxxx.

The kicker may be where partner has something revolting like Qxxxxx, Q10, 10, Jxxx where 3N is solid but 4♠ is not guaranteed.

[mycroft]

cherdano, on 2011-August-31, 08:24, said:

Given that you don't have clear follow-up agreements to Ogust, I would just bid 4♣. If partner has a keycard and ♠Q, then slam is quite unlikely to be worse than needing a 3-2 break and avoiding a heart lead, and it could be laydown after you avoid the ♦ ruff at trick 2.

If they're playing that version of Ogust, I think (especially white-on-red first seat) what you mean is "worse than needing a 3-*3* break and avoiding a heart lead"...

Of course, if they're playing the (to my mind silly, but my partners insist) rule where a 5-card suit must be a max (good suit, outside card, not 5-3-3-2), then you're probably back in the game. But I'd expect a crappy 5-carder here more often than ♦A ♠QJxxxx or ♠AQxxxx ...

[JLOGIC]

I would give up after he showed the worst and 6 spades.

[cherdano]

mycroft, on 2011-August-31, 11:40, said:

If they're playing that version of Ogust, I think (especially white-on-red first seat) what you mean is "worse than needing a 3-*3* break and avoiding a heart lead"...

Good point, I didn't read that part. If partner has 5 spades though, I really fancy playing slam in his minor side suit (and I really hope he cannot be 5332).

[Foxx]

Ask for key cards ASAP. With these methods, we can stop in 4♠ if North shows one key card without the trump queen, and I just have to hope partner doesn't have the ♦A and ♠QJ10xxx.

We're putting down 6-7 tricks, the five level should be safe opposite anything remotely resembling a 2♠ bid.

[whereagles]

BunnyGo, on 2011-August-31, 07:56, said:

Your partner preempts in first seat, naturally you have a monster hand. Now what?

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If you have other systems here, I'd be interested in hearing those if you prefer.

Well, I have this response scheme. It's not optimal, but copes ok with systematic 5-card preempts.

2x 2NT
3C = forget it. I have a BAD hand.
3D = so-so hand, 5 cards
3H = so-so, 6 cards
3S = max hand, 5 cards
3NT= cool hand, 6 cards. Could have opened 1x.

Using this method I'd just wheel-off the relay and bid on opposite a max response. Using your methods I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I'd just ask the nr. of cards and sign-off in 3NT if pard has only 5 cards.

[BunnyGo]

Thanks for the comments. Here's the whole hand. We've now agreed that 4♣ modified KC is still available after Ogust.

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