PhilKing

3. Makes provocative statements of the absurd. 2. Has running arguments with multiple posters. 5. Tracks the above down to the Water Cooler. 1. Repeats themself ad nauseum yet never listens to the replies. 9. Asks what is a troll.

Fancy telling us your opening 1NT range?

Please don't assume what you have no knowledge of. I don't use DD sims - ever. I am in the camp that believes them to be close to useless in the majority of scenarios. I generate hands I believe to be consistent with the auction, estimating how the auction and play will go and take it from there. If you want to dismiss that, fine. I doubt I will have time to do another one, since it was quite time consuming. If you want to do one yourself, go to http://www.playbridge.com and enter the spec. You never know, you might learn something.

I did a quick hand generation and I am now felling a bit smug. I just accidentally deleted the data, but 3NT was pretty huge. :)

The results are still not confirmed due to multitudinous technical difficulties - the data is being checked by a third party today. I suffered when not on BBO and so finished in the pack.

It's very tempting to bid 3NT.

I played a system based on this concept for a while in the mid 1990s. There are a few additions and differences to your structure. 1. After a 1M opening, we used cooperative doubles (usually showing the balance of points and 4 good trumps or five weakish trumps) against overcalls. The point is that we are assumed to have a weak no trump with four of that major. We basically pull the double with a distributional hand unless we have three trumps, and leave the double in with a balanced hand. If partner has a rock-crusher double, he passes and waits for us to double. 2. I put the balanced 18-19 through 1♦-1M-1NT. I personally find this works well. Don't just put it through 2♦ because the Italians do! 3. We played some interesting responses to 1NT. 2♣ = a sign-off in any suit, or various invitational hands 2♦ = GF relay 2♥/♠ = invitational 2NT = pick a minor 3♣/♦ = pre 3♥/♠ = splinter In essence, the system is pretty simple and brutally aggressive if you open 1M with most weak 4x5x hands.

It is better to click on the yellow highlighted bids before commenting.

Having just paid a monkey to play in the Zia Ghoulash individual, I think I know the answer to the question. :ph34r:

I am too tired to suggest that it is not a generic try if it denies a game try in hearts. Oh wait ... :huh:

This.

To be fair, that page of the ABF regulations bears an uncanny resemblance to the WBF equivalent.

More than one of the pairs was playing a "generic" game try - it works within Polish Club as well.

If only someone had a searchable database that could throw some light on this thorny topic.

I've had this in my agreements since the early 90's, though it has never made a difference.

This is way over my head. With I hand I consider to be more or less the nuts (to recap ♠KJTxxx ♥Ax ♦xx ♣Jxx) ,I would be stupid enough to soldier on to the five level. Partner did not expect me to have the world's fair - a splinter opposite a weak two does not ask if I have controls in all three suit!

Only bad players.

After 4♣-4♦-4♥ the bidding should end. 4♦ promised a spade control, so partner's sign-off indicates that he probably does not have what you need. Maybe you miss a decent slam opposite: ♠x ♥KJxxx♦Axxx♣Axx. Personally, I would not sign off with that, and slam is hardly cold.

South does not have a weak two. I have no objection to a five-card suit, but the hand should be pure, rather than packed with defence and playable in 3 strains. North does not have a slam try. Take 4♦ (the most descriptive - 3♣ is ludicrous), say South has: ♠KJTxxx ♥Ax ♦xx ♣Jxx When you go off in five, partner will think (rightly) that you are mad. Yes, you could make opposite a perfecto, but if you chase rainbows, expect to get wet.

If I have, say, a 3244 with 7-9 HCP, I am happy to risk 2NT now. But for me, the logic of this auction dictates penalties, however "modern" one is.

I've heard of this one - though you don't see them often these days. It's called a penalty double. It rather suggests the overcall was on a four-bagger, so this could be pretty brutal. Obviously I pass.

If there are other game tries, then it is not a generic game try by my understanding of the word. Several top UK pair play that step 1 is the only game try, the reason being that you do not want to tip off declarer's hand. Sequences such as 1♠-2♠-3♥ are natural slam tries. It may sound silly, but this should have got us a swing in in the Olympiad Final in Beijing, but time heals most wounds.

If "generic game try" is insufficient, would you prefer "a generic bid for a hand too good to pass but not strong enough to bid game." If only there was a shorter way to state this ... Oh wait!

Too much bragging in this thread, imo.

There is no case whatsoever for any call other than pass. Sure, they may make it occasionally, but that could still be a gain compared to -1100 in 4♣x.