[paulhar]

I hope we all think that 1NT P 5NT invites a grand slam in notrump.

What do we all think about:
(#1) 1NT P 2C P 2S P 5NT
(#2) INT P 2C P 2D P 5NT
(#3) 1NT P 2H P 2S P 5NT
(#4) 1NT P 4H P 4S P 5NT
(#5) 1NT P 4C P 4S P 5NT
(#6) 1NT P 2H P 2S P 4C P 4S P 5NT? (assume 4C Gerber, please comment if you think this is rediculous)

[inquiry]

(#1) 1NT P 2C P 2S P 5NT

General grand slam try on power. Not pick a slam. First, opener probalby doesn't have hearts (I bid hearts with both), second responder doesn't have second suit (besides hs four card heart suit) else he would show it.

(#2) INT P 2C P 2D P 5NT

General grand slam try on power after not finding 4-4 major fit.

(#3) 1NT P 2H P 2S P 5NT

General grand slam on power. To use grand slam try in spades, show forcing spade raise or go through blackwood.... This just shows in addition to the grand slam try, five spades.

(#4) 1NT P 4H P 4S P 5NT

This one is grand slam try looking for top spades. IF you wanted to go on power, transfer at two level then jump to 5NT. I suspect responder has void somewhere, maybe two, and is lookig for quality of spades.

(#5) 1NT P 4C P 4S P 5NT

I guess 4C is gerber, so 5NT is general grandslam try, knowing not off an ace.

(#6) 1NT P 2H P 2S P 4C P 4S P 5NT?

4C as gerber here is not good... but ok. Partner has told me that spades are trumps with auction. I wonder if 5C would have been asking for trump queen? This is not an auction I am too pleased with, but I guess this has to be looking for quality of my trump suit. I like 6H here (instead of 5Nt) looking for 7 with the turmp queen or four card spade suit...

None of these are pick a slam. Pick a slam has to be to pick between two logical alternatives. One these auctions only one suit has been suggested.. If you want to have pick a slam.. .over transfer, show second suit, then leap to 5NT...

Ben

[Cascade]

inquiry, on Aug 6 2004, 05:00 AM, said:

(#3) 1NT P 2H P 2S P 5NT

General grand slam on power. To use grand slam try in spades, show forcing spade raise or go through blackwood.... This just shows in addition to the grand slam try, five spades.

...

None of these are pick a slam. Pick a slam has to be to pick between two logical alternatives.

There are two alternatives here - 6♠ or 6NT. Possibly there is even a third alternative 6minor if opener has a five-card minor.

I play this as pick a slam.

[Rebound]

#1. Quantitative, invites grand opposite max 1NT, else bid 6
#2. Same as above
#3. GSF ♠ - else why transfer?
#4. Same as #3
#5. To me, 4♣ is gerber, so same as #1
#6. Pick a slam

[luke warm]

#1, 2 i agree with others

#3 i'd bid 7♠ if i had 2 of the top 3, else 6♠... it might not be gsf, but then again it might... nothing's lost by bidding as if it is... i do not agree with transferring then bidding 5nt as general try... it should either be gsf in spades or pick a slam imho

#4, exactly the same as 3

#5 has to be gs try, else why not just sign off in 4nt or bid 6nt?

#6 - to me it makes no sense for this to be pick a slam, tho it might be... responder can pass, bid 4nt, bid 6♠... i think this is another gs try... btw, neither do i see any logic in 4♣ being gerber... why? i'd play that as splinter with long spades, probably a club void

[Trpltrbl]

I disagree with all, this is just silly bridge.
There are so many levels of bridge bypassed to bid 5 NT.
If my pd would bid 5 NT I would bid 7 and let my pd know after the game that the pd ship is over.
No matter if it made or not, but playing bridge like that has no future whatsoever with me....

Mike

[whereagles]

paulhar, on Aug 5 2004, 05:50 PM, said:

I hope we all think that 1NT P 5NT invites a grand slam in notrump.

What do we all think about:
(#1) 1NT P 2C P 2S P 5NT
(#2) INT P 2C P 2D P 5NT
(#3) 1NT P 2H P 2S P 5NT
(#4) 1NT P 4H P 4S P 5NT
(#5) 1NT P 4C P 4S P 5NT
(#6) 1NT P 2H P 2S P 4C P 4S P 5NT? (assume 4C Gerber, please comment if you think this is rediculous)

All this of course depends on what you agreed with partner.

Here's what I would make of these 5NT bids, assuming that I can't tell by looking at my hand what pard had in mind with 5NT. Keep in mind these replies may be more reflective of regional bidding methods than bridge judgement.

#1 #2 and #3: (And I prefer this auction formatting.. much easier for others to read )

1NT 2C
2S 5NT

1NT 2C
2D 5NT

1NT 2H
2S 5NT

I would be pretty confused here. Usually, I play that jump bids after a transfer or 2H/2S replies to stayman set the suit bid as fit, and after 1NT-2C-2D jumps as if no stayman had been bid. But that doesn't make much sense here, so I'd probably take 5NT as quantitative. For instance, in #2 that would be like 1NT-5NT, a forcing grand slam try. In #1 and #3 I'd take it as balanced slam try NON-forcing, since 4NT is usually used here as blackwood.

#4:
1NT 4H (I take this is transfer)
4S 5NT

Again, since blackwood is available, this is probably a balanced hand non-forcing slam try.

#5:
1NT 4C (I take this is gerber - YUCK I hate gerber )
4S 5NT

Well, usually after openers reply to the dreaded gerber convention (lol), next step asks for kings and other bids are to play. I guess responder wants to play 5NT because two aces are missing. This is strange but I guess it's sensible if opener/resp have, say..

AQxx...Kx
Ax.......KQJxxx
QJxx....Kxx
QJx......Kx

and scoring is pairs. (Could be that 4NT after 4S is to play and the king-ask is 5C. Dunno.. haven't played gerber in years )

#6
1NT 2H
2S 4C (gerber - I've seen some playing this 4C as gerber. They seemed happy about it, lol)
4S 5NT

Since gerber doesn't ask for specific aces/kings/queens, it could be that responder wants to know trump suit quality. Still, this would be confusing bidding, since he could have bid 4NT instead of 4C. I don't really know what I can make of 5NT otherwise.

As trpltrbl noted, this is the sort of auction you should NOT produce unless you're 100% sure you and pard know what it is. Usually one has alternatives to 5NT on those six hands, so better go the alternative and easy way and avoid trouble.

[helene_t]

Since this is "advanced and expert-class", I tend to agree with Mike. A quantitative 5NT only makes sense if all possibilities for finding a minor suit fit have been exhausted. But of course, the 5NT bid exists so it should mean something. Maybe, after Stayman, it could be 4333 with a 4-card in the other major. And after Jacoby it could be a 5332 with a doubleton in the other major. It should probably also be rather specific about honour locations. Is it really worth the effort to define that call?

However, if we don't play MSA and all that gadgets I agree with Ben's answers.

Btw, it all seems to depend on what methods we have to establish trump in a forcing way after Stayman and Jacoby. Maybe this is a stupid European question from someone who doesn't know American systems, but I see people playing it very differently here. With my regular partner I can establish trump after Stayman. Not after Jacoby, but for that purpose we have the strong jump responses. Therefore, Gerber is not necesary and a jump to 4♣ is always a splinter. As in case 6), but also after Stayman.

[paulhar]

Trpltrbl, on Aug 7 2004, 11:10 PM, said:

If my pd would bid 5 NT I would bid 7 and let my pd know after the game that the pd ship is over.
No matter if it made or not, but playing bridge like that has no future whatsoever with me....

Please mark me as an enemy now so you won't have to put up with such silliness. Maybe in a well-olied partnership you are right, but in a pickup partnership, even with world class players, some of these auctions are possible.

Let's say the Fred G. sat down to play with another world class player for an exhibition but they haven't partnered each other before. His partner opens 1NT. With a hand that wanted to invite 7, do you think he would bid six, bid seven, bid 5NT, or launch a sequence of forcing bids that might lead to confusion by the fourth round? I'm guessing that the bid you find so deplorable might be used.

[luke warm]

fred (with another world class player) would probably xfer then bid 7, figuring "hell, it has a shot and besides HE has to play it"