Cthulhu D

I'm loving this series of questions, a regular partner and I are looking at some sort of two way club thing. My uninformed view is: If you're playing non mandatory support doubles, 2NT should be natural and invitational (with a stop? Probably), there is minimal risk that you will miss the 5-3 heart fit. If you bid 2NT (which is invitational on the basis that pard has shown a mini NT at this point), and partner has 3H and wants to accept the invite he can always bid 3H, which should show three small cards in support and offering a choice of games. If you're promising a stop with the 2NT bid, partner isn't going to want to pull to play in a 4-3 fit.

I was just googling to find the CC I remember seeing and cannot find it. The last reference is an R.G.B debate about the 2003 BB and people playing BS conventions, where one pair is playing 3C: Cs or Ds 3D: Good H or S 3H: Bad H or S 3S: Solid minor. I like this and steve2005's idea. With Paradox responses and 4C as asking for a 'one under' transfer give you decent options. Only concern is low frequency, it's a 0.6% of hands pre-empt if you require exactly 6 and 4, rising to 0.7% if you allow 6+ diamonds.

Until recently it had not occurred to me that 3X could be anything other than natural and pre-emptive, but I've seen some players playing 3C is a pre-empt in either minor. I can see that this is reasonable (it's the same as the 2H multi conceptually), but what do players do with the now free 3D bid? The obvious option is something like: 3D is a very good pre-empt in either major, hoping to catch a raise to 4 or 3NT. Direct 3H and 3S are random pre-empts with a 'I'm not sure 3NT or 4M is going to play very well partner' warning disclaimer attached. But that is hardly the only option. The four level has the same possibilities, so I'm curious as to what is out lurking under a brown sticker. If anyone can remind me of the name of the Norwegian (I think?) pair that plays this, I'd appreciate the reminder.

The Split B&I thing is ridiculous. There are already three forums - Beginners and Intermediates, General Bridge Discussion and Advanced. If it's too big for B&I and not big enough for advanced, just post it in general. Also forums are what the community make of them, so just go for it I reckon. Who cares if you have no idea. Most people are surprisingly tolerance when you discuss if you should play your 3 level bids as various brown sticker pre-empts. Also more sub-forums is bad, we already have so many that most down the bottom are total graveyards. With this in mind, re-purpose something we already have.

Wow, that is very aggressive. I guess if you know for sure that you have at most a 17 count, playing anything un-doubled rates to be a decent score. Except maybe if you are both maximum with short diamonds where going several off will be a disaster. Not sure I like the NT range, but obviously works for them. The same structure works for a 10-12 or 16+ 1C with a 13-15 no trump I guess.

Does this change depending on how light the field will open and respond? Playing against myself 1C - 1H could be on a combined 13 count so a natural 1NT is going to make more sense, but against the 'I actually have values for my bid' crowd it's more likely to be an 18+ count and 1NT is much rarer.

I've googled a lot, it appears that Bengt-Erik Efraimsson plays with different partners in high profile teams events so no CCs. Anyone seen one?

Do you know what their 1NT range is?

Lots of people around here play them, but most are not playing 2/1 GF. My view as a beginner is that I do not like them with 2/1 GF because it means 1NT probably needs to be forcing. Playing a 14-16 NT and with the jump shift being the invitational hands, most hands that cannot force to game or make one of the invitational moves can be safely passed without much risk of missing a game. We play 1M - 2NT as limit plus, and 1M-3M as a bit less than a limit raise with 4 card support.

Fit showing jump or splinter yeah. 4+ diamond, and either 5+ or 0-1 clubs respectively.

I was playing with a modified Ogust as suggested by Jeff Goldsmith (google his site, he calls this September I think). After 2S - 2NT; 3C: 8 losers, good hand 3D asking relay, 3H bad, 3S good 3D: 8 losers bad hand 3H: 7 or less losers 3S: 9+ losers. You can obviously swap H/S if you want to play the same structure over 2H openers as well. It's not perfect but helps if you regularly open off shape weak 2s that may have something unusal. I've stopped playing it (moved to 2C = weak 2D or strong, 2D = multi, 2H = ekrens and 2S = 4 or 5 spades + a minor).

Doesn't part of this depends on your NT range. Playing a 14-16 NT this has to be an auto accept (how much of a better hand could you actually have and not have opened 1NT?) and playing 15-17 it's less clear cut (I'd still accept, but I'm quite aggressive and this has the added benefit of partner playing it).

Do you have a rule of thumb for this? I've discussed that bidding again (unless forced) generally shows you have some twist to your hand that gives it even more offensive power typically a void.

I reckon, not being an expert Board 1: 1A) Bid 1NT without a stopper. 1B) N/A Board 2: I suggest a better defence to transfer pre-empts and the like. Just something generic like bidding the anchor suit is takeout, and the direct double shows a good balanced hand. Not directly useful here but means you know what's up if east passes then doubles (doesn't have the shape for either a direct double or cuebid). Board 3: Yes, definitely. You could bid 2D there with an ace AND queen less, so you need to get all your extra strength in the picture. That has to be forcing, so west can show his heart fragment and 3NT is easily found.

Lol, that's the spirit of full disclosure right there. I see the before/during distinction fine though, pretty weird but okay I guess, cheers for the response

So if I ask before the auction you must disclose your agreements about playing penalty ir takeout after NT interference but not during it? That is weird, does that mean you should launch an interrogation about method when a pair sits down?

I am confused about disclosure here. If you don't have to disclose your agreements until they come up (presumably other than what appears on a convention card) does that mean I can sit down at the table (in a jurisdiction where this is legal) pre-alert that we play potentially canapé overcalls sometimes and refuse to disclose any further information until it comes up? Or is there some finer distinction about why I have to explain how my overcalls work before i bid over you, but not if I play penalty doubles until after I crack your WJO?

Isn't it off after interference? I do not think there is a clear right answer. Edit: Yeah, I'd take it as off, though maybe it should be on.

I would overcall 1S - as aclub player i have not got nailed, and it gets your hand in the picture now. IMHO The thing is you have to have an agreement about what you do with an A and K more (and wether you'd still overcall if the A of diamonds was the queen. This requires some partnership discussion - and a raise structure that let's you get partner in on the joke and stop low.

Surely 3NT is to play though.

Maybe it's a hand flawed for the pre-empt, so 6 hearts and 4 spades?

it would make more sense if they were taking it away from the 500mp crew to give a bigger discount to new juniors... Still not a great idea though.

I think some people play may 2NT there denies 4S I think (which seems like a terrible idea), it does seem like a classic 2NT bid.

No, you can only bid stayman if your NT opening is 10+ with a 3 point range. So if you play 10-14 or 9-12 you are banned from using conventions over 1NT openings. I have to say, the difference between 'constructive' and 'non destructive' is typical of the confusing writing at hand.

I've just read the ACBL regulations PDF as posted here: http://www.acbl.org/assets/documents/play/Convention-Chart.pdf for the first time in my life, and I am more confused about its content than before. If a relay system (midcharted, disallowed, point 5) is defined as a 'tell me more' setup, isn't stayman (if playing in an enviroment where you may use it as garbage or the start of all invites) or two way checkback stayman a relay? And what's the difference between a constructive treatment (midchart) and a non-destructive treatment (super chart). Edit: I suspect there is no good answers for any of the above, and my comment is more a 'what the hell' rather than anything useful for discussion