[paulhar]

S-KQJT53
H-J
D-A76
C-KQ5

Partner opens 15-17 NT. You're using transfers if you care. You're not playing anything fancy (i.e. transfer followed by splinter.) Texas isn't allowed. 3S is a slam try. How do you bid this?

Yeah, I know these methods are not best, but these are the conditions of the poll.

The poll answers assume that you're bidding six missing 0 or 1 aces and signing off at 4 of something otherwise.

My most serious question here is do you transfer first, but I guess I'll also be smoking out the feelings about asking for Kings (presumably 5C, Gerber) off an ace.

[paulg]

Presumably you are playing 4♣ as Gerber - not my methods but fine for this hand.

I'm not keen on the transfer approach. It is not a hand where partner can contribute to the discussion and the transfer just offers the competition the chance to double. It can also lead to confusion of you are in a pickup partnership (is 4♣ still Gerber after 1NT-2H-2S?)

So I just ask for aces and then bid spades at the appropriate level. The conditions of contest are not given, but I'm not thinking about 6NT unless we need a top at matchpoints.

Paul

[luke warm]

4c then either 4s or 6s, depending.. hell if he showed 3 aces (possible), i'd bid 5c and if he showed one king i'd bid 7 (unless teams)

i can see squeeze written all over this, if needed

[Flame]

If its possible in your system not to show spades and ask for 4 aces, its better for this hand, if later when hopefully you find 3 aces with partner , u can check for KQ of diamond or heart it will be even better, and 7 is possible.
I prefer 6sp to 6nt at imps because it has some better chances (like if partner has 5 clubs but they spit 4-1 beteen the opponents ) but in mp ill go for NT.
What you would really want to know but cant atleast using your system, is about 5 clubs in partners hand which will make an easy grand slam if he also got 3 aces.

[pclayton]

This looks like some of the polls we'll be seeing in the upcoming election!

There's 7-9 points missing. If we are off 2 aces, 4N takes all of the marbles. If we are off one ace; we have another 3-5 points in non-aces to worry about; thus 6♠. It looks right for me to play it, as a heart tenace is immaterial in 6♠, but I might need the lead coming up to my A♦.

Whatever I do, I don't ask for Kings if we are missing one ace. Some pairs allow this, we don't. I realize this is a good hand for the other treatment; but I'm stuck.

You didn't specify matchpoints or teams, but I'll assume Pairs, since the answers are strongly geared toward NT.

[paulhar]

pclayton, on Aug 3 2004, 07:08 PM, said:

If we are off one ace; we have another 3-5 points in non-aces to worry about; thus 6♠. It looks right for me to play it, as a heart tenace is immaterial in 6♠, but I might need the lead coming up to my A♦.

The heart tenace could matter if partner has H-AKT or H-AQ and a fourth club. A club lead could matter if pard has H-AK and C-ATxx. I'm still not sure that that's enough reason to transfer; that's why I asked. Incidentally, if partner has two aces and you use Gerber, he's playing the hand anyway.

[Trpltrbl]

Under the circumstances , I will bid 3♠ as slamforcing.
My ♠ suit is good enough opposite 2 little. If I have abid available to let pd know what I have, why not use it?

Mike

[helene_t]

I just bid 6♠. Maybe it will make if I don't tell the opps that they must cash ♥A before I discard ♥J.

[mishovnbg]

Hi Paulhar!

Paulhar: "You're not playing anything fancy (i.e. transfer followed by splinter.) Texas isn't allowed. 3S is a slam try. How do you bid this?

Yeah, I know these methods are not best, but these are the conditions of the poll"

->Transfers and splinters are not "fancy", they are part of standard bidding. If you like to learn something "fancy" read about Equality method of xfers in competition

IMO you choose wrong section for your pool. If you already didn't notice, need to inform you that Beginner/Intermediate section exist too and is right place for your questions...

As I like to say everybody is free to be crazy by his own unique way, untill he/she didn't bother anybody. Despite wheel was invented many time ago still there is some people who like to travel round the world on their own legs... Of course this is one of ways to do this, but like bridge bidding without transfers/splinters, it is terrible uneffective

Misho

[paulhar]

mishovnbg, on Aug 8 2004, 07:54 AM, said:

->Transfers and splinters are not "fancy", they are part of standard bidding. If you like to learn something "fancy" read about Equality method of xfers in competition

If they're not fancy, just try playing splinters in McBruce's Alphabet Points tournament (a very popular SAYC only tourney) and see how far you get. (Average minus at best, I think.)

Quote

IMO you choose wrong section for your pool. If you already didn't notice, need to inform you that Beginner/Intermediate section exist too and is right place for your questions... 

I don't think so - the protocol seems to be: advanced players can answer beginner's questions, or they can pose a question for beginners to answer. I didn't want beginners to answer. I'm asking the people that feel qualified to answer a question without using conventions. If you don't feel qualified to bid without using conventions, then don't answer. (I'm not trying to flame you, I meant this seriously, I was hoping that the people that felt like they knew how to bid without conventions would be the ones to answer.)

I personally play many of the conventions that weren't allowed in the conditions of the post. But others don't. I had a reason for asking these questions in this forum. There are many possible reasons. Just as a for instance, I may disagree with another teacher about an answer given to a student that plays with the above agreements. Am I going to settle it by asking in the Beginner's Forum?