Nabooba

Some very odd comments in this thread. Firstly, Nethken, the x is for takeout. Most experts play X through 4S as takeout. 4S is obvious. Secondly, I would never pull the x of 4S. Who says C is better. Thirdly I don't like the x opposite a passed hand. Simply pass.

South does not have a double.

I do not understand this comment. You are not playing with a random pickup, you are playing in your normal partnership. If you have not discussed this then you are not serious about the game. This is a 2S bid.

You need to look at how it fits into your system. There are statistics that show 2D is effective. However if you use 2D as a Multi you can use 2M as something else, for example 5M/5m. The best 2D bid is Wilkosz - look at Chris Ryall's website for statistics and a good debate on Wilkosz. Using this you can retain you 2M as weak 2 bids. Unfortunately Wilkosz is regarded as a Brown Sticker convention.

You posted MORAL OF THE STORY: Play your position; Stop bidding your partner's hand; Pre-empt with decent suit quality; and Engage PASS button with bust hands containing 0-3 HCP! This means you disagree with 2/3/4/ H Personally I disagree with all but 4H, however all are far better than pass. Incidentally pass is not a bid, but rather a call.

2♥: 1 vote (1%) 3♥: 18 votes (17%) 4♥: 53 votes (49%) 5♥: 1 vote (1%) Pass: 36 votes (33%)

Spawn, You have totally ignored my previous post. If you wish to open 2C, well of the 2 people out of 62 who did, one is an excellent player. I disagree with 2C. What I think is really poor is your bidding after 2C 3C. You opened 2C because of the D suit; now you are hiding it. I asked what you would bid with a strong 4441 hand and you ignored that. IF by any chance a partner passed with this 6-5 shape you would miss your 5-4 S fit. Furthermore no West who is any sort of a bridge player would pass. You do realise that you have an excellent play for slam opposite AKxx xxxx Axxx K. Now this is a 14 count, not a 2C opening and yet slam is great. Why would west pass a 2C opening? Please keep posting however, because I find this the most amusing thread in years.

"I'm still waiting for a rational for this bidding, especially the "3nt final". " There is none. IF East opened 2C, then surely west would not pass 3NT, after all, this or similar is a possible layout: AKxx Axxx AKQx x Now where do you want to be? Passing 3NT is resulting.

Firstly this is not a 2C opening in Standard or SAYC . A 2C opening is a game force with one exception, 2C 2D 2NT. Your partnership might agree to open 2C on this but then your 2C opening should not be a game force. Tell me Mr Spawn, how you are going to make game opposite? xxxx xxxx xx xxx You can even add a queen or two to to the Majors if you wish. Should you not play 2C as a gf, then you are not playing standard. Secondly the vulnerability is not given. Should Sth open 2H as a perfectly normal nv weak 2 bid, life is far more difficult. East has 2 options, maybe an offshape 3NT bid or else a double. After the double it is likely that East - West will get too high on this misfit. If South passes and E-W play 2 suited openings, E-W will get to 4S or 3NT. If West passes, an easy 4S should be reached and there are many different ways to get to that contract.

The 3S balancing bid is fine. Bidding 2S on the first round is too much. "The awkward scenario is if partner now bids notrumps after your double." In that case I would suggest getting a new partner is a high priority. Please show me a fitting pair of hands where after passing and then balancing with a double a 3NT bid is correct. "Better to take a slight risk with Dbl on the first round" And if pd now bids a high number of Cs, what will you do?

"If partner has the Ah, you are looking at 6 tricks" Uh where? AH, 2S and maybe a H ruff, AC and where is the 6th defensive trick?

I did say "dd".

Mr Spawn "West sees the 3♦ preemptive bid and raises the auction even higher to 4♥ close out because after all, West knows best. His shapely, 9 card ♥ suit hand with 2 HCP is useless if he can't declare ♥ as trump. Also, West believes ON AVERAGE, ♥ trump will split 2-1-1 so 4♥ should take at least 7 tricks end of story and is thus a worthwhile pursuit." I am sorry but these comments show you are not a good player. 3D vul is an awful bid on this suit. You have 7 not 9. No good player will bid 4H over 3D. Are you not aware of the expression never pre empt a pre empt? Whether or not W decides to bid 4S is debatable. "On this board North and South would never lock in a cold 3NT" (My emphasis.) Please! On the dd defence of a low D lead and a S switch 3NT loses 5 tricks.

Mr Spawn, Meckstroth was talking about the 1D opening, not a pre emptive bid. Walk-me through the logic of why 1 level needs to be sounder but ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING goes for a 4♥ opening bid in 2nd seat with both teams vulnerable. One thing you will learn as you you play more and more is that shape is everything. Many years ago people relied on high card points. Now within reason, shape takes precedence. Here you have 9 hearts. Likely distribution of the remainder is 1-2-1. You will likely make 7, 8 or 9 tricks with hearts as trump. Your hand is worth nothing outside of hearts. Perhaps you should have asked Meckstroth what he would open with that hand?

3H also. I see no possible option missing from the poll.

This is a 1♥ opening with 8 of my 11 points outside the ♥ suit.

Gazilli?

Why not open the hand with a 4♠ bid? Surely that is being a far better opening. I will play as follows. Win the ♦, cross to a ♥ and play a high ♣. If this is covered I ruff and ruff a ♦. Now it depends on what the cards are when I play another high ♣ from the dummy.

Opening 1NT on this hand is not terrible. However if you have the methods to show a good 16 pointer after opening 1M, then opening 1NT is a clear error. As some have already pointed out, the hand is oriented to suit play. Of sourse, if you do not have these methods then you are forced to open 1NT otherwise you may well have problems in your rebid. Interestingly all the Polish players I have played against play a 15-17 NT which does not include a 5 card M. They do not play Gazilli as they have no need for it; they also would not open the hand with 1C as it is not strong enough. They seem to cope well though.

I agree with the Hog on both counts. A lead directing double is certainly possible with a ♣ void. Bidding 1 or 2 ♦s on this is not productive. I certainly would not do it and I don't think many good players would consider bidding. There is little upside.

The claim is correct, of course. If a claim is contested, call the director. Do not argue.

I dislike transfers against weak or strong NTs as I dont believe in giving opponents 2 options on a hand. Hence I prefer Asptro. On this hand I would double, especially given the vulnerability.

5H. Unlikely to make 6.

Mr. Jack, the opponents happen to have a 10 card spade fit. Do you seriously think that your beautiful sequence might not be subject to some opposition bidding?

This is one player only. The others have not responded. Poll 100 experts and if 99 of them overcall 3C I will concd your point. Meanwhile there are some very good players who would NOT overcall 3C on this thread.