xxhong

The bid is: 1D 1H 1N 2C 2D 3C(explanation: 4+C, 4+H, gameforcing to 3NT, 15+ total points) pass. Gib had Jxx Qx AKxxx QJx it appears that 3D is an easy rebid.

1H then 2S usually show 4-6 in majors, about good 14-16 HCPS. Like AKxx AKxxxx xx x Of course, if you don't play Michale's to show 5-6 and that range, this can also show 5-6.

I usually pass 2D here, because even give you one more ace, it is still a 2H bid and you have D length and don't mind defending 2D if partner passes with 2. 2H may often get you to negative scores. Also, I pass 4D, I use pass to show the weakest hand. Now I just bid 5H.

I am really sick of those definitions of "biddable", "rebiddable", "strong rebiddable". These terms are very bad terms, only belong to ancient times of bridge. For example, AKxx is biddable if you open a minor, and not biddable if it is a major suit for one level openings. Also, suppose you open 1C with xxx, it doesn't mean xxxx becomes rebiddable. However, gib's logic is often like that. That's why you can see explanations like 1C (1S) 2H (3S), 4C: 4+C, 12+ points, which is simply a nonsense. Also, 2/1 is a game of waiting bids. Therefore, even if you rebid a suit, it doesn't mean it is rebiddable in 2/1 sequences. For example, if you hold Sxxxxx HAx DAKxxx Cx, after 1S p 2H p you have to bid 2S here because 3D shows extra. This doesn't really mean xxxxx is rebiddable. A much more clear way of definition is just based on length. Therefore, a major suit opening is 5+. After 1/1, a rebid at two level should show 6+, blabla. 1C shows 3+ and 2C after 1/1 shows 6+ or good 5+. (A good suit is a suit topped with at least 2 of 3 top honors, of course, this is open to discussions.) A jump rebid after 2/1 or a rebid after an initial strong jumpshift shows a solid suit, a solid suit is AKQxxxx or better. For the above example, a 4H should show a good 6 card suit with short spades and a redouble should show a good 7 card suit with extra strength. With all these in mind, bidding would be much more accurate and gib would less often override your decision like the above example.

I agree. The Butler thing isn't a good measurement of performance. The anchor pair who always plays against tough opps would actually play in a much tougher field than the pairs who usually play against weak opps. This difference can be really huge sometimes.

I almost always open 1D when I have D. Rebid 1NT with 12- bad 14 if partner bids my singleton in H or S. With good 14-16, I usually open 1NT if I have a stiff honor. With 17-18, I just open 1D and rebid 2NT if partner bids my singleton. The worst situation is when I have good 14-16 and no stiff honor in that singleton suit. Here, depends on the suit quality, I'll treat one of the 4 card suit as a 5 card suit and bid show 5-4 shapes. For example, x AKJx AQxx xxxx, this looks like a 1H opening to me and I bid D later. Axxx x AQxx Axxx, I just open 1D and rebid 1S over 1H to treat it as 4-5. AJxx x Axxx AJxx, this one I just open 1D and rebid 1NT to downgrade it for one point. x AJxx AJxx AJxx, this one is tough, I would probably just open 1D and rebid 2C over 1S. Here, I may easily play a 4-2 2D. But 1H opening may often lead to a bad 4-2 2H fit as well. 1NT may miss a lot of games when partner holds good 10 to 11.

Although I play a much sounder overcall than most here, this hand still looks like a takeout doubler. If partner bid D, you can show your H and strength. If partner bids S, you can raise. This hand is so good that it makes a good game (likely with an overtrick) facing Sxxxxxx x Kx Jxxx. If you overcall 1H, you may run serious risk of getting passed out.

I usually bid 1S as one round forcing here and 2S as C one suiter 6+C, 16+, 3C shows invitational value with strong clubs. I think that's the easiest treatment here.

Without any gadgets, I think it's a 4H bid over 1S to show a nice 7 card H suit and game value. If I play transfers, I can bid an easy 2D to show 6+H and later to clarify my shape and strength.

Trump leads are often effective leads against partials, especially when they have a 8 card fit. Trump leads are also normal leads against opps who have shown cross ruffing potentials. Also, against grand slams, it is often right to lead trumps. There are also other situations that screams for trump leads. For example when you can control all side suits well against a doubled sacrifice. For example, when your one level direct seat takeout double is passed.

clearly west. The basic assumption for RKC is that if you miss only one KC, you need to play a slam. If west doesn't think he can bid the slam missing only one KC, he shouldn't bid 4NT.

This hand suggests an aggressive lead IMO. Void H is rather bad here because declarer is likely to hold long H and after the first round, he would know how to play that suit. D is bad because you hold 4 almost useless. So now only C or S look attractive. C is good when partner holds CAxx and dummy holds CQxx,which is the case you want to cater to lead CJ. For S lead, you need partner to hold quite good spades to make it effective, for example, Kxxxx, which is possible, but probably not as likely as CAxx.

This kind of situations just happen very frequently. After a minor suit opening, a rebid at 2 level should usually suggest 6+ (or good 5+), not 4+ in that suit. A jump (or double, triple jump) rebid should show good 6+. I don't think gib system is programmed like this.

Bidding 4S here with 9 tricks when white is simply very very bad bridge IMO. Removing CAK, you would bid 4S, so 4S is an underbid of about two tricks. Although partner has passed, you still have good chances to make a slam. Double is usually good unless your partner passes it. 1S is also a huge underbid, but rated to be better than 4S IMO because if you bid 4S next round, partner usually knows you have a great hand. There are also other choices. Some bid 2H to include this type of hands. Some bid 4H to show a very strong S one suiter.

It is just everywhere. Try pass an opp's one level opening first, then try a bid next round and see whether that bid has an upper limit. Also, the definition of a suit bid after an initial pass is quite bad. 1S p 2S p p 3C, I don't think the current system gives a reasonable explanation and the gib partner would often over react. Another one: 1S x 2S 4C shows 5+ C, 9-12. Usually a free bid of 3C should show this hand. A 4C bid should be reserved for longer clubs with good distributions and also denies NT interest. Also, recently, I found another design problem: The bidding goes like: 2S(opp) 3D(your partner) p You hold xxx - Kx AQTxxxxx, you are out of bid now. 4C shows 17+. 5C shows slam interest. 3S shows a gf D support. This design is very bad. IMO, 3S should just show doubts in 3NT (any gf hands that denies a H suit and stopper in S). 4C should be natural and gameforcing with a lot of distributions, so it shows 12+, not 17 +.

This bid is just a huge nonsense.

For a typical hand like 7-3-2-1, 7-2-2-2, 7-3-3-0, I think one should usually pass 3NT. However, for a very distributional hand like QJTxxxx x QJTxx -, I don't really think pass is correct over 3NT (here I would bid 4D). Of course many may not open 3S with this hand, which I think is a major mistake.

1C 1D 1H 1S(relay to 1NT) 1N 2H(invitational in H) 2N(accept the invitation, natural) 3C(support) 3D(support) 3N(suggest a place) pass.

1H 1N 2D(transfer, 6+H, denies 4D) 2H(transfered, 10- HCPs) 3D(3D, gf) 3H(two H fit) 3S(cue) 4D(cue, serious slam interest) 4S(RKC) 4N(1 KC) 5S(all KC) 7NT(13 tricks very likely)

1D 2D(gf raise) 3C(4+C, extra) 3D(5+D) 3H(cue) 3S(cue) 4C(cue CA) 4D( 6+D) 4H(RKC) 5D(two KC with Q) 5S(SK) 7D(now you know partner shows SK, HK, DAK, CA)

This is what you play, not what gib plays. Gib bids 1H 1S 3H with both 16 HCP hands and 19 HCP hands, which is just bad bridge because holding 6 or bad 7 HCP, you have to pass and miss game facing 19. Also, gib has no idea to make a "natural forcing bid" to show gf one suiter. If 1D 1N 3D also shows 16-19 HCP, and if you make it nonforcing, you miss a lot of games when you hold 19 HCP. If you bid 3D to show 18-22 total points and make it forcing to 3NT, you will overbid a lot of bad 3NT, because Axx x AKJxxx KJx justifies a 3D bid and you are nowhere close to a good 3NT facing something like: KQx Jxx xx xxxxx, your opps simply cash the first 6 to 7 tricks. It's a huge nonsense to put both invitational and gameforcing hands together with the same bid. This happens in a lot of places in gib's system. For now, sequence after 1C 2C, 1D 2D are the same. For example: 1C 2C 2N shows 12-19 HCPs and is nonforcing!

The current gib system is quite unplayable. 1x 1N 3x is defined to be about 16 to 19 HCP, from invitational to gf. Certainly, an improvement is to make 3D as pure invitational from good 16 HCP to bad 18 HCP. with good 18 to 19 HCP, gib can splinter a major suit at 3 level or bid 3NT without major suit singleton. Also, after 1x 1y, the system has no gf bids for one suiter. So 3NT should be reserved for that purpose as a simple fix. To play 1x 1y 3x as invitation to gf is just very bad bridge IMO.

Let me give you a very minimum hand: KQx xx xxx AKxxx, I want to play in 6C. You need either C 2-2 or C3-1 but DK on. That's good enough for a small slam.

This hand is very slamish, so the key is to bring S into picture because of the good suit quality. Slam can be very good when partner holds SJx AKxxx KQxx xx. Therefore, 3S is rated to be a better bid than 3H. if partner just raises you to 4S, you may have to give it up because you don't have 5 level safety. Facing a 4 level cuebid, you can just ask KC and decide how high you want to go.

All you need is something like CAKxxx to have an excellent 6C and a shot at 7C. So 3S then pass 3NT is clearly wrong.