Sometimes you come across a really powerful hand in bridge. I was playing with my partner Roxie in a special club game when I got this one:

Spades: King Queen x Hearts: Queen Jack 9 x Diamonds: 9 x Clubs: King 9 8 x.

I don’t mind opening with fewer points sometimes, but this hand has 11 points with no aces and even distribution of cards. Sitting second, there’s no need to stretch. The bidding passes to my partner in fourth seat, who opens with Two Clubs. Now I have a powerhouse opposite that bid, so I respond with Two Diamonds as a waiting move. That forces us toward game. Partner then bids Three Diamonds, showing a real suit there. This puts me in a tough spot. I do have four hearts, so I can mention them, but just four. I go with Three Hearts. I hope partner bids 3 No Trump next, and then I can figure out the rest. Six No Trump looks safe, but I wish I had a way to say, bid six with a minimum and seven with more. I’ve never used that kind of five no trump bid in 37 years, but lately I’ve seen two hands where it would fit perfect.

Partner jumps to Four No Trump. That’s rough. Is it asking for aces with Blackwood? Or just showing extra strength? No way I’m passing. In our style of Roman Key Card Blackwood, if it’s that, my right answer is Five Diamonds for zero key cards. But what if we’re not on the same page and end up in five diamonds when six no trump is easy? It might make only if I play it, since the lead could come through my club king into the ace queen onside. I wish five clubs was correct, as partner wouldn’t pass that. Instead, I force myself to bid Five Diamonds.

Partner bids Seven Hearts.

I planned to pull six hearts to no trump, but now seven? Partner must have at least four hearts to bid that with me showing no key cards. Why even ask? Partner has to hold ace king of hearts and a strong diamond suit. Either the black aces are there, or there’s a void in clubs or spades, checking for the last ace to pick hearts or no trump.

We skip Exclusion Key Card, that tricky convention. Anyway, it’s just a club game, so a grand slam at 75% odds is fine even if clear. Switching to seven no trump might gain a couple points if right, but lose big if missing an ace. The risk is seven no trump makes when seven hearts fails on bad trumps, but diamonds might need ruffing if partner has ace king queen diamonds or longer.

I pass after thinking hard. If doubled, I’d run. A top player might double a makeable seven hearts to push seven no trump down, but not this pair. Left hand opponent leads a diamond.

I’ve seen strong hands, but Roxie lays down a giant one. Monster doesn’t cover it.

Spades: Ace Hearts: Ace King x x Diamonds: Ace King Queen Jack Ten x x Clubs: Ace

The lead doesn’t get ruffed, and both follow to trumps once. I claim quick.

Still puzzled by the four no trump bid. With our 14-30 key card, five diamonds gives no good way to check the heart queen. If we used 0-3-14 where five clubs is zero, then five diamonds could ask. Looking back, maybe Roxie should bid five no trump for all key cards and see my reply. Usually it asks for kings, but she needs my heart queen and maybe jack, or heart queen plus a black king.

Roxie figured I had the heart queen or five hearts, took a chance. But I think direct seven no trump was better. Bad hearts kill seven hearts, but seven no trump could make with my diamond nine and black kings or king queen pair, which I held.

This hand shows why a relay system shines, asking for aces, then kings, queens, even jacks sometimes. But memorizing it scares even me.

Scores show my endplay worked. Seven no trump got 14 out of 15, three tables bid it. Seven hearts was 12 of 15, others in small slams or seven diamonds.

Anyway, Roxie’s hand sets the new record. It came from The Common Game, where clubs play same hands same day to compare scores and share expert views. Lots of players yesterday drew hand 17 and said wow.

Update — Looks like Schenken handles this well, check comments.