Part 3 The Big Hand

We are going to travel across the table and look at the hand from the other side.  Vulnerable against not you hold

S AK2 H AJ75 D AJ83 C 42

Partner opens 2H showing hearts and a minor 5/5 (or 6/5) and you hear 3C natural by right hand opponent.  You love your hand but what to do.  Partner almost certainly has diamonds.  If partner has an ordinary hand like

S JX H KXXX D KXXXX C X

6 of a red suit looks pretty good although I personally had one that went down during the round robin that only needed one red suit to work in a similar situation (missing queen to four).  If partner has a good hand like

S XX H KQXXX D Q10XXX  C X

then 6H is on a finesse and no ruff.  On this auction finesses are a bit more likely to work.

You may notice that the key to the slam is partner’s club holding.  If partner has 2 clubs there is no slam, 1 club slam is likely to need at least a finesse and if partner is void slam is very good.  Is this hand worth a slam try?

If you want to make a slam try your choices are very limited.  You would like to draw attention to the club suit but how?  Any number of hearts or diamonds would be to play.  It is not completely clear what 3S is but it seems to me it should be natural.  So your only slam try is 4C.  I think double is basically penalty although partner may run with 6-5.

All in favour of a slam try – bid 4C; all opposed by 4H.

……………………

Lets say that you do decide to make a slam try.  The auction proceeds as follows back to you.

North	East	South	West
2H*	3C	4C	4H
pass	5C

 

West 4H bid if it means anything probably shows heart shortness.  This means that if a heart honour is missing it is onside.  What does partner’s pass mean.   Based on the earlier discussion it ought to show a hand which has some extra offensive strength (no double) but probably not a powerful offensive hand.  It likely shows a stiff club most of the time.  But of course you have never discussed this all.  In our system pass and pull is not stronger than pass so pass would be a neutral bid, leaving the decision for 5H (not for 6H) to partner.  It would suggest you are not interested in 6H I think.  Unfortunately you don’t really have a cuebid.  5D would be an offer to play there.  Double here would be for penalty and it is not an unreasonable choice you do have a lot of defensive cards.  You could, of course, take a shot at 6H,    What do you do and why?

………………………………………

I don’t think pass is that helpful.  Partner already passed suggesting they had some extra offence but not that much.  Unless you intend to bud 6H if partner bids 5H it isn’t going to really help.  So pass only if that is your plan.

If partner has a singleton club 6H is going to need at least a finesse most of the time.  If it is the heart finesse you are probably safe but it could be the diamond finesse which is less clear.  Taking a shot at 6H is not bad.  I think double is okay but the vulnerability makes it unappealing. 

So I think either 5H or 6H are reasonable choices.  If you chose 6H you win the CWTC!

6H is a very good contract and the heart finesse is onside as expected.

	S 108
	H Q109864
	D K9642
	C void
S Q7543		S K9
H 2		H J32
D Q10		D J32
C K8763		C A8765
	S AK2
	H AJ75
	D AJ83
	C 42