PhilKing

In a seven table duplicate the only pair that got to exactly game were playing Bergen Responses. All the others played in 3, 5, 6 or 7 apart from one pair of loons that bid 1NT-3NT and made an overtrick. B-)

Guess I'd better not try it against you ...

The time has come for the dreaded psychic exclusion RKCB in spades ...

FWIW, I don't think a weak no trump shows six playing tricks.

The ultimate insult.

All the hand types you say you cover can be easily handled with quite a bit to spare just using 2♣/♦/♥, so something is wrong with the structure so far.

Exactly. That's also why some of us made the hungry pass - sometimes 300 or 500 on a partscore.

This problem is something of an illusion - pard only needs to fudge 1♦ rarely, and even when that is true, the chances of no one overcalling spades is minimal.

I'm gonna need a bigger font.

Do you not wonder why it was not obvious to everyone else before you shone a light on the matter? I think you should reread the problem.

FWIW there is a workaround that is "superior" to modified blackout that makes light 2♦ reverses viable. It allows responder 3 ranges rather than the usual 2 at the cost of an immediate spade rebid. After (say) 1♣-1♠-2♦: 2♥ artificial - in principle a weak hand with at most six points (plus a few COG hands). Note that the bidding can stop in 2♠ and 2NT 2♠ artificial - specifically an invitational hand (circa 7 to a bad 9) 2NT - nat, misfitting bad hand, promises 5♠ 3♣+ GF

I don't think that follows. For instance, on this hand, many strong clubbers would open a 14-16 NT, since the alternatives of opening 1♣ and rebidding two (or opening 1♦) are even more flawed. The transfer approach give much greater depth - on this type you may get to show 45 with 15 to a bad 17 on the third round and still stop in 2♣, so partner's decision whether to invite over that will be trivial.

You can solve the problem of reverses almost entirely with transfers. After 1♣-1♥(spades)-1♠ can be played as forcing, including all hands with 4♦5♣. This in turn frees up 2♦ to show a heart reverse and 2♥ to show a spade raise, making both way more efficient. Come to think of it, you solve all the frequently quoted death hands. B-)

Double for sure - definitely means pass with clubs and pull without. You can't really play a gadget like this without discussing basic first-round follow-ups.

And does this qualify as 2 quick tricks?

Not if you play a direct raise to Four as forcing (and therefore a slam try). This frees up the cue bid to explore other denominations and still stop in 4m. Even if I cue and remove 3NT to 4m that's nf for me. But I certainly would not call something GF if I play it as nothing of the kind.

Just the weak minor.

I've been playing it the other way round for a couple of years but have just swiched to direct = good.

Only RHM and PhilNumber play these bids as forcing. A few people were unsure, then Justin said "non-forcing" and that was that.

That's because it is normal to respond 1♥ with 4-4 in the majors. Once you ignore the hearts (which was reasonable) you can't explore for hearts without showing 5 spades.

Note that 6♥ makes an overtrick after we bid exclusion RKC. It can't be worse than just leaping to six, and sometimes we stop the killing lead (we might even make it opposite the MrAce hand if opener has ♠JT9x or similar). I don't know why I give away this stuff, but any time you decide it's right to jump to slam, stop and think if there is a way to make the defence more difficult. As well as fake exclusion, we also have the corollary - RKC with a void, to make them asume an ace is cashing.

Your opinion has not been asked for. Partner can double and then bid 3NT to show a flexible hand.

It's fine to play 3♦ over ♣ as a random force, although the benefit is marginal (but probably real). I have evidence that some of the Italians do this. But 3♥ over 3♦ is just too valuable as a natural bid.

Board 2. I have mentioned before a meta rule that I play raises to 4m in competition as forcing and using the cue bid as the way to stop (where both are available). In this style the cue bid is either a raise to four diamonds or looking for an alternative strain. Usually, 3NT will still be in the picture (eg 2♥ by them and pard overcalls 3♦) so we can cue to see if 3NT is in the picture and still stop in 4m when it is not. Anyway, the same principle can be used here, so it's 4♣ for me. I will pass 4♦ or 4M. It's anti-intuitive to play the cue as potentially weaker than the simple raise, but it works.

That's 14 cards, so too many losers for a limit raise, but if pard has ♥Jx you are in great shape. If the take-out doubler is 1444 you probably make on a minor suit squeeze (don't tell me the defence lead diamonds in time).