TWO4BRIDGE

I agree, for simplicity sake, 3NT would show a long solid opening suit. That said, if you ever decide on a "oddball jump-shift gadget", I recommend the 2S!-jump shift ( rather than 3C! ) over a 1H Response because: 1) That leaves 1D - 1H, 3C = as natural and it also works over a 1C open : 2) 1C - 1H, 2S! ( and using my relatively simple follow-ups as described earlier ) [ At least one of the Nigels likes it ] .

My appologies... not everyone plays the ever more popular 4th suit ( 2oM ) as the Leb weakness bid in the special 1C >> 2D Reverse cases. You can have the agreement that 2NT! is always the Leb bid and thus, Responder's 2oM rebid would be natural and forcing. But you must admit that Opener CAN'T have 4 cards in the other Major ( oM ), because with a 0 4 4 5 , he would have reversed into Hts instead of Diams. Using the 4th suit as Leb, I would have Responder ( with 5s/4h ) rebid 2S ( forcing ) and perhaps 3NT later-- with no pressing need to show the 5/4 major shape . ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Edit: I am only talking about the 5s/4h case for Responder, because for the 4s/5h case, Opener's 2D Reverse DENIES 4 cards Sp, otherwise with 4 cards Sp the bidding would go: 1C - 1H 1S - ....

If you feel Opener is strong enough for a GF ( 8 playing tricks in his hand alone ) , here is another opportunity for the "GG" ( Gnasher Gadget over a 1H Response ) with my followups ( which I have mentioned ad nausium for some here ) . 1D - 1H 2S! ( GF, may be artificial ) - 2NT! ( asks ) ?? .. 3C! = ( 3om )= 4s, no 3h, 5+d .. 3D! = long Diam, no 4s, no 3h .. 3H! = 3h, no 4s, 5+d .. 3S! = 4s AND 3h, 5+d

I agree with the others... that 2nd DBL is still T/O ... with extras.

2♥! is Lebensohl ( the start of a sign-off...weak ) for the special 1♣ >> 2♦ Reverse when partner has Responded 1♠.

Why didn't I think of this before? ...supporting Diam is much better. and what better way than with a SPLINTER. With support for both minors, and although it is possible Opener might have 3 cards Sp, it is not very probable ( opps would be interfereing with Ht bids ). 1C - 1S 2D - 3H! = splinter for Diam 4D! ( Minorwood) - 4NT ( 2 - ♦ Q ) 6C!( 5C! would be specific K-ask so "by-passing" the K-ask makes 6C! = ♣Q-ask ) 6D ( no ♣ Q )

Partner doesn't have to know about your "source of tricks" on this hand. I know some advocate that, but how can you convince partner later that you have FOUR card support. Anyway, after the Sp-splinter, if I get the 4C cuebid, I can use the Meckwell Voidwood gadget when Hts are trump and you have a Sp-void: 1H - 3S! 4C - 4NT! ( RKC, excluding the Sp Ace; 4S! would be regular RKC )

Yes

1H - 3S! ( splinter ) It might go: 1H - 3S! 4C - 4D ??

The "pinned" topic at the top of the page is a Primer on Reverse Bidding. 1C - 1S 2D - ?? why not a game forcing 2S showing 5+ cards...it's possible partner could have 3 card support... you can always revert back to Diams.

Assuming no trick loss in Trumps, you can make the XX after the X of partner's 4D! splinter..... showing the ACE. Then if partner cuebids 4♥, you could then make the 5-of-trump bid ( 5S! ) asking for the Cl Ctrl ( the unbid suit ). With no Ht Ctrl bid by partner, then sign-off in 4S. Slam possibility with: K x x x, K x x x, x, K J x x or good chances even with: Q x x x, K Q x x, x, K x x x

3rd seat.... 1H for me too.

Sooo, what happened on this hand ?

Obviously

lol all you want, but Rule-of-15 is for 4th seat open only.... and surely you know that. "Your Rule-of-"20" ( by Marty Bergen ... which according to your references is far better than "19 or 18" counts ) is for 1st and 2nd seat openings. "My" Rule-of-18 ( which I picked up from a message board years ago ) is an adjunct to the Rule-of-15 by getting the Ht suit into the fray, and is also for 4th seat openings only .... the game is all about the MAJORS. The point being with weak hands you don't want to let the opponents get to a better part score in SPADES, especially.

The following auction is an extention of the "Impossible Spade" : 1H - 1NTF! 2H - 2S! = both minors,weak or invitational. ( Ken Rexford has written about this ... in his Cuebidding series ). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3S! in the present auction probably should mean the same.

You are talking about Rule-of-20 ... 15 and 18 are for 4th seat Openings only.

The hand fails miserably for both Rule-of-15 ( hcp + # of ♠ ) AND Rule-of-18 ( hcp + # of ♥ + ♠ ) .

The auction became convoluted with the 2♠rebid. So much clearer to use Max Hardy's 1st priority rule in the 1D-2C! ( GF ) auction... and that is for Opener to rebid a 5 card Diam suit. Not only could this be important info for Responder ( he could have 3 card support ), but ALL of the 2-level remains to find a 4-4 Major fit: 1D - 2C! 2D - 2H 2S - 2NT ?? Now with no 2 quick losers in the side suits, Opener ( with his fine 18 hcp ) is ready to go key card-- and what better way than a 4C! Minorwood bid: 4C! - 4NT ( 2 + ♣Q ) 5D! ( kickback for Kings, since 5C would be a sign-off ) - 5H ( ♥K ) 5S! ( 2nd K-ask; grand slam try ) - 6H ( NO ♠K but extra tricks in the Ht suit ) 6NT or 7C ( optimist: good chances in the Diam suit hoping to ruff out the Q or fall back on the Sp finesse; or dummy reversal ) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1) One problem I see is that Responder could have made his 2/1 GF bid with ONLY a 4 card suit ( as we have often seen here on the forums....) but the 6H bid should imply at least a 5 card Cl suit. 2) There is something to be said for Responder going key card....since he is the only one who knows of the 5 card Cl suit and the 4 solid Hts..... but he needs cuebids in Diam and Sp before going RKC....But Opener is not going to waste time for that when he is ready after the 2NT bid... and he can do it efficiently with Minorwood.

Is the 2 4 2 5 shape ( your last example ) really 2h, 4s, 2d, 5c ?? or was it supposed to be 4 2 2 5 ( 4h, 2s, 2d, 5c ) in your bastardized nomenclature ?

Opener's 2NT rebid as a slamtry can be used as "Jacoby-over-Drury" whereby Responder can show shortness with a 3-level bid and a "good" outside suit at the 4-level--in a minor for this hand ( much like KenRexford's "picture-jump" ). With neither he can just rebid the agreed Major : p - 1H 2C!( 3 card limit raise ) - 2NT! ( Jac-Drury) 4C! ( good 5 card suit ) - 4S! ( kickback RKC ) 5C! ( one ) - 5D! ( ♥ Q-ask ) 5NT! ( ♥ Q but no K's ) - 6C! ( must be a specific Q-ask; grandslam try ) 7C! (♣ Q and J ) - 7NT ( counting on 1s, 6h, 1d, 5c ) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fit-Showing-Jumps are ON as a passed hand, but I rather they show 4 card support, since Opener may only have 4 cards for his 3rd or 4th seat opening.

"By the Numbers " I like Carlson's "picture bid" of 3NT over 2S..... showing 15-17. What more does Opener need with his 18 hcp ?..... just bid 6NT.

correct. Also, in the auction below, Responder will think Opener is stronger because the above auction "could have occurred " : 1D - 1H 1S - 2C! 2S = shows either a 4/4 or a 5/6 ... it takes another Sp bid to clarify ( Hardy's " least plausible rebid " concept) when Opener ( after a 4th Suit GF ) can't : a) can't show 3 cards Hts (2H ) b ) can't show a 4th suit stop ( 2NT ) c) can't show 4 cards in the 4th suit ( 3C ) d) can't show extra length in his 1st suit ( 3D ) After: 2S - 2NT 3S ( 5s/6d ) - ?? ( Does Responder just bid 4S or go nuts ? thinking Opener has implied "reverse strength" )

The trouble with showing your 5M/6m by opening "light" ( 1m open and rebid M twice--or more) is that partner may get too excited as could happen in this case with the Responder hand you showed: J 6 5 A 9 8 7 4 3 Q 5 A 10 Partner will take you for "reverse strength" -- he has 3 card ♠ support; he will think his ♦Q is golden; and he has your 2 losing cards in Hts/Cl covered by 2 Aces. He will be pushing slam and getting too high. Whereas, opening this hand with 1S will just get you to a relatively safe 4S: 1S - 1NTF! 2D - 3S! ( 3 card limt raise ) 4S

I picked it up from the now defunct MSN Bridge Message Board from a fellow named IanD, but he didn't use 3C! as artificial ( 3C or 3D were always natural 2nd suits ). I made up the "disclaimer" followups when you only have the long Major and not Clubs as a 2nd suit (in my post #5 ). Perhaps KenRexford has some notes... or something in one of his books. 3D is always natural and is Opener's 2nd suit, so you don't need a "disclaimer bid" as in the 3C! case. I don't know of another way to create a low-level GF in these 1NT transfer auctions when Responder has a long Major.