And still more Donna

[kenberg]

This time we start with both hands:



  AK94
  J3
  AK7
  Q942

  J7
AKQ42
3
AKJ86

The bottom hand deals and opens 1 .
Again I gave this to the bots: 1 - 1 - 3 - 7 Nice and simple.
There was discussion about my choice. After 1 - 1 I chose 2 . The 2 is a wide ranging bid since bidding 3 !c is game forcing and pard has so far simply bid 1 over 1 . Perhaps this hand is worth a game force. It's close. The important thing is that 3 is a game force and therefore 2 can be on a wide range of hands.


7 is a fine contract. I claimed at T1. In fact 7NT scores 2+4+2+5=13 tricks but that is because of the J. Change the J to the 5 and 7NT still has a play but surely 7 has a better play. For example it's on ice unless clubs are 4-0 (or defenders a ruff at T1), and even if clubs are 4-0 there is a decent play for 13 tricks.

So pick your auction!

I hope Donna is ok with using these hands. They are very useful.

[jcreech]

If your hand held only four clubs, I would accept either a 2 rebid or the jump shift as reasonable (though I would still place the 2 bid as being on the very conservative side of things).  With a 5-5 in the rounds, though, I agree with the bots and would jump shift all day long.

Where I do not agree with the bots is the jump to seven.  I think the contract is right, but when you jump shift on shape as well as HCPs, you run the risk of a stray cashable ace.  When all the hands are seen, you still are missing 5 HCPs - easily an ace and a jack!  That is why Blackwood and its variants were created - to keep you from bidding a slam off two aces or a grand off one.  In this instance, you are not worried about missing two, but you might be missing one.  The auction needs to be slowed down just a bit to ask the question.  Once answered, 7 is the right place to be unless you are in a premier event BAM; then you might want risk getting the extra 80 points (the difference between 7 and 7 NT).

[kenberg]

I think that might be right. I can construct hands for partner where no game contract makes. Still, probably forcing to game with 3 is the best bet.
One point here is that since the 2 is wide ranging, partner needs to do his best to bid again over 2 . On many hands this will come easily since he will have, say, 3-3 in the minors and since I could have five diamonds and four clubs, he will bid 2 willy-nilly and then I can show more strength.
Incidentally, after opening 1 and rebidding 2 I will never have five clubs and four diamonds, but some do bid that way on a minimum hand. I think it is a serious error.

Our auction was interesting
1    1
2    2   (fsf)
3    4
4    4    
 
Over 4 I just bid 6 , but perhaps I should have bid 4NT, RKC. I know we are going to at least 6 and 7 is starting to look seriously good.

I like partner's 2 call. He does not have five spades but that's ok. It's game force, it does not promise five spades.

The acol challenge is a week from tomorrow, I want to spend some of the time with hands like this to avoid misunderstandings in the challenge.