shnk

The simplest way is to have the raise to 3M show 16-17 or so and responder will go to game with a max. More precise is to use "game tries". A reasonable game try scheme is to play that a new suit after 1M-2M shows a 3+ card suit with one top honor and an interest in game if there is a secondary fit. There are lots of different game try agreements; this is something you should discuss with a partner.

1♣ - 1♠ 1NT - 3NT No way am I looking for slam as W after E rebids 1NT. That's a pretty light open by E btw.

I am comfortable playing 2/1 with most gadgets. I would love to play and discuss system. I am on most evenings. Message me if you'd like to play this weekend.

Why is partner often referred to as "pd"?

Even a 2♦ overcall will confuse your average non-lebensohl playing pair. Even if they have have talked about it, at the very least it may wrongside the contract for them. If its just a pickup pair on BBO, they can easily misbid (what is double? what is 2 of a major?) A natural 2♣ on the other hand has almost no preemptive value cuz most just double for stayman and keep their beloved transfers. Landy is great; take the one non useful bid and make it conventional. After experimenting with both Capp and DONT, my regular partnership has settled for Landy. Like you say, simple and effective.

never mind

I teach 2/1 to all beginners. SAYC is more complicated and far less effective IMO. More important is to work with a partner who plays the same system.

Thanks everybody for responses. This sounds like the general consensus -- 3D asks partner to bid 3NT with a diamond stop or further clarify her distribution. The problem for me now is that we have some bids that ask for stoppers and some bids that show For example: 1♠ - 2♣ 3♣ - 3♥ Right now, we play that 3♥ is showing a stop; is it reasonable to switch this to asking? 2/1s are pretty rare, I'm trying to keep everything as consistent as possible.

2/1 GF 1♠ - 2♣ 2♥ - 3♦? what, if anything, should this say about diamonds? what should it say about strength?

Thanks, that helps. So if I continue bidding as responder in the 2nd auction ie: 1♥ - 2♦ 3♦ - 3♠ 3NT - 4x By agreement opener has shown a non-minimal hand (with the raise to 3D) and is now showing a club stop (with 3NT). So if I bid on as responder, now 3S is a cuebid interested in diamond or NT slam right? Do you guys like to play this as showing the ace, or showing ace/void, or ace/king/singleton/void or something else? For responder's third bid: What would 4D show? What would 4H show? I don't want to play any funky keycard asks like kickback or minorwood, but if that's your treatment I'm happy to hear it.

2/1 1) 1♦ - 2♣ 2♦ - 3♦ 3♠ 2C didn't deny a 4 card major but 3D does. 3S means what? 2) 1♥ - 2♦ 3♦ - 3♠ 3S means?

Sitting in 4th seat with Kxx/AJx/KJx/AQJx Auction: P - P - 1♠ - X 2♥ - P - 2NT - ? Its the last hand of the night. Opps are a regular partnership and about average for this field. My takeout could be absurdly light and they know it. Can I double again and what would it mean? If pass is right what is my lead?

I've been talked into playing constructive 1M-2M raises showing 7-10 and exactly 3 card support. Then I get dealt Jxx/xxx/Qxxx/Kxx, partner opens 1S, pass to me, I cleverly respond 1NT (forcing) thinking I'll correct back to spades next. 4th seat bids 2H, partner 2S, then opp raises to 3H so the auction is: 1♠ - P - 1NT - 2♥ 2♠ - 3♥ - ? Clearly I want to compete to the 3 level with a known 9+ card fit right? But partner took my 3S as a 3 card limit raise, bid game; 4S goes down one. Is this a common way to play 1M-2M? Is it really worth it to play this way, the idea being we can make more marginal game tries? Other pros/cons?

I have a new beginner partner that I don't want to introduce to lebensohl quite yet. I don't like it but we are using the stolen bid trick for all 2-level overcalls. Is there a better way without the complexity of lebensohl?

edit: never mind

The traditional meaning of this bid is long suit and slammish, but using Texas transfers pretty much covers all the single suited in a major situations. The BBO bots use this as 4-4-4-1 I believe. I've also seen them played as 5--5 majors invitational and forcing but that may be redundant depending on how you play a transfer followed by a new suit (we play transfer to hearts then bid spades is 5--5 invitational, transfer to spades then bid hearts is 5--5 forcing). We have defined the direct jumps to 3M as (31)(54) and game forcing but little slam interest and, like the previous poster mentioned, suggests the possibility of playing in a 4--3 fit rather than 3NT.

2/1 GF 1♠ - 2♥ 3♥ - 3♠ Does opener's 3♥ show extras? Is 3♠ more useful as a cuebid (A or K in spades) or showing a double fit? we play serious 3NT; we don't play any funky keycard asks like kickback or 6-ace RKCB.