TWO4BRIDGE

Zelandakh can correct me if I'm wrong about "his method" for these auctions . In BOTH auctions, Responder bids 4C ( 1st agreeing ♣ on the 4-level ) as a slam-try over 3NT. If Opener wants to DECLINE the slam-try, he bids the 1st step ( 4D! ) here. If Opener wants to ACCEPT the slam-try, the next 4 steps are kickback replies. This way there is no confusion if Responder instead wants to bid a natural 4D over 3NT .

I think I'd rather show my hand with a 4H! jump-cue splinter for ♦ . Partner has responded 1D for a reason. He either is GF w/ or w/o a 4 card Major or he has less than opening values w/o a 4 card Major but has at least 4 cards ♦ .

I'm worried too about losing trump control with the ♦-taps . Maybe I can use the ♥-suit as a diversion ( similar to CamHenry ) but lead a ♣ to the Q for the ♥10 up ....for a finesse . East wins and maybe leads ♠A and another ( thinking to kill a ♥-ruff ). Win K and lead ♥9 covering w/J -- hoping it wins because of split honors. Next ♠Q : .... if ♠were 3-3, then you can afford to lose another ♥ if they don't split 3-3 . You still have a trump to win the ♦ tap and your hand is good. .... if ♠ 4-2 , then you need the 3-3 ♥ split [ EDIT or West with H x ] . EDIT: Rainer's opp ♥-holding also in play here if West is H x , then you can still win against 4-2 ♠-split.

I would think the Meckwell "answer bids" apply for the 2NT open as well as for the 1NT open .

Either need BOTH red suit finesses working... or ONE red suit and 3 tricks from the ♠ suit ( split honors or 3-3 split or if Q J bare , then you wouldn't need a red suit finesse ). I'd go to work on the ♠ suit first .

The classic question about 3S or 4S for this SJS auction . [ See my by-line re Justin's comment on this type of SJS auction ] . 4S should be a 3 card limit raise -- a hand that would have jumped to 3S over a minimum rebid such as 2C . 3S is the weakest action and could be as few as 2 cards ♠ . But Responder here has 4 cards ♠ ... with 5 hcp and the ugly 4 3 3 3 . Since I play Bergen raises it would have gone 1S - 3S . 1S - 2S = 8,9 hcp exact w/ 3 card support ... so that is out .

1D - 2C! ( 2/1 GF, does NOT deny a 4 card Major ) ?? .. First obligation is to rebid 2D with 5+♦ suit; does not deny a 4 card Major; you now have the entire 2-level to find a 4-4 major fit if one exists. .. 2NT would DENY a 4 card Major as well as deny 5 cards ♦. .. 2M would show a 4 card Major and deny 5 cards ♦ .

Thx, Dwayne ... for some reason I thought it would be more complicated to show a 6s/4h hand . EDIT: Am I right, however, that with a 5s/5h hand you would go thru Muppet ?

I think it is the other way around ( Helene ). If Responder had a ♥ stack but not enough points for a 2/1 GF, s/he would be relegated to bid 1NTF first .... so in this case X would be penalty . If non-forcing 1NT, s/he could bid 2H ( 1 Rnd forcing ) . But in this case, I don't know what the X should mean .... I think you need prior discussion on this one -- would Responder have 4 cards ♥ ( can't have 5 since could have bid 2H w/10,11 hcp ) or ♥-shortness ?

Opener really is at the upper end of a 2NT opening ( 20,21 ) ... 9 controls . Perhaps should upgrade to a 2C opening ? There is a way to show Responder's 6s/4h if NO Puppet: 2NT - 3C ( regular Stayman ) 3D ( no 4 card Major ) .... - 3H! ( Smolen , ostensibly showing 5s/4h 3NT ( no 4h, no 3s ) .... - 4H! ( Texas , showing 6s/4h ) 4S .... - 4NT 5H ( 2 or 5 and no ♠Q ) .... - 6S

Kokish Relay - How does responder show a bust? I'm not that familiar with Kokish... but: I think the only way is to PASS a natural NF rebid by Opener. I think you can pass his direct 2S, his indirect 3H and the "lower" 2NT .

Thx again, Zel.....for another 'improvement' ... I was wondering what to use for the 3NT reply .

3D ... cheapest Ctrl . Since 3C! is "upper Bergen", new suit bids are Ctrl-showing.. not a game-try . Hopefully, partner can Ctrl-cue 4C next . If instead he cues 3H, you have the Serious-3NT available to give him a chance to cue 4C . EDIT: ooops, when you said "non-serious available" , did you mean non-serious 3NT or non-serious cue ?

3S-jump splinter

It looks like some version of "The Impossible Spade". It might be covered by Fred G's souped-up version: 1D - 1NT 2H - 2S! 2NT! ( asks ) - ?? ...................... 3C = good ♣ hand ...................... 3D = strong ♦ raise If Responder had a lesser hand with long clubs, he would bid 3C directly over 2H. Or if Responder had a lesser hand with Diam support, he would bid 3D directly over 2H . Hence, there are 2-ways to bid 3C/3D. Then again, there already are 2-ways using Leb3: 1D - 1NT 2H - Leb2NT! ( forces 3C for pass or correct ) 3C! - pass/3D to play Soooo, we are back to your good question. What is the best use for 2S ? Perhaps 2S! should be an artificial weakness bid ... allowing Opener to possibly sign-off in 2NT.

I admit, the 3H-jump could be an "agreed" splinter for ♦ . It would be a rarity, but so would a 5s/5h hand. The only other possible splinter sequence for a 2D reverse would be: 1C - 1H 2D - 3S!

sidebar: Meckwell uses 2S for this particular sequence as a GF ... rather than 4th suit ( 3C ): 1H - 1S 2D - 2S ( GF ) Next, 3S by responder would set trumps and initiate control cuebidding .

[ EDIT: 4th suit negative bid is ] : only for the TWO 1C ... 2D reverse cases... NOT for any other .

This hand is the stuff the Bridge columnists write about. You can play for a 4-3 ♥ split. Ruff ♠A high ♥ to A Ruff ♥ high ♣ to A ( pulling only outstanding trump ) Ruff ♥ high low ♣ to 6 discard ♦ on ♠K, ♥K, and long ♥

I would have: ..... - 5NT = K-ask ( specific replies ) 6D ( ♦K, no ♣K , as you specified ) ..... - 6H = 2nd K-ask 6NT = ♥ K ( NT shows feature in asking suit ) ..... - 7NT Responder is the only one who really knows of his 7 cards ♠ suit .......... 7s, 3h, 2d, 1c

See A Primer on Reverse Bidding ( by mikeh ) in the Intermediate and Advanced Bridge discussion ... posts # 55 and # 56 : http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/18177-a-primer-on-reverse-bidding/page__st__40

p - 1C 1S - 2D ?? .. 2H! = artificial weakness bid ( Lebensohl or Ingberman ) .. 2S = 5+ cards, some play GF; others forcing 1 round ..2NT = natural, GF .. 3C = natural, GF .. 3D = natural, GF .. 3H = 5/5 ♠/♥, GF After : 3H - 4H

Wasn't 3C a GF jump-shift ? You have a 17 hcp count ( with a 7 card near solid ♠ suit ) opposite a supposed 18,19 : 1D - 1S 3C - 6S

Help me out here, mikeh... I'm dying .

http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/18177-a-primer-on-reverse-bidding/page__st__40