TWO4BRIDGE

With a WEAK 4s/5h.... transfer to ♥ and forget about ♠. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The form of Trash Stayman I prefer is Responder with 4/4, 5/5 or 5s/4h , WEAK . Therefore, Opener with equal or longer ♠, corrects to 2S, but PASS with longer ♥. So, with longer ♥, you may be playing in the 4-3 fit rather than the possible 5-2 fit in ♠ . But at least you wouldn't be playing in the 4-2 ♠ fit when Responder is 4/4 . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The reason for playing the way I prefer, is that the following auction in considered INVITATIONAL : 1NT - 2C 2D - 2S = 5s/4h invite. But I realize some play this as a "2nd" trash sequence -- the 1st being your sequence with the 4s/5h holding.

Is this another situation for Good/Bad 2NT! . Then there are two ways to bid 3H.

One of my partners insists on "sound" preempts ( 2 of the top 3 honors ), and that is what I have with this 8 loser hand . So I'll open 2♦ .

With 2C! as an artificial GF , how do you ever show partner you have 5 cards ♥ without implying you have a 5/6 ( ♥ / ♣ ) .

Voidwood: 5D! = Exclusion-RKC for ♠; Replies "exclude" the ♦ Ace : ..... - ?? ........ 5H = 0/(3) excluding the ♦ Ace ( 1st step ) ........ 5S = 1/(4) ........5NT = 2 - ♠ Q ( impossible on this hand ) ........ 6C = 2 + ♠ Q ( ditto )

On the 2nd hand...... North's 2H rebid did not show great strength and South doesn't have ANY key cards. As South, I wouldn't expect North to have 4 "Aces".

Agree. 4C Pard is going to be tapped in Diam ( with his void )... so it might as well be CL as trump.

Side issue: What was East's 3♦-jump advance ? ( preemptive invitational transfer ? )

I'm done. You have 5 losers. You'll be lucky if partner can cover one. Partner's silence on the first round was deafening.

Too bad 2C is not GF, but your hand is still strong enough for a whereagles 4H!-splinter for Clubs.

Thx for the transfer tip. There seems to be a number of instances where transfers solve a lot of problems. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - As a side note, I'm aware of Bromad ( 3 card support over a DBL.... where the responses are similar to Bergen, but on the 2-level ) . I haven't played it, but I see it does differentiate between the hcp ranges: 1M - ( X ) - ?? ..................2C! = mixed raise ( w/3 card support ) ..................2D! = limit raise ..................2M! = weak raise

2/1 GF 1M - ( p ) - 2M = 8,9 hcp exact with 3 card support ... but what are the requirements with a DBL overcall ? 1M - ( X ) - 2M = again, 3 card support but hcp range = ?? Edit: Partner opens 1S.... Would you raise to 2S ( after a DBL ) with: A x x x x x J 9 x x x x x

Another reason for using 4♠ as kickback-RKC for ♥ is being able to use 5♠ as specific K-ask . Partner can reply 5NT with the ♠ K ( well below 6♥ ). You can't do that if 4NT were RKC .

I too was wondering about 2♥! showing ♣ and 2♠! showing ♦ being better than the forcing bids of 3C or 3D ( Lebensohl context ) . For one thing, the contract may be right-sided . Also, I guess you can have Opener make a pre-accept"... or not. For example: 1NT - ( 2D! ) - 2H![♣] - ( p ) ?? .. 2S! = accept ♣ .. 3C = only 2 card ♣ support .. 2NT = suggesting NT w/stop(s) in both majors

Your partner either had a (1) typical T/O DBL with at least 3 cards spades in the unbid suits ( but usually includes 4 cards spades ) OR (2) the strong-DBL ( usually with a good 5+ suit ). Your DBL, agreed whether penalty or showing the minors, does NOT show Spades. Your partner should not have bid 4S UNLESS he had the "strong-DBL" with a good 5+ Spade suit.

What was your full hand ? ( 1H ) - X - ( 4H ) - X = minors [ if you had Spades, you would have bid them since partner ostensibly has shown them ]

You may be interested in Rubens Transfer Advances.

Using my homegrown system: South North 1H - 2C! ( GF ) 2NT! ( shows "extras", 15+ )* - 3H 4C! ( Ctrl cue ) - 4S! ( kickback-RKC for Hts ) 4NT! ( 0/3 ) - 5D! ( 2nd step = K-ask; 1st step would be Ht-Q-ask ) 6C ( Cl-King only; denying Sp and Diam K's - PASS (more confident about 12 tricks with Cl as trump; not sure about 5 Ht tricks ). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * A 2nd way to bid 2NT would show a minimum opener: 1H - 2C! 2H! ( artificial, any minimum) - 2S! ( asks for further description ) 2NT! ( minimum and no 4 cards Spades )

A couple of observations. -- 2♣ may not guarantee 5 cards. -- Thus, 3♣ normally should show at least 4 cards. -- The auction thru 3♥ shows a double-fit, so Aquaman's mention of 6-Ace RKC is valid. ( 3♥ should be 3 cards but could be 4 cards as shown the the recent "Splinter, Jacoby2NT..." thread here ). -- Eventho South has "extras" in terms of hcp, s/he doesn't have a ♠ or ♦ Ctrl to bid over 3♥.... and a 4C bid could be interpreted as RKC... so is essentially forced to bid 3NT! ( waiting for cues ? and definitely not to play in this double-fit auction ). -- Should 4C! or 4S! be 6 Ace RKC ? ( I've seen a Kit Woolsey reference use 4D! as 6 Ace RKC in a ♥/♦ double-fit auction). -- Regardless who takes control with RKC, neither partner can count to a sure 13 tricks, and thus, settle in a small slam. ( North can count to a sure 12 tricks, but South can only count to a sure 11 -- if North's ♣ suit was only 4 cards ).

Duhhh. Corrected my post # 19 .

Edit: Duh... South North seems to be putting a lot of faith in partner holding the ♠ Ace to be bidding the grand with no actual ♠ Ctrl-cue by North South . But I see the asterisk now ( 4♠* ) was kickback RKC for Hts .

1H - 2S! ( Zel's splinter "toy" -- mini-splinter option ) * * see recent thread ( Splinter, Jacoby 2NT...posts # 13 & 16 ), this forum [ http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/50210-splinter-jacoby-2nt-or-what/ ]

p - ( 1♣ ) - 1♠

I like it. I've scratched my head for years wondering what the best use is for the 1H - 2S! sequence . ( And the follow-ups for the shortness [ no void ] seem straight forward ).

1H - Jac2NT 3D! ( shortness ) - 3H ( waiting for more cuebids ) 3S - 3NT! ( waiting somemore ) 4C - 4NT! ( Meckwell Exclusion RKC for ♥, excluding the ♠A; 4S! would have been regular kickback-RKC for ♥ ) 5H ( 2 - ♥Q ) - 5NT ( K-ask )... surprise, surprise... ♦shortness is stiff Ace ) 6C ( ♣K, as expected ) - 7H