Bidding Poll

[agh]

 You hold
KQxx
AT7xx
Qxx
x

You open and the auction goes, uncontested
1H      2N(1)
3C(2) 4C
4H      5H?

1 - Jacoby
2 - Shortness
? - What is this, and what do you do?

Comments

[skydiamonde]

Isn't this invitational based on trump honors? (you can tell me I'm on crack cuz I definitely could be misremembering. getting rusty, sadly) Since I only have 1 out of top 3 honors I pass.

[mczen]

Usually a raise to 5M like this is either "bid 6 with a control in the unbid/opponents' suit" or "bid 6 with good trumps". My guess is it's the first. Partner could keycard to find out about AKQ of trumps. Partner watched you bypass diamonds, so presumably has things under control there, so he's asking about spades. I'd bid 5S to show the ace (or void) or 6H to show a stiff, so I'll bid 5N here. Normally this is a rightsiding action, showing a protected king, but since pard already stole the notrump with his Jacoby, it really should show KQ, which is what I have. Dude should be able to make an intelligent decision between 6H and 6N.

[mczen]

Wanting to find that information, what's wrong with 4N RKC?

I would interpret 5H to be some sort of "bid 6 or pass" question, given that there's a perfectly reasonable way to ask for controls beyond 5. Or maybe I'm missing something?

[agh]

How can you find out about the K and Q of spades with keycard?

[mczen]

Well, if partner has two dead spades and keycards, what does he do when you're off only one KC? You could still be off AK of spades.

[nobleshore]

On paper, a voluntary raise to 5M asks for, in order, control of the opponents' suit, the unbid suit, or 2/3 top trumps. However, this cannot possibly be the case here