I will present, in this post and the next, several slams that my partners and I have bid recently on BBO (bridgebase.com) in which we simply made an educated guess that the slam was likely to make, and bid accordingly. Some of the factors used include calculating the odds and using the important hand evaluation tool of Losing Trick Count.
Here's another factor that I often use: "What is the state of our game?" If we are playing pairs and have a lackluster 50% game going, I usually decide that there is nothing to lose by taking a risk. If it pays off, we could be in the money; if not, we're not much worse off than before. Interestingly, most of the games on BBO use barometer scoring, so you know exactly what your score is as the game progresses.
On this board my partner, Bob Klein, opened 2♣ with his powerhouse and I responded with 2♦, waiting. He rebid 3♣ and it was up to me. I don't have an easy bid. I can't bid 3♦ as that would be a "double negative" signifying nothing (no values). My hand actually had some value, however, with the ace and king of diamonds, J43 of clubs and a possible ruffing value. So I raised to 4♣. Partner wasted no time jumping to 6♣.
He won the spade lead and ducked a spade, preparing to ruff spades. The opponents shifted to clubs, but he was in control. He had the timing to discard two hearts on the Ace and King of diamonds and ruff two spades. Plus 920 was worth 98.65% of the matchpoints in a game with hundreds of pairs.
Next up is a hand I played with Bruce Blakely where we had some significant interference in the bidding. I dealt and opened 1♠.
Next hand bid 2NT, unusual for the minors. These bids are often effective as they take up a lot of bidding space and may test your response agreements with your partner.
Partner bid 3♥, next hand bid 4♦, and it was back to me. I pondered my hand and the bidding. My hand was very strong--containing 5 losers at most--fewer if you upgrade for three aces, a solid suit and two 10's. My hearts were good and were situated in the right position. If hearts broke badly, as was likely, they could be picked up with my holding as dummy.
I next considered partner's 3♥ bid. He could have shown a stronger hand with hearts by bidding 3♣, as we were playing unusual/unusual.* So partner had hearts, but not a game-forcing hand. He had at least 5 hearts, and quite possibly more.
I decided to explore for slam by bidding 4NT, RKC. He responded 5♣, showing one key card, which I assumed was the ♥K. I next bid 5♦, asking for the ♥Q. He bid 5♥, denying the queen. I still had a hunch that his hearts, combined with mine, would be good enough to pick up the suit for no losers, so I went for it...6 HEARTS!♥
He won the club lead with the ♣A and led a heart to the ♥K, all following. Now he was able to breathe a sigh of relief as twelve tricks are in sight. A heart to the ♥A draws trumps and he pitches his two clubs on the spades. Spades break 5-2, but the bad break doesn't matter as he is able to give up a diamond and ruff his remaining two diamonds.
Plus 1430, 6♥ making, was another great score--a 96% board in a game with hundreds of pairs..
So...to answer my initial rhetorical question: Don't be afraid to bid a slam you are pretty sure will make. It can be fun and exciting--as well as give you some terrific scores and great bridge stories!
*Verify the version of unusual/unusual you and your partner are playing.
See you at the (virtual) table!
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