[jillybean]

I had this hand at the club today;

---

No SJS available. I chuckled to myself when partner opened 1♥ thinking this could be a good hand
for the 2♣ 0+ gf treatment.

2♥ is , 6+

[smerriman]

Even playing SJS this hand wouldn't qualify for one.

Do you play 2♠ as forcing? Probably not otherwise this might be easy.

Other choices are 3♣, 4♦, 4N.. I'm worried about partner bidding 3N over 3♣, so I'll try the splinter.

[mike777]

smerriman, on 2025-July-24, 23:23, said:

Even playing SJS this hand wouldn't qualify for one.

Do you play 2♠ as forcing? Probably not otherwise this might be easy.

Other choices are 3♣, 4♦, 4N.. I'm worried about partner bidding 3N over 3♣, so I'll try the splinter.

Agree

[mw64ahw]

3♣ is forcing and gives partner the opportunity to show ♠ support./stoppers
If not then with Ax♥ we have an eight-card fit with slam potential there.

[pescetom]

mw64ahw, on 2025-July-25, 01:13, said:

3♣ is forcing and gives partner the opportunity to show ♠ support./stoppers

But we don't want stoppers and 3NT, so why suggest we do?
Spades would be better, but carpe diem.
We can live with the hearts fit and the 4D splinter looks near perfect, despite being a K.

[Huibertus]

Unless partner is max for 2♥ if we're going to slam or stop at the 5 level, this hand will be highly dependent on choosing the best fit I feel. a 6-3 fit will play much better than the 6-2 fit due to being able to ruff high the 6-2 fit.

So for me it's 3♣ I'm going to bid. When partner bids 3♠ we'll be investigating a ♠ slam. If partner bids 3♥ then we'll investigate a ♥ slam. If partner bids 3♦ I'm bidding 3♥ suggesting to start cueing in that case if partner doesn't cooperate I'm going to pass 4♥.

[mw64ahw]

pescetom, on 2025-July-25, 02:02, said:

But we don't want stoppers and 3NT, so why suggest we do?
Spades would be better, but carpe diem.
We can live with the hearts fit and the 4D splinter looks near perfect, despite being a K.

If you're aiming for slam then a diamond bid (ask or showing) may be useful info. given responder only has Ax♥.
It may also be that opener has x6x4 and clubs is the better slam so why rule that out by splintering.

[Cyberyeti]

mw64ahw, on 2025-July-25, 02:41, said:

If you're aiming for slam then a diamond bid (ask or showing) may be useful info. given responder only has Ax♥.
It may also be that opener has x6x4 and clubs is the better slam so why rule that out by splintering.

This is a question of style, we would always rebid 2♣ rather than 2♥ unless it's KQJxxx/xxxx in which case you may not want to be in clubs anyway

I think there's a case for 3♣ then 5N over 3N pick a slam if you play it.

Think of a hand like K, Qxxxxx, Axx, KJx where playing in hearts is bad (and the unfindable 7♣ is more than decent), but you would prefer all the small slams other than diamonds to 6♥

[P_Marlowe]

3C

lets take it from there, it generates a gf, and we may gather useful information.

[jillybean]

3C will result in a 3nt response
I'm not sure of your style but I think 4D would get me a 4H response.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2025-July-25, 06:11, said:

3C will result in a 3nt response
I'm not sure of your style but I think 4D would get me a 4H response.

That is my biggest concern about 3C. I agree with others that 3C is otherwise very attractive and productive, but 3NT is an auction stopper here.
I would also be concerned about a 3H rebid after 3C: with a trusted partner I would be confident that 3S will be taken as a control-bid fixing trumps in hearts, but otherwise this risks causing confusion.

Our style is that 1H opening is fairly solid and a splinter by responder shows at least mild slam interest. So if opener shows restraint with 4H I am still going to control-bid 4S.

With a more regular partner than I currently have, I would like 1H-2S to be a strong jump, as some Italian national team players have reverted to playing. Reluctantly, as this is also one the few really useful weak jumps IMO. But I think it's even more useful as strong.

[mw64ahw]

jillybean, on 2025-July-25, 06:11, said:

3C will result in a 3nt response
I'm not sure of your style but I think 4D would get me a 4H response.

4♦ would now be a slam try in ♥ for me. With 4.5 mod. losers I will pursue the slam showing odd keycards and a ♠ control

[jillybean]

Uh, no
4D was your splinter after 2H

[mw64ahw]

jillybean, on 2025-July-25, 07:51, said:

Uh, no
4D was your splinter after 2H

4♦ is my slam try in ♥ after 3N

[P_Marlowe]

jillybean, on 2025-July-25, 06:11, said:

3C will result in a 3nt response
I'm not sure of your style but I think 4D would get me a 4H response.

This basically means, he has diamond values, which are kind of wasted,
and yes Ax is not total wasted, but if he has this, it means his heart suit
is not worth much, he is after all limited to at most 15/16HCP.
The spade shortage devalues our spade suit, ... and yes 3NT did not deny
Kx in spade, it just makes it less likely.

You can now bid 4H, this should get the message across.
If he moves, fine, if not, fine as well. 4H will be a reasonable contract, it may
not be the best contract, but it will be reasonable, even if p does not get the
message.

what 4D over 3NT means? It is a slam try, but it is not necessarily a slam try
for hearts, you could have a self sufficient spade suit, 4D only denies a strong
2-suiter with the blacks.

Not knowing the hand, but given that opener has diamond wastage, and because there
is not much room between 4D and 4H ... I am certain 4H is the bid, opener should make.

[mycroft]

"There are no new suits at the 4 level". Not an absolute (Texas transfers, anyone?) but it works well. In context, 4♦ shows that you know what suit you're playing in (and it's probably hearts), and are interested in slam opposite partner's minimum with 6 hearts and diamond cards (and probably something in clubs, too, as "third suit forcing" is a thing).

Is this something I would expect a pickup to get? No, even if they're flight A and better than I am - at least partially because they have to both "get it" and "guess that I get it too". Will I get passed in 4♦? 100% no. Will I get useful information from the rebid? Eh, maybe not, but my guess can't be less random than it is over 3NT.

5♥ instead? Bonus that it pinpoints two things (the trump suit, and "I need good trumps", knowing that 4NT is ambiguous and probably not KC); negative that you need good trumps *and kings*. But they opened didn't they?

[P_Marlowe]

mycroft, on 2025-July-25, 09:36, said:

<snip>

5♥ instead? Bonus that it pinpoints two things (the trump suit, and "I need good trumps", knowing that 4NT is ambiguous and probably not KC); negative that you need good trumps *and kings*. But they opened didn't they?

I like 5H, ... I sometimes use it, but I should stop asking, how did you take it ...

[pescetom]

As I said earlier, 3NT is the auction killer, which is why I would (reluctanly) avoid an investigative 3♣ and opt for a hearts splinter in the first place.
What can happen afterwards?
4♥... has sense, but we may be missing a slam.
4♦... fine if you have a real agreement (exactly what and when?) in these circumstances, otherwise not a stunt I would pull if I was lucky enough to play with a flight A better than me.
4NT... might be for 4 Aces or 5 hearts keycards or Quantitative, better to avoid the doubt if not agreed, in any case it looks like a crutch
5♥... if you are both "best before" might make sense, but with a different hand
6♥... I have too much respect for partner to bid it, but recognize it might do well.
Good luck.

[smerriman]

pescetom, on 2025-July-25, 06:42, said:

With a more regular partner than I currently have, I would like 1H-2S to be a strong jump, as some Italian national team players have reverted to playing. Reluctantly, as this is also one the few really useful weak jumps IMO. But I think it's even more useful as strong.

Would they really jump on this hand? For me SJS requires specific features so that we can show them in less space - the next bid either setting spades as trumps, showing heart support, or promising the sort of 18-19 balanced that's hard to show later, and definitely rules out playing a side suit. None of them apply here.

[johnu]

smerriman, on 2025-July-25, 16:39, said:

Would they really jump on this hand? For me SJS requires specific features so that we can show them in less space - the next bid either setting spades as trumps, showing heart support, or promising the sort of 18-19 balanced that's hard to show later, and definitely rules out playing a side suit. None of them apply here.

AKA Soloway jump shifts