tysen2k

Open super-light in 1st seat. Then you won't have this problem. ;)

I'm one of the few that picked a close 3♠. I would like better suit quality, but you can't have it all. My hand is very strong. Tysen

1) They are much more likely to X you at the 2 level than the 1 level. 2) If they X you at the 1 level you're more likely to be able to scramble out successfully since you're a level lower. 3) If you overcall light at the 1 level and partner has something like 13 points and support he can cuebid and then raise over your signoff to show that so you can still stop below game. If you overcall at the 2 level you'll just get to game. 4) If you overcall at the 1 level on junk and partner bids a new suit it's non forcing so you can still get off the hook. If he does this at the 3 level after you overcall at the 2 level, you're in a forcing auction. 5) Third seat is in a much better position to put pressure on partner (if the opening was a preempt), and in close situations he will generally bid. The worst thing about overcalling light is when the auction gets very competitive and the opponents are preempting. I do not see the appeal in overcalling this hand at the 2 level. You have no shape, and 2 jacks, and no aces, but again that is just my style. I respect that others play differently, though I'm mildly surprised by how many would overcall with this hand. All valid points, but if your requirements are too strict to overcall then you will get robbed by preempters. For me I would pass this hand over 2♦, but overcall over 1♦. So my requirements are not exactly the same, but I'm just saying they shouldn't be that different.

1♠. The 4th heart and 2 aces makes a preempt undesirable. Think about it. Why are you preempting? How likely do you think they are going to reach and also make a game? We'll probably land in 4♠ anyway, but why rush? I'm not going to get shut out of this auction. Tysen

Wow, thought this would be a unanimous pass. Have been thinking that if I'm not going to balance light as an unpassed hand I should get in more in direct seat, this gives me some confidence to do it, thx :) Would you overcall 1♠ with this hand over a 1♦ opening? You have to be a little more careful at the 2-level, but as a general rule I think your requirements should be about the same. It's a much better overcall at MPs.

1. Pass but 2♠ is not bad 2. Dbl 3. ♦J Don't see any reason to get cute/creative with any of these.

Down the middle 3♠. Not good enough for a jump to 4. I try to follow this code as well. I've always explained it as "Invite rarely, accept often" Tysen

Would that suggest this should be penalty? (1♣) P (2♣) P (P) Dbl

2NT even though we might miss a heart fit. 3♥ is too unilateral if partner doesn't have support. Tysen

Really? Can you forward me that email so I can print it out as proof? One of my favorite toys is a 3rd seat 8-15 1NT. Since I open light, we pretty much give up on game. We currently play that 2x responses are to play and can't use any conventions over it. But are you saying that I can use conventions? Take-out doubles would be nice. :) Tysen

1♥. Hearts is the suit that gets lost in a competitive auction. Passing gives up a lot of tempo and preempting seems wrong with so much defense. Question for others who play light, limited openings. Even though we open light, partner and I have the agreement that if opener rebids his suit showing 6+ then it promises a sound opening since opener would have preempted with less than a sound opening. Do others have similar agreements? Tysen

3NT for me too. Gamble it up.

You are free to state that a bid is forcing or not forcing as long as it's natural. It doesn't have to be to play. But no asking bids, relays, fit-showing jumps (even though it's natural it conveys an additional meaning), splinters, etc. It also doesn't matter if the opps come in, the partnership is forbidden for the rest of the auction. So all doubles are penalty, etc.

I wouldn't since it gives up on spades. I would probably bid 3♦ at IMPs and 2♠ at MP.

I think a spade lead would be much better if our hand were weaker. As it is, I think almost any lead is okay. If we were stronger, then leading our best suit is likely best.

Why do H9 and S4 get better expected total points, but fewer expected imps vs the par contract compared with H7 and SJ, respectively? Aside from the inconsistency, I can see some merit for H9 instead of H7 gaining occasionally, but when would S4 ever gain (double dummy) over SJ? Andy I was noticing that too. My guess is that some of the leads are slightly more likely to set the contract but also more frequently give up an overtrick. Since the score -> IMPs conversion is not linear you can get a lead that scores better in one way and not in the other. My other thought was that I think (but I'm not sure) GIB gives a slight bonus to "signalling correctly." Since the rest of the play is double dummy, GIB intentionally gives a small penalty to leads like low from a doubleton since there is a chance that partner will be mislead in real play. Tysen

In the ACBL (not sure about other regions) it's a legal definition, but you are forbidden to use any conventions after it. This prohibition kicks in if your range of strength is more than 7 HCP.

Even playing OBAR BIDS, I pass. Way too dangerous to do anything else, even at MP. You could try a creative 2N, but if you stay silent, opener might bid higher by himself and you may even defeat the contract. If opener passes, partner will strain to bid something and as long as it's not 3♥, you are happy. Tysen

A few weeks old, but better late than never? GIB simulations are probably best for this kind of thing. Here is how it rates the top choices: CT: -390.60 -> 0.58 H7: -392.20 -> 0.47 SJ: -397.60 -> 0.36 D5: -399.30 -> 0.32 H9: -391.40 -> 0.20 S4: -393.70 -> 0.15 D8: -399.30 -> 0.01 HQ: -399.10 -> -0.03 DK: -429.20 -> -0.87 The first number is the expected score after that lead and the second number is IMPs compared to the par contract. So it looks like a heart is the better major to lead, but clubs is better than them both. But it also looks like GIB doesn't expect to beat the contract very often with any lead. I think I would have lead a club at the table as well. Tysen

I picked a small spade, but this is a hard problem. Declarer likely has long hearts, probably 5 of them, maybe even 6. Tysen

In that case, it might be a good idea to design a system where you pass with constructive hands that have spades. That might not be too bad of an idea since those are the easiest hands to "re-enter" the auction with. You could call it the "Silent Spade" system. Then 1♠ could be something else... Hmmm... Tysen

I'm not sure and this seems like a strange definition anyway. Who dictates what "strength" means? If I pass a balanced hand of 12 HCP and open an unbalanced one with 11 HCP, do I have an unusual system? I don't think so. I think in the ACBL you're okay as long as: Your 1-bids have at least 8 HCP Your "opening pass" is not forcing The Shape System that I'm working on now that Flame mentioned above has an opening pass defined as: 0-16 balanced, 0-10 any 4441, 0-3 any. As far as I can tell, it's GCC legal. I just can say that I'm very conservative when it comes to balanced hands. Tysen

Down 3 I think.

I once heard the following novice auction: 1♥ - 1♠ 2♥ - 2♠ 3♥ - 3♠ 4♥ - 4♠ 5♥ - 5♠ 6♥ - 6♠ Pass Opener was really tempted to bid 7.

That's it except for one small nit on point #2. Our par is the lowest possible sacrifice that's still profitable. Let's say we can take 11 tricks in hearts and they can take 11 tricks in spades. If you took your definition #2 literally, then it would say that our par is 7♥, when it should be 6♥. I think my definition works, because [in your example] the par contract is 6♥x-1 by us, so point #1 applies and we never move onto #2. You are right Sorry, it's a 6322 hand. Corrected in original post.