TWO4BRIDGE

Q1 Ideally, it would be nice to have 4-4 in the Majors for a Neg-DBL here. Since this often not the case, one expert came up with this solution: 1C - ( 1D ) - ?? DBL = 4 cards Sp and says nada about Hts 1S = 5+ Sp 1H = 4+ Hts So with your partner's hand he could have made a Neg-DBL to show exactly 4 cards Sp which would help you later in the competition.

I like Cyberyeti's starting auction . After Opener shows 3 cards Hts and not a bare minimum in reply to the Bourke Relay, Responder's 4D then shows the real reason for the relay -- to make a GF, slammish interest in Diam. Opener should not continue cuebidding and just bid kickback RKC ( a la Cyberyeti ) figuring Responder has at least 1 Ht Ctrl for his bidding. But then I part ways. After finding all the key card plus the dQ, I would next make a specific K-ask and then a 2nd K-ask : 1D - 1H 2D - 2S! 3H! - 4D 4H! - 5D ( 2 + dQ ) 5H! - 5NT ( hK, denying sK; NT shows the ask-for feature ) 6C! - 6D ( no cK; if had the cK, would reply 6NT or 7C! w/both cKQ ) At this point Opener is a bit worried since he can only count 11 sure tricks: 1s, 3h ( does not know about the hJ ), 6d, 1c .

For some reason I played Texas-Over-Smolen to show these hands. 4s/6h : 1NT - 2C 2D - 3S ! ( ostensibly showing 4s/5h ) Smolen 3NT - 4D ! ( transfer to H ; showing 4s/6h ) Texas-over-Smolen I guess I thought that the following could then show a 5s/6h hand ( with prior agreement ): 1NT - 2C 2D - 4D! ( 5s/6h ) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Likewise for the 6s/4h and 6s/5h hands .

When opps have bid 2 suits and you are in 4th seat, the lowest suit ( aka LHO or in this case: Opener's suit ) is the Micheals bid . If you bid Responder's suit ( RHO ), it is natural. Hence, there is a case that 4H is natural. So for this hand, 2C! is Michaels or 2NT!... both showing the unbid suits. Also, 4C! is Michaels. Pick one . I think I'd bid 4C!

From 2 months ago... reply #26: http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/45854-which-is-most-standard/page__st__20

Sry, I should have said Wolff Relay .... 3C!-always, which asks for 4 cards Hts ( 3D! by Responder is natural, GF ) and is different than the more common predecessor, Wolff Sign-off, which asks for 3 cards in Responder's Major . 1m - 1M 2NT - 3C! 3D! ( = no 4 cards Hts )

As it was.... 13 tricks can be had in Hts or even Diam . Only ONE pair ( of 16 ) bid slam... and that was 6D : ( 1S ) - DBL - ( p ) - 3NT ( p ) - 4C! - ( p ) - 6D ... where 4C! was alerted ( not sure, but I think it was Gerber ). The rest ( except for the fatefull 3C partial ) were in a Ht game, not slam ( cold for 13 tricks ) -- after a 1S or 2S opening by West. Seven of the North's overcalled 4H. [hv=pc=n&s=sjt752h6dakqt9caj&w=sak8643hjd6532ck4&n=shakqt974d4cqt973&e=sq9h8532dj87c8652]399|300[/hv]

[hv=pc=n&s=sjt752h6dakqt9caj&n=shakqt974d4cqt973&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=1s2s(Hts%20%26%20minor)p2n(ask%20%20minor)p3cppp]266|200|-11.5 IMPs makes 4H [/hv]

I sure would like to make a Diam splinter -- because that seems to be one of the reasons for Sp as a better slam -- but no space available for me. North can, however, find out about "Diam wastage" in partner's hand. ( Don't worry, I would never consider this at the table ) : 1C - 1S 2NT ( 18,19 ) - 3C! ( Wolff: 5s/4h, or Sp/Cl, or Sp sign-off ) 3H ( 4h ) - 4C ( Ctrl-cue; can't bid 3S as a cue because 3S = sign-off; 3NT/4NT would show Sp/Cl hands ) 4H ( no Diam Ctrl ) - 4NT ( RKC ) 5C ( 0/3 ) - 5D ( hQ-ask; pard must have sA and hAK ) 5H ( no hQ ) - 6S ( pard has to have nice Cl honors for his 18,19 and no Diam wastage; just hope he has 4 cards Cl ) With all due respect, is my sequence more or less "resulting" than Gnasher's "self-splinter" sequence ?

I think that is an excellent idea. I think that is another excellent idea . ( I wish I would have thought of it ). Excellent player.

There are treatments for the Structure-over-Stayman. Here is one populare one: 1NT - 2C 2M - ?? M-fit 3oM! = splinter somewhere; "next step" asks where 4♣! = RKC-Gerber 4♦! = no splinter; artificial invite NO fit 3m = 4oM / 5+minor, slammish 4NT = 4oM, Quantitative - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - That said, here is an old quote from the Manager at OKBridge: " So for the umpteeth time I will voice my opinion: With a balanced slam invitational hand, I do not look for a 4-4 major suit fit - I just bid 4NT directly. That is because, as the total number of points a partnership has increases, the trick taking value of the 4-4 fit decreases. "

Is the 4♥ bid really showing the 5-6 hand AFTER the 4♣ suit agreement? Or is it a ♥ - Ctrl cue ( thus denying a ♦ - Ctrl as in BoB Elliot's example: " What if south has x KQJx xx AQxxxx ? " . Since ♣ are agreed at the 4-level, Kickback ( 4D! ) becomes RKC and South is ready to "ask" after 4♣ .

You might be able to reduce some of problem sequences if you are able to find a m-fit on the 3-level -- then Minorwood becomes the RKC-ask.... and you can then by-pass the 4m!-RKC and cue 4m+1 if you need to. That way 4NT can still be the default RKC in the by-passing sequence. However, if the m-fit is first agreed at the 4-level, then 4m+1 becomes RKC ( kickback )...and the problem still exists. If 4NT! becomes the cuebid for the kickback suit ( as has been suggested ) , then you don't have a RKC-ask . You can't win them all.

Unless you play that Meckwell goody: 4S! = RKC for Hts and 4NT! = Voidwood for Hts ( excluding the Sp Ace )

I'm interested in the method also. One expert had a similar agreement after ( which she said originated in the Memphis area ): 1C - ( 1D ) - ?? 1H = 4+ 1S = 5+ and " Negative doubles at all levels guarantee spades and say nada about hearts. " Since she said " at all levels", I'm assuming after: 1D - ( 2C ) - ?? 2H = 4+ 2S = 5+ and DBL = 4 spades and "says nada about hearts"

Dickie..., you posted a similar situation on July 5th ( in the B & I forum ) : http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/46767-1-club-3-clubs-how-many-pts/ There, paulg offered a good solution: to open 1C and make an artifical 2D! reverse to establish a GF with a follow-up bid showing a long Club suit. [ It is the only artifical Reverse sequence needed to establish a GF ( 1C open and 1S response; all others have jump-shifts available to GF ) ] . Here however, partner will make an immediate 3C GF rebid ( 2H! would be Lebensohl as the start of a sign-off): 1C - 1S 2D! - 3C ( GF ) 4C! ( Minorwood after agreement in a GF situation) - 4NT! ( 4th step = 2 + cQ ) 5D! ( kickback for specific K's ) - 6C ( "ain't got any" )

It's obvious that partner can't have a good "hand" but may a have good "suit" If he has A K Q .... his reply to 2NT! ( Ogust ) will be 3NT! If he has 2 of the top 3 honors, he will reply "good suit " . You can't bid 6NT, because you won't be able to get to dummy if the suit isn't running. So, with either of the 2 replies above, I'll bid 6D . Even if partner showed the A K Q... you don't know about the J.

If the asker were SURE the 5♦ reply were 4, then he could make the 5♥-trump Q-ask. Since he wasn't sure, he bids 5S as explained. When the Replier HAS 4, it is standard to "answer" as if he were asked for the trump Q -- hence the 6♣ reply showing the ♠ Q and ♣ K ( as others have answered here ) .

3♠ would show your hand, but I'm afraid to do it "red" .... so pass for me too.

The B & I Police are going to get you for mentioning the " S " word in this forum.

I don't play XYZ ( although I should ) but one of my notes on it says: " With or without competition it is always ON as long as we have bid 3 times at the 1-level. " Therefore, it is ON in the auction you show. However, if it went : 1♣ - (P) - 1♦ - (1♥) p - ( p ) - 2♣ / 2♦ would be natural and non-forcing ... NOT XYZ .

There are advantages and disadvantages to showing a 2-suiter. You enlighten partner about your shape for competing purposes, but at the same time it may give a flight plan to the opps if they win the bidding war. Michaels, unfortunately, doesn't show enough respect for the Spade suit. There a some bridge instructors teaching BAILEY Cuebids instead.... which is just as easy... but, like Michaels, in many cases it is NOT a "specific 2-suiter ". The Unusual-2NT remains the same as " 2 lowest unbid " . For example 1D - ( Un2NT! ) = ♣ / ♥ But 1D - ( 2D! ) = the highest suit ( ♠ ) and one of the 2 lowest( either ♣ or ♥ ). In general: ( 1A ) - Un2NT! = 2 lowest unbid ( 1A ) - 2A = Highest and ONE of the 2 lowest ... and Spades is always in the picture.

Not to take anything away from Paul's 1C >> 2D! artifical reverse structure, but lord help him if in any way he was inspired by a post from last October ( reply # 25 ): http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/42392-the-misadventures-of-rex-and-jay-5744/page__st__20__gopid__505992

I don't insist on anything. But my apologies ( to the "experts" ) in trying solve some difficult bidding situations that arise time and again. Here I try to take some of the "guesswork" out of the final contract. What better way than to find out about the "nuts" in Advancer's 2-suits -- one suit of which most likely will be the best contract ( rather than NT ) for these types of hands . Try to tackle this problem if the MINOR suits were swithced in both hands. Whether you use Stayman ( a la Justin ) or Transfer ( to Hts a la Antrax ), the rebid of 4D in either case puts an additional constraint on exploration.

Mike Lawrence suggests ( in his book on Balancing ) having Advancer use the Wolff Sign-off . He said it can be used for partner's 2NT overcall whether in direct seat or balancing seat When Advancer bids 3C! it is a relay for partner to always bid 3D. Advancer then describes his hand. Alternate hand descriptions by Advancer are the direct 3-level bids which carry a different meaning than the indirect route. In other words there are TWO ways to get to 3D/3H/3S and 3NT. Note: 1) Transfers are NOT employed... except for the 3C! >> relay to 3D! Advancer bid of 3oM is natural showing 5+ cds in the other Major. 2) The cuebid is "Stayman" for the other Major-- 2 routes for Stayman: -- The direct route shows shortness in opps' major; -- The relay ( indirect ) route implies a more balanced hand. 3) The relay route to 3NT shows a good hand w/Cl suit: 2M - 2NT - p - 3C! p - 3D! - p - 3NT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For example: 2S - 2NT - p - 3C! ( always relays to 3D! ) p - 3D! ( forced) - ?? pass = weak hand but Diam suit 3H = weak hand but Ht suit ( for pass) 4C = weak hand but Cl suit ( for pass) 3S! = 4 cds Hts implying balanced hand ( no Sp shortness), GF 3NT = good hand with Cl suit 4NT = slammish with Cl suit And: 2S - 2NT - p - ?? 3D = good hand with Diam suit, GF 3H = good hand with 5+ cd Ht suit, GF 3S! = 4 cds Hts implying STIFF Sp, GF 3NT = good hand for game but no long Cl suit as in the relay route 4C = He doesn't assign anything but I'd reserve this for Gerber. 4NT = Quantitative, but no long Cl suit as in relay route