What’s your call?
| 4♠ | 4NT | |||
| 5♣ | 5♦ | 5♥ | 5♠ | 5NT |
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Dbl | Pass |
Partner’s third-seat 4♥ has preempted, you as well as the opponents. Eight of the panelists respect his decision and quietly pass.
“I am not going to bid over 4♥ and punish partner,” says Meckstroth. “If we miss a slam, perhaps he should have opened 1♥.”
Rigal, on the other hand, is preparing to accept the blame if slam is on. “All bets on scientific bidding are off facing third-in-hand preempts. Might partner have:
♠x ♥A K J x x x ♦K Q J x ♣x x?
Yes, indeed — or any variety of two-suited hands. I think the five level is safe, but I cannot explore scientifically, so I’ll reserve my energy for finding the right excuse when partner wraps up 12 tricks and asks why I passed.”
Others are more hopeful. Six panelists launch Roman Key Card Blackwood.
“Since partner is in third seat, he could have quite a good hand,” Cohen says. “A grand slam is possible. If he shows three key cards, I can bid 5NT and he will know we have ‘everything’ — I can’t possibly have more as a passed hand. If he has only two key cards, I’ll settle for 6♥.”
Stack goes slam hunting without too many worries. “It does not seem possible that we would be in trouble at the five level. We might get a surprise response of three controls, in which case we will invite the grand slam with a 5NT bid asking for kings.”
While many play that a new-suit bid here would ask for a control (“I have everything else, but need the ace, king or singleton in this suit for 6♥.”), the 4♠ bidders appear to be using it as a classic control-showing bid, looking for partner to cuebid a minor.
“I expect partner to have several diamonds with shortness in the black suits,” says Kennedy. “Partner should expect me to have two aces, long hearts and shortness to make this cuebid in spades.”
“4♠, and if partner cuebids 5♣ or 5♦, I am bidding a slam,” says Meyers. “By a passed hand, I think a bid of a new suit over 4♥ should be shortness and controls, allowing partner to evaluate her hand. Partner cannot have worse than:
♠x ♥A K J x x x x ♦x x x x ♣x.”
Weinstein factors RHO’s silence into moving forward with 4♠. “East’s pass of partner’s third-seat 4♥ increases the chances that partner has a real hand. Bidding over 4♥ here as a passed hand has to be an exceptional hand, and I think I have it. If partner bids anything other than 5♥, we are getting to slam.”
Sanborn bids 4♠ and says, “I have an exceptional hand on the auction. I can suggest slam without being a pig about it. I must have controls to be bidding here.”
Colchamiro, on his own again, bids 6♥. “Not stopping short of six and not getting to seven, so what will 4NT accomplish?”