Unusual Symmetry/two 5 level bids ****Symbols

I liked my hand so much that, after 2 passes, I decided to open 2C in the first match at Wed. night teams:

♠ Q109
♥ AKQ10xx
♦ A
♣ AJ10

Frank bid 2D, waiting, and RHO doubled. I bid 2H and LHO bid 4D. Frank's hand was now looking mighty impressive:

♠ Ax
♥ Jxxxx
♦ xxx
♣ Kxx

Before you read on think for a moment what you would bid...

We are obviously in the slam zone. He just needs to know about my diamond holding.

He had the 5H card out on the table in a flash! A bid of your suit (the one you and your partner have bid and raised) at the 5 level asks about your controls in the opponent's suit. With first round control you bid 6 of their suit and with second round control you bid 5N. Without 1st or 2nd round control you merely pass and play at the five level.

(This bid is also used when you and your partner have bid 3 suits in the course of an auction and have agreed on a trump suit. A jump to the 5 level asks about 1st or 2nd round control in the unbid suit.)

Under most circumstances I would have cue bid 6D showing the DA (opponent's suit). In this case, however, with partner being passed, with my hand being minimum for my bidding and with both opponent's bidding, I elected to bid 6H.

I'm happy with dummy. Now I just have to make it...

♠ Ax
♥ Jxxxx
♦ xxx
♣ Kxx

♠ Q109
♥ AKQ10xx
♦ A
♣ AJ10

I clearly need to combine my chances. I win the D lead and play a couple rounds of hearts. RHO discards an encouraging spade so I decide to go for the spade play first. I can fall back on the club finesse if necessary.

First, I need to strip the diamond suit, however, in preparation for a possible endplay, so I lead a H to the board and ruff the last D. Now for the big play: spade to the A and spade back...

The K is played! I claim--I'll pitch a club from board on the SQ.

Plus 980 wins us plenty of imps.

Interestingly, the same bidding situation in reverse played itself out at the other table on the same hand! This time the person who held the cards of my RHO opened 1S. My hand doubled, the next player bid 2S and the person holding Frank's hand jumped to 4H!

Now the person with my cards: Q109, AKQ10xx, A, AJ10 needed to know about spades. 5H was once again the bid to ask about controls in the opponent's suit...in this case spades! A 5H bid leads to the slam.

Unusual to see the same rare (5 level asking) bid available to North at one table and South at the other, asking about different suits, on the same hand!

*****
The evening had gone well and in the 4th and final match I opened 1D in 3rd seat nonvul:

♠ xxx
♥ Kxxx
♦ KJxx
♣ Ax

A little light but good things can happen. LHO overcalled 1S and I was not too pleased to see Frank jump to 5D! I was less pleased when RHO doubled. (Why can't my partners ever take a joke...)

Dummy wasn't as bad as I feared:

♠ Ax
♥ x
♦ 109xxx
♣ KJxxx

♠ xxx
♥ Kxxx
♦ KJxx
♣ Ax
The lead of the heart queen improved the situation considerably. RHO won the heart ace and shifted to a spade. I won the ace, came to my hand with the club ace (RHO playing the queen!) and pitched the last spade from the board on the heart king.

I ruffed a spade to the board to tackle the diamond suit. RHO surely had one of the diamond honors for his double, if not both. I led the 10 of diamonds and let it ride. LHO played the ace! Things were looking up.

I ruffed a H to the board in order to lead diamonds again and the queen came up on my right. Diamonds split 2-2, and I could ruff and pitch the remaining hearts and spades from my hand. Plus 550 with our 19 points.

Our teammates made 1 notrump on the same cards. Plus 90. Win 12.

See you at the table!