1.  6S  I think slam is a good chance: a red K, a ruffing value in hearts, a helpful lead… Indeed on a perfect hand I might be missing a good grand (say xx, Kx, xx, Axxxxxx).   But I cannot see a sensible route to grand.  Key card won't help, even if a specific king ask can follow it, as that won't allow me to distinguish between the CA (very useful if I can get to it) and the CK (useless).  If I went that route I'd really be fishing for partner having both red kings but would be risking an improved lead by letting in inferences from lead directing doubles (or the lack of them) – say partner responds 5D and RHO doesn’t double, that may dissuade RHO from leading away from the DK.  I'm not that interested in introducing hearts.  Even is partner has something like a 2326, or 2317, spades may well play better and I don't want to help the defence any more than I need to by owning up to a heart suit.  No, I like the jump to 6S.  It may also suck in a lead away from the DK as LHO may be worried about a secondary club fit. PS: with a regular partner 4S might have a narrower meaning as all suits at the 4 level should show spade support, including 4C.

2.  6H  I'm more worried about missing 7 than failing to make 6 – it sounds like partner has a diamond void. But like the hand before I'm not sure I see a sensible path to get to 7 so I don't want to muddy the waters by mucking around. On top of that the pre-empt increases the chances of bad breaks, and that might jeopardise what might look like a grand worth bidding in isolation.  We may do doing well MP-wise for just getting to slam – the 4D bid may have helped us out.

3.  3NT  I think this is harder than the other two.  I have a near max passed hand, and I want to bid game.  3NT and 4H are the most likely games (unless partner intends to take a second call in which case we'll hear that now).  Being IMPs I just want to pick the one that makes, I don't care if it is not perfect.  But partner doesn't have to have 4+H for the double, indeed I would guess that more often than not they won't and my hearts are pretty rubbish anyway.  A 4-3 H fit is not that attractive – less likely to break 3-3 after the pre-empt and if I’m forced to ruff on dummy that will be promoting a trump trick for them. If partner has a top honour in diamonds we may well have two stops, any honour would guarantee one stop, and even with no honour they may well be blocked.  That all seems more likely to me than finding a heart fit and it also being right – so then I only have to find the needed tricks.

Regards

Scott Smith

Hi again Stan

I see I blundered in my answer to Q1:  Key card (then a specific king ask) might find the magic hand for 7, but I'm still not sure it is worth the risk on helping them aviod a diamond lead.

Scott