mr1303

For the idiots among us, including myself, what does GOSH mean?

The thing is, each of those hands that Ben suggests were "about right" I'm opening at the 1 level. I don't really know what a vul pre-empt would look for me, probably something like KQJTxxx and not 7222 shape, but over and above that I just take views. Wish my partner would take views, when he opened a multi on: x QT9xxxx xxx QJ Vul against not

I like this idea too. However, using 2D as our relay starter will put us too high. Our single suited scheme already takes us passed 3NT on 7321 hands, and the 2 suited hands will also have troubles, since mostly we're only interested in discovering the best game. How does your 3way 2C bid work Ben?

Just got kicked out of a tournament recently. Events were something as follows: I held [hv=d=n&v=n&s=sxxxxxxhxxdxxckxx]133|100|[/hv] and opened a 13-15 NT in 3rd seat. Tournament rules said nothing about disallowing psyches. TD was playing. Anyway, partner went a bit overboard and we ended up in 5H doubled. My hand goes down as dummy, and the conversation goes as follows: (RHO was silent throughout) LHO: What? LHO: 1 point Partner: 3 P: K=3 LHO: You bid 1NT and alerted 13-15 LHO: mr what is this? Me: Yes thats correct LHO: I called TD Partner: well, psyche isn't disallowed is it? me: it was a psyche LHO: you alerted and said 13-15 HCP Me: Yes, that is what our agreement is LHO: Look at your alert At this point, I'm starting to get wound up. LHO was one of these self-confessed experts you get these days. Partner: hahahahaha Me: I don't have to tell you what is in my hand, I have to tell you what our agreement is about what my bid shows Partner: Mate, I thought you were expert, do you not know what a psyche is? LHO: It's not, you alerted and said 13-15 LHO: It's lying Me: Call the director then Me: It is a psyche. It is 100% legal LHO: I did LHO: but you were lying Me: THAT IS WHAT A PSYCHE IS!!!! LHO: You said 13-15 alerted by you LHO: It is not psychic if you are not alerted yes but you were lying us LHO: It's a lie Me: I only alerted because a weak NT isn't considered standard on BBO Me: that was the only reason Me: and my alert was only telling you our agreement about what my bid shows Partner: (LHO's name) are you going to play or not? LHO: Look what you have written on your alert 13-15 HCP you said why were you lying then Me: partner has assumed I have 13-15 HCP and bid accordingly LHO: No I am not until TD is coming LHO: It's a lie Me: TD is playing and can't come At this point we get an announcement from the playing TD TD: TD is playing and somne problems can't be solved right now. But you can tell me after the tournament LHO: Not nice you are lying not psychic Me: I do not have to tell you that my bid is a psyche Me: And it is 100% legal to psyche. If you don't believe me I suggest you learn how to play bridge before starting these arguments LHO: you shouldn't lie LHO: Why 13-15 HCP alerted by you LHO: It's A LIE Automated announcement: you have been replaced from this tournament.... My partner was similarly booted. I was never able to find the TD afterwards, as he/she logged off before I could get a chance

Hi everyone. This is the system I'm currently playing. Thoughts would be welcome 1C = 16+ (17+ if balanced), symmetric relay postive responses. 1D = 2+, if 11-13 balanced, natural or 4+D 5+ C 1H/S = natural 5+ 1NT = 14,16, Keri responses 2C = 5+ clubs, standard precision 2D = mini-multi 2H = 3 suiter short in D 2S = Muiderberg 2NT = bad pre-empt in either minor 3C/D = good pre-empts, at least 2 of the top 3 honours, and usually with a side entry if missing the A This isn't the interesting part. THis follows: Reverse flannery and inverted minor responses to 1D 2C game forcing relay to 1H/S. This works as follows: 1S 2C 2D = major 2 suited, balanced or any 5440 with 5 spades. Then 2H relay 2S = bal or 3 suited, 2NT + = 2 suited. After 1S 2C 2D 2H 2S 2NT, 3C = 3 suited 3D = bal high shortage, 3H = medium (diamond) shortage, 3S = club shortage 2H = Pointy 2 suited 2S = spade single suited 2NT+ = Black 2 suited After 1H 2C 2D = bal or major 2 suited 2H = red 2 suited 2S = heart single suited 2NT+ = rounded 2 suited Our rules for starting a relay is that we need enough support for partner's major to be able to play in 4 opposite a single suited (6+ cards) hand. Hence with a void we don't relay. We play 1S 2H as not forcing (although mildly constructive, usually 7-bad 11 HCP). With game forcing hands with hearts, not suitable for relaying, we start with 1NT forcing. Thus 1S 1NT 2C 3H is now game forcing with hearts, slam interest, and either a singleton or void in partner's major. 1S 1NT 2C 4H is to play, no slam interest 1S 3C and 1S 3D are invitational, 1S 3H is undefined 1S 2D is 1st/2nd seat drury. With 4 card support we can take another bid after a sign-off, if our hand seems appropriate. Mark

5H I think is showing what you have, and leaving it to partner to make the correct decision. Just because you might not have huge slam interest, partner might well do. And if you don't bid Jacoby 2NT with the South hand, what else do you do? SPlinter is awful, since for partner to cue a minor suit ace takes you past 4S.

What I play here is that double is take-out of clubs, and implies heart tolerance, so with 4 hearts, partner can leave it in quite happily. 4H is natural.

I play that the jump to 3NT shows a solid suit and stoppers in all unbid suits. Continuations are as follows: A bid of 4 of partner's minor is RKCB Any new suit bid is a cue-bid. 4NT asks for suit length (5C = 6, and so-on upwards) If you play that it shows at most a 1 loser suit, you might need to change the responses.

On hand 1, there seem to be a lot of spades out. LHO has at most 4, since he didn't open 1S. RHO has at most 5, since he doubled rather than bid 3S. Therefore partner is marked with a few, at least 4 as far as I can tell. I'll bid 5D, hopefully fit showing, and if oppo compete to 5S I'll let them play it there. MY diamonds may be worth a trick or 2 on defence, and partner may have a trump trick, or the club bullet. If partner has Axx of diamonds as well, he now has licence to compete to 6H Hand 2 I pass. Balanced hands aren't worth anything when partner's marked with nowt. Hand 3 I double for take-out. If partner leaves it in, I'm happy. If I bid 4C, then a) I'm showing 5-5 in the majors, and a better hand than this, and :( This looks like a misfit, and so I don't really want to play in a 5-2 heart fit when the long trump suit is getting forced. Hand 4 I would also open 1D, but now I'm forced to do something, I'll bid 2H, and apologise to partner afterwards Hand 5 I just blast what I think I can make: 6NT. May be wrong, but I'm not entirely sure 4C is forcing here.

So if you play that double from both sides is take-out, if partner were now to bid 3D or 3S, this should now be passable, since: a) partner could have doubled to show useful values :( partner could have jumped to show a shapely hand with limited high card values c) partner could have passed your double for penalties with a defensive looking hand

As I understand it, and how I play with most partners, I play X as showing EXACTLY 4 of the suit and bidding it myself as showing 5+. I also require a few values, usually at least a reasonable 6 count to do this

Just been reading an extract from "Bridge, Zia and me" by Michael Rosenberg Larry Cohen has a dream, where he ends up in a room surrounded by 3 witches. He holds: AKxxx xxxx x xxx bidding goes as follows (RHO opens) (2D) P (2NT) P (3D) P (P) X (P) 3S (4D) P (P) and Larry has a think. He decides to bid 4H (to be flexible) and his partner corrects to 4S, which ends the auction Dummy comes down with: QTxx AKQ xx QJTx Left witch cashes the AK of clubs, and her partner plays the 9 then the 4, and a 3rd round is ruffed, then the A of diamonds cashed. 1 down. The full deal was: [hv=n=sqtxxhakqdxxcqjtx&w=sjxhjxxdqjxxcakxx&e=sxxhtxxdakxxxxcxx&s=sakxxxhxxxxdxcxxx]399|300|[/hv] Left witch says "19 total trumps, 17 total tricks". "But...." began Larry, before being promptly told to shut up Later Larry holds the same hand again, and the bidding proceeded to follow exactly the same path, except this time left witch doubled. "You don't learn from your mistakes do you?" said left witch The deal is played a third time. This time Larry passed 4D The full deal was: [hv=n=sqtxxhakqdxxcqjtx&w=sjxhjxxdqjxxcakxx&e=sxxhtxxdakxxxxcxx&s=sakxxxhxxxxdxcxxx]399|300|[/hv] Both 4S and 5D are cold "19 total trumps, 21 total tricks" said the witch. Larry woke up.

If you'd double for take-out, what would double by partner be?

The thing is, around 70% of people on bridgebase would bid that in a similar way. After a while, you learn that opening 2C on hands like that leads to a losing result in the long run, but if you've only played for a couple of years you do. And anyway, give you: x AKxxxxx xx xxx which is also conceiveable on the bidding then 6D makes as long as a) ace of diamonds is onside or <_< diamonds are 2-2 which makes it a good slam. So I wouldn't have a go too much at my partner on this one

Yeah, I'd pass, and the reason I'd pass is that if I've got a solid 9 card suit, the chances are someone else has something useful as well. If they bid 4 or 5 hearts, I'm not so happy to go onto 6D when I could have made zero by passing the hand out. I'll take my bollocking from partner if this is a bad score

I'm going to pass with the S hand, since I think far too often you'll give too much information about the shape of the hand to help west play a 3NT contract. However, I'd also overcall 1NT with the S hand 1NT, since I like the 10s, and everything seems to be working. If N doubles, he passes after a 1H, or a 2H response and apologises to his partner for being an idiot If N doubles for take-out, he bids 3C, and raises either major to game, over 3NT he bids 4H, and over 3D he bids 4H and is worried. Incidently, I think the E hand is a lovely limit raise of clubs.

Hi everyone. I've been having an argument with someone about the best continuations after 2C with an overcall. Specifically with this hand: [hv=s=sakxhakxxxdaxxxca]133|100|[/hv] Let us suppose that you open this 2C, and have a 3C overcall from LHO, passed back to you. What do you do, and what information do you gain from partner's pass? Mark

As far as I'm aware, partner is an un-passed hand, so passing is how you lose partners (and even if he was I'm still not going to pass) If 2S is not forcing, I'll splinter, if it is forcing, I'll bid 2S, then support clubs on the next round.

If I'm in 1st or 2nd, 1D. Too much on the outside for a gambling 3NT, and slam can be missed when it's right if I open 5D (partner will likely leave me there) and 6D may over pre-empt. Can't think why I'd ever try bidding clubs in this auction. In 3rd I bid 5D, and in 4th I pass

Cannot for the life of me work out why I passed first time round, but if there were two attractive females as opposition who had distracted me (this happened once at YC when I passed a perfectly good 12 count) and I did pass, then I bid 1S and rebid 3NT on my second go, to try and catch up.

How about 2NT? When combined with Drury, this shows a max, 4 trumps and a singleton somewhere. OK so I have 2 singletons, but since everything else is NF except Drury and if partner has an 11 count I want to be in game anyway, 2NT looks like the best bid. And if partner attempts to sign off, I'll raise to 4. Of course partner might get excited and ask for my singleton, after which I'll show a club singleton, since the Q of spades might be useful. I should also add that a jump to 3S or 4C would show a void in this method of passed hand bidding.

Simple solution: play Keri. Hearts aren't good enough to make a transfer splinter, so you transfer to clubs (2NT) and follow it up with 3D, showing 5-4 either way in the minors, then after 3H from opener (showing a serious problem in spades) you now bid 5D.

Yeah, we had two matches, one of which when hrothgar interfered over our strong club on a 4333 3 count. Which caused us to go off in the (arctic) 6NT, when my partner played him to have one useful card....

I intend to bid clubs at my first turn, and bid 2S at my second turn after 2D. If that doesn't get a spade raise, I intend to bid clubs and more clubs, and I'm not going to play this in 3NT.

I had an e-mail about this hand the other day, only the minor suits were reversed, and I was a passed hand. Then I bid 2H. But as a non-passed hand, and with only minimal support for partner's suit, I can only double.