Fit Jumps Opener has 5422 Hand 1

Board 1 North Deals None Vul	♠ A 3 ♥ A K J 6 ♦ K 10 ♣ Q J 10 7 5
♠ Q 8 4 ♥ 8 3 ♦ Q J 8 7 4 2 ♣ 9 3	N W E S	♠ K J 9 7 5 ♥ 7 4 2 ♦ 9 6 5 ♣ 6 2
	♠ 10 6 2 ♥ Q 10 9 5 ♦ A 3 ♣ A K 8 4

West	North	East	South
	1 ♣	Pass	2 ♦
Pass	4 ♥	Pass	5 ♣
Pass	5 ♦	Pass	5 ♠
Pass	6 ♣	Pass	6 ♥
All pass

6 ♥ by North

Lead: ♣ 6

Made 6 — NS +980

I thought that hands with 5422 distribution with a fit for responder's major would be a problem. This set of deals looks at those hands. In general I am happy with how they worked out.

With 5422 and 15-16 points you need to bid three of the major with a fit. Three of a major also caters to 12-14 balanced or 5422. With a singleton prefer to splinter.

After the three of the major rebid, responder should bid the next step - frivolous - with interest in slam opposite the 5422 hand with 15-16 hcp. Opener then moves with the 5422 hand and signs off with the 12-14 hands.

Here opener is stronger so rebids 4 ♥ showing 18-19 usually balanced but 5422 is possible. With a very nice 5422 we can bid three of the major and then move if you are afraid responder will pass four of the major with a really bad hand - passing a jump to four of the major is very rare.

Responder's 5 ♣ shows a good hand that wants to play slam - here based on the great controls with all working cards - but in this case does not have a spade control. In consequence of 5 ♣ denying a spade control, north's 6 ♦ promises both a spade and diamond control.

In a cue-bidding sequence that goes beyond 4 NT we play the step above five of our suit as key-card (kickback). So here 5 ♠ is kickback for hearts. The 6 ♣ response shows 0 or 3. At this point responder knows opener has 18-19 points and ♠ A, ♥ AK, ♦ K and therefore at least four more points. A perfect ♣ Q and ♠ K would underwrite the grand. So maybe south is worth one more slam try with 6 ♦. Partner should not go on with spurious jacks.

Note if we change south to 2=4=3=4 then if you knew north was 2=4=2=5 then you would not need the ♠ K for the grand as there would be a pitch available on the long club.

Here we do not have that luxury. North's distribution is not that precisely known. However as we will see when opener is 15-16 we can deduce that their distribution is 5422 and can make some good inferences in the bidding.

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