PhilKing

We wing it at the one level and can stop in 1D. Pulling say, 1H to 1S can be on four and does not promise the earth, though we may be strong (a la Polish). 1M can be up to 9 with a four card suit. When we have 14 opposite say 7, it's much better for us if the second opponent bids (then double is take out and suits 7-10 5+ and responders suit is the cue), but my experience is that they usually do bid. At the two level when 3rd seat passes, 2C is a 1 round force ostensibly 10+, 2D+ transfer 9+ 5+.

1D = 15-18 bal. 1NT = 6 diamonds or diamonds + major. Draft stage! But was just observing that flipping 1D and 1NT made sense in your structure. You keep your power double and are OK on the take-out doubles. Double is basically any takeout double, any 13-14 bal, any off shape hand that we feel like, so a 4234 14 count would double. If next hand bids we play double for take-out. If next hand passes, 1level nat, 2 level as if partner opened 1NT with transfers showing 9+.

No, its in the draft stage. I was playing something more complicated imvolving 1M as 3-4M 5+m, but it was just too tough to remember all the agreements we need in competition After we over call 1D (15-18 bal), I was thinking: 1H nat weak (can be 4 if desperate) 1S puppet to 1NT, then system on 1NT not sure yet, but was thinking of either: 1) 44M weak 2) 44+m weak 2C weak 2D/h/s constructive I generated quite a lot of hands for the 1NT overcall, and it is break even constructively, but HUGE in terms of winning the partscore battle. Within this structure, 2C+ is multi landy, the idea being to jack up the bidding to the two level on partscore battle hands while they are at an information disadvantage.

Over 1C, if you are going down this road, it's much better to play 1D as the takeout hand and 1NT as 4M5D or 6D constructive. Though I prefer 1D as a takeout double (very loose) and 1D as 15-18 bal

Who do you trust most? Partner or RHO? Not partner - after all we didn't trust them enough to understand 2♠. But maybe they both have their call. RHO appears to believe he has four tricks versus 4♥, and I certainly have no reason to doubt him holding such massive trump support. Maybe pard has Kxx QJ9xxxx xx x. After all, he knows we have a great hand but do not have five spades. Surely if he trusts us, a jump to 4♥ is reasonable, if not gilt-edged. I bid 4♠, not because I don't trust partner, but because I have made a pigs ear of the auction and it's my job to fix it. Fortunately RHO has tipped his hand, so I hope for a useful card in partner's hand. And since I cound conceivably make a grand slam, yet go off in game if I put this abomination on the table, I vote for action. I could well be wrong, but the argument that partner has good trumps, knows what he is doing, and my aces and kings will help him wrap up an easy doubled game just does not wash!

Interesting. Is 3♦ right with that? My view is coloured by playing that the support double promises a decent weak NT (else pass), so I would pot game. Playing the dreaded mandatory support double, I would just bid 3♦, I guess.

Not really - to have our bid, we arguably need AKT9xx. But when the auction does not go perfectly, you have to follow through and bid 3♠ anyway, for better or worse.

Reading my auction has put me on tilt.

1. 2♥. I don't know what the percentage action is, but I remember a couple of ludicrous results for passing 2♣ when I used to play this method. 2. 3♠. I like my spade and diamond holdings, but I also have some bad features, since I suspect partner has a stiff club. Even ♠AQxxx ♥Jxx ♦KQxx ♣x is not enough, since I anticipate a trump lead and partner need not be that strong. In reality I would punt it against randoms. 3. Pass. Make the hand slightly better and I go for the off-shape double, ready to pass partner's 2NT lebensohl response!

West is equally skilled? :ph34r::(

It was more of a general observation which I failed to qualify sufficiently (or at all). I think many players tend to pass automatically in this kind of position because we are taught not to preempt and bid again (or invoke the dreaded "please bid one" double) and just shrug when they lose 8 imps. Obviously it doesn't apply to you (or anyone else who passed for legitimate reasons). :)

Where is the fifth trick? You still need a black ace with partner. And if partner has a black ace, a spade lead should beat it. The advantage of a spade is that you may get partner in with the jack of hearts when he has no ace, but overall, there are not that many hands where it makes a difference.

Yep, we go back in time and duck the opening lead. North has made a modern lead from KJTxx and out. As played, we return a heart.

I doubt there's that much in it. Today I lead a spade.

Is no one interested in what happens when we rise with the ace at trick one? Best not play to trick two just yet. After all, South may follow with the three. Anyway, even if South plays an honour it pays not to jump to conclusions - for instance, they may play the Q from QJ3. If we do something premature such as cashing the AK of diamonds, we made end up with egg on our face. Just win the ♥A and duck a diamond. We are basically cold, but need to keep all our options open if South is 4342 or similar to preseve the double squeeze.

If you play "French" (or any 2 over 1 structure where you can handle nondescript minimums at the two level), then you can play the splinter denies extra values. With extra values you bid 3♣ and partner can "relais" for extra shape with 3♦. If this takes you past 3NT, that is fine - you have extra values and a splinter, after all, and partner was not obliged to relay. Anyway, going past 3NT is not an issue in the club fit auctions. 3♥ = weak splinter really is the way to go on these hands. But if 2♣ was not game forcing, then you are just screwed. :(

Only if I have 12 trumps.

I agree, but in a recent similar auction (ie 4♣ slam try), almost everyone said that 4♥ is a cue.

Gunnar Hallberg explained to me recently why 0,1,2,3 was better, but I have no recollection why (I lost concentration at "in Stockholm in 1972 ..."). If someone can show me any hand in the history of the game where it was not OK just to keep my responses the same, I would be interested.

Should one also double with AQJxxx in clubs, which could be 2 tricks? No, yet when we sacrifice we may make all thirteen on a diamond lead, as we might opposite AKxxxx. Obviously partner does not know whether Jxxx of hearts turns into a trick either. But as 5♠ bidders we are willing to punt a practical and rather obvious sacrifice, and take the blame when it is wrong. The passers are usually just winning the post mortem.

I would suggest that KQJxxxxx and out is only a small portion of our range. If partner waits for three cast iron tricks, they are adoptinging a losing strategy. But that's fine - passing is safe and we generally escape criticism.

Bidding no trumps here is really hopeless. This is a great hand for clubs.

This talk of action doubles makes me ill. How can it possibly ask partner to bid unless he has a strong opinion to the contrary? He can't have a strong opinion to the contrary - he passed over 5♦! Partner would double 5♦ with two tricks - that is how to express his opinion. When he does not do so, we save. It really is that simple. There was another thread recently where the same upside-down thinking abounded (it was in a poll about preempting followed by double). I wouldn't mind, but TT, of all people, did exactly the same thing to me with 9 solid and out in the pass-out seat after opening 4♥ and getting a 4♠ overcall. Just in case anyone cares, they apply when we are bidding in front of partner. In that scenario we can't sacrifice unilaterally, so doubling says we want to bid one more. Now I get that there is a case for playing double to show extra defence and extra offence, but what on earth would possess us to double with a hand that can't beat seven?

Could it be that since optional keycard solved none of these hands that cue bids and natural work better? I'm not saying RKC has no place here, but I think it's putting the horse before the cart. If we cue 4M (agreeing diamonds) partner can bid 5♥ Sand Wedge RKCB. But for investigating small slams in a minor suits with limited room, RKCB works poorly with two balanced hands.

If partner has 2-1 in the majors and a yarborough, spades is going to play better than hearts, typically making ten tricks (if they force us, ruff a heart, cash the ♠ AK and claim) where hearts can sometimes be held to nine if they stwitch to a heart (spades 4-2 plus heart loser). Here, I am happy to bid 3♦ and evaluate, since the slam potential is more important than stressing hearts.