Dear Ed & Peter,

I often see auctions written up in which 5NT is used as a request to partner to "pick a slam". Can you write a column about this convention?

Thanks,
Mark Kinzer

Reply from Ed Hoogenkamp ('South'):

Dear Mark,

I have to say that I'm not a specialist regarding 5NT as 'Pick a Slam'. The problem is, I think, a partnership has to spend many hours to define what is what in which situation with bids like this. So, for an average partnership, these are subjects that hardly are worth the trouble discussing. Too much pain for too little gain.
I checked around a bit on the internet and found a definition by Richard Pavlicek that is easy to use. I copy his article below. (Copyright Richard Pavlicek)

Forcing 5 NT Bid The classic meaning of a 5 NT response to a notrump opening bid is to invite a grand slam. Opener is supposed to bid 6 NT if minimum or 7 NT if maximum. Since I can’t remember the last time I used this bid, I will not waste your time with an example. (If you get these hands a lot, I recommend you play money bridge for big bucks.)

5 NT “Pick a Slam”

A far more practical use of 5 NT occurs when both notrump and a suit have been bid:

7.

K 10 9 6 A K 9 3 A 4 K Q J		A Q J 4 8 2 Q 8 6 2 A 8 2

West 2 NT 3 6

North Pass Pass

East 3 5 NT

South Pass Pass

After using Stayman responder has the strength to bid 6 NT, but that would preclude playing in 6  if opener also held four spades. The problem is neatly solved with 5 NT.

8.

A Q J 4 10 2 K Q 10 3 Q J 10		K 8 2 A K 9 7 4 A 8 4 K 3

West 1 NT 2 6 NT

North Pass Pass

East 2 * 5 NT

South Pass Pass

*Jacoby transfer bid. After showing five hearts, responder next bids 5 NT (forcing) to ask opener to choose between 6  and 6 NT. Opener lacks heart support so he prefers notrump.

This is workable isn't it? I hope it helps you a bit. Maybe Peter has more to say on the subject. I think in Norway they use 7NT as 'Pick a slam'.

Regards from Barcelona

Reply from Peter van der Linden ('North')

Dear Mark,

I am grateful to Ed for doing a good job for once, since I probably know even less about the subject than he.
Pavlicek's treaty looks sound to me.
One warning though: partnerships who play that golden oldie Josephine must be very careful in defining when 5NT is 'pick a slam' and when it is Josephine (my suggestion: Josephine only when there is 100% certainty about what suit is trumps).

(Personally I love Josephine. It is an enquiry after top honour cards in the agreed trump suit. In its basic form the 5NT bidder asked his partner to bid the grand slam holding two out of three top honours and settle for a small slam when holding less than two.
If clubs is the agreed trump suit, Josephine still works that way. But with other trump suits there is extra bidding space available on the six level. So with spades as trumps the replies may be:
6♣: no top honours
6♦: ♠Q
6♥: ♠A or ♠K
6♠: ♠A or ♠K plus extra length in the trump suit
7♠: two top honours
Those who play Roman Key Card Blackwood usually can skip Josephine.)

Back to 'pick a slam'. I seem to remember that in a 'misty' (what is 4♣?) auction like:

...5NT might also be 'pick a slam'. Due to the uneconomical use of bidding space, neither of the partners has been able to pinpoint the trump suit. North might very well hold something like a doubleton top honour in hearts and might still have six spades or five diamonds.
If South holds for instance a decent five card suit in hearts and/or two spades/three diamonds he cannot rule out any trump suit.

Also if a player has been unable to inform partner of a (small) fit because of high intervention by the opponents, 5NT might be 'pick a slam':

Note that in both examples there has not been a no trump bid. 

Regards from Orkanger

PS: Ed, thanks for your remark about the meaning of 7NT in Norway. Your idea that it would be 'pick a slam' over here, is not as far off the mark as your usual remarks. I mean, only a few weeks ago you would have explained it as a Norwegian 'choice of games' bid... Slowly you are beginning to appreciate Norwegian bidding so it seems!