TWO4BRIDGE

Over a 4S opening preempt, then 4NT overcall = 2 places to play . This is a 3S opening preempt and a T/O DBL overcall ( ostensibly 3 places to play ) . .... So now partner ( Advancer ) has 4S or 4NT available for good hands that can at least play at the 5-level ( and 4C, 4D, or 4H bids for weak hands ). It has been asked what 4S means ? I really don't know .... but could .... 4S! = ♥ and a minor ( then 4NT! = asks minor ? ) and ....4NT! = the minors ??

Ever notice whenever one sees bid and play in the Moysian that Declarer's side has at least the top 3 trump honors. How do they know that? South deals: 1D - 2C! ( 2/1 GF ) 2D ( 5+ takes priority over mentioning 4 cd Major ) ..... - 3D ( 3+ cds , NO 4 cd Major ) 3S ("good" Major, unbalanced, still probing for 3NT, but concern about ♥ and/or ♣) ..... - 4S ( I have a "good" 3 cds, offering a choice of games: 4S, 4NT, 5D )

There once was a thread about rhymes, Brought back from the dead many times, It made me quite sad, The poems so bad,Yet unpunished for metrical crimes.

I like the 3S-splinter . But the 4S bid ( either auction ) has essentially eliminated any more science. You must guess either game or blast.

Doesn't LHO with K x x only need at least TWO hearts ?

I would think pass-then- 3♥ = stop-ask, whereas pass-then- 4♥ jump would be the minor 2-suiter ( as both would be in Leaping Michaels ) .

What about: ( 1D ) - 4D! = ( 5/5 )+ ... Majors... pick one

Since 1D is nebulous, you could have a Leaping Michaels agreement over 2H. Namely, 4D-jump showing (5/5)+ in ♠/♦ . Edit: If you just wanted to show 4 cd ♠, wouldn't you just DBL 2H ?

Wouldn't a direct WJS of 2H be less than 6 hcp ? 1D - 2H

Good question. I would take 2H as the 6-9 weaker hand and 3H-jump as OP's 10-11 hand ... but then I don't play the 'Big Club' .

I have another "addition" from my files.... for the auctions starting with 1minor open , 1S response, and the 2H reverse : 1m - 1S 2H - 2S = ?? Some Ingberman references say 2S = weak, NF. Other sources say 2S = forcing, 1 round, but may be weak. If you play the latter, then you cannot stop in 2S . If you are really weak but have a 6+ card suit, you can bid the weakness bid ( 2NT! ) and stop in 3S: 1m - 1S 2H - 2NT! 3C ( forced ) - 3S

I don't understand the 3S bid on that pathetic suit over the T/O DBL . As an aside, if playing 2/1 GF, 2C ( instead of 3C ) would have been plenty .

I don't know about "mistakes" ... just what agreements you have with partner . Over Reverses, there is Ingberman which mikeh discusses but there is also Lebensohl3 ( Leb3 ). For the special cases of the 2D reverse after a 1C open , BOTH versions use "the 4th suit ( 2oM , available on the 2-level ) as the artificial weakness bid " ( not 2NT as with other Reverse auctions ) . I don't know "who" invented it, but both versions now use it . There are only 2 auctions for those cases In general: 1C - 1M 2D - 2oM One example is: 1C - 1S 2D - 2H! = the weakness bid The other is: 1C - 1H 2D - 2S! = the weakness bid The only difference that I can surmise from explanations for the 2 methods is the meaning for the following 2 auctions where Responder rebids his Major ( M ) : 1C - 1M 2D - 2M For either method: Some references say 2M = weak, NF. Others say 2M = forcing 1 round. And others say 2M = GF . I really don't know which is right or better .... just what you agree on .

♥ agreed as trump. After 3H ( and using standard Ctrl-cuebids : Mbodell ( post # 10 ) , Free ( post # 15 ) and Zel ( post # 19 ) suggest that 3S! = non-Serious and says nothing about a ♠-Ctrl as long as 3NT! by either partner is Serious AND shows a ♠-Ctrl. Alternatively, it seems that 3S! could be used as Serious as long as 3NT by either partner also shows a ♠-Ctrl : After 3H ( bid neither partner has limited ): 3S! = Serious ( says nothing about ♠-Ctrl ) ..... - 3NT! = ♠-Ctrl ..... - 4C = ♣-Ctrl, but denies a ♠-Ctrl ..... - 4D etc 3NT! = non-serious, but have ♠-Ctrl ..... - 4C = ♣-Ctrl, slammish ..... - 4D = ♦-Ctrl, no ♣-Ctrl, but slammish ..... - 4H = I'm not serious either 4C = non-serious, ♣-Ctrl, but no ♠-Ctrl ..... - 4D = ♦-Ctrl, slammish, don't worry about ♠ ........... [ actually, Responder at this point would probably just go 4NT ( RKC ) instead of 4D-cue ] . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sooo, I'm in a "funk" ... I don't know which 3S! is better -- Serious or non-Serious ( using standard Ctrl-cues ) :blink:

I found this in my files under "Serious/non-serious 3NT " . There was a thread last April by wyman : http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/52314-heart-auctions/page__gopid__627548#entry627548 On the subject of when ♥ are trump and after a 3H bid, I concluded that according to Fred Gitelman ( in 2008 ) [ http://www.forums/topic/23116-21gitleman/bridgebase.com/ ] : - - a 3S bid is a Ctrl-cue whether playing Serious or Not ; - - and by-passing 3S would deny a ♠-Ctrl whether playing Serious or Not . [ It was then pointed out ( by phil ) that Fred's 2/1 article was 20 years old ] .

Your 3C-cue showed a GF hand needing direction, and says nothing about ♣. After partner's 3S, you need to establish an unambiguous ♠ fit. Options are: 4S, 4NT ( RKC ) , or 5S : 4S not the best since partner won't make a move with his poor trumps . 4NT may not be good since you are missing a ♣-Ctrl. That leaves 5S which asks for at least 2nd Rnd Ctrl in opps' suit .

I'm glad someone ( with some clout ) questioned the 4D bid . Before I read the explanations, the sequence looked like a GF w/ ♦ .

Pass first... then bid Clubs if provoked . EDIT: After reading lalldonn's answer, I finally figured out what 4-SXf means .... So, I might have to change my answer .

But the "low-level ' telling ' " still lets you stop with either no-fit or a slight shortage of primes.

I think Zel's method ( post # 2 ) is simple ( easy on the little gray cells ) and effective . Here is a hand from another message board ( couple of years ago ) asking how to reach the grand: West............East A Q x x........K x A Q x x........K 9 x x.................A J x x J 9 x x.........A K Q x - - .... 2NT 3C! ( Puppet/Muppet ) .... - 3H! ( no 4 or 5M ; 3NT would show 5 cards ♥ ) 4C ( natural ) .... - ?? ....... 4D = no fit ....... 4H = fit, 0/3 ( or 4S if you prefer ) ....... 4S = fit, 1/4 ( or 4H ) .......4NT = fit, 2 - ♣Q ....... 5C = fit, 2 + ♣Q After: .... - 4H ( or 4S ) = 0/3 4S ( or 4NT ) = ♣Q-ask .... - 5H ( ♣Q + ♥K ) 5S ( 2nd specific K-ask ) .... - 5NT ( ♠ K ) 7C counting: ♠AKQ, ♥AKQ, ♦A, 4 clubs, 2-♦ ruffs

I agreed with all the input from others but not with this one: I would not mix it and there is a too easy way to ask for club control so that you need to violate your system. When playing Frivolous 3NT: Isn't lesh saying that when one hand has limited and the other unlimited hand bids 3NT, there is no reason to bid a Frivolous-3NT when he would just bid 4M to play. Thus, he suggests that the 3NT is essentially "asking" for a 4C Ctrl , since you "never have 3NT 'to play' when playing Serious/non-Serious 3NT "

Zel : With ♥ agreed and you bid 3S! ( Frivolous , but says nothing about a ♠-Ctrl ) , then if partner still has slam aspirations and shows it with 3NT! or 4C , but he has no ♠-Ctrl, how can you show that you actually have a ♠-Ctrl below game ?? [ Maybe 4D! ( Last Train ) will show it ?? ] . ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ EDIT: Alternatively, what if you make the 3S - Ctrl cue ( but says nothing about Serious ) , if you then continue with a Ctrl-cue even after partner bids 3NT! ( Frivolous ), then you have shown that you were "Serious" .

Using Zel's treatment when agreement on the 4-level ( 4D here ) , then a) the next step ( 4H! here ) means bad hand for slam and the next 4 steps are " kickback replies (w/good hand ): b) 4S! = 0/3 c) 4NT! = 1/4 d) 5C! = 2 - dQ e) 5D! = 2 + dQ Sooo, 1S - 2C! 2D - 3D 4D - 4H! = bad hand; eg: don't have a Major A or K and no ♦Q eventho have 2 key cards and some extras ( like the ♣ suit )

For the Transfer auctions, if Responder wants to bid RKC after a transfer ( implying a long Major ), he should make a Texas Transfer first. [ EDIT: I see kevperk said this already ] . For other transfer auctions, Zel and Hog and myself ( and others ) have posted sequences. After a simple transfer, new suits at the 3-level, 3m ( by Responder ) show a "good" 4+ card suit, slammish . Now Opener can either : a) agree Major, no minor fit b) agree minor, no Major c) agree BOTH, double-fit

For the Stayman auctions you could use the Baze structure: 1NT - 2C 2M - ?? ......... 3oM = fit, splinter somewhere ( next step asks where ) ........... 4C = fit, RKC Gerber ........... 4D = fit, no splinter, slam invite .......... 3m = no fit, 4oM/5+minor ......... 4NT = no fit, Quantitative