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- SLAM TRIES WITH LONG SUITS
-
-
- As shown throughout these pages, there are many ways to make a slam
- try with a hand that has a six or seven-card suit. A summary
- follows. First, major suits:
-
- -- With a balanced hand and strong suit, use Jacoby and jump to
- four of the suit:
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2D
- 2H 4H
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2H
- 2S 4S
-
- -- With a balanced hand and weakish suit, use Stayman and then
- insist on the suit:
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2C
- 2D 2H
- 2NT 4H
-
- Responder is balanced; an unbalanced heart hand uses UHC. A weak
- hand with 4-6 in the majors would jump to 4D (Texas transfer) over
- 2D.
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2C
- 2D/2H 2S
- 2NT 4S
-
- Responder could be balanced or unbalanced in this case.
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2C
- 2S 3H (4H is a splinter bid)
- 3NT 4H
-
- Here too, responder is balanced, with long weakish hearts.
-
- -- With an unbalanced hand and heart suit, respond 3H (with a
- good suit), or use UHC:
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2D
- 2H 2S - UHC
- 2NT 4H - strong unbalanced hand
-
- Opener will probably pass in view of his minimum and lack of heart
- support. Obviously responder could have used Texas if not inter-
- ested in slam. If opener had bid 3C over 2S, showing a maximum
- without heart support, responder could bid 3H (forcing, since 3C
- is forcing to game) with slam interest, 4H ("fast arrival") if the
- lack of heart support discourages interest in slam (e.g., responder
- has seven hearts to the 10).
-
- -- With an unbalanced hand and spade suit, respond 3S (with a good
- suit), or use Stayman and bid 2S, then follow up appropriately:
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2C
- 2D 2S
- 2NT 4S
-
- Responder would jump to 4H (Texas transfer) over 2D with a weakish
- 6-4 in the majors. Responder could be balanced or unbalanced in
- this case. If opener had bid 3C over 2S, showing a maximum without
- spade support, responder could either sign off with 4S ("fast
- arrival") or bid a forcing 3S if slam is possible despite the lack
- of spade support.
-
- Now for the minors:
-
- -- With balanced hands, transfer to the minor and then bid 4NT (or
- bid 3NT if opener's rebid disappoints).
-
- -- With unbalanced hands, jump in the minor, or transfer to the
- minor and then make a splinter bid if opener's rebid does not
- discourage slam ideas:
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2S - transfer to clubs
- 2NT/3C 4D/4H/4S - splinter bid
-
- Opener Responder
- 1NT 2NT - transfer to diamonds
- 3C/3D 4H/4S - splinter bid
- 5C - asking bid
-
- (Asking bids are described in the book "Strong Bidding.")
-
- And for both majors and minors:
-
- If you want to use Roman Key Card Blackwood, start with a jump
- takeout response; if you want to show a suit and then make a
- natural invitational 4NT bid, start with a transfer bid.
-
- With an unbalanced hand and long suit, a transfer followed by a
- splinter bid is often appropriate if the suit is strong.