Hi all
This deal is from the Oakland sectional a couple weeks ago. I’ve consulted with friends, experts and expert friends about getting to the right spot. Sour times, nobody has been able to provide a sensible path to 6
.
Only the Jack of 
is a wasted card, all other cards pull their full weight to make 6 lay down. This was our auction:
Maybe there are good-bad tricks (that I’m never really able to understand) available that can convey North’s playing strength. Maybe North can take a slightly aggressive approach by bidding 3 instead of 3, which should show a very good suit/solid with extras. Maybe I should have bid more than 3NT. The road to the best contract is paved with good intentions, or something like that …
East suffered from temporary ataraxia, I guess. He pulled that vulnerable 3 bid from another dimension, looking at those ultra-minimum values in a flat hand. On the other hand I think that West’s 2 was a bit timid, in my opinion West holds plenty distribution and trumps for a jump to 3.
West led a and when East inserted the Queen I ducked smoothly. East threw me a strange look for I had bid 3NT with confidence. He returned another in my Ace-Jack and I pitched both 
from dummy. On the run of dummy’s West got squeezed out of his red suits like a ripe lemon. Twelve juicy tricks and my play won the imp that saved us a victory point.
Nice squeeze. I think that with a good-bad structure after the 2
bid, slam should become a possibility:
1
– 1
– DBL – 2
– 3
-…
3
Partner has promised an 15-18 with 6 clubs. After opponents bidding, he seems to have a small singleton spade. Imagine a couple of hands that would fit his 3
bid:
x
Axx
Kxx
AKJxxx
with this hand (which is a bare minimum) you will need either clubs 3-2 with the hook (34%) or hearts breaking or some squeeze possibilities (which seem very possible). Give it 60 %.
Change the hand a bit
x
Ax
KQxx
AKxxxx
with this you might prefer a diamond slam, maybe even a grand, but you are definitely thinking slam.
Another hand:
x
xx
KQJx
AKQxxx
Again, slam is good. So you need to do something constructive over 3
. 4
seems like a normal start.