PhilKing

Stolen bid doubles FTW.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am pretty shocked that the app doesn't provide a clearcut answer. :huh:

There is no choice - you HAVE to bid 3♠ to see if partner can bid 3NT. But there is something else that you need to get clear in this type of auction - when you cue bid looking for 3NT it is vital to agree that you are not committed to game. You can still stop in 4♣. A lot of people will disagree with this theory, but it comes up again and again and to me it seems obvious that one should not be forced to try for the 11 trick game once 3NT is not an option.

om = other minor - that may be the source of confusion. A jump in the other minor is natural and invitational 2♣ followed by bidding the minor is natural and game forcing The hand you lose is the one that would respond 2m (natural f1) and pass partner's rebid or raise, but you can make a bent 1NT response on those against a dodgy minor opening.

I prefer the "tell me more" method as you suggest. I'm not convinced transfers work well after a 1M overcall. I'm toying with this scheme, which just gives up a little bit here and there, but makes all strong and invitational hands biddable. After (1m)-1M-(pass): 1NT 8-12 2♣ 13+ no fit 2♦ fit, 9+ 2M weak 2OM invitational 2NT nat GF 3m mixed raise 3om nat, inv Youngsters may shudder at only having only two constructive raises available. 2♣ then new suit GF, 2♣ then 2NT inv. All other sequences obvious. So on this hand we would bid 2NT GF to check on hearts and give partner the option to insist on spades. I think some Dutch pairs do something similar.

You need at least A7xxx in clubs. 2♣ makes me feel ill, but I can't bring myself to pass, so 2♣ it is.

Looks like a normal penalty double.

Same problem applies (perhaps more so) if he is 2623. But my guess is we are basically making this all the time. Admittedly, if East follows to the third diamond I still have to guess what to do when he guards diamonds and one of the round suits with West shape being either 5512 or 5314, but I will assume West would come in with the former. Conclusion: if East follows cash clubs, if East blows cash clubs. If that doesn't work, I can still claim I would get it right at the table. :ph34r: Who is East?

Er, that was against me. :angry: :angry: :angry: Not that it's relevant, but I was right. The irony is it wasn't my bit of system - it was something I presume CS and GO played, based on the Bocchi notes. I'm not bitter or anything, since it's not like it was in the last match of the Premier League with us leading by 4vps. -6 was just wishful thinking. But to be fair, 6NT just needed a finesse and a break or two, as I recall.

No, but I would consider it if I knew it included all their minor suit hands. I get some of my minor-suit overcalls back with my 1NT (natural or bad 2♣ overcall) gadget. ;)

Their system is extremely vulnerable to competition. You can put them under extreme pressure by jacking up the bidding with well-defined medium strength hands. Do this and you have won the battle of the partscore. Luckily it's simple - play all one level actions as "normal" with the exception of double, which you should play as fairly loose in terms of shape requirements. The main change comes at the two level where you can play all bids as if they had opened 1NT. In my case that means Multi Landy (with 2M showing 4M and a decent longer minor).

1) I win. The key layout (quite likely) is lefty holding AQJxx in spades. I think they have an easy switch if I duck. 2) Spade. If spades are 4-3 I am cold. If they are 5-2, squeeze chances are >>>>> diamond finesse plus other combos. The East hand is going to get trashed on the run of the spades. I am prepared to look foolish if lefty has six spades.

I play Multi Landy. The points for me are: 1) We need a method for showing one and two suiters. 2) It's what I play against 1NT. If I were designing a method from scratch, it would probably be different, but there is not much to be gained by pursuing perfection. It's a low frequency position, so having a method I am comfortable with is the key. On the actual hand I would double 3NT and then double 4♦ for take-out. For me, the double of 3NT shows a take-out double of whatever minor they hold - not 5 defensive tricks. If you think about what you are trying to achieve in this sequence, it isn't taking 3NT one off. The huge penalties are going to come when partner is stacked in their suit, but when he isn't, your focus should be on constructive bidding.

Sounds like another name for pass/double inversion? Townsend/Gold played it your way when I coached them - pass in all high-level FP auctions asked partner to double.

They have opened a third in hand weak two and bid to the five level. In this situation I play penalty doubles from both sides, and I would double them myself.

After One Club we just play 1♠ as fewer than 4♠, 1NT as nat and 2♣ as diamonds and 2♦ as clubs. After One Diamond it's mostly the same except 2♦ is limited, often with three-card support. As you probably recall, after 1♦-1♥, 2♥ is a transfer to 6NT down 6 when partner forgets it shows spades. :angry: I guess it's better to swap 1♠ and 1NT in the transfer structure, but I am not changing much for a while.

A taster: After 1♣-1♦(4+ hearts): 1♥ = various: 1. Weak NT with 2-3 hearts 2. 4♦-5♣, 15+ 3. 14-16 unbalanced with three hearts 4. A good 3♣ rebid with 3♥ 5. A 3♣ rebid with deficient high card points 6. A 2NT rebid with six clubs 1♠ = nat 1NT = 4♦ 5♣ 11-14 NF 2♣ = 6 card suit 2♦ = sound raise to 2♥ with four card support 2♥ = bad raise. Usually 12-13 bal with four hearts or 11-13 unbal with three hearts 2♠ = nat 2NT = GF ♣ one-suiter After 1♣-1♦-1♥, responder usually bids 1♠, then: 1NT = 12-14 bal 2♣ = 15-16 4-5m 2♦ = 4-5m 17+ 2♥ = 14-16 unbal with three hearts 2♠ = good 3♣ rebid with 3♥ 2NT = nat with six clubs 3♣ = nat, good playing strength but light in high cards The biggest single gain has been the ability to show good and bad raises to 2♥, which would not be possible if the minimum balanced hands opened 1♦.

Can we have the full hand please? I "know" both sides are cold for slam - I just want to see it in black, white and red!

It's fairly common if playing five-card majors with a 2+ club to play play double after 1♣-(1♥) to try and locate a minor suit fit (and denying four spades) - a posh version of "stolen bid" double, if you like. After a natural diamond, that is less important, so we may as well distinguish between four and five spades. I can't remember the second reason. :(

MickyB plays this (with a 17-19 rebid I believe). I play this with the minors reversed, so 1♦ caters for the 18-20 balanced. For me, the chief advantages of having only one balanced range in the 1♣ opening is: 1. We are better placed in competition in that when opener shows extras he is known to be unbalanced. 2. Playing TWalshe we can use opener's rebids to show many hand types not covered by standard nethods. For instance, if I have a fit for responder, I have three ways of raising to 2M, when I rebid clubs I have four ways of rebidding 3♣ and when I have four diamonds and five clubs I can show this and still stop in 1NT. Having two no trump options would limit my options. Neither of us have rushed to print yet though .... ;)

Play "drop dead" Lebensohl over the 2♠ rebid. This caters for the underweight responses players tend to make when playing an overloaded 1♣. Opener bids 3♣ unless he has an absolute mountain, over which responder clarifies. 3♠, for instance, would now show about a 3-count with 4 four spades. Note: not suggesting a 2♠ rebid on this hand. :ph34r: As the bidding went, no way does North have an invite. What are you playing partner for? For every one time he has ♠Qxxx ♥KJxx ♦Kx ♣Axx or some other miracle hand, you go off in five or get to six one off about ten times, I would estimate. Partner almost never has a perfecto when he just jumps to game.

I would not say "shouldn't". I defend your right to ask for a ruling absolutely.

North should just raise to game. My view may be coloured by the crazy defence I play to Muiderberg Twos - I play a "balancing" 2♠ as showing more or less the values for a 2♠ overcall, so I would have passed out 2♦. :ph34r:

Just relax. In local duplicates you will have a much better time if you don't call the director unless you have to.

Option 1: Have a secret agreement that over a cue of 4M partner will now bid RKCB ... Option 2: Describe 3NT as either both minors or a balanced 4-10 Option 3: Give up playing 3NT for the minors ;) :ph34r: