kriegel

Of course. But it seems to be the only possible piece of relevant information about the East-West hands.

The full deal was: Partner: ♠K ♥Qxx ♦AQ109xx ♣Jxx You: ♠9xxx ♥AK10 ♦K ♣AKQxx Diamonds do not split.

Vulnerable at IMPs you hold: ♠9xxx ♥AK10 ♦K ♣AKQxx Playing partner's preferred methods, a simple 2/1 with strong notrump, partner opens 1♦ in first seat. You respond 2♣, and partner rebids 2♦. You haven't discussed whether 2♦ denies a 4-card major or whether a reverse would promise extra values. Over to you. 1♦ - 2♣ 2♦ - ?

The full deal was: [hv=pc=n&s=sk42hakdj53caq753&w=sjt986hj853dkqct4&n=sq73hq942d9842cj9&e=sa5ht76dat76ck862&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=ppp1nppp&p=sjs3s5]399|300[/hv] There were two reasons I posted this hand. First, whether or not it was correct to unblock the hearts before playing a club to the jack (I did at the table), and second, whether there is any inference that East holds the spade ace when he fails to return the suit when he's in with the club jack. In real life, East cashed the spade ace, but I think I would have played him for the ace if he did not continue spades. Is there any merit to my thinking, or am I totally off base? Also, I realize East probably should have opened, but I can't control that. Thanks for the comments.

Say you lead a club to the jack. East wins and returns a diamond to West's queen. He cashes the diamond king and plays the ten of spades. What now?

Club game, IMPs [hv=pc=n&s=sk42hakdj53caq753&n=sq73hq942d9842cj9&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=ppp1nppp]266|200[/hv] The spade-jack lead rides around to your king, East playing the five (standard carding). Plan the play.

After 2♣ - 2♦; 3♣, responder can mark time with 3♦ to give opener a chance to bid a 4-card major You don't have that luxury with diamonds, but you can use 2♣ - 2♦ 3♦ to show single-suited diamonds and 3M to show 4M, 5+♦ You're in worse shape if 2♣ - 2♥ is a double negative because now you need 3♥ as natural.

For the first hand: 1♣ - 1♠ 3♣ - 3♦ 3♠ - 4♠ Pass For the second: 1♣ - (2♠) - 3♣ (a negative double would show a better hand, I think; I may be wrong) 3♦ - 3♥ 3♠ (want more in spades for 3NT) - 4♣ 5♣ - Pass Or more realistically: 1♣ - (2♠) - 3♣ - (4♠) 5♣ - Pass

In The Rodwell Files, Eric Rodwell says the original name of the "Suit Suffocation Play" is not appropriate for a family audience. When I first read it, I was intrigued. I tried Googling it but couldn't find anything. Does anyone know the original name? Thanks.

Ah, no, sorry. To play in overcaller's minor if single-suited, otherwise, overcaller bids 2♥. Thanks for catching that.

I've been thinking about a (strong) notrump defense that is legal under the ACBL general chart that has immediate natural 2M and 2♣ for the majors while differentiating relative lengths of major/minor two-suiters. Here's what I've come up with; feel free to tear it apart. I have no idea if this is defense already exists. (1NT) strong -X minor single-suiter or hearts and a minor, at least 5-4 either way -2♣ majors -2♦ spades and a minor, at least 5-4 either way -2M natural -2NT minors Over 2♦, advancer bids 2♥ to ask overcaller about spade length. He rebids: 2♠ 5 spades, 4+ minor 2NT 4 spades, 5+ clubs 3♣ 4 spades, 5+ diamonds (These are just steps, 3m could be natural and 2NT could be something else, maybe a stronger hand if that makes more sense.) This way advancer can play in a 5-3 spade fit when it exists and 3m when it doesn't. It's obviously very vulnerable to disruption by responder, and a downside is that it lets responder bid 2♥. Over X, advancer bids 2♣ is pass or correct (to 2♥ with hearts and a minor) and 2♦ to ask for more information. Then, 2♥ 5 hearts, 4+ minor 2♠ 4 hearts, 5+ clubs 2NT 4 hearts, 5+ diamonds 3m natural, 6+

Rainer Herrmann has it right. Declarer did have 2=2=4=5 with the Q of diamonds. I went up with the ♦K and returned the ♠Q, destroying the common suit entry for the double squeeze. A spade is definitely the intuitive play, but this was the first time I had ever consciously broken up a squeeze at the table.

I achieved a new milestone tonight with this hand, sitting South. W - E 1♣ - 1♥ 1NT - 2♦ (NMF) 2NT - 4NT (a big overbid, I know) 6NT - Pass [hv=pc=n&s=sqjtht2dkj8ct9842&e=sa63hkq873da64ca3]266|200[/hv] Low spade to the ten and declarer's king. Club to the ace, partner playing the queen. Ace of hearts, heart to the king, partner showing an even number. Low diamond from dummy. What's your plan and why?

I didn't mean an entire relay structure, just something like 1M - 2♣; 2♦ being a relay instead of natural diamonds to give responder room to show his hand type.

I've seen a lot of people advocating 1M - 2♣ as either clubs or balanced as a part of 2/1, with 1M - 2♦ then being 5+. I assume that opener rebids normally after 1M - 2♣ with the only catch being responder may have only 2-3 clubs (3=4=4=2 over 1♠, for example). Does opener still raise clubs with 4? Is there a straightforward way to sort out responder's hand types after 1M - 2♣; 3♣? I'm sure a relay would help smooth things out. I'm sure this has been asked and answered before, but a quick search didn't yield anything particularly fruitful. Thanks in advance.

With regard to 1M - 2NT being invitational-plus, Larry Cohen's rebid structure (July 2010 Bridge Bulletin) works very well. 1M - 2NT 3♣ any minimum .......3♦ GF relay .......3M limit raise (opener can pass or raise) 3♦ non-min w/ shortness .......3♥ relay 3♥ non-min 5-4-2-2 .......3♠ relay 3♠ non-min 6-3-2-2/7-2-2-2 3NT non-min balanced (or 18-19 balanced if you open 1NT w/ 5-card majors) 4-level 5-5, goodish suits, non-min After the relays, you just pattern out in steps. The full structure is here https://web.acbl.org/BridgeBulletin/showIssue.do on page 12. Obviously you have to modify it slightly with inv+.

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Does anyone have a good follow-up structure after responder makes an invitational jump to the 3-level? Specifically which bids by opener should be natural and which should set the trump suit? Is there a standard structure? 1♠ - 3♥ natural, inv 3♠ is forcing, of course 3NT natural but what about 4♣/4♦? It seems like there needs to be a way to show minors but also a stronger heart raise. Would a 3♠/3NT inversion have any merit here? It's a little easier after a minor because a raise can be natural with some slam interest, right? 1♠ - 3♦ natural, inv 3♥ natural, 5-5(?) 3♠ forcing 3NT offer to play 4♣ natural(?) 4♦ slam interest Thanks.

Playing Walsh style, where you bypass diamonds unless you have a game force, you can play: 1♣ - 1♦ 1♥ - 1♠ as 4th suit forcing, and .... - 2♠ as natural, game-forcing with spades and diamonds (akin to a responder's reverse)

Thank you for the replies. But that's not the end of the story. After 1♦ (2♥) 2♠ (Pass) 5♦ (Pass) Partner bid 5♥(!). He obviously had a first-round heart control and was trying for seven. Thinking back, maybe I should just bid 7♦ myself, but I felt that even with a heart void (my LHO wouldn't make a vulnerable jump overcall on JTxxxx) I couldn't guarantee making seven, so I cuebid 6♣ and let partner make the final mistake. He bid 7♦ which ended the auction. The combined hands were: [hv=pc=n&w=sakq9753hdt42caq4&e=shkq84dakj987653c&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=1d2h2sp5dp5hp6cp7dppp]266|200[/hv] At the table, I just claimed, but unfortunately I had the beer card which I didn't notice.

From tonight's matchpoint game. White vs red, dealer. [hv=pc=n&e=shkq84dakj987653c]133|100[/hv] What is your opening bid?

Not something I've played, but when I was at the Youth NABC last year in Toronto, some of us were joking around about silly systems, such as the Phantom Club, where you bid as if your RHO has opened 1♣, and "One Club Strong; Two Clubs Stronger." Shortly thereafter playing in some unimportant event, I glanced at the opponents' convention card. Their 1♣ opening was 17+, and their 2♣ opening was 19+. I was amazed.

"Forcing for one round" means the same thing as "forcing" (that is, it forces partner to bid but does not promise a rebid). The reason you would say "forcing for one round" (or F1) it to clarify and differentiate from "promises a rebid" or "game-forcing." For example, in the auction 1♠ - 2♦, "forcing" is not an adequate description of 2♦. It is obviously forcing, but the relevant information is whether it's game-forcing, forcing and promises a rebid, or simply forcing (aka forcing for one round). Hope this helps.

But isn't the ♠K worth less than 3 HCP? Of course it's easy to give it full weight when we can see partner's hand. I would probably open 1NT, but I do like sounder reverses.

Here's the situation: your partner opens the bidding (yay!) and you respond. He rebids, and it's your turn to call. Do you know what your bids mean now? There are a couple of easy guidelines that responder can follow with his rebids. In a simple auction that begins with 1x - 1y and opener rebids his own suit or a new suit, there are three basic rules assuming natural bidding methods: 1. A new suit is forcing. 2. 1NT or an old suit at the 2-level shows 6-10 points. 3. 2NT or an old suit at the 3-level shows 11-12 points. A "new suit" is simply a suit that hasn't been bid before, and an "old suit" is a suit that either opener or responder has bid already. Here are a few examples: 1♣ - 1♥ 1♠ ........1NT shows 6-10 points ........2♣, an old suit (opener's), shows 6-10 points and 4+ clubs (usually) ........2♦, a new suit, shows 11+ points OR is a convention like 4th suit forcing ........2♥ shows 6-10 points and 6+ hearts (responder's suit) ........2♠ shows 6-10 points and 4 spades ........2NT shows 11-12 points and a diamond stopper ........3♣ 11-12 points, usually 5+ clubs ........3♦ I don't want to get into a jump in a new suit ........3♥ 11-12 points, 6+ hearts ........3♠ 11-12 points, 4 spades 1♦ - 1♠ 2♦ ........2♥/3♣ new suit, forcing ........2♠ 6-10, 6+ spades ........2NT 11-12, balanced ........3♦ 11-12, 4+ diamonds ........3♠ 11-12, 6+ spades 1♦ - 1♥ 2♣ ........2♦ 6-10, 2+ diamonds. This is a preference, which doesn't promise real support just a better hand for diamonds than clubs. ........2♥ 6-10, 6+ hearts ........2♠ new suit, forcing ........2NT 11-12, hearts stopped ........3♣ 11-12*, 4+ clubs ........3♦ 11-12, 4+ diamonds ........3♥ 11-12, 6+ hearts *OK, this is an exception to the 11-12 guideline. Due to space constraints, this needs to have a wider range (like 8/9-12), but as a beginner, just treat it as 11-12. The proper name for this sequence is a courtesy raise. Things are more complicated over a 1NT rebid. Because opener has so narrowly defined his hand (12-14 balanced), responder's new suits are non-forcing. This is one of the only sequences where new suits by responder are not forcing. Almost everyone uses some kind of checkback, such as New Minor Forcing, to gain a forcing bid over a 1NT rebid. Here is an example using only the "natural" meaning of the bids: 1♦ - 1♠ 1NT ........2♣ 6-10 points, 5+ spades, 4+ clubs, non-forcing (opener passes or corrects to 2♠) ........2♦ 6-10 points, 4+ diamonds ........2♥ 6-10, 5+ spades, 4+ hearts, non-forcing (opener passes or corrects) ........2♠ 6-10, 5+ spades ........2NT 11-12 ........3♦ 11-12, 4+ diamonds ........3♠ 11-12, 6+ spades Using New Minor Forcing ........2♣ New Minor Forcing, 11+ points, asking for more information ........2♦ same ........2♥ same. This sequence remains pass/correct showing a weak hand. ........2♠ same Higher bids also remain the same. It's up to your partnership to decide what to do with jumps in new suits over a 1NT rebid (1♦ - 1♠; 1NT - 3♥).