Quantitative Slam Try in Contract Bridge

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Everyone loves a slam and cool tools to find it.  First we learned Blackwood 4 Notrump, then came Gerber 4 Clubs.  Perhaps later we got the hang of cuebidding controls.  Yet sometimes the bidding has revealed our aggregate points are in slam territory if partner has an extra point or two.

Enter the Quantitative Slam Try.  Just like in the inviting auction 1N – 2N, the sequence 1N – 4N ask partner to bid slam when holding a good 1 Notrump opener.  In our Bridge blog and video commentary, we will dig deeper to explore this seemingly trivial bid.  As always, partnership agreements can make a big difference when we are bidding some peculiar treatments.
 

Is it Quantitative 4 Notrump or Blackwood 4 Notrump?

1. Notrump Raise = Quantitative

2. 1N – 2C; 2H – 4N = Quantitative

3. No suit agreement = Quantitative

4. Suit agreement = Blackwood-ish

5. Self-sustaining suit = Blackwood (strong jump bids)

1. Strength Asking – Not Aces, per se

2. Quantitative Factors

3. Qualitative Factors

4. Play of the Hand: Analysis

Quantitative – Hand Evaluation

1. High Card Points: High / Medium / Low

2. Primary Honors: Aces / Kings/ Queens

1. Length / Shape

6. Environmental Factors

Play of the Hand

1. Finesse – Odds

2. Promotion – Odds

3. Counting

4. Lead, Play, Discards

5. Safety Play – Dangerous Opponents [Read more…]