A Fist Full of Clubs and a Heart void?

It All Started towards the end of a Berks & Bucks League of 8 match.....

At green vulnerability against red, and in fourth seat I picked up this:

S xx

H -

D QJT9xxx

C KJTx

Partner departed from his usual trick of bidding my void, and opened 1C (normal Acol-like 4-carded).   Apparently the opposition were not in interfering mood, so this came round to me.   1D seemed clear enough, following which partner reverted to type and bid 1H.

What next?

I thought round some options, taking what felt like half an hour to decide.   Counting points, I have 7 HCP and have no choice but to bid 2C.   Counting losers I can find only 6, so opposite a promised 7-loser we can expect to make 10 tricks.   In the end I went for the oldest bidding system in the book, known as “instinct”, and said 5C (justifying it by subtracting a loser for the 9-card fit or the hope of running the diamonds).

Horrors!   Partner bids 6C!   I do my best to contain my agitation, to minimise the chances of the double: this failed to materialise.   A spade was led, and partner (bless him!) kept a straight face when I tabled my hand.   He was happily looking at this:

S Axx

H AKxx

D A

C Axxxx

Partner’s logic with the 6C was, “If you can bid 5 not knowing I’ve got all 4 aces, I can bid 6.”

The Queen of clubs behaved, twelve tricks were ours, and partner was right:

a small slam bid and made on 26 combined points!

A week later, playing with the same partner at a club pairs night (OK, I admit it, not at Ascot!).   First hand of the evening, this time with all red vulnerability and me as dealer, I picked up this:

S J

H -

D QJTxxxx

C KJxxx

I know what to do with this when responding, but what do I do in first seat!?   All suggestions welcome, (This is where the 2NT, minors, works well - Ed) but I tried not to pause unduly while deciding that this is far too good a hand to pass, and really too good for a pre-empt too (A pre-empt does stand more chance of shutting out the oppo's - who must surely have at least one of the majors - Ed).   I took the view that being too good for a pre-empt must mean it’s good enough for a normal opening, so that’s what I chose: 1D.   Again, partner departs from his usual kind of support, and promptly comes up with a 2C bid.   Time for a pause again, while I decide what to do!   A splinter, possibly?   If so, which suit?   Can it be justified anyway with no controls and such a light point-count!?   So should I subside somewhere short of game?   3C?   4C?   The combination of the playing strength with the lack of controls convinced me to advance to 5C.   What did partner do?   You guessed it – 6C comes back and I’m trying once more to keep a straight face!   A heart lead appears this time, and partner smiles once more: he’s holding something like this:

S xxxx

H Ax

D AK

C Axxxx

The clubs behave again, and it’s one better than before – my spade goes on AH at trick one and we make all 13.   Partner’s logic in bidding 6C was (of course) similar to what it had been on the previous occasion!

This time our 6C bid and made was (plus 1!) on a combined 23 count!!

Later that night....

We're about half way round the room before I again pick up a hand with lots of diamonds, a reasonable number of clubs and no hearts at all! I'm in third seat this time, red against green:

S Txx

H -

D QTxxxx

C AKxx

Two passes.   I have a weak 2D at my disposal, but in third seat with the extra shape and my second suit being clubs I decide on a 1D opener (again, what those oppos and their majors? - Ed).   If partner comes back with a major I can say 2C; a 1N response would be uncomfortable, but I’ll take the risk.   Anyway, partner’s a passed hand so he’s unlikely to get unduly excited.   LHO overcalls 1H, and I’m immediately feeling better about opening.   Partner says 2C, RHO says 2H, and it’s time for another of our now-accustomed long thinks!   On the basis that 4H probably makes for them, and 5C might make for us, I decide to go straight there to try to persuade the opposition not to double.   LHO promptly doubles, and for once in his life partner doesn’t bid 6C.   I wonder whether I’ve gone too far this time – particularly when I don’t get a wide smile from partner when I table my hand after the KS lead.   Careful play from partner brings in the contract, though, despite doubler holding three aces!   His hand:

S x

H QJxxx

D Kx

C Qxxxx

I know it was only a game rather than a slam this time, but count the combined high-card points – I make it 17!!!

The moral of the story?

I suppose it must be something like, “Always support partner’s clubs at the five level if you have long diamonds and a heart void”…

Submitted by Chris Purvis