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%HRTitleDate 2013.04.23
%HRTitleEvent "Club Championship (double black points)"
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[Event "What do you call an eight card suit?"]
[Site ""]
[Date ""]
[Board "5"]
[West ""]
[North ""]
[East ""]
[South ""]
[Dealer "W"]
[Vulnerable "EW"]
[Deal "W:KQJ862.J8.Q432.9 97.KQ7542.KT.KQ8 T54.T963.J9865.T A3.A.A7.AJ765432"]
[Scoring ""]
[Declarer ""]
[Contract ""]
[Result ""]
{<i>Deal rotated for convenience.</i>

What do you bid on this deal from the Club Championship game on April 23, 2013?

3\S -- in the old days, after partner overcalls, the cue bid of opener's suit
would have been a general force.  Nowadays, it promises trump support and a
raise to game based on high card strength.  The values range from a decent
limit raise to slamming.  It alerts partner that you intend to make this game
on power, and that the opponents may no longer play the contract undoubled. 
3\S could work out OK, but with all this strength and only one heart, it seems
silly.

4\H -- in contrast, the raise to game shows a hand where you hope to make game,
but is based at least partly on distributional strength.  It's important not to
make this bid when 3\S would be more descriptive.  Certainly, 4\H is not
appropriate on this deal.

3NT -- aceless partner will usually pass this.  It must be right to try for a
slam, so 3NT does not fit.  3NT might even go down, if we have to lose the
lead.

4\C -- a new suit is forcing - is this your choice?

}
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2S 3H Pass +

[Event "SOLUTION:  Trumps!"]
[Site ""]
[Date ""]
[Board "5"]
[West ""]
[North ""]
[East ""]
[South ""]
[Dealer "W"]
[Vulnerable "EW"]
[Deal "W:KQJ862.J8.Q432.9 97.KQ7542.KT.KQ8 T54.T963.J9865.T A3.A.A7.AJ765432"]
[Scoring ""]
[Declarer ""]
[Contract ""]
[Result ""]
{

Much of the time, if you bid 4\C, partner will then bid a red suit, and you
will be none the wiser.  Even on the actual cards, partner will probably
content himself with a 5\C raise, and you won't be sure he has the \CK.  Be
sure when you ask a question, that the answer will do you some good.

When you hold all of a resource, such as the top three trump honors, or in this
case, all four aces, it will be difficult to get partner to cooperate in slam
bidding.  Partners sensibly like to have an ace and a trump honor for such
things.  With all the aces, you need to take extreme measures.

Think about how the hand will play.  Partner should have the \HK and a way to
get to it, likely the \DK.  That would mean no side suit losers.

If partner has two small clubs, then after disposing of your losers, you lead a
club to the J.  This brings the suit home for one loser, unless West holds
\CKQx - unlikely with the 2\S opening.  So if partner has this hand, you want
to be in 6\C.  Even if he has only one club, the slam comes in if the suit
splits.

The magic happens when partner looks at his actual holding:  an easy 7\C bid. 
In fact, I hoped he would raise on \CKxx or maybe Kx.  The jump to slam wakes
him up.

In the heat of the moment I let down our side a little.  Given all I knew, I
should have converted to 7NT, for a cold top.  This time, the eight card suit
should not be trumps, after all. One other pair reached 7\C, so we had to share
the honor.

<i>- Pete Matthews</i>
}
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2S 3H Pass 6C
Pass 7C AP
[OptimumResultTable "Declarer;Denomination\2R;Result\2R"]
N NT 13
N  S  6
N  H 11
N  D  6
N  C 13
S NT 13
S  S  6
S  H 11
S  D  6
S  C 13
E NT  0
E  S  7
E  H  1
E  D  6
E  C  0
W NT  0
W  S  7
W  H  1
W  D  6
W  C  0