Jeff Lehman

The Bid You Fear to Hear

You hold: T632  AKQJ6  —  KT83

Your auction begins as follows:

South
North
1
1
1
?

Under your partnership agreements (you play weak notrumps), the 1 bid promises an unbalanced hand.  Partner has five or more diamonds, unless he is specifically 4=1=4=4.

Would you bid 4 at this stage?  Or, do you believe you are too strong for 4 and/or you are uncertain that partner would take that call as a splinter in support of spades?

At the table, I bid 2 at this stage, artificial, fourth suit game forcing.

 

South
North
1
1
1
2
2NT
3
4
4
4
?

What is your plan now?

I chose to call 5 now.  My plan was to bid slam if partner DID NOT control bid 5, and to signoff in 5 if he did.

I am not sure if my plan was the best, but it worked out fine.  Partner did control bid 5 (the bid I fear to hear) over my 5 call and I followed plan by signing off in 5:

South
North
1
1
1
2
2NT
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
All Pass
 

Just making opposite partner’s QJ85  2  KQ875  AQ9.

Now had his K morphed into the K, pard would have bid 5 over my 5 and I would have bid 6 .  Pard would have made that contract, too.

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