TWO4BRIDGE

Another alternative for North : South 1D - ( 2S ) - 3C 3H ......... - 3S! 4H ......... - 6D

Followup to my post # 14: South 1H - 2NT! 3C! = 4 or 5 card ♣ suit w/ A or K AND shortness in ♦ or ♠ ...... - 3D! ( next step asks ) ?? 3H! = ♠ shortness 3S! = ♦ shortness, bad hand 3NT! = ♦ shortness, ♠-Ctrl, NO 2nd ♣ card ( A, K or Q ) 4C! = ♦ shortness, NO ♠-Ctrl, but 2nd ♣ card 4D! = ♦ shortness and BOTH ♠-Ctrl AND 2nd ♣ card After: 3S! - 4H ( Responder might surmise that opener has the stiff ♦A for his opening bid... but even so, there seems to be too many losers.... and especially so if missing the ♦Ace ) .

Over 1 Club - 2 NT : 3C - Competitive in Clubs, should hold 5 clubs, 4 good is ok too! 3D - Club support, limit or better. Should hold 5 clubs or 4 good. 3H - Invitational with spades. 3S - 100% forcing with spades.

Actually, I've been working on that type of system -- showing a 4 ( or 5 ) card 2nd suit FIRST ..... inspired by ahydra's post this last December : http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/57057-last-nights-tournament/page__st__20 After showing that second suit ( which is headed by at least an A or K AND guaranteeing shortness elsewhere, then a relay would ask for the shortness suit.

This is a very rare deal... with both hands containing a stiff high honor ( in different suits ) AND each partner holding the OTHER high honor . If either partner shows shortness, I would think the prudent thing for the other would be to sign-off in game. Even seeing both hands, it seems awfully lucky to make 12 tricks.

These days most would interpret that as a 2nd 5 card suit.

No... I'm surprised North didn't sign-off immediately after finding out about "wasted" ♦ values .

If 3S = 5+ cards ♠ ( and I think most sources say this is forcing ) , how about 3H! showing 4 cards ♠ . At least one source says 3H! = invitational with ♠ but doesn't give suit quantity . Even if ostensibly "invitational" , it will force partner ( Opener ) to bid .

Deleted.... incorrect

I read on a message board somewhere ( I can't remember when or where ) that when holding an 18,19 count that it is OK to open 1C with 4-4 in the minors ( especially if the ♣ suit is much better than ♦ ) . However, the hand here ( and Fluffy ) convinces me that a 1D open is better . Anyway, I have another sequence in the GGG ( Gnasher's Gameforce Gadget ) which would describe Opener's hand as a 3 2 4 4 after a 1H response to either a 1C or 1D open: South 1m (1C/1D) - 1H 2S! ( artificial GF ) - 2NT! ( asks clarification ) 3NT! ( 3 2 4 4 ) - 6D ...3NT! denies 4s, denies 3h, denies 5m .. ergo: 3 2 4 4 The other replies to the 2NT! ( ask ) : ... 3m = no 4s, no 3h; just long minor suit ( 5+m ) ... 3om ( other minor ) = 4s, no 3h ... 3H = no 4s but have 3h ... 3S = have 4s AND 3h

Using NMF as the "ask" ( and traditionally asking for 3 cards of Responder's bid major ) AND using PASS as the only weakness bid, then 3C in the auction below can be natural and GF : 1C - 1M 2NT - 3C ( however, since 1C can be as few as 3 cards, 3C should probably be 5 cards ) 1D - 1M 2NT - 3D ( can be 4 cards since Opener can't have only 3 cards -- see my post # 19 )

True. In the case of the 1H response, 3C! is essentially a "relay" to 3D so that Responder can then show his hand type: either the ♥ sign-off, or the 5/4 majors, or ♣ .

4S or PASS ( and then "walk the dog" to 4S for a DBL )

Clubs get no respect. Notice the numerous conventions that sacrifices a 2C or 3C bid as artificial. Playing the Wolff Relay, which always uses 3C! as the "ask" after opener's 2NT-jump rebid, leaves Responder's 3D as natural, GF which made ♦ slam exploration feasible for OP's deal. Responder shows ♣ by way of NT rebids after the Wolff 3C! artificial ask: 1C - 1H 2NT - 3C! = always asks for 4 cards ♥ 3D = no 4 cards ♥ ..... - ?? ......... 3H = bare minimum for pass ( the Wolff Sign-off portion of the Relay ) ......... 3S = GF, 5+h/4s, 7+hcp unbalanced .........3NT = 4 card ♣ support, 10-12 hcp .........4NT = 5+ card ♣ support, 13-14 hcp, slammish [ EDIT: I think 4C ( not 4NT ) would be better to show this... and make it Minorwood too ] . Using the "NT" method to show ♣ support leaves little or no room for slam exploration or key card ask ( at Minorwood or Kickback level ) ..

I think you should limit your GF "fake" ( if you need one ) to the ♣ suit only and leave 3D as natural ( at least a good 4 cards ) .

I too think that this 2 loser hand should also open 2C. But if there is another option if you chose the 1S open: 1S - 1NTF 4C! = self-splinter for ♠ But this isn't any better than the 2C open followed by the 3S-jump.... in fact it is worse.

Playing 2/1, the 3 card raise of 2H = 8,9 exact .

Perhaps the bidding was based on opening 1C with a minimum 5-5 in the blacks: 1C - 1H 1S - 2D! ( 4th suit GF ) ?? .. 2S = minimum 5-5 or .. 3S = 5s/6c ... a hand worthy of a reverse After: 2S - 3C 3D ( A, K, or shortness ) - 4C! ( Minorwood ) 4S ( 2 - ♣Q ) - 5D ( kickback for Kings ) 5H ( ♥K ) - 7C ( can count to 13 whether 3D-cue was K or shortness )

Fluffy's sequence is quite rational ( previous post # 18 ) . Responder will know that the 1D open is at least 4 cards when the 1H response is not raised. [ The only time Opener would have 3 cards ♦ is with a 4 4 3 2 .... and ♥ would have been raised ]. So, no need for Responder to "ask" if Opener has 3 cards ♥ when holding a good 4 cards ♦ and slam values . It is well known that a 4-4 fit plays better more often than a 5-3 ... even if Opener had 3 card ♥ .

Or as kickback-RKC ...

ditto

Are you going to show us Partner's hand ?

[hv=pc=n&w=st652ha8763dakckq&e=sahkqj9d7cj987654]266|100[/hv] Using Zel's mini- or in-between splinter ( 2S! over 1H open ): 1H - 2S! 2NT! ( asks ) - 3D! ( ♦ singleton ) 3H - 3S ( Ctrl cue ) 4C ( A, K, or shortness ) - 4S! ( kickback-RKC ) 5D ( 2 - ♥Q ) - 6H

With such good ♥ support and the stellar ♣ suit, I'd upgrade the hand to a game force using Gnasher's Gameforce Gadget ( over a 1H response ): 1C - 1H 2S! - 2NT! ( asks clarification ) ?? ... 3C = no 4s, no 3h; just long ♣ ... 3D ( other minor ) = 4+s, no 3h ... 3H = no 4s but have 3h ( and normally 5+♣ ) ... 3S = have 4s and 3h After: 3H! - up to responder now

with my special follow-ups : South A Q x x x ........ J x void ................ A 10 8 x x x x A K ................ x x x A Q J x x x ..... K 1C - 1H 2S! - 2NT! ( asks clarification ) ?? ... 3C = no 4s, no 3h; just long ♣ ... 3D ( other minor ) = 4+s, no 3h ... 3H = no 4s but have 3h ... 3S = have 4s and 3h After: 3D! - 3H 3S ( 5s/6c ) - 4S pass