Chamaco

I open at the 1-level. The potential in offense is obvious, and we have 2 defensive tricks.

Hi all, I'd appreciate a lot constructive suggestions/comments on the following issue :-) We play Real Diamond Precision, with weak NT (good 12-15), and 1D is ALWAYS 4+ cards and unbalanced. (For the sake of this discussion I'd like to skip the issue of hands with 5 bad clubs+ a 4cM + 3 diamonds. Let's just assume that 1D is always 4+ cards and unbalanced, the point is interesting, But I'd prefer to use other threads to discuss it) Now, we use opener's 1NT rebid as a "catchall" to show hands that cannot or do not want to show a second suit at the 2 level; most times it will be hands with longer clubs than diamonds, or hands that do not want to reverse, including 4441's. This way, the 2C rebid always shows 5+D and 4+C Example (uncontested): 1D-1H ..-1NT = Canapè in minors (4D+5C) ..-2C = Natural, excluding canapè (5+D and 4+C) 1D-1S ..1NT = ...........a.Canapè in minors (4D+5C) ...........b.5D+4H (cannot reverse) ...........c.1=4=4=4 (cannot reverse) ..-2C = Natural, excluding canapè (5+D and 4+C) THE QUESTION The above scheme refers to uncontested auctions. However, let's assume a sandwich overcall. 1D-(p)-1H-(1S) Now, what should opener's 1NT rebid mean ? I have thought of: ....a. "natural-ish" meaning. Of course the 1D opener is unbalanced so it cannot show a bal hand, but *might* show a hand with shortness in pard suit and a stopper (keep in mind we use support doubles so we might just pass to deny 3 cd support), typically a 4=1=5=3. I am not sure this is the best way to use 1NT ....b. ignore interference, that is, use it to show a canapè hand. However, I hate to wrongside NT when opps have advertised a suit. What do you think ? Thanks in advance for any suggestions !! ;)

Oh, I forgot to mention one very important thing: JB for president !!! ;)

Ben, this is of course normal. If the number of free tourneys is shrinking because of this (people giving up because tired or switching to running pay tourneys to at least get some revenue) , well, it's more than legitimate, I would do the same. ;) However, there were more than one episodes of pay TDs trying to discourage volunteers. This last popint was the issue I was raising. As many others pointed out, I think that pay tourneys are not "evil", but they should accept competition of other tourneys and offer some added values for the fee they ask. Then the market decides.

I think that part of the problem resides in which kind of hands would bid forcing NT and give a belated support /weak preference. If responder can bid 2M with 3 card support and a bust as well as with 8-10 and a doubleton, then it's hard for opener to evaluate the hand well. These kind of hands (bad 10 with a doubleton) are easier to bid with an IMMEDIATE 2M constructive raise, when the support is Hx. Here, having Tx, it's borderline. With hindsight, raising immediately to 2M with Tx would greatly simplify things, IMO.

Agree that xxx in opps suit is bad, but don't you think that Aceless hands are underrated in the *specific* situation when pard has values ? It is my impression that, most times, when we do hold an aceless hand, pard, for his opening, has "Aceful" hand, so the combined strength fits well, merging quacks in one hand complemented by good controls in the other hand. Here, IMO, any honor that pard can contribute in the minors is worth gold. I expect that pard will deevaluate hands with hearts wastage, and that his free 2S bid was worth a non minimum hand (my 1NT forcing could come from a weak hand with a long minor)

The hand can be very powerful or very weak, according to opener's wastage in the red suits. I would tranfer to spades and pass unless pard super accepts. There sure is defenitely a concrete chance of missing a game, but in MP field, I rate that not many will bid game. So, even if we do miss the game, the potential loss will be less than if we do end up in game down 1 when most others will be in a partscore.

I have much less time than I would love to, to participate, but when I do have time, I think it would very good especially for Vugraph :-) Nice idea, Dean :P

Hi Wacko. :-) First of all, the stile in responding 1 over 1 after a 1m opening is not strictly related to 2/1, e.g. you can choose to incorporate it in other 5 card major systems, if you like. Secondly, one of the most common "major-first" style of responding to 1C is called "Walsh", and you can find quite a bit of stuff either here on the BBF or by just "Googling" :-)

With a 10 count and no wasted values, despite the hand being aceless, I think I owe pard a rebid, so I'll unhappily bid 3♠.

Pass. If pard can't act, most likely we should stay out of the auction.

It's harder when the hand is balanced. :-) It might be argued that passing often with a 4432 with a good 4 bagger is not a disaster, but I prefer to try to deliver my values at the level one, rather than see the auction die when opps find a fit at the 2-level, or to compete at the 2/3 level after passing. This can work, or can put too much pressure on pard. By delivering our strength right away, pard will feel less pressure in many deals, and won't feel obliged to balance/compete with weak hand, trying to guess (feel ? :P ) the handtype we passed with. :)

The guideline I use should satisfy all of the following: 1) I have opening values and unsuitable shape/strength for other actions; in such cases, IN-QUICK/OUT-QUICK suggests immediate action if possible, even stretching, rather than "pass, I still have the chance to bid later" approach. 2) I have a GOOD 4 card major (HHTx being the minimum requirement). Also, the feasibility of 4 card overcall depends on how much pard is aggressive with weak raises :-)

No, LTC is ok with bidding 3S. In spades, AJ109 is not 2 losers but rather less than 1.5 losers (75% chances that the double finesse yields 1 loser only). So we have at most 5.5 losers (2+2+1.5) and 5-5.5 losers is worth a reverse (as usual, once we find a fit).

IMO in the balancing seat this hand can double and pass any response by p (yes, even the dreaded 2C response). I guess it's a matter of style, but I would not balance 1S with this hand (which BTW might consider, IMO, the balancing 1NT). I like to overcall 1M with a good 4 bagger to show values in *direct seat* before it's too late, but in the balancing seat, usually there are more option available than in the direct seat, so in the balancing seat my 1M bids would guarantee 5+ cards about 90% of the time. I guess it's a style issue, I'd like to know other players' inclinations about it :-)

Why ? with most hands with 4 spades, pard would either double or bid 1NT even lacking a stopper. There MIGHT be some 4-3-(15) with the minor 5 bagger so bad that is not worth bidding at the 2 level, but I rate this to be an exception.

A related question about defense and deception given this combination: suppose we are East holding doubleton KJ, and declarer runs the 9 (AQ8x in dummy). How often do you win the J and how often do you falsecard the K (and do you consider falsecarding with the K reasonable) ?

As far as I know, 2x (2S here) promises a rebid UNLESS partner bids 2NT or preferences (or rebid his own suit) at the 3 level. So basically, 2/1 here would promise a rebid ONLY if opener rebids 2 of a suit, but, being it impossible in case of 2S, indeed, from the practical viewpoint, 2S does NOT promise a rebid for lack of bidding room. If the 2/1 bid had been 2H, the over pard's 2S, responder would have been forced to bid.

I think it is not crazy to support 2♠ with 2 cards here, at least it keeps the bidding open, leaving another shot to pd. The immediate honor doubleton raise has been discussed by other authors in the past (I forgot whether it was Roth, Kleinman or Miles), and has a lot going for it. Of course the fact we lack a trump means that the honor dbltn raise needs a little more hcp, say about 10.

I expect opener to have a GF hand unsuited for a 2C openr, e.g. a 2 suiter like: Kxx- AKQxx-void-AQJxx but could be a tad weaker than this. After double and 3D, opener has forced to game, so I view 4C as a slam try

Yes, I'd even say that 1st step is to agree a phylosophy, second step is to choose the conventions that best fit with the pair's phylosophy :-)

I voted neither forcing, in an undiscussed pship, but I hate it. If you ask me what is the best treatment here, I'd say using Negative freebids. Otherwise, Junhi Zu has suggested the use of artificial 2NT, which gives up a natural invitation, but after all it is not the only sequence where the natural 2NT is given up in order to clear other sequences.

Hi Mike, interesting post. I'd like to know which phylosophy you like to apply when playing strong club + weak NT with limited openers (frequent shapely 10 count). Do you prefer heavy invite +light acceptance or the other way around ? Do you use the same approach for limited openers and for big club sequences ? Ty very much ;)

What would be the difference between 4NT and 4♠ ?

Does anyone use here runout schemes similar to weak NT doubled ? Something like, more or less: ...XX = I have a 5 bagger ...3X = lowest of 2 touching suits ...Pass, forcing, responder bids with a 5 bagger else redoubles and the 2NT bidder bids the lower of nontouching.