Gavin writes:
It is important to be able to reason out what the bids mean on the fly. You will never memorizevthese auctions because there are too many of them and they come up infrequently. Your goal should be to understand them all as a whole and then be able to dissect an individual auction to reason out what the bids NEED to mean.

Response structure by Gavin Wolpert
4♦/♥ Texas transfer
3♥ transfer, 5+ spades
 
3♠ transfer completed
 
4♠ to play
 
4♥ 5-5 in the majors. No interest in slam, e.g. ♠K9863 ♥Q9742 ♦2 ♣85. Opener picks the game.
 
3NT e.g. ♠K9863 ♥53 ♦2 ♣KJ854
 
4♠ correct with a fit, e.g. ♠A75 ♥AKJ7 ♦QT3 ♣AQT
 
4♣ second suit, mild slam interest, can be 5-4 with an unlimited point count, e.g. ♠KJ863 ♥53 ♦2 ♣AQ854
 
4♠ to play, e.g. ♠A75 ♥KQJ3 ♦KQ9 ♣KQT (points in partner's short suits are wasted)
 
4NT to play, e.g. ♠A5 ♥KQJ3 ♦AQT76 ♣KT (no fit)
 
5♣ to play
 
4♦ good hand, flag bid for spades
 
4♥ good hand, flag bid for clubs
 
4♦ second suit, mild slam interest
 
4♥ good hand, flag bid for spades
 
4♠ to play
 
4NT to play
 
5♣ good hand, flag bid for diamonds
 
5♦ to play
3♦ transfer, 5+ hearts
 
3♥ transfer completed
 
4♥ to play
 
3♠ 5-5 in the majors with at least mild slam interest, e.g. ♠KJ863 ♥AQ943 ♦72 ♣5.
 
3NT to play, 2-2 in the majors
 
4♣ good hand, flag bid for hearts, e.g. ♠AJ4 ♥KQ8 ♦AK943 ♣K8
 
4♦ good hand, flag bid for spades
 
4♥ bad hand, heart fit
 
4♠ bad hand, spade fit
 
4♣ second suit, mild slam interest
 
4♦ good hand, flag bid for hearts
 
4♥ to play
 
4♠ good hand, flag bid for clubs
 
4NT to play
 
5♣ to play
 
4♦ second suit, mild slam interest
 
4♥ to play
 
4♠ good hand, flag bid for hearts
 
4NT to play
 
5♣ good hand, flag bid for diamonds
 
5♦ to play
 
3♦ no 4-card major
 
3♠ Smolen, 4 spades and 5+ hearts, game forcing
 
3NT no fit
 
4♣/♦ responder's 3rd suit
 
4♥ six hearts
 
4♦ 5+ diamonds and 4 of a major, mild slam interest, e.g. ♠KJ42 ♥2 ♦ADJ32 ♣763
 
4♥ keycard for diamonds
 
4♠ control bid
 
4NT to play
 
5♣ control bid
 
5♦ to play
 
3♥ 4+ hearts (may have 4 spades)
 
3♠ heart fit and slam interest, continue with control bidding
 
4♣ 5+ clubs and 4 spades, mild slam interest
 
4♦ good hand, flag bid for spades
 
4♥ good hand, flag bid for clubs
 
4♠ to play
 
4NT to play
 
5♣ to play
 
4♥ to play
 
4NT quantitative invite
 
3♠ 4+ spades
 
4♣ 4 hearts and 5+ clubs. This auction has a completely different structure because we cannot have a major suit fit. So the only suit opener can show a good hand in is partner’s minor. In this case we play one over keycard and control bids.
 
4♦ keycard for clubs
 
4♥ control bid
 
4♠ control bid
 
4NT to play
 
5♣ to play
 
4♥ spade fit and slam interest, opener can sign-off in 4♠ or continue with control bidding
 
4♠ to play
 
4NT quantitative invite
3♣ Puppet Stayman.
 
3♦ at least one 4-card major
 
3♥/3♠ shows the opposite 4-card major. With two four card majors, the responder would bid 4♣/4♦
 
4♣ both majors, slam interest (slow shows, fast denies). 4NT to initiate slam ask in Spades.
 
4♦ pre-accept slam try in hearts
 
4NT pre-accept slam try in spades, RCKB.
 
4♦ both majors, no slam interest.

3NT to play. With minor suit hands that have no slam interest, we do not need to bother showing our hand, e.g. ♠Q2 ♥52 ♦AJ9432 ♣763 Even when we are distributional, five of a minor is so unlikely to be the best contract. With no slam interest we simply raise partner to 3NT and hope for the best, e.g. ♠92 ♥2 ♦KJ943 ♣Q7652

3♠ invite slam with one or two minors (could be 5/4), e.g. ♠2 ♥K2 ♦8742 ♣AK7653 or ♠2 ♥92 ♦AK742 ♣QJ653
 
3NT opener always bids 3NT
 
4♣ 6+ diamonds
 
4♦ 1st step: reject (I don't have a good hand), e.g. ♠AQJ4 ♥AKJ8 ♦43 ♣KQT
 
4♥ ask for keycards anyways, e.g. ♠K43 ♥4 ♦AQT843 ♣K42
 
4♠ control bid
 
4NT to play
 
5♣ control bid
 
5♦ to play
 
4♥ keycard response (1 or 4)
 
4♠ keycard response (0 or 3), e.g. ♠AK4 ♥A4 ♦K943 ♣KQJ7
 
4NT keycard response (2 or 5 w/o ♦Q)
 
5♣ keycard response (2 or 5 w/ ♦Q)
 
4♦ 6+ clubs. Due to the limited room in this auction, opener should not accept the slam try with 2 w/o the queen of trumps. We do not want to have our 2+Q answer take us beyond 5 of our suit.
 
4♥ 1st step: reject (I don't have a good hand)
 
4♠ keycard response (1 or 4)
 
4NT keycard response (0 or 3)
 
5♣ keycard response (2 or 5 w/ ♣Q)
 
4♥ slam interest, hearts shortness, both minors (could be 5/4). Limited room – uncomfortable suction
 
4♠ good hand for one of the minors
 
4NT which minor
 
4NT to play, e.g. ♠AQJ4 ♥AKJ4 ♦A97 ♣J6
 
5♣ to play
 
5♦ to play
 
4♠ slam interest, spades shortness, both minors (could be 5/4)
 
4NT to play
 
5♣ to play, responder may bid slam anyways
 
5♦ to play, responder may bid slam anyways
 
4NT quantitative invite with both minors


Minor Suit Slam Auctions:

  • Partner has not promised 5-5 in the minors when they show both minors. You often will still want to end the auction in 4NT when you have most of your points in the majors.
  • With a good hand for partner, opener may not have room to express it to partner below game. Sometimes opener will have to go straight to slam. We should not be aggressive to show both minors and a slam try.
  • There is very limited room to sort things out. No one gets all of these auctions right. If you are having trouble with the auctions, know that even experts struggle with these auctions.
  • Don’t be aggressive to look for slam. The money is in staying out of bad slams. If you are too pushy you will end up minus.

  • Require 6+ card suit
    • 4♣ Slam try in hearts
     
    4♦ good hand, flag bid for hearts
     
    4♥ to play
     
    4NT RCKB
    4♦ Slam try in spades
     
    4♥ good hand, flag bid for spades
     
    4♠ to play
     
    4NT RCKB
    4♥ Slam try in clubs. Gavin's approach looks better: 2NT-3♠-3NT-4♦
     
    4♠ good hand, flag bid for clubs
     
    4NT to play
     
    5♣ to play
    4♠ Slam try in diamonds.
     
    4NT to play
     
    5♣ good hand, flag bid for diamonds
     
    5♦ to play

    Top