How do you reach a hard-to-bid slam? Here’s a test case.

Sitting South and dealing, with opponents and vulnerability irrelevant, you and partner hold:

NORTH (Partner)

♠️ 10 2

♥️ A K 10 9 5

♦️ Q J 10 5

♣️ 6 4

SOUTH (You)

♠️ A 3

♥️ 8

♦️ A K 9 7

♣️ A K 10 9 5 3

How do you open the bidding?

Despite 18 high-card points, only four losers and extras for the long clubs, I’d open this distributional hand 1♣️rather than 2♣️and hope partner is able to answer. It would be tough to describe the hand after opening 2♣.

Partner responds 1♥️and you rebid 2♦. When you rebid a higher suit at the two level than you opened at the one level, you have reversed. A forcing reversal shows more cards in the first-bid suit than the second and extra values: at least 16 HCP. With even more, you should be thinking slam.

Now North bids 3♦, and you think “Eureka!” It’s time to investigate slam, so you bid 4NT.

What kind of system to you use over 4NT? I like 1430. With one or four “key cards” — the four aces and the trump king — bid 5♣. With zero or three, bid 5♦; with two key cards not including the trump king bid 5♥; with two key cards and the trump king, bid 5♠.

After North responds 5♣️ to show the A♥️, go for it and bid 6♦.

It should make.

Here’s a different bidding challenge. Right-hand opponent bids 1♣️ and you hold:

♠️ Q J 4 3

♥️ A 4 3

♦️ K Q 4

♣️ 9 5 4

What do you bid?

Avoid a double. That typically shows shortness in the bid suit, support for the others and opening dummy points. The late Art Flathers, a Vineyard ace, said that flat hands are best suited for defense. Bill Blakesley, another Vineyard worthy, said he would double with a flat hand only with a robust holding. Your bid: pass.