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Monster 4054 -- Board 17: East has 20 hcp and a void, but can only count 7 tricks with no help from partner. If the long suit were a major, you might open 2C despite the difficulty of showing this shape, but game in a minor will surely require partner's help and 1D is the best opening bid. West responds 1H, and North might pass but I suspect most will be tempted to overcall in spades. North has no ace, a ratty suit, scattered values, and the terrible shape -- this would be a clear pass at IMPs but odds are slightly better than 50% partner has 3 card support and you won't get hurt very often overcalling at the one level.
East was planning a 2S jump shift over the expected heart response, but jumps to 3C instead after North's overcall. Many players confuse jump shifts and reverses; opener's reverse is a non-jump bid, promising 17+ points and forcing for one round; opener's jump in a new suit (jump shift) is forcing to game, showing 20+ in value. South, of course, has nothing to say.
West has a fit for clubs, but the two Queens are of doubtful value, and West is uncertain whether the hand belongs in clubs, hearts, or notrump. The late, great Al Roth might bid 3D as a "mark-time" bid, but in the real world you'll never convince partner to play in clubs after that. 4C is straightforward, but gives up on 3NT. 3S asks for help to play 3NT, but will wrong-side that contract if East has Axx or such. That leaves 3H -- does that promise 6? Beginning bridge players think that every time you bid a suit, you promise one extra card -- generally an inefficient scheme. Advancing player learn that rebidding a suit suggests 6; with 5 you wait for partner to show delayed support. Experts pay attention to the auction: when rebidding a suit is not forcing and/or takes up lots of bidding room, it should promise 6. When the auction is forcing and/or rebidding the suit takes up little space, it will often be only 5 cards. 3H seems to be the most flexible call if opener will not assume six card length. Otherwise, 3S with a good bidder, or 4C to keep things simple. 3NT would be strictly for masterminders.
The heart bids, of course, do nothing to improve East's hand. East may bid 3NT, ending the auction, or 3S to encourage West to bid 3NT with a partial stopper as on today's hand. 3NT from one side or the other looks like the practical target. East takes the obvious 10 tricks; West makes 11 on a spade lead but North may opt for a safe club lead, aiming to reduce overtricks rather than set the contract.
If West raises clubs, East may go through a cue-bid or 4NT sequence but really may as well blast 6C. 4NT won't tell you who has the Ace of hearts, or will indicate wasted values if the side has all the key cards -- either way, it's hard to see a sensible path to 7C. There's not a good way to show a void in parner's suit.
Cashing an Ace is often best against a slam, but not in a suit the opponents have bid. South leads a spade to partner's suit. East counts 1 spade, 5 diamonds and 5 trumps (assuming a 3-2 split.) Needing another trick, East must ruff two spades in dummy or two hearts in his hand before pulling trumps. Dummy lacks entries to lead hearts, and since North bid spades he won't be over-ruffing, so East wins the first spade, concedes a spade, wins the likely trump return in hand, ruffs a spade (South pitches a diamond), returns to hand with a diamond, ruffs another spade, cashes the King of clubs, and ruffs a heart back to hand to pull the last trump and claim. It's too dangerous to try a diamond after South has pitched twice, although today it would work; East cannot make the slam without a 3-2 trump split so ruffing is less risky than playing another diamond before pulling trumps, though it does risk additional undertricks.
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