Re: What Do You Bid with AKx, x, AJ8x, AQJ7x?

On May 7, 8:08 am, Will in New Haven <bill.re...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:

Except that power raises are power raises and distributional raises
cover a multitude of sins. If 4S is specifically Club shortage, that
is fine but probably alertable. Otherwise, your partner knows your
hand type but doesn't know the competitive details and will get it
wrong more often than he might. If partner, due to being on the same
wavelength, knows it is Club shortage, it becomes tantamount to an
agreement.

Will in New Haven

**************

Perhaps I should clarify:

a distributional raise to 4s, after the auction 1d (2c) 2s (3c) ?,
does not promise club shortness.  It could as easily be made on

Axx
xxxx
AQJxxx
VOID

as on

Axxx
x
AKxxxx
xx

it simply shows a hand that is bidding 4s on distributional values,
not high card values.  Since they are bidding clubs, it is likely that
this hand has club shortness, but it is not guaranteed.

By the same token, a power raise to 4s via 4c does not show a club
control either:

AQx
Kxx
AKxx
Qxx

or

AJxx
Ax
AKxxx
xx

would be suitable as power raises to 4s.

The basic value of separating distributional raises from power raises
is not to make slam investigation easier.  It is to allow responder to
express an opinion if the opponents compete to 5c.

Opposite a distributional raise, a hand like

Kxxxxx
xxx
Qxx
x

would be an obvious 5s bid.  Not only could 5s make but so might 5c.
But opposite a power raise it is not an obvious 5s bid.  Opposite the
balanced 18 count both 5s and 5c could be down, and responder's pass
will signal doubt.  Then opener can double with the balanced defensive
moose and bid 5s with the 4=2=5=2 hand with high ODR and be right both
times.

Obviously it would be stupid to claim that the partner****p would get
all of these decisions right, but it has to help responder to know
whether opener is taking a distributional shot or a high card shot at
game, unless it is opener's goal simply to mastermind the situation
accordiing to his table feel or superlative judgment.

Henrysun909