Slam Bidding

From Wednesday 16/11/2016.
This week there were a number of hands where slam COULD be made, but only one deal where slam should have been easy to bid and make:
Board 17 Dealer N Nil Vul

7
T9632
A842
KQ9
QJ6
Q
T9765
8742
T98532
54
Q3
JT5
AK4
AKJ87
KJ
A63

South should open this hand with a game forcing 2C. Hopefully our new players aren't subscribers to the “2C/2D” opening bids, one opening bid, 2C, should be enough for ALL big hands, with 2D being a WEAK TWO. So, 2C from South. North responds 2H, which is a POSITIVE response to a 2C opening. It shows 7+ points and at least a five card suit. 2D is the NEGATIVE response to a 2C opening.

Many of the more experienced players have the requirement that a positive response includes not only 7+ high card points, but “an ace and a king”, which of course is seven points but the ace and king are important cards that can make later bidding much easier. This North hand meets all the requirements for a positive response.

South can now take over and check for aces and kings (4C-4H followed by 5C-5H) to confirm that North has what he/she has shown with the 2H bid. While it might be tempting to bid the grand slam (in HEARTS) it takes more than aces and kings to make thirteen tricks so South should settle for a conservative 6H. As it happens, it is the queen of clubs in the North hand that is required for a grand slam and few players, even the most expert, have a system that allows for that card to be located.

Suffice to say, 6H should be bid EASILY, and thirteen tricks should also be just as easily made. The actual results were quite a bit short of that.