Bidding Slams With Voids

I am currently teaching a class on slam bidding. We have studied Blackwood and Gerber and defense against slams. The next class is on play of the hand at slams. I haven't yet told them that sometimes it's inconvenient or inappropriate to ask for aces and you just have to jump to slam! That is often the case when you have a void. If you ask for aces, you often won't know whether partner has an ace in your void or a useful ace!

I had two example hands tonight at the local team game. If you're playing at home you can relax and score up your game bonus, but if you're head to head with another team, you better bid your slam if you have one. If they bid it and you don't, you will suffer a big loss--often enough to lose the match. Conversely, if you bid your slam and they don't, they will be the one with the big loss and you will likely win the match!

Partner opened 1♠ and I responded 2♣ (game forcing) with this hand.

♠ Void
♥ AKxx
♦ Q985
♣ A9875

Now I figured he would bid 2♠ and I would have a bid of a problem with my rebid. But no, to my surprise, he rebid 2♦! As we were already in a game force I raised to 3♦. He now bid 3♠. This could be a cuebid in support of diamonds. It could show extra length in spades. He could be looking for a cuebid from me. Rather than do anything to confuse the auction, I just jumped to 6♦!
 
Here are the two hands:

♠ Void
♥ AKxx
♦ Q985
♣ A9875

♠ AK1096
♥ QJ
♦ A109xx
♣ x

A heart was led and he won in his hand with the Q♥ and played the A♦  and another diamond and LHO won the K♦. Partner won the club return with the A♣, finished drawing trump and claimed. He only needed to ruff one spade and could pitch two spades on dummy's hearts. We won 11 IMPs (and the match) as our counterparts only bid 5♦. 

Hand 2. Very next match

I loved this hand. (No wonder--it's a 3 loser hand!) As I was admiring it, partner opened the bidding with 1♣! Wow! RHO bid 2♠ and I cuebid 3♠, showing a good hand with club support. LHO bid 4♠ and partner doubled! Next hand passed and I thought for a moment and jumped to 6♣!

♠ x
♥ Void
♦ KQJ10xx
♣ AKJxxx

I didn't want to sit for 4♠ doubled and Blackwood would be of no use. I needed to know WHICH ace(s) partner held, not how many.

I breathed a sigh of relief when he won the opening spade lead with the A♠. He drew trump and gave up the A♦ and claimed. 

Both hands: 

♠ x
♥ Void
♦ KQJ10xx
♣ AKJxxx

♠ AQxx
♥ Axxx
♦ 98
♣ Q10x

This time our good score of plus 1370 was matched at the other table and the board was a push.

As I tell my students: "Be brave. Bid your slams!"

See you at the table.

Jenn's Tips: Avoidance Play

Here is a play-of-the-hand tip for up-and-coming players.

How do you play this routine 3 notrump contract after a lead of the ♠5 to the 10 and your ♠Queen?

♠ 72
♥ AJ6
♦ A742
♣ KQ82

♠ KQ6
♥ K1095 
♦ K98
♣ A75

It appears that the lead is 4th best and that left hand opponent (LHO) has the ♠ Ace. After the first trick, your hands look like this: 

♠ 7
♥AJ6
♦ A742
♣ KQ82

♠ K6
♥ K1095
♦ K98
♣ A75

First you count your tricks.  Your sure tricks are 3 clubs, 2 diamonds, 2 hearts and 1 spade – for a total of 8. What is the best way to get your 9th trick?

Although clubs could break 3-3 for a 9th trick, the quickest and easiest way to a 9th trick is to play on hearts. Once the ♥Queen is knocked out you will have 3 heart tricks.

How should you play your hearts? You can finesse either way and can start in either hand. Does it matter?

Absolutely! If your right hand opponent (RHO) gets in with the ♥Q, she will return a spade through your king. Your LHO will then win all of his spade tricks and you will go down.

Whereas...if you LHO wins the ♥Q, he will be helpless to take any tricks other than the ♠Ace and you will make your contract!

You must play the hearts so that LHO has the opportunity to win the trick if he has the ♥Q. If he doesn't have it--fine, you will score at least 9 tricks. You must AVOID the dangerous opponent-which in this case is RHO. You must avoid letting RHO get the lead as she will cause you major problems. 

This is a classic avoidance play that comes up frequently. It also comes up in various guises, so be on the lookout. Take pains to keep the "dangerous opponent" off the lead!

See you at the table!