What’s your call?
| 4♠ | 4NT | |||
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Pass |
More than half the panelists want to go slam-hunting with this hand, most by using 5♥.
The Sutherlins explain. “Dealing with opponents’ preempts is annoying. Dealing with partner’s preempts when we have a strong, non-fitting hand is worse. We can only guess how to proceed. Pass, 5♥, 6♥, 4♠ and 4NT (Roman Key Card Blackwood?) are all possible calls. The middle of the road – 5♥ – asks partner, ‘How good are your hearts?’ We have a reasonable dummy for partner in hearts and may not get a reasonable dummy for spades.”
5♥ by Weinstein: “‘Partner, please look at your trumps.’ I think I am worth a slam try opposite my second-seat, vulnerable partner, but Blackwood won’t tell me what I need to know.”
Meyers: “5♥ asks partner to bid six with good trumps. My hand is too good to pass 4♥ and not good enough to bid a slam myself.”
Rigal shows up with his usual M.O. “5♥, trump ask – ‘Can you make slam facing a singleton or void?’ By making partner take the last decision, I achieve every player’s goal: the proper distribution of blame away from me and directly across the table.”
Colchamiro also inquires with 5♥ – “The ol’ ‘How good are your trumps?’ My failure to bid ol’ Black (or rather, new key card Black) should at least hint at my void. Pass is my second choice. But second-seat red, ol’ pard is supposed to have something over there, and it ain’t aces.”
Pass by Stack, who asks, “What else am I supposed to do? I am glad it is not IMP scoring. Because it is matchpoints, it is reasonable to give partner some rope and hope for a plus score at this contract.”
Lawrence passes. “It’s embarrassing to pass with a hand that might produce 13 tricks. My partner’s vulnerable 4♥ bid doesn’t promise a no-loser suit, and two losers are possible facing my void.”
“Pass,” insists Lee, “not sure what the problem is. 6♥ looks a long way off and 4♠ is not a serious consideration.”
Robinson: “Pass. This is why I play that an opening 4♥ bid denies a suit headed by the A–K–Q. I’d open 4♥ holding:
♠— ♥K J 9 x x x x x ♦ x ♣K Q x x.
If I was playing with a sound 4♥ opener, I’d bid 5♥, but there are some who would open 4♥ with a 6–6 hand.”
Hampson passes. “I don’t expect to make a slam, and I am certain that my hand will prove more useful in hearts than partner’s would in spades.”
Ditto Boehm: “Partner’s long hearts may be worthless in spades but not in hearts. Besides, his suit rates to be better than mine.”
Meckstroth is the lone 4♠ bidder while Cohen is the lone Blackwooder.
Cohen says that a lot depends on partner’s style. “Opposite an aggressive player, I might pass. For my students reading this: While I tell you to never use Blackwood with a void, this is a rare exception. Because you have all the aces outside the void suit, you will know where partner’s key cards are. I will go to 6♥ if partner has two key cards or one plus the trump queen. Note: This is why 1430 is more in vogue. The zero answer is unlikely, and over the more likely 5♣ showing one key card, you have room to ask for the trump queen.”
