Night of Slams

With 8 slam hands, it is clear many do not have sufficient tools or insight to bid them.

Hand records show 25% of slams were bid, but only 20% successfully played.

Board 2 with 33 points, slam was bid and made 5 out of 6 times. Great.

It was the only slam hand with 30+ points, the other 7 had less.

Many players are reluctant to investigate slam unless they have sufficient points.

Two other features to be aware of when contemplating slams are;

Shortages: When a good fit is found.   Long Suit: to run in NT.

Shortages:  Add 3 points for a singleton. 5 points for a void.

If you require 32 points for a slam, then 29 with a singleton and 27 with a void.

Boards 3, 4, 5, 10, 13, 16, 20 are cases in point.

Long running suit: Often a 7+ cd suit will run and squeeze opponents. As in Bd 4.

Focusing on Bd 4 because it has both aspects mentioned above. Shortage and length.

It is incumbent on East to try for slam after West opens 1NT and North overcalls 2H.

Ace ask finds all 4 aces, enough to bid 6C, not 6NT, despite only having 26 points.

6C can make if the KS is offside, whereas 6NT will fail.

Would you as East bid 6C?