An Interesting Problem
A friend sent an interesting bidding problem that has implications for our understandings.
You hold, red on white, 
xx, 
Jxx, 
KT9xx, 
KTx. Your RHO passes as dealer and so do you. LHO bids 2 and partner bids 5 . RHO passes, and it is up to you.
Update on Saturday, December 31, 2005 at 06:07PM by Jeff Miller
Not that it matters to our group’s assessment of the best answer, the actual partner hand was
The vote of the “other panel” was 5 for 6
When given the problem, I voted for 6
1. Beware of expecting a bid to have an extremely specific meaning, especially if you and your partner have never discussed it.
2. When seeking to ask a question about a specific suit, try to set the suit first (as Jonathan suggested in his comment).
6S. I think this is common sense and no system is required… until we miss a grand.
December 27, 2005 Nik
Pass. I’m not sure what is going on so take it at face value that partner is looking for a heart control which I lack. One could play this as a general strength bid in which case I could kick it in but I think most people (including me) would start would double. This is really a straight partnership agreement question. If it were up to me it would be the “general slam try” since, increasingly in today’s LTT world, partners think it wise to leave in takeout doubles with random balanced hands. That tendency, in turn, makes it riskier to start with double with big unbalanced hands than it used to be.
December 28, 2005 Jack Oest
Unless 5S shows nine solid, two dead and a pair of sticks I have a hand with some value, so I move to slam in a random partnership and quebid 5NT to show two key cards with a partner I trusted a bit more. I’ll be ready to apoligize if partner has the 1958 textbook bid I describe above.
December 29, 2005 Bill Wickham
If we play 3h as stopper ask, he should bid that with the “1958″ hand. Then jump to 5s if appropriate, and partner will know that the queen is not a stopper you had in mind!
December 29, 2005 Jonathan Weinstein
When I gave the auction to my partner without a hand, she said it was quantitative with me but asking for a heart control with everyone else. It is a lot more useful quantitative with no control problems, especially when further preemption is likely.
December 29, 2005 Phil Warden
i’m confused. isn’t this same as if pard opened 5s with a solid hand missing A & K of spades? i have neither so i pass.
December 31, 2005 bernie miller
i agree with jeff but plan to discuss with my partner
January 1, 2006 Mohan
I agree with Jeff’s proposed rules and like Wickham’s 5N bid as well. It sounds like Doc will want to play like this with me.
January 2, 2006 Phil Warden
with the actual hand, i would start with 3h, then bid 5s unless pard does something unexpected in clubs or maybe d.
January 4, 2006 bernie miller