Yu18772

I play frivolous 3NT, but only on auctions where: 1. 3 level sets the suit and slamish, (absolutely gf situation) 2. one of the hands is unlimited (Basically 2/1 type of auctions....) In your second sequence: " D-1H 2D-something forcing 3H-? " 1."something forcing" is not always "something forcing to game"....and does not necessarily shows 5 hearts, may be your partner is looking for stopper in "something unbid" 2. opener is limited, thus 3H cant be slamish, it just shows 3 hearts (and does not deny stopper in something 4th) Thus, imo, 3NT here would be "I would rather play NT (have 4 hearts only), have game values, but I probably dont have a good stopper in the unbid suit - need something useful there"

Hi http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif I think that i wrote up what you say, only obviously not as clearly (at least I meant to) - in respect to Justin, as I said, I dont think that reserving 2♠ as extra showing undermines the 2NT sequences in any way, however playing it loosely does create troubles in the gf/slamish domain. So I prefer to take the slow approach. Still, the worst I think is when these issues are not discussed.....

Tx!

I would lead small ♦, but Fluffy is very convincing http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Although I am a fan of Justin http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif I think 2s shows extra, and unlike 3C which can be distributional, 2s is always high card points (with 5:5 you would open 1♠..), there are several reasons for that 1. The main reason to bid a 4 card spade is to try to find 4-4 fit there. You dont loose the opportunity to find the spade fit by bidding 2H, if partner has 4s he/she will bid 1H-2m-2H-2S - but when I support with 3♠ partner will know that my hand is limited. If you bid 2♠ on any strength partner with 4 card spade support is supposed to jump to 4 with minimum and with stronger hands support at 3 level. Both are a problem opposite non-defined strength (4♠ may be too high to look for controls or slam invitations, if you actually hold extras, while opposite 3♠ opener is forced to cuebid (because responder is unlimited) - by the time you get to RKCB neither had limited the hand, unless you play serious / unserious 3NT). 2. I dont think that 1H-2D-2H-2N auctions are less effective now - you can still show any feature you want, at the 3 level, only you know that partner does not hold 4 spades, thus there is no reason for 1H-2D-2N-3S auction. Also your partner will know the limitations of you hand. You can still bid 3♥, to show 6 card suit, 3 partners minor to show support (and probably some problem with NT) etc... In fact 1H-2D-2H-2N-3S would deny any cheaper bid (no 6 hearts no support, and indicate a potential problem in clubs for NT - I would bid it on Axxx, AKxxx,xx,xx as well as on KQx, AQJxx,Jx,xxx) - it just asks partner to look closely at the 4th suit (clubs here) and think where we belong. It could be that partner decides playing 4♥ in 5-2 fit is better. 3. I dont have a problem of bidding 1♠ with GF 4333 hands - 1H-1S-2m-3H/4H is slamish/game values with real fit, it is not that different from 1H-2C-2N-3H/4H, except that I satisfied my curiosity and know that prtner does not has 4 spades, so we are in the right major. However, I dont bid the 4 card spades when I have heart support and less than GF, so spades and then back to hearts at 3+ level opposite non gf opener, is always GF or better. Said all that, because your partner game forced extras in 2/1 are 15+ HCP (not necessarily full reverse). I would bid 2H with the hand you posted, but overall I think the most important thing is to agree it with your partner. 2/1 has a lot of flavors, and everyone adopts a somewhat different style.

My partner and I had a disagreement today regarding a lead - matchpoints, club game [hv=pc=n&n=st9hat5daj9ck9543&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=p1c2c(majors)d4hp(sleeping%20%3A%5D)pdppp]133|200[/hv] What do you lead and why?

Your stiff is their A.........its not like you are holding KJxx, Axx,x, AJxxx.

I pass because of vulnerability, A♦ and 3 ♥ loosers - basically my hand sucks :) May be we are setting them and may be not, but it seems like they are pushing us into -200/-500 zone in MP...which is not a score I like.....

Over pass - dbl (shows extra, t/o oriented, not penalty) - after all partner has no idea, you could transfer with 0 points. 3♥ - raise to 4♥ 4♣ - 4♠ (Idont show Kx as a control in a suit that was bid by LHO and when the lead is through my hand). Interesting that you dont mention a 3♠ bid as an option :)

Is there a way to delete your own reply on someones post?

I think that 3♠, or 2♠ depends on what you play as 2 level opening in 4th seat - if is kind of stronger preempt (10-12/13), 2♠ might be enough, if this is strong than 3♠ would be better. Dont like dbl with voids.

100% agree with mikeh http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

The old "What do you call an eight card suit?" saying comes to mind (and yes there are 7 of them, but still...).

For me (leads are 2nd/4th) - playing the 2 would show partner that I started with 5 card suit, hoping partner would figure out to play it again (I would guess that partner has 3 spades and south has 4 with QTxx, so if i take the K spades are dead). vinau - I think you missed the "Next" button http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

As I understood it - 3NT may have at most one queen outside? I once had an idea to play 3♦ as solid ( I also play 2♦ as weak ♦), because of the wrong-side issue, and also to allow to look for 5+-3 major fit, but it never made it to the table:)

In our system direct splinter is 12-16 and 4 card support, so thats what I bid. I dont worry at all about the club control, as partner will hold at most 8 hcp in the major suits, so if he decides to go for slam opposite x♦, he is bound to have useful ♣. The problem with Jacoby for me is that you dont really want to know if partner has single spade, you want to see if his points are KQJ♦, Axxx♦ or anywhere else, and if you bid 2NT KQJx♦ will look to him as potential gold....until the dummy goes down :)

If I bid 4♠ and we go down - my fault, if we make 3♠+1 - my partners, generally I hate being the guilty one :) Seriously - it doesn't seem to be a shapely distribution for anyone, so I would actually expect partner to have a -0 count rather than 2-3hcp......said that, there are plenty of 0 counts that will make 4. e.g xxxx,xxx,xxxx,xx, so 4♠ I think is reasonable, but I would decide wether to invite or not before the 3♥, and stick by the decision (especially in MP).

like nige1 said - 4♥ for me is closer to preempt (I might have 8-9 points and not the regular 6, but not a solid raise to game) - so I bid 4♣ with W hand (shows high card raise to game or better). From that point of view it depends on what is agreed - if 4♥ shows a good high card raise than I think E would do better by bidding 5♣ , it leaves W room to bid 5♦ if in doubt, and W is likely to have a problem with ♠ control. I dont really see how W with xx in spades can continue to 6, and X over 5♠ had completely shut it down, so for me - East is to blame 90%.

I would think that rdbl would suggest to play ♠ and pass show nothing special, like 1NT-P-2♦-Dbl Rdbl-suggests good diamonds 2♥- 3+ cards Pass- doubleton hearts

I play everything the same as if partner opened 1NT.

I dont blame partner for opening x,xx,AQxxx,KJxxx at 1 level..... and see no reason to leave partner in 2NT (10-12 balanced) that probably goes down.So for me 3♣/♦ over 2NT are weak distributional not forcing at all (I would say asking to pass.....). :)

It doesnt make a lot of sense to me to play 2♦ here as natural (and I am far from being an expert) - so if 2♦ is 100% take out, X is 100% penalty. If 2♦ is to play, then X would be the only way to ask partner to choose a major (an option I think is pretty handy to have), so its really up to you.

What awm said, although i game force with practically any 18 (at least 18 good enough not to consider them 17 and open as 1NT). Another implication of strong NT is that the jump raise hand will more often than not include a singleton (balanced 15-17 and some semi-balanced would open 1NT), and some play that 3NT after asks for single.....

I would bid 2♣, and pass the ♠.

Being quite aggressive bidder, I was given an advice by a world class player "Matchpoint or IMP - your first priority should be to ensure that the score is on your side, how much is secondary". I know how you feel, but all in all the advice works.:)