[Cyberyeti]

Zelandakh, on 2026-April-19, 06:26, said:

You haven't mentioned whether you play Leaping Michaels so I was taking 6-5 off of the table.
I nearly wrote x46x in the previous post but I wanted to be as broad as possible - it also seems to me by far the most likely shape. Did you look for the slam here? If partner has first round club control, we might even have a grand on (♥QJxx ♦AKQJxx ♣A is more than enough) but I don't think it's reasonable to sort that out in the space, so just getting to 6 whenever partner has a club control ought to be a decent score on average.

We do, but not NLM remember we're doing this over 3♠, the danger is that he has x, QJxx, AKQJxx, Kx and you lose the first 2 tricks if you declare, but 6♦ doesn't have 12. So you need to get partner to bid hearts.

[Zelandakh]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-April-19, 06:59, said:

We do, but not NLM remember we're doing this over 3♠, the danger is that he has x, QJxx, AKQJxx, Kx and you lose the first 2 tricks if you declare, but 6♦ doesn't have 12. So you need to get partner to bid hearts.

I think partner should bid 6♦ over 5♥ with that, which we can pass.

[Cyberyeti]

Zelandakh, on 2026-April-19, 07:23, said:

I think partner should bid 6♦ over 5♥ with that, which we can pass.

And go -1

[jillybean]

Still no hand?

[Cyberyeti]

jillybean, on 2026-April-20, 06:15, said:

Still no hand?

Because I'm about to ask some questions that may get different answers if you can see the hand, on the end of the auction:

1: if hearts were not in the frame as they are here, by agreement 4♥ would be kickback. Now since 4♥ is natural to play, the question is should 4♠ be a cue, natural psyche exposing, kickback in diamonds, 6 ace KB for both reds ?
2: the answer to 1 has implications for what 4N means, suggestions
3: what is the approximate range for partner's hand ?
4: is 5♥ simply invitational with hearts, or does it say something about suit quality ?

[mike777]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-April-20, 06:33, said:

Because I'm about to ask some questions that may get different answers if you can see the hand, on the end of the auction:

1: if hearts were not in the frame as they are here, by agreement 4♥ would be kickback. Now since 4♥ is natural to play, the question is should 4♠ be a cue, natural psyche exposing, kickback in diamonds, 6 ace KB for both reds ?
2: the answer to 1 has implications for what 4N means, suggestions
3: what is the approximate range for partner's hand ?
4: is 5♥ simply invitational with hearts, or does it say something about suit quality ?

All good but complicated questions. One reason I just bid 5NT.

Friday I showed hearts then double jumped, self splintered with 4D, opponents known suit, partner bid 4s, kickback for hearts, I responded 5C, partner passed. Not a success.

[Cyberyeti]

mike777, on 2026-April-20, 13:00, said:

All good but complicated questions. One reason I just bid 5NT.

Friday I showed hearts then double jumped, self splintered with 4D, opponents known suit, partner bid 4s, kickback for hearts, I responded 5C, partner passed. Not a success.

5NT is not as simple for us as it is for you, we don't play "pick a slam". Anyway, is partner expected to realise that you have ♥AKxx ♦xx and that with 6 solid diamonds and ♥Qxxx to pick hearts.

[Cyberyeti]

OK, since nobody is biting on this one, partner's hand is x, Q109x, AKQxxx, Ax, you make 13 in hearts, 12 in diamonds as both suits are 3-2.

My partner bid 4♥ with the hand in question and we lost a slam swing to 6♦. I think 5♥ playing what we play, preparing to play 6♦ if partner is very strong with just diamonds which will get 6♥ you pick up a couple of IMPs is the correct bid.

[mike777]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-April-20, 13:54, said:

5NT is not as simple for us as it is for you, we don't play "pick a slam". Anyway, is partner expected to realise that you have ♥AKxx ♦xx and that with 6 solid diamonds and ♥Qxxx to pick hearts.

All good points, sometimes you just try and do the best you can, if not the best possible....