the_clown

I assume 2♥ is round forcing. 3♣ Planning to raise 3 of a major to 4, bid 3♠ on 3♦ and pass 3N

I would 100% bid 2♥ when playing MP. Playing 2♥ would work out better than 3♦ most of the time + if p has a singleton ♥ he could run in 2♠, which I will correct to 3♦. Of course we may miss a game in ♦ or NT, but if p has a really good hand, he will find another positive bid.

The first question is if you bid inverted minor with 5+♣ 4♥ and Gameforcing. If you do, this means partner has made a slam try in ♥ with no ♠control and you should correct fo 5♥. If you always bid the 4card major first, it is less clear. I would guess that p made a slam try in clubs, which I would decline because of my low doubleton. AAK and nothing wasted in ♠ is great, but slam is too much of a gamble for me.

I also think pass is quite obvious. How are they gonna make 10 tricks in ♥? We have AK of ♣ and KQ10 of ♠ and p has the ♦s. Of course if they both have distributional hands, 4♥ may as well make sometimes. But it will go down most of the time. If you decide to bid now, you will play at the 4 level with no sure fit and less than half the deck. And sometimes they will find the double. If p has a maximum like x Kxx KDxxxx Jxx 3NT has absolutely no play at all and 4♦ could also go down.

I would have bid 2♠ with the South hand. 3 card support only, 8 count, 2 of which is the 4th Q of♥. Yes I have a singleton, but my 5card suit is far from great, so 2♠ seems clear to me. On 2♠ I would probably blast 6 as well, if p has K of ♠ or Ace of ♦ we are in great shape.

Anything other than pass seems insane to me.

I have been playing this with one of my partners for a short time, so I dont have a lot of experience with this. I like to respond 1♠ when holding 4♠ unless I have 4 small and a balanced hand that would play much better in nt anyway. A reverse to 2♠ shows something extra, but not very much (KJ10x AQ10xx KJx x) is the worst you could have. Respectively 2N and 2H are the two bids which you can make with the minimum hands. With 6-4 I rebid 2♠, if I have the strenght to do it. 1M-2♣-3♦ is a Splinter, but with a minimum or close than a min hand I like to bid 3♣. No It could be on a 3card suit, if you have a shortness. Yes

Easy double. If p passes we will have a good chance to beat it, I have 1,5-2 tricks and partner is also a favourite to hold a trick. If p runs we will probably play in a reasonable fit, and the major suit finesses will be onside, and we wont go for a very bid number even if p is broke. Ofc we may go for 500, while 5♣ is down one. But as soon as 1 of the contracts makes bidding will be right.

I dont really get the problem. We have a 13 count and 4 card support for partner. With most partners I would just bid 4 without much of a thought, with some I would invite and sign of if they show minimum. With his 2♥ bid partner told us that he is not min, which is more than enough to bid game. Our hand did not improve, it actually got worse (if p had shown ♣values our hand would improve). But now that we know partner has no garbage we can just bid 4. And yes, I saw that it is Matchpoints.

I would take it is natural, possibly 3 cards if 2 top honours. No matter how strong partner is I am going to bid 5, if I have something in ♣, even with 4 small, which should work out pretty well (either we get a good save, or we bid a game, which might make). If P wanted to save on his own and tell me to lead ♣ vs 5♥ he could have bid 5♣.

Obvious 4♥ for me, How would you feel if p decides to pull your X to 5♦? Or if thy make 3♠X in their 9 card fit, give P a balanced 8 count with Kxxx of ♠ and he will probably pass.

I open 3♠ describes my hand with one bid. I would rather not have the ♣K but well nobody is perfect. Having opened 1♦, I would bid 3♦ in the first case and 4♦ in the second. If I am doing bad I might gamble 3N in the second one.

For me 4♥ is totally obvious (unless your partner overcalls on a 4card suit 50% of the time). About the lead......I would try the 9 of ♣ to deceive declarer, since I am out of ideas. A the table I might lead my stiff anyway.

1. No way I am downgrading this, if I ever downgrade a 1NT opening I need to have a VERY poor 4333 like KQJ KQx Axxx QJx. 2. I would bid 4♠, a great hand with short ♠. I can see how 3NT or 3♠X could score better on some layouts, but I think that 4♠ describes my hand very well so why not just bid it?

What I play is the following 1S-1N-2C-2D Now 2H is artificial and shows 17+HCP and any 4card side suit (or 4C 15-16). 2S ask about the suit. 2S is min balanced or 5S4C 11-14 2NT is 18-19 NT (we open 1N with a 5card major) 3x shows 5-5 and 17+ Works very well for me.

Ok, sorry, I believe 3♦ by overcaller should be some maximum balanced hand with no ♦ stop or maybe 5422 with 4♣s. If you have good hand with a side suit you can bid it as a game try (of course if you are too strong you will bid game anyway when p bids 3♠), if you have good hand with stop you can 2NT/3NT.

Hi, In this situations it is good to have an agreement what is pass and what is 2♠. One of them should be a really minimum overcall and the other should be a non-minimum hand still not good enough to accept the invitation. I feel your hand is of the second type so I would pass or bid 2♠ whatever methods you have (personally I prefer that 2♠ shows the minimum hand) 1) A new suit should be game try with values in the suit, just the same as after 1♠-2♠ but with fewer HCP of course (maybe same hand if 5431 with singleton ♦) 2) I play 3♦ by respomder as mixed raise 4 trumps and 6-9 HCP or so. 2NT would be 10+ with 4+ fit and 2♦ would be 3 fit 10+ or any strong hand (since 2x would be nonforcing)

I am not bidding 6 unless I am looking for a big swing. If RHO has ♥A he will lead it and we are almost surely down.(Partner couldnt open 3N right?) If he doesnt lead ♥ we could still lose 2♣. I dont agree that partner's preempt should be that solid in second seat. I mean with - Qxxx x KJxxxxxx I cant imagine not opening 5♣, (mby unless we are r/w, but even then I will surely consider it).

I think I do it sometimes, especially when I am tired. For example if we bid like 1N-3N I may remove my cards a bit too early. By doing that I am trying to save some seconds not to get any possible UI to partner. Of course in a competitive or highly conventional auction where it is possible that there was a misunderstanding I always wait until there are three passes on the table before removing my cards.

6♥. Partner has extra values and I have a monster. I would not consider anything else, but again I am junior and tend to overbid.

What we play is the following: 1♣-(2♣/♦/♥) X 5-7 any shape or balanced without stopper (cuebid next round). New suit by opener is round forcing 2NT GF with stopper, no good 5card suit. new suit GF 5+cards. cuebid- treesuiter Gameforce (alternatively you can play balanced and no stop GF) If the interference is 2♠ or higher: X takeout GF 2SA GF with stop 3x Gameforce 5+cards cuebid treesuiter

Pass. With a ♦void, I would bid 4♣.

I like to play transfers here. 2♠-? 2NT ♣s 3♣ -♦s 3♦- ♥s 3♥s- ♠raise, invitational or better. Not sure if its popular, but it works pretty well, we are able to improve the paarscore, as well as well as to bid constructively. And no we dont miss Ogust.

6♣ 100%. Very hard to explore whether we have grand or not, so I just bid 6. I expect that this will make 80% of the time. And hope that I am playing Leaping Michaels so that p cant have big two-suiter in the reds.

Thanks for all responses. In real life I held xx QJ9 QJ10xxx xx and partner jumped to 6♥ down 2 after some bad breaks.