Thanks Ken for answering and rewriting the question in a more readable format.
I looked at Joe's 2/1 standard and 2H response to 1S opening bid promises 4+ cards. If this is the case then opener's rebid of 3H should promise 4 cards.
IAC std has changed a bit, this might be time for a further change. Originally, I believe I recall this correctly, over 1
all three 2 level calls below 2
implied five cards. That doesn't work, some hands just can't be bid, so Joe got rid of it. But maybe the baby got thrown out with the bathwater as the saying goes.
As Todd notes, 1
- 2
shows five. For whom does it show five? I think most everyone.
Here is what I view as standard: 1
- 2
sows five, 1
- 2C does not show five, and 1
- 2
shows five for some people but not for others.
Suppose you are 2=4=4=3 with a big hand and partner opens 1
. Even if you play that 2NT is available here, that no doubt has a range attached to it and you might be out of that range. So: If 1
- 2
shows five then 1
- 2
can be on 3.
Actually 1
- 2
can probably be on 3 even if 1
- 2
can be made on 4 cards. Suppose you are 3=4=3=3. Usually 1
-2NT is not only a forcing raise in spades but also shows four spades (some allow a strong 3 card spade holding with shortness somewhere).
Without discussion then what? I would take 1
- 2H to definitely show 5, 1 !s - 2
to show 4, 1
- 2
to hopefully be on 4.
As to Todd's further auction, it sounds good with an obvious caveat. If 1
- 2
has not been discussed then it is safe to say that serious versus non-serious NT has not been discussed.
The auction I gave is one I would play with my clone (someone who thinks roughly like I do) if I had not, however, discussed much with my clone.
As to play, setting up clubs is to risky so we go after spades. Say we get a !d lead. Cash the
K and then
A and small
to the K.
If everyone follows that's great since the !h 7 is another entry. But if
are not 2-2 then we ruff a small
in hand, draw the rest of the trump, and go back to the board with a
and hope the
are 3-3.
That seems right. So we should be making this if
are 2-2 or, when
are not 2-2, if
are 3-3. A reasonable slam, probably 65% or so, not a great slam.
Of course with the auction I present, S does not know about the sixth spade during the auction.
What we have here: N has six spades and S has the
K so we can, looking at both hands, reasonably hope to establish long spades. That's hard to get through the auction. And it might not come in.
My bidding, even with my clone, is not good enough to get to slam with confidence. Do I get there at all? Maybe. Depends on how optimistic I am.
