Yu18772

Np - sorry for ignorance, but what does FYP stand for? http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

You are welcome http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif

1♠-P-3♣-3♦ X= want to penalize, have something in diamonds responder may remove with very weak distributional hand. 3♥ = general invitation 3♠ = competitive, not inviting 1♠-P-3♣-3♥ (or 1♥-P-3♣-3♦) X= general game invitation 3♠ = competitive, not inviting Opener can not penalize ♥ directly, but strong 3♣ with 3 card suport is very likely to dbl at 3 or 4 level (almost automatic), which a sub-min opener may remove if really wants to. They are not exactly equivalent, but for invitational purposes the 10-11 hand with 3 cards is strong, and it really helps with the semi-forcing 1NT. I find the tradeoff worth it even in IMP. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

my 50% finesses are 90% off..... Sheryl accompanied Wayne, her bridge partner, to the doctor's office. After his checkup, the doctor called Sheryl into his office alone. ”Wayne is suffering from a very severe stress disorder. If you don't follow my instructions carefully, he will surely die. Never point out any mistake he makes. Be pleasant at all times. Don't burden him with conventions and bidding systems. Always give him a hug when he feels down. And never discuss the hands. If you can do this for the next few months, I think Wayne will regain his health completely." On the way home, Wayne asked Sheryl, "What did the doctor say?" "He said you're going to die," she replied How many bridge partner jokes are there? Just two, all the rest are true. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Why not 2♣ shows weaker hands with 3♥ (responder may still prefer to play in ♦), while 2♥ shows really good hands with 3♥? http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

1M-3♣ is either 4 card 6-9 or 3 card support with 10-11 (what you would bid through the NT), 1M-1NT denies support and can be passed by weak balanced opener. 1M-3♦ is at least invitational with 4+ support. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

1) 3♥ - we are nv, they are vul, if the vulnerability had been the other way I would pass. I dont necessarily expect to make 3♥, but to make the choice for opponents more difficult, thus I am not a fan of delaying the preempt. If you dont preempt immediately you just letting them get more information to choose more wisely wether to double you or not.....which kind of looses the point of putting pressure on their bidding. 2) 3♥, although Q♦ seems wasted, Q♠ single looks like gold. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

You need to have friendly distributions to make this one, thus assume that everything works. Otherwise you dont make it - so there are 3 tricks in spades, Q♥ is an entrance, which means that playing ♥ at trick 2 is not good - at best - it holds, but then you have no more entrances to A♠, and you effectively gave a spade trick for a heart trick. I would start by a diamond honor, and if its allowed to hold - duck a club......but I am not sure it is such a great line. May be first ducking a club will give you a better line for diamonds (if clubs split you will only need one trick and if not then you need 2 tricks from diamonds). http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

I had been playing 2/1 with my regular partner for ~2 years, before that we were playing natural system where 2/1 responses were invitational with 5 card suit. We are generally quite aggressive bidders, and our rule is "opening versus opening is a game". The reasons we like 2/1GF are - it creates a lot of bidding space which can be used a. to investigate the right game, b. to bid stoppers and get to 3NT played by the right side, or vouch out in 4-3/5-2 major when we dont have a stopper or even stop at 4 minor if no choice c. Slam bidding is much more scientific - this can be a plus or mins, depends on you and p. we like it. d. it is less precise in partscores, but not by far, imo. However, its not one system fit all. Discussion of auctions and good understanding between us is WAY more important than natural or 2/1GF systems, and imo a well discussed natural system will outperform poorly discussed 2/1 on any account, given the same partnership. The advantages also very much depend on what you add to the system - e.g. Bergen and J2NT work very well with 2/1GF, some other conventions less so. Also we much prefer playing semi-forcing 1NT, and 2-way bergen, which is very useful in MP, but these are personal flavors. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Two complements I particularly liked: 1. When I was playing for about a year my partner and I were playing against a completely novice pair. We just started playing Gestem at the time and my partner overcalled a 2 suiter, I explained the bid - remembering the wrong suits....and the oponnents ended up in 4♥. At this point, before leading my partner corrected the explanation (which she shouldnt have done), and opponents said ok - without knowing the rules. So I called the director to explain to them their rights etc....it didnt change anything in the bid or play, but they said "thank you, none was so nice to us so far." 2. A year ago my partner and I were playing teams in Tel Aviv international, and were lucky enough to get to the knockouts, and unlucky enough to have Israeli Juniors as our first opponents (they now hold world championship, and european U26, and transnational in the bermuda) - a team that is by far better than we are. One of our opponents is known to talk a lot at the table, especially if he has nothing to worry about. The match was 6 boards and at board 4 he stopped being talkative. We finished before the other table, and he said "well, if your other pair played as well as you did, you might have knocked out world champions. Congratulations". http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

South table1?http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

opening 1NT with 2 doubletons is an alternative you weigh opposite "normal" bidding. If you hold 16-17 2425, and your 16 HCP are in the long suits you can reverse, it will show the hand without distortion. If you hold 2425 with 16-17 HCP with relatively poor long suits - by definition it would mean HCP in the doubletons, and reversing with poor suits is a distortion - in my experience these are the most beneficial hands to open 1NT with 2 doubletons (these and holding 5-4 in minors). Also if you have only one doubleton partner will likely have some length in that suit, and opponents may not lead it. When you hold two of them and play NT - it is very very likely that opponents will lead in one of the doubletons, and usually it is not going to be partners best suit either, so something useful in the doubletons is important. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Imo 3♦ is good and 4♥ is ok +/-. I hesitate not because of the convention, but because of the hand - yes my K♠ is a trick, but unlikely to develop side suit for P, Q♥ seems wasted, Q♣ is not great values and if partner has something like K or KJ in ♦ we are very likely 1 off....but then again vul game teams....but then again partner also knows that... In general it is quite common to play 3♦ bergen and then raise to game with hands that have long fit and are not good enough for J2NT but better than 1♥-4♥, it does require a bit more disciplined openings than any 11 with 5 card major to work well. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

1. Yes, to wayman's question 3C is weak, with 5+ clubs for me 2. 2H is looking for NT 3. No way. I wouldn't double 5♦. My partner would have doubled if he had 3-4 quick defensive tricks, and I dont have any. All their finesses in majors (if needed) are onside. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

http://tinyurl.com/7jc8n8j

I opened 1H and GIB bid 1NT with 5 card spades: KQxxx Axx JTx Qx Any comments? Is that standard for GIB or a bug?

I am not aware of any such requirement. I try not to claim, unless we are actually behind. If I cant claim all the tricks, may be ops will misdefend and give me more - and there is nothing wrong with that hope imo. If I think I have all the tricks, I usually scrue up the claim, so I just dont claim. About the actual post - it seems it was more an issue of what Justin quoted.... http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Whatever it means - 3NT is the only bid I can imagine with that handUsually it is looking for ♥ stopper, unless partner removes 3NT to which would show slamish hand. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

hand 2 - 4♥ for me hand 3 - I bid 2NT, and dont bid over 4♥ that was passed. If I decided to force, I dont run from the dbl (and that should be a plausible scenario to consider before 3♣ bid), I dont bid 4♣ as 3NT may very well be a better spot than 5♣. hand 4 - Probably 4NT (two places to play) - even though that would take me to the 5 level. I have no tricks in defense, so cant afford my partner to pass over dbl, thus no dbl. hand 5 - Dbl, and if partner bids ♦ correct to ♠. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Its a matter of expectation - I play that NT may contain 2 doubletons, or singleton A or K -this is very common among all levels. It doesnt need even to be an agreement or understanding - there is nothing in the responses which adjusts for it - you just agree that from time to time when you end up in a bad contract, its nobody's fault- this happens about once in 20-30 times on this hands, but the gain is much more. A word of caution though - when this ends up badly, it can be really ugly.....but usually undoubled!. The gains are great - you solve a lot of rebid problems for 15-17 semi balanced hands, you open 1NT more frequently (which has preemptive effect)....its importnat though that doubletons will contain HCP. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Thank you for the ideas! Actually one of the reasons I would like to try 2♣ as a major + any, is because it is pretty difficult for the responder to ask Stayman, while if our major is defined it is very easy to start looking for the other one or to evaluate the hand. When opponents intervene over 1NT, knowing their suit is imperative for responder hand re-evaluation, and looking for 4-4 card major fits when overcaller promises at least one major but you dont know which starts to be a problem, so I dont think its going to be that easy to play 1NT-2♣-X as stayman. On the other hand if responder holds a long major (to which he transfers) - this also clears the picture for partner (which may for example dbl to show competitive values assuming the other major etc...). I do like the idea of switching 2♥ and 2♠ bids in the response. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Hi So, as promised, I will try to describe an idea for a new convention and how I came up with it. Fair criticism will be appreciated, and if this convention already exists - I apologize, no plagiarism is intended. To make it clear - I am not an expert, just a intermediate-advanced player, with few successes, so most people that comment here seem to me smarter and more experienced than I am. For some time I had been playing various conventions to interfere after opponents open 1NT - basically I played Cap/Hamilton/MultiLandy/Granovetter/Meyerson, depends on the partner, and 1NT opening range. It seems to me that the features I like or find useful are: a. 2♥ and 2♠ bids as natural, and in general one suited hand that can introduce suit immediately. b. Dbl as penalty (not that I often come upon a suitable hand versus strong NT, but if opponents cant dbl for penalty i open 14HCP or semi balanced 1NT much more often, and its pretty effective) c. Two suited bids that would make it hard to act over, and give as little as possible info for the responder to 1NT opening. So the scheme I came up with is probably very naive, but rather simple - 1NT-?: Dbl= strong/penalty 2♦ /♥/♠ = natural suit 2NT=minors 2♣ = major + any (may include both majors or major+minor) 1NT-2♣-P-?: 2♦= asks for the lowest major suit 2♥ = we are playing anything but ♥ 2♠ = invitational hand (especially in weak NT context by opponents). I understand that the 2♣ bid is very vague also for the partner, especially if responder decides to compete anyway, on the other hand it seems to me that its harder to act after a bid that effectively does not promise any particular suits, just any two of them. In any case, I am pretty sure that there plenty of things wrong with this idea....so your comments please. Yehudit http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Ok great, I will start a new thread later tonight http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif

Hi all If i have an idea for a convention, how do I find out if this convention already exists, and what would be an appropriate forum to post it? Thanks http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

At large MP event, few years ago. In 3rd seat I pick up AQTxx,Axxxxx,x,x. Partner opens 2♥ (=♥+other 5:5 or better, 6-10HCP), the bidding goes: P-RHO-Me-LHO 2♥-4♠-X-4NT P-5♣-6♥-*X P-P-P Before doubling LHO: "What does 6H mean?" My partner (rather amused) "I think to play...." http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif But Mahmut is definitely the top story so far