jdulmage

I would expect something like 3 hearts, 5 clubs, 8 HCP. Something weird like that.

There were a few auctions I saw during a recent local tournament, both ended in miscommunication between the partnership (not us thank god). I wanted to know some input on these auctions. If the bidding goes 1♥-(3♥) overcalled. Let's say you don't play leaping michaels or anything - is this western cue? Same if it goes 2♥-(3♥) overcalled - would that be michaels or western cue? Thanks!

lol, well, we will probably end up playing some sort of two suited opening with that. I'm not playing strong 2NT at all, so it has to be one of these two suited openers instead. Thanks for your help everyone.

I guess if you play 19-21, then it is quantitative. If you played it 20-21, I would say no, because the 1 point difference can't possible be enough to determine slam vs. pass. North could have bid 4♣ gerber.

5♣, enough said. If they try to go 5♠, you have a chance to double them for a sure defeat now.

5♣ bid does not hurt after 4♠. Clearly North has to make a move.

Bid 1♠, when partner bids 2♦ or 2♣, you can bid 2♥. Simple.

apparently others don't have "strong organization skills" as well. Camrose Cup had the opponents in the wrong seats and wrong imp display, LOL.

considering how it is almost impossible to determine if somebody disconnects due to ISP issues or just leaves. The way I look at it, who cares. Just get a sub in for the person and all is well. This is one of the reasons why playing bridge in person/real life is far better than online.

What's the purpose of that? The difference between say ♣AJ9xxxx (bid 2NT, transfer to 3♣) versus ♣AKQxxxx (open 3♣)???

A♠, we are most likely seeing a 3-1 split in spades, and all I need is for clubs to run with the spade pitch, so I'm leading the A♠, partner and I play that if I lead an "ace from space" or there is reason to believe the declarer is out of the suit, the card he plays is lead direct. So I would go from there, hopefully he says "I have a club"

At Matchpoints: A♣ followed by another At IMPS: K♦, nothing to lose.

The general law is: "If they tell you the truth based on what they have AGREED upon, then they are just as damaged as the opponents are" Director call unneeded.

I have to agree, you are going to game anyways, try 4♦, if partner is not interested, he will sign off in major game.

I would bid 4♣ over his 1♠, it's doubtful that I want to play in 3NT, and if he has a solid spade stack, he can bid 4♠ still. Once he sees my bid of 4♣, he will be more enclined to bid 4♥ over that to show first round control, that's all we need to make 6♣

board 1: a hell of a lot of overbidding, the double says "partner, I have a good hand, bid something other than clubs", knowing full well his partner may have 0 HCP (and he does in this case). The bid is 2♠ board 2: after overbidding 3♦, East should correct to 3♥ knowing full well that his partner has hearts with the artifical Dbl.

Fred Gitelman :) :P :P :P

Not REALLY all that useful. I think it has come up once in 5 years for any of the partnerships I play with. You are almost better off bidding something else in the auction, but it's up to agreement I guess.

My partner and I use 2♣ opening as 20+ points, and rarely feel the need to open 2NT anymore to show 20-21 points. What do you all suggest we should use 2NT opening for? We were thinking 7-10 HCP, 5-5 in the minors. Anyone? Thanks

Conceeding for a sec that I can be pretty dense sometimes, I don't see how 5NT can mean to pick a slam. From what options is partner expected to choose? 4♣ presumably shows a one-suited hand and with both opps bidding hearts, I don't see how your partner would expect you to have a heart stop on the given auction. Please elaborate. For my part, I'm worried about the diamond suit. What to do about that, I don't know. But I think I'd take the pessimistic view and bid 4♠. To me, this implies club support so partner may be able to find another bid. The fact that this doesn't agree with the posts so far shows I am probably totally wrong, but that's likely what I would do at the table. You challenge the previous poster's 5NT bid as "pick a slam" and want elaboration on it and then you have the nerve to say you would bid 4♠ and expect your partner to automatically think you have club support. 4♠ says "let's play spades", nothing else. So you'll end up playing there.

baot = boat 1NT forcing is completely fine. You may want to play BART as an optional convention over 1NT forcing bids, but other than that, it's fine.

ok, then what does partner do with no rebid and 12-14? pass a forcing bid? 2NT is perfectly fine with 12-14, partner with 11-12 and a good club suit should always bid it up to 3NT, without a good club suit and poor major holders, he may want to pass. It's a partnership game, the responder has to have enough sense of the cards to determine whether 2NT or 3NT is right. And no, most today don't open 1NT with a 5 card major - sometimes if they are 5 crappy spades/hearts, then yes. But of all the tournaments I've been to in my years of playing, I have seen maybe a dozen partnerships playing 1NT like that. Maybe it is common where you are, but it's not a majority. Perhaps if you must have 2NT has a 15-17, you could play that the next highest suit shows a minimum hand, nothing about the suit, then responder can set the level. Example: 1♥-2♣ 2♦(Alert!) - This is showing a minimum hand, nothing about diamonds. Same if it went 1♥-2♦ 2♠ (Next available suit - Alert! - showing minimum hand) Of course that can cut out a lot of stuff, but that would fix this particular problem.

16-17 points, balanced. So you are probably looking at 5-3-3-2 or something.

Ok thank you both for links, so I have easier access to laws now.

On first hand, South must open the bidding, he is not vul and has 2 quick tricks. This is a bidder's game. So opening 1♥ would have been easier. I am betting the bidding would have gone. (P)-1♥-(2♣)-2♥-(3♣)-All Pass. Much easier to stay in the boat that way. However, bidding it up to 4♠ is absolutely silly. On the second hand, I am enclined to open 2♣ strong and artifical. Bidding would probably become 2♣-(2♠)-3♥-(P)-4NT-(P)-5♣-(P)-5♥-All pass. So nothing different there. With 2NT open however, you may miss a minor slam next time.