[lamford]

---

Last round of a team event and you are vaguely in contention. The auction has gone faster and crazier than a March Hare. Your go.

[kuhchung]

I have so much but I keep picturing partner with x AKQxxxxxx AKx --

[lamford]

kuhchung, on 2016-March-28, 17:43, said:

I have so much but I keep picturing partner with x AKQxxxxxx AKx --

They have not led a spade yet, and the ace of spades can be with the pre-emptor as well ...

[Phil]

I really have no idea if we have any holes in the off suits or even if my cA is working. Generally when my partners make this call it's some sort of 8-4 hand.

Does he have:

AJXX AKQxxxxx x void (or void, x)

Or maybe

Void AKQxxxxx AKxx x?

I'm not laying 11:14 odds I'm going to guess right so I'll pass.

[rmnka447]

Can I count 13 tricks? No. Do I have any idea how my hand fits with partner? No.

Partner also may be pushing for a big swing and might be delighted with my hand.

I'm passing.

[mike777]

pass. perhaps the other table will bid 7 to "push" the board, so I will go for the win.

[lamford]

mike777, on 2016-March-29, 01:00, said:

pass. perhaps the other table will bid 7 to "push" the board, so I will go for the win.

At the other table in your seat is the sponsor, a nonagenarian ... And the two teams are lying third and fourth in the event at the time, so both will want a big win.

I did bid seven and partner had ♠none ♥AKQxxxxxx ♦AKx ♣x so was cold. I thought he might well be 1-0 or 0-1 in the blacks, but the vulnerable pre-emptor might well have the ace of spades, especially if his clubs are QJTxxxx(x), so you have two ways to win, as they say in poker. I think it is also right to redouble if they hit it. We were seven and eight VPs behind the two leading teams, so really did need a blitz. In the end even that would not have been enough.

[Zelandakh]

kuhchung, on 2016-March-28, 17:43, said:

I have so much but I keep picturing partner with x AKQxxxxxx AKx --

If we were only worried about this hand we could advance 6NT to show ♣A and probably be in decent shape. The problem comes when partner has a diamond singleton and 6♥ was the last making spot.

[WesleyC]

Automatic Pass.

If partner wanted to involve you in the auction they would have done so.

[Zelandakh]

WesleyC, on 2016-March-29, 04:43, said:

Automatic Pass.

If partner wanted to involve you in the auction they would have done so.

Would you also pass holding both black aces? Partner bid 6 direct because they were unable to find out what they needed to know to judge whether grand is on. That does not mean that we cannot help out when holding the nuts.

[billw55]

lamford, on 2016-March-29, 03:06, said:

I did bid seven and partner had ♠none ♥AKQxxxxxx ♦AKx ♣x so was cold. I thought he might well be 1-0 or 0-1 in the blacks, but the vulnerable pre-emptor might well have the ace of spades, especially if his clubs are QJTxxxx(x), so you have two ways to win, as they say in poker. I think it is also right to redouble if they hit it. We were seven and eight VPs behind the two leading teams, so really did need a blitz. In the end even that would not have been enough.

This hand type is predictable, but you have no way of knowing in which of three suits his singleton is. I think it is a poor gamble in isolation. Yes, the missing ace might be with preemptor, but more likely with opening leader. Bascially you are starting with a 1 in 3 chance, getting back a fraction when preemptor has the ace, but then giving a fraction of that fraction back again when opening leader guesses right anyway. Overall less than an even money shot I think. Although, the match conditions may warrant it.

[WesleyC]

Zelandakh, on 2016-March-29, 05:02, said:

Would you also pass holding both black aces? Partner bid 6 direct because they were unable to find out what they needed to know to judge whether grand is on. That does not mean that we cannot help out when holding the nuts.

It would depend on the exact hand, maybe?

My hesitance to raise is probably a style thing to some extent - I like to give my partners carte blanche when they jump around at FAV.

Why punish partner when they might have made a tactical 6♥ bid with extreme shape but not so many high cards. We might already have won the board!

It's taken me quite a few years to come to this conclusion, but bidding speculative grand-slams in competitive auctions is losing bridge.

[Vampyr]

WesleyC, on 2016-March-29, 06:36, said:

My hesitance to raise is probably a style thing to some extent - I like to give my partners carte blanche when they jump around at FAV.

I didn't play in the event, but remarkably everyone I spoke to had the same first two bids!

[kuhchung]

for the record, i would pass, but i guess i missaw partner's hand and had a spade in with his club

[gszes]

PASS

If p needed the club A for 7 they could have bid 6c instead of 6h. I have a simple rule -- if p opens or freely jumps to 6 of a suit ONLY raise if you have the A OR K of partners suit.
This may only pop up once in a rare while but it is a really good rule when it does come up.

[lamford]

gszes, on 2016-March-30, 13:03, said:

PASS

If p needed the club A for 7 they could have bid 6c instead of 6h. I have a simple rule -- if p opens or freely jumps to 6 of a suit ONLY raise if you have the A OR K of partners suit.
This may only pop up once in a rare while but it is a really good rule when it does come up.

A far more useful use of 6C is pick a major, something like AKQxx AKQxx AKx none

[FrancesHinden]

I can't think of any call that would make me a man.

[SteveMoe]

Pass - responsibility transfer.

Lose the zoology. Let's play bridge.

[lamford]

billw55, on 2016-March-29, 06:29, said:

This hand type is predictable, but you have no way of knowing in which of three suits his singleton is.

I think you can have a good guess. We might guess that partner has 11 tricks; with 10 it would be WoG to bid 6H. He is more likely to have eight solid hearts than nine, and more likely to have nine solid hearts than ten. If he has nine, he needs two tricks outside. If he has Ax AKQxxxxxx A x then you are solid. If he has x AKQxxxxxx AKx none then it depends on the lead. If he has Ax AKQxxxxxx Ax none you are still solid. And I don't buy this "taking a flyer at fav" view. One thing you do know is that he cannot have the AK of spades, but can have the AK of diamonds.

[gszes]

lamford, on 2016-March-30, 15:48, said:

A far more useful use of 6C is pick a major, something like AKQxx AKQxx AKx none

Far too easy to bid a simple 4c (pick a major) and raise to 6 rather than waste a valuable call on duplication