gabika73

Why would 3♥ show values? What would you bid without values - say 6hcp? Well, from the feel of the bid. I have shown 6-10 wioth a doubleton spade. Partner is prepared to play in 3♠ opposite anything I can hold for my bid. So, my 3♠ would be a bust. Anything else shows some extras. I might be wrong about this, but I am much in favour of sacrificing bids of getting to the better partscore for bids to find the playable game. So, with 6hcp, nothing to tell: 3♠, even with 3card hearts. This is why I am not afraid that partner will pass my 3♥: this is a forward-going bid. After all, without game-interest, with 6hcp 2344, I could have just passed his 2♥ to avoid further problems...

2♠, no other choice, not even close. More interesting is the question about my next bid if partner is stronger and bids again.... I have an easy bid over 2nt, or 3M: I just raise it to game. However, after 3m, I am not so sure about the rebid. That is a tougher question. So, what do we bid with the same hand after 1♠ 1NT 2♥ 2♠ 3m? Does it depend on which minor our partner bids? Our auction has pinpointed an opening lead, and my partner will hold a singleton in that suit. Neither minors seems to be strong enough to stop opponents winner. we have a maximum with 2 7card fits in the major, and a 3rd 7card fit in a minor. I would try 3♥ to show my hand with partial major fits and some values... Partner with a singleton honor in the 4th suit will bid 3nt, otherwise will bid his stronger major. Opinions? Ideas?

Just 2 points: - any bid by the responder is forcing; - without an artificial method (such as Wolff-relay) there is no way to distinguish responder's 5♠5♥ from 5♠4♥ or 4♠5♥ from 4♠4♥. (Unless opener's 2nt denies 4card♠, of course). I know, this thread is not about Wolff-relay. But I cannot resist to write about it. Wolff relay does a good job defyning these hand types, though. Opener will respond 3M if he has a 3 card support for responder's Major, otherwise 3♦. Yes, even with 4 ♠, since responder can have a weak hand with hearts, and was going to sign-off in 3♥. after 1m-1♥; 2nt: Bidding 3♠ directly shows 4-5, and bidding it via Wolff-relay shows 4-4. after 1m-1♠; 2nt: Bidding 3♥ directly shows 5-5, and bidding it via Wolff-relay shows 5-4. Also, slammish hands with a minor (either support or own suit) can be introduced. Bidding 3♦ directly shows slammish with diamonds, while bidding 3nt via Wolff is slammish with clubs. (So do not bid Wolff just to check if opener has a 3card support; if you are going to rebid 3nt, he'll take you for a slammish hand with clubs. You will know about the 3card support if you bid your major naturally, showing 5+ in a GF hand.)

This might open a new thread....;-)

Balancing 1nt and 2nt are not the same, as you imply in your post. - Higher risk. No need to comment furher. - Partner should be more willing to enter auction after 2M than after a 1level opening bid with any contructive hand. Therefore lower the gain. - Takes away our "natural" 2nt bid (i.e. the real 2nt range). With that said, your double will be overloaded. And there is much less space to resolve than after a 1level bid. But, as your post says, you do agree.

2♠, clearly. Not enough for 2nt, and pass should not ever come to my mind with that hand.. Partner needs a lot for a jump shift, so after 1nt F1, I need to keep the bidding open with anything I can - here I don't have to lie about my strenth or distribution to keep the auction alive. (This practice also makes the jump shift auctions more accurate: partner will not have to jump with a weak 4card side-suit...) Unless pd is 5-5 minimum, 2♥ will seldom be a good contract. - he can be 6-4, invitational. - if 5-4, he will be forced in either or both minors, and will not be able to re-enter hand to cash his established spade winners. (i.e. better to play this in 5-2.)

What is the point in bidding 2nt with ~13? Partner will not have 10-15 with shape (that is a hand to overcall or dbl), so the only hand he can hold to justify our bid is similar to our hand: (semi)balanced 11-14. With his holding, however, 2♠ by opps will not be a piece of cake: at least, not for them. We cannot double, however, with heart shortage (though with 3 good hearts and max 2 spades we can try), so opps will go down undoubled. If they are VUL, we do not loose too much, though. The risk is there, especialy when VUL vs NV, though not as much of a risk than that of declaring 2 or 3nt, without a good suit, and without enough power, and with all suits breaking oddly. RHO is at the table, as Luis siad, and is ready to show us his red card... So, even when reopening, or 2nt should be 15-18 (maybe good 14...) And ask partner to dbl as often as he can in direct seat, even more than he would dbl a one-level opening.

I've voted for 2♣. I have a nice, shapely hand, which I can describe. It is not invitational, but surely promises some extras: which I do happen to have. The only time when 2♣ is wrong is when 1nt scores 120, and in clubs we do not make 130. However, unless partner has 2533, we have fit in a minor, or a nice Moysian in spades. The heart suit can be very vulnerable in a vulnerable NT. So if partner did respond with a minimum, I am for a sure 2m(+1) rather than 1nt-1 (opps may easily take 4-6 majors and 1-3 minors). Even if 1nt makes, I will make an overtrick in 2m, or make 2S. Partner will not bid on with useless honors in hearts - he will know that they are of no use for me . Opposite Kx xxxx Kx Qxxxx, or even Kx Axxx xx BTxxx, however, I have a great chance to make 11 tricks in C. I do think my holdings scream for a suit contract (well, except for my spade suit...)

Agree. Or 2nt, if that is your system. Opener will be in position to decide whether to explore. With this hand it is quite safe to give away captaincy: you have a hand that can be described pretty well. Bid 2nt (unless it is only INV), and let the work and thinking to your partner! Straight and simple. Only with 3nt being 13-15 and 3334 specifically, must you bid 1♦ the first round. And than we have some questions. Does opener's 1♠ promise 5+clubs? [yes] Is your 2♥ F1 or FG? [FG] I assume yes and FG, since otherwise you have no problem... Playing 4♣ as ORKCB would solve the problem now. 3♠ should show just what you have, though ♥ stopper would remain unresolved. 3nt would be to play, though partner with great hand (if 3♦ does not show range) can bid further: you could have bid that 3nt without all these investigations, so you must have something - like a mild slam invitation.

I use these reaises the other way around. 3 of a minor being pre-empt (0-6), Criss-cross being mixed (7-9), and simple raise being INV+ (10+). On the principle of bigger the hand lower the bid.

One working agreement can be when dummy is singleton when we have led the ace of our suit: 1/ If dummy has 4 or fewer trumps, and/or forcing can be an issue, we cannot afford not to have a way to encourage continuation. So small (provided UDCA) will ask for continuation. (Knowing a 4+ suit, this can be mixed with count signal: lowest: continue, I have odd number; next lowest: continue, I have even number). Playing another card can be Lavinthal or can be based on the obvious shift principle: based on partnership agreement. A middle card thus would request an obvious shift (or the lower suit), while a high card would request a strange shift (or higher suit). 2/ If dummy has 5+ trumps (and they are known to have a fit...), forcing dummy is seldom a need. So count signal comes combined with S/P: Lowest card: even number, with pref to the lower suit. Next lowest: even number, with NO pref to the lower suit. Highest card: odd number with pref to the higher suit. Next highest card: odd number with no pref to the higher suit. Of course the known number of cards can influence the exact meaning of a card, especially if the (LOTT)bidding shows the exact number already.

Deviating a bit from the mainstream topic... Fourth suit after reverse: Reverse will land the partnership in game 95+% of times. (I strongly disagree with reverses with 16 pts, however, if all 16 points are in the reversed suits, reverse can be good (esp with 3 card in parners bid major)). Therefore, 3 of openers either suit is GF. All agree. To slow the auction with weak hands, responder can use the bids below. These bids does not promise another bid if opener bids his cheaper suit: opener must bid something else to create GF. 1/ 2 of resp's suit. It shows a 5carder. 2/ 4th suit at level 2: denies stopper, denies 5card suit. 3/ 2nt. while denying 5 of own suit, it only shows stopper in 4th suit, iff bidding 4th suit were at level 3. All other bids create gameforce. (4th suit at level 3 would deny fit, and look for stopper.) I was surprised not to have read this treatment in any of the posts. So in the auction given: 2s: no S stopper, no 5+ ♥, and denies values or fit for a straight raise. 2nt: S stopper(s), probably no 5 ♥, and denies values or fit for a straight raise. 3nt: 10-12, no fit, and almost exactly 4432. (majors well stopped) 3m: good 8+, fit. Seems obvious, for me, to bid 3d with the example hand. (I have working major aces, and i have ruffing power). Partner can now show interest in slam. However, I will bid 3nt on any of his 3M bids. A sequence of 1♣ - 1♥ 2♦ - 2♠! 3♥ - 3nt is kind of strange with the treatment described above. Responder cannot have a weakish hand with spade stopper, as he would bid 2nt in the previous round with that. He can't have 5 hearts, as 2♥ would be better bid the previous round. He can't really have partial stopper in spades, as opener has pinpointed his singleton. Surely he will not have support for wither minor. What can he have? maybe a long, slow stopper in spades, which can stop (or induce the blocking of) the spade suit if opener has a singleton honor....

On 1m - 2nt: This is 13-15(12-14) or 18+ in our treatment (with INV BAL we bid 2nt via other minor). Of course, no 4cM... Responses can be: 3♣: asks distribution. - 3♦: 3343 - 3♥: 2344 - 3♠: 3244 - 3nt: 3334 (and definitely not 18+) 3♦: expresses doubt about major stoppers. -3M: solid stopper, weak stopper in other major -3nt: partner, dont worry about majors. 3M: 5+m, 4+M, slammish 4m: Gerber, ORKC, or the like... Direct 3nt on 1m, since it consumes lot of bidding space, should be made with one specific pattern: 3334. (Also, it might deny, on partnership agreement, a specific number of controls.) This puts opener in a position to decide on the probably best contract.