[pescetom]

sfi, on 2023-February-21, 02:21, said:

TBH I struggle to see how to get to slam most of the time. I would expect the auction to start:

1D - (1S) - P - (2S)
X - (P) - 3H - (P)

Now it's hard for West to do more than just raise to game. Maybe West finds an inspired 3S call, which means East could finally show some values. Or maybe East bids again after West raises to game. Even then it's not clear they reach slam. It's a well-deserved result if they do though.

Easy to speculate after seeing the board, but for us it could continue:

1D - (1S) - P - (2S)
X - (P) - 3H - (P)
4C - (P) - 4H - (P)
4S - (X) - 5D - (P)
6H - (P) - P - (P)

3H is minimum, but quite a wide range and still likely to include HK, also the auction marks E with just 4 cards in the minors.
If W does find the courage to explore with a 4C control-bid (big if, I concede) then he isn't going to be deterred by 4H, now 5D promises a keycard and 3rd level diamond control which is manna.

Probably just resulting, but the same methods did work out on this similar board that came up same day, as so often happens (wonder if Kurt Vonnegut ever played bridge and had a name for the phenomenon).

[sfi]

pescetom, on 2023-February-21, 05:40, said:

Easy to speculate after seeing the board, but for us it could continue:

1D - (1S) - P - (2S)
X - (P) - 3H - (P)
4C - (P) - 4H - (P)
4S - (X) - 5D - (P)
6H - (P) - P - (P)

3H is minimum, but quite a wide range and still likely to include HK, also the auction marks E with just 4 cards in the minors.
If W does find the courage to explore with a 4C control-bid (big if, I concede) then he isn't going to be deterred by 4H, now 5D promises a keycard and 3rd level diamond control which is manna.

Probably just resulting, but the same methods did work out on this similar board that came up same day, as so often happens (wonder if Kurt Vonnegut ever played bridge and had a name for the phenomenon).

It feels a lot like resulting, but maybe your partnership has inferences that suit this particular hand. To me, it looks like West doesn't know East has any values until the 5D bid, and by that time you could already be past your last making spot. East doesn't have a clear picture of the hand either - couldn't West be something like an 0355 hand where the side doesn't have a fit?

I might try it out on a couple of good pairs and see what they come up with.

[pescetom]

sfi, on 2023-February-22, 05:51, said:

It feels a lot like resulting, but maybe your partnership has inferences that suit this particular hand. To me, it looks like West doesn't know East has any values until the 5D bid, and by that time you could already be past your last making spot.

West not only has to assume East has some values, but also that South is likely to have 3 card spades (he could check the system card, or ask about the auction).
But neither hypothesis is unreasonable and it doesn't need much to have at least 5♥ making (swap ♥K and ♥7 on the actual layout and 6♥ is still on).
It's a big if, as I did say.

sfi, on 2023-February-22, 05:51, said:

East doesn't have a clear picture of the hand either - couldn't West be something like an 0355 hand where the side doesn't have a fit?

East has the inference from the double of spades that West has 4 card hearts (not necessarily ideal, but our agreement).