TWO4BRIDGE

omg... TWO Nigels..( Do they share the 5-level ? ) Anyway, for the above hand, Opener can't bid 3H with just 2 cards. 3H didn't promise 5 cards and neither did 2S! ( 4th suit ). Also, without a Sp-stop, Opener can't bid 2NT. Opener has to default to 3D: 1D - 1H 2C - 2S! 3D - 3S ( now have shown 4s/5h ) 3NT or 4H

You can never tell....Responder might have no wastage in Diam and a working 10 or 11 hcp: x A 9 x x x x x x K Q x x

Didn't 3H "set Hts" ? What is all this about 3S ( over 3H ) "setting Hts" ? 3S would be a cuebid. You are in a GF auction ( via the 2S! 4th suit ). If you are unsure that Opener is not short in Sp, then you could cuebid 4C! ( cheapest, and denies a Sp Ctrl )....

..........1C 1H.....3D! = reverse-jump splinter (will at least get another bid from West) .............OR 4D! = void if you think you are strong enough for GF

let's see if I can get one of these 5-of-trump bids right. 2S! = 4th suit GF. 3H = should be 3 card Ht support... and more than likely short in Sp. Since Responder could have gone RKC and didn't, he must have a VOID in one of the minors. Eventho, 2S! was artificial, I don't think 5H is asking for a Sp Ctrl ( in view of partner's suspected shortness )... ...so, 5H = asking trump quality.

I'm afraid 5S would ask about a ♥ control -- the unbid suit.

4♠! splinter for ♦

I've always questioned the use of 4NT as RKC for Cl. You might as well just bid slam, if you "feel" right about it. ONE key card ( 03 14, etc ) gets the 5D reply.... so you have to bid slam anyway: 1S - 2C! ( 2/1 GF ) 2D - 4C ( sets trump and asks for cheapest cuebid ) 4S ( surprise, surprise... NO red suit Controls, so have to have "stuff" in Spades for opening ) ..... - 6C

I agree with Da Flufster .

5H! could have been ( should have been ) Voidwood for Sp... then 5NT! = even ( 2 key cards ) excluding the Ht Ace.. 7S ( no need to ask for trump Q with at least 10 combined ) ... but obviously that senario was not the case.

ditto also...

3♠ I want partner to see my support with this 5 LTC hand. [Yes, Siggy... it sure is strange to see a "CWNN type" hand twice in 2 days with these 2 suits. ]

fwiw, I haven't either. I thought it is only for a 1-minor open >> 1-Major response, but I suppose with prior agreement you could have: 1H - 1S 4H! = 4s/6h, GF values....but I'm afraid this situation is rare compared to long, strong Ht hands which lack Spades.

I also thought the "Walsh context" would have Opener rebid 1♠ only if he had 4s and longer Cl.

I play the same for the NMF auctions. Note for a splinter auction over Opener's 1NT rebid: 1D - 1S 1NT - 4C! ( or 4D! for that matter ) is a "self-splinter" for Responder's Sp .... ..........and likewise for 4H! ... if you can stomach that ! There is NO way for Responder to splinter for Opener's suit directly after the 1NT rebid. You would have to "wait" for another suit rebid: Say: 1D - 1S 1NT - 2C!( NMF ) 2H - 4C! = splinter for Hts, since 3C would have been natural and forcing.

I think the only way to show a Ht-splinter for Cl is if the following auction had occurred: 1C - 1S 2C - 2D! = cheapest new suit forcing, may be artificial. 3C - 4H! jump The given auction showed a 5s/5h invite: 1C - 1S 2C - 3H jump [ EDIT... I deleted some extraneous nonsense ] ...

Happy New Year too.... But I can't promise I won't give silly answers...

Spades are trump... 5NT ( specific K-ask ) - 6C ( cK = cheapest bid K ) 6D ( 2nd K-ask ) - ?? 6H = hK which is the next cheapest bid K 6S = no more K's 6NT = dK but no hK ( NT shows the feature of the "asking suit", Diam in this case )

I'm also interested in Ken's 2C! method = Cl or 3+ Ht support.[EDIT: probably just 3h support because with 4h, Responder would make a GF raise using his favorite "modified" Jac2NT system ]. [ He has posted the "thought" before, but I don't know the followups ]. ; I also appreciate the Opener's concern about showing his 4 cards Sp...[EDIT: ...because the immediate bid of 2S over 2C does not distinguish between a minimum opener and one with "extras"]. Eventho Opener does not know about Responder's Sp, I think you could devise a scheme where Opener could at least show his 4 cards Sp ( 4s) in TWO different ways: 1H - 2C! ?? .. 2H! = minimum w/4s or .. 2S! = extras w/4s and with NO 4s : 1H - 2C! ?? .. 2D! = minimum and NO 4s .. 2NT! = extras and NO 4s

I'll bid 6D. If opener doesn't have the dQ, he should have some useful value elsewhere... unless he has opened " on the smell of an oily rag" ... like the hand you show next . typical... really?

I agree with Responder's 2H! ( over Opener's 2D rebid ) as a "cheapest new suit forcing; could be artificial" . Next: Opener bids 3H showing 4 cards Hts and NO 3 cards Sp: South................... North 1D...........................1S 2D...........................2H! (cheapest new suit forcing; could be artificial ) 3H( 4h, no 3s)...........4D! ( Minorwood; RKC for Diam as trump ) 4S ( 1 key )...............5C! ( dQ-ask, if 4NT were to play ) 5H! ( dQ + hK )..........5S! ( 2nd K-ask; accounting for all key cards ) ?? ..6NT( Opener can count to 12 tricks as he is the only one who knows of the KQJ's ) ..6D ( Opener denies any more K's with the hand from post # 12, rduran1216 )

1S - 1NT! 3C( GF ) - 4H!jump ( splinter for Cl because 3H would have been forcing ) 6C

I'm still intrigued by Justin's ( J-LOGIC's ) method. It is similar to the Swedish-2NT! in that it allows Opener to show 1 ) "extras" or 2 ) minimum -- with or w/o shortness in either case.... so at least Responder knows the overall strength situation. But Justin's seems preferable ( superior ) in that the "balanced" hand for a "minimum" Opener is announced EARLY ( at the 3-level, 3H! ) whereas in Swedish, it is announced ABOVE 3NT ( as a courtesy 4-level cuebid) -- a little better than the 4M Jacoby minimum, but not much better . And then .... ... using Swedish you LOSE the Jacoby 4-level, "2nd 5 card suit" replies for Opener.... ( which I dislike losing ). Sooo, this is my guess for Justin's complete structure ( but it is a bit taxing on the memory cells ): 1) Extras for Opener are shown with direct bids ABOVE 3C! : 1M - 2NT! ?? 3D! = balanced 3H! = Cl shortness 3S! = Diam shortness 3NT! = other-Major shortness 4C! = 2nd 5 card suit ( Cl ) 4D! = 2nd 5 card suit ( Diam ) [ 4H! = 2nd 5 card suit ( Hts ) when Sp are trump ] 2) Minimum for Opener : 1M - 2NT! 3C! ( any minimum ) - 3D! ( asks ): ?? 3H! = balanced 3S! = Cl shortness 3NT! = Diam shortness 4C! = other Major shortness 4D! = 2nd 5 card suit ( Cl ) 4H! = 2nd 5 card suit ( Diam ) [ 4S! = 2nd 5 card suit ( Hts ) when Sp are trump ] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If this is NOT your structure, Justin, you can use it anyway -- free of charge . Also, my apologies to Bill Higgins, who has spent a great deal of time refining the Swedish-2NT method.

" Hands with a void in partner's suit are rarely easy. " Generally, this is true... but not when Hts are agreed as trump. Opener is ready too go key card with no 2 quick losers in a side suit: 4S! = RKC or 4NT! = Voidwood, excluding the Sp Ace

Has Meckwell solved this with: 1H - 1S 2C/D/H - 2S! = artificial GF ??