SteveMoe

FWIW, I find we get to more minor suit slams playing some from of big club than playing 2/1. That said, here are things I do to help in a 2/1 context: 1) Disciplined splinters, especially over 1m openings. 2) Systems after partner opens 1N and 2N that help find minor suit slams. 3) Minorwood or Redwood, again with discipline. 4) Avoiding opening 2N when holding a good 6-card minor that would be lost in a 3N game. 5) Limiting the 1m-Any-3m jump to show 15-17. Use J/S into short suit if necessary to show a stronger hand. Over 1NT here's an approach I really like: 2♣ Stayman - Baze style; guarantees a 4-card Major 2♦/♥ - jacoby - responder's new minor is GF. (Can play 2nd transfer here, but that is too detailed for this note). 2♠ - initially a size ask. Used for one of 3 hand types: balanced invite with no major interest, weak 6+ card minor (looking to play at 3-level), strong 55+ minors. Opener must respond either 2N (all minimums) or 3♣ with any hand accepting an invite. Responder passes or corrects to 3♣ with weak ♣, or 3♦ with weak ♦. 3M shows shortness with 55+ minors. 3N shows 1-1/0-1/1-0/0-0 in majors. You can define 4♣ and 4♦ according to your preference - they show a long minor, no 4-card major, and a singleton in the other minor. I'll leave 4M to your imagination. 2N - 5 card major stayman. Only responses for partner are 3♣ denying 5 or 3M showing 5. Responder then rebids 3♦ to show some (31)=(45) with slam ambition. Opener chooses the minor (♥=♣; ♠=di]). Responder shows short suit S1=♥, S2=♠. If responder has a 4-card major s/he rebids the OTHER MAJOR. Opener decides whether 4M or 3N. Note: Responder must not have two 4-card majors - use 2♣ stayman instead. Responder must also be minimum GF strength. 3♣/♦ - 6+ cards in suit with somehting on side. HHxxxx minimum. Promises 6.5 tricks when opener has fitting H. 3♥ - ♣ slam try - single suited, generally semi-balanced and strong. 3♠ - ♦ slam try - single suited, generally semi-balanced and strong. 4♠ - Baron - bid 4-card suits up line. 4N - quantitative - can bid 4-card suits up line if accepting. Over 2N opening bids, I prefer 3♠ as minor suit slam try. If I have to play Puppet, I want 2N-3N to show 5=4=x=y shape (use 3♠ to puppet into 3N and pass with a standard 3N bid).

Counting declarer's HCP, Shape, and tricks are key skills to master. Tools like signaling and leads are just ways to get information toward making defensive decisions. 4th best and standard work as well as anything else. Sure there are small advantages from playing Rusinow, upside down count and attitude, but they pale from sound analysis and translating facts into right actions. Think hand type. Is an active or passive defense called for? Does declarer need to create tricks by ruffing in the short trump hand? Is a cross ruff likely? Do you hold the missing cards in dummy's long suit? Translating facts into a successful defense plan is the key. There is too much to cover here on that point. Check out Eddie Kantar Teaches Advanced Bridge Defense. Any defense book by Kelsey is great. Lawrence, Bird, Root are also my favorites. Opening leads depend strongly on whether you need an active or passive defense. Then there's the choice of suit. Only then does 3rd or 5th, 4th best, BOSTON, Rusinow or coded 9's and 10's come into play. Can you make the first two determinations accurately? If so you are well ahead of the field. Can you identify frozen suits? Can you create a surround play? These are good techniques to understand. Can you defeat a squeeze? - masterful, yes, but by frequency a low likelihood to improve your everyday results. Have you talked with partner about when attitude, count and suit preference signals come into play? Net, understanding strategy, gathering facts, and communicating with partner deserve discussion in depth. Choice of tools is somewhat less important.

With some partners in a forcing or Polish ♣ context we play 2N as 55+m 4-9/10 HCP. This fits this hand. Works better than 4N ecause we can stop at 3 level or play in 4M when right (usually (21)=55 ). Makes finding their Major fit and level a bit tougher.

If you look at the ACBL convention card you might surmise that bidding is at least 75 % of the game... :rolleyes: My limited experience says Defense > Declarer play >> Bidding. Best results have always had strong defense and sound but not perfect declarer play. Consider the long run: we declare 50% of the time and defend 50% of the time. When declaring partner will play 1/2 and we will play 1/2. So 50% of the time we defend and 25% we declare, 25% we are dummy.

Not particularly fond of splintering with a singleton A or K. Makes slam evaluation more difficult. Would try something like: 1♥ - 2N (Jacoby) 3♠(singleton)-4♦(control/slam interest/extras) 4N - 5♥ (2 keys w/o Q) 6♥ Those uncomfortable raising ♥ holding 6 ♠ cards might use: 1♥ - 1♠ 2♥ - 3♦ (3rd suit forcing) 4♣ - 4♠ 4N - 5♥ 6♥ Here 4♣ patterns out showing 6=4 in a weaker hand.

2N (Jacoby) I slightly prefer a 2nd round control in ♣ for a splinter. I prefer suppressing ♠s when holding 4+♥s. If partner has a ♣ singleton, why paint a ♠ lead for South (...they might find it anyway).

How about 1N (14-16)-2♣ 2♥-3♦ (GF) 3♠ - 4N 5♦(0-3) - 5♥ (♠Q?) 6♠ - 7♠ (count 13 tricks).

Would add a few books you might want to check: Clyde Love's book Bridge Squeezes Complete has a chapter on end plays. Eddie Kantar offers several examples in Take all your Chances (and I think there are some in Take all your Tricks too--both of which are very good reads Take your time with each hand).

[5 1] >> 3 > 4 >> 2 Like Trinidad, but disdaining wide ranging 2♦ rebid. Not a 2N rebid. Ever. 5 slightly preferred to 1 to preserve ♦ slam chances.

Misread the original post. Double. Transferable values. Want partner's opinion about declaring or defending.

Pass. Very clear. There are 18-22 HCP remaining to be heard from. Partner will act with values that compliment this hand.

I'm passing. They might not have better than a 5=2 ♥ fit. My ♥K is badly placed on opening lead in our putative ♣ contract. Partner's ♠ cards feel similarly compromised. Besides we rate to have 20-21 HCP so strength is evenly split. On offense, my ♦ shortness is deceiving (unless a dummy reversal is in hand ruffing ♦ in the long ♣ hand doesn't add tricks. Their lack of fit also implies they will not "take the push" to the 3-level. Besides, I like my hand for defending 2♥ opposite partner's opening bid.

6♦ What the hand is worth. Forces opponents into hard decisions. Partner might have the Ace we need and might not. Don't care. Why risk their finding a major suit fit? ...only 2/3 of the 4-0-0 ♦ splits make 6 impossible. Partnership discipline and trust here is important.

Would expect this or similar: [hv=d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1dp1sp2cp2hp3cp3hp3sp5cp5sp6sppp]133|100|5♣ EKB [/hv] Am used to opening 1♦ when 4=5 or 5=4. Therefore 3♣ promises 5♣ cards, but not 5♦cards. 3♥ rebid shows powerful 2-suiter. If you don't play EKB, then 5♣ can be a self-splinter.

♦9, transferring declarer into the ♥ finesse??? :rolleyes:

Pass. Chris and Blackshoe said why. Would add Colchamiro's Rule of 9 agrees - When partner has opening hand or better and makes a takeout double, # Trumps + # Honors in Trumps + Level of opponent's bid > or = 9, pass for penalty. 4 + 2 + 3 = 9 At least there's some additional validation to lean on.

Agreeing with Nigel - bidding 4♠ and doubling are very close. I like 4♠ a bit more because there are many hands where we can make 10 tricks, or where partner has only 3-card ♠ (and won't bit that strain) and where we can continue the auction if they pursue ♥s or partner does something positive. Not to mention those hands where we can take 10 tricks in a 7-card ♠ fit. I don't particularly like defending when holding a void in their suit and have a solid suit of my own - too often I need to lead a trump and can't. Partner knows I have a big hand for this bid.

Worked on chrome just now, but wouldn't let me switch to a low Diamond after winning partner's club opening lead. Should beat 4 hearts. Slick interface. Liked it a lot...

Thanks blackshoe. Like others I was unaware of the 10 HCP limit and never thought this as much more of a deviation than opening any other 9 HCP hand in 3rd seat 1 of a suit. At least I am less confused, even if I don't agree.

1. GF then Fit then Controls then Keycard (1430) when all suits controlled sufficiently. 2. Italian Style control bids. 3. Two Range Splinters. Self-splinters after transfers. 4. Baze over 1NT. 5. 1N-3♥♠ = 3=1=45, 1=3=45 slammish and 2N-3♠=minor suit slam try. 6. Minorwood. 4♣ as 1430 when opener shows a major. 7. Picture Jumps and 3-bids requiring Control Bids. 8. Frivolous 3N and Last Train Control Bids 9. 4♣ RKB over partner's 3-level preempts (0, 1, 1+Q, 2, 2+Q) 10. Exclusion, preferably after a splinter bid, and not at the 5-level.

Much confusion because the logical inconsistencies in the Laws are many. Nevertheless, ACBL defines a treatment as "A natural call that, by partnership agreement, carries a specific message about the suit bid or the general strength of the hand. Such bids are not conventions and therefore not regulated by the ACBL Convention Chart. Consult the ACBL Alert Chart for those treatments which require Alerts and/or Announcements." 1♦ nonforcing, promising 2 cards is indeed a treatment by this definition. If it were forcing, it would be artificial.

Maybe East's pass belies seeing weak NT overcalls from partner before. :blink: I hate 1N, I hate North's first pass, and I hate East's second double. So I put it at 45% West, 10% North and 45% East.

While I tend to agree with Mycroft, I would want a 7 loser cont in 4th seat. I'll pass A & B. If partner is likely to pass in 2nd seat with 5 ♠ and 9-10 HCP, I'll reconsider.

Penalty. Implied shortness in ♣s.

♣8. I hate leading trumps into declarer when s/he holds 7+ cards in the suit.