Thursday, December 14, 2006 6:13 AM

Hand Evaluation - 5NT ( Choice of Contracts )

PITBULLS:

In modern bidding , 5NT as the grand slam force is virtually extinct. Exclusion KCB & KCB are so accurate in describing the trump suit , 5NT as the grand slam force is just not needed. Most modern experts have really developed the 5NT bid as “choice of contracts” or pick a slam. In quantitative auctions , once you have accepted the invite , it is silly to show Aces as you have so many HCP’s , the odds are very much against your side being off two Aces. Quite often when you accept a quantitative invite , you should be thinking of picking the best slam.

Here in an excellent auction from a Vanderbilt. East opened 1♥ on ♠Qx ♥AKxxx ♦xxx ♣AJx , West responded 2♦ with ♠Kxx ♥Jx ♦AKQJ ♣KQ10x . Opener now rebid 2NT , partner bid 4NT quantitative. Opener has a maximum , but suit contracts normally play a trick better. He bid 5NT saying pick a slam . 6♣ or 6♦ are both cold because of the spade ruff but 6NT goes one down. Nicely bid !!

My partner came up with two 5NT bids in the same night as pick a slam. Do not confuse the 5NT bid as bid 7NT with a maximum or 6NT with a minimum. The modern meaning to a leap to 5NT is “pick a slam” sometimes from a number of alternatives. My partners and I , play the Wolffe relay after a 2NT rebid. My partner held ♠K109xx ♥xxx ♦AQx ♣Kx against Perry & Bill Cox. I opened 1♦ , partner bid 1♠ followed by a 2NT rebid by me. Partner now bid 3♣s which is a relay to 3♦ so if he now bids 3NT it shows a mild slam try in partners minor. However instead , partner now bids 5NT, so what does that mean ? It cannot be quantitative or else he would have bid 5NT directly over 2NT. Taking the relay first, must mean that he wants me to pick a slam. The alternatives are 6♠ , 6NT & even 6♦ . 6♦ is ice cold for win 12 IMPS as I had a 5 card suit. Partner had all controls with a mild diamond fit so he evaluated his hand upwards. His slam try bid was not just predicated on the fact that he had 12 HCP’s.