Flame

Interesting. So what hand would you have to bid 4c? That is what I believe, you're right. More specifically, I believe that 3D asks for controls, so any bid above 3H denies a heart stopper. Stopers and controlls arent the same, Q10x is a stoper but isnt a control, same as J10xx. Some bids when you look for NT you bid your stopers, other bids after you have raized and you think of slam, you talk about controls. Now after this general 3D bid you dont know if you have a fit or not, if you bid 3h i would think of it as a stoper not a control. True this all could be played differenly but again dont assume anything when you arent with your regular pd in a sequence you have discussed before, even if you play vs someone very smart just like you, that can make the needed calculation and understand that 3h is now showing control and spade fit, even then he will not know that you also know this and assume you dont. Trust me and my many many bridge playing years, simple is not stupid, simple is gold in bridge. About 4C, i would say no such bid.

Yes exactly what i said you make it only on 5-4 minors, but this is too rare. The onther lines makes on 4-4 diamond spade or 4-4 diamond club, or 4-4 club spade which are much more common especially after the heart lead, and the K diamond play by east (he wont have 4 diamonds)

The problem is your squeeses chances are much less now that you took spade out of the game, the only squeeze chance left if west having 5 clubs+ 4 diamonds which is very unlikely.

That's what makes it a courtesy slam try...in a normal slam try, partner asks you for information so he can place the contract. This time, he's going to describe his hand to you so you can place the contract. Flame's smarter than me, but I still disagree. 4 clubs says you have a club stop AND spades. By going past 3NT, you've agreed that you don't want to play in NT. Therefore you have spades. If you had club stops but two or fewer spades, 3NT would be the obvious bid. I would play a 4D after we agree on spades to show a control in diamonds, a lack of control in clubs, and a control in hearts. 4 clubs would show clubs but not hearts, 4 spades would show a lack in both clubs and hearts. The real point is, it's dangerous for your partner to assume you'll read 4 diamonds correctly. Didnt understand your first point, partner bid 3d this is a general bid showing a good hand especially if you're playing with a pickup partner dont assume anything just bid what you have stay flexiable. Second point, maybe im an old-fashion bridge player but for me showign stops almost always happend below 3nt, with the intention to play 3nt when we have all suits stoped and go for a suit game when we dont, i dont play 4c to show a stop when we are already above 3nt. again dont expect a pickup partner to ever think 4c is stoper showing. Third point - i mention a normal italian cue bid style, maybe ur style is supirior but its only better when your partner know what you're doing, and again if you want partner to know what you do you better play standard systems even if you think you have better onse. I dont undersand the logic behind your system, how will you bid when you have diamonds but not clubs or heart control ? Maybe you suggest all this because you believe partner's 3sp show lack of heart control, if this was true then 4d was showing heart +diamond but not club, but here a 3h wouldnt be a cue bid, 3sp didnt show lack of heart control, it was just a simple bridge to show 3 card support.

Very nice question, i can only try to think whats best and maybe a world class would think the same. Line 1: is cute, but i wouldnt choose it because of the resson you mentioned at 2, and also because maybe east just covered with no special resson even the he is a WC player or on the other side maybe he covered because he is a WC player and could see the problem it will rise, anyway i think its a bit too much of putting the egges in one basket too early. Line 3: I dont like this line, or maybe i just dont understand it completly, as i see it this line will only work if west has exaclty 4342, no other option and therfore it seems inferior to line 2. Line 4: i dont like this, i dont think the heart suit will reveal much, and it will kill some other chances like the squeses. Line 2: is the one i like the best. Between the line suggested i like #2 the most, and dislike #3 (because #2 just seems better) but i maybe a world class in such a big turney will not dare to go with line 1 and fell like an idiot when east win the 7. so im voting 2 and 1. Now may i suggest another line ? How about ducking a club imidietly before a diamond to the J, we still have enough entries to our hand for 2 diamonds hooks. and if west isnt coming back with a diamond we still have time to take out another 2 clubs , this will give us better look at the hands then playing the hearts. I think this gives better chances then the other lines. (although i didnt work it out till the end) I now see that i underestimated line 3, it works on more cases then i thought, every time west has 4 spades and atleast 3 hearts, i still think line 2 and 5 are better.

You should delete the letter C there, its look like a queen and oviosuly its not.

Partner's 3d isnt a control showing cue bid, 3d and then 4sp showed you he had more then just a 4sp bid or else he would have just bid 4sp imidietly, bididng cue and only later 4sp showing you he is thinking of more then 4sp. Now its your time to evaluate your hand. No you shouldnt have bid 4c on 3d, your partner's 3d isnt showing a long spade suit, just showing strong hand for now, you should have bid 3sp since you already showed you dont have 4 card support now ur 3sp would show 3 card suit. The bidding should continue 3D-3S 4D - 4S 4D after you have agreed on spade is now a cue bid showing a control in diamond and luck of control in club, 4sp show you dont have a control in heart, how partner lucking a control in his hand easily pass 4sp.

Is there anyone in the forum who doesnt count points ? I would be very happy to hear how do you make your decisions, do you run many hands partner might have opposite your hand and check how many tricks you are likely to make ? Do you do that for all decision (Dont think its possible even for a computer to do it for an opening bid) or just for some, which are those then ?

This is what the UNDO buttom is for :P

The Bocchi-DuBoin 2♣ response to 1M is very similar to Garozzo's Ambra system, so you may want to check out those notes. See Dan Neill's web site for the info. played Ambra, its not the same thing, and even in ambra you dont have all the developments, it make sense to keep the responder making relays, and for someone who know relay system it might have been easy there because the normal relay rules works, but as i dont want to learn a the all relay prucuders we are in problem. About disclosure, you dont have to give all your system. some world class partnerships system is known to be a big secret worth lots of money. As much as i wish it was public, i think its understandable that its not, someone working years on a system doesnt have to give it to anyone for free.

It doesnt matter if you call it psych or not, it wont help you at all. psyches are part of bridge. IF the cc say overcalls show 10+ its a bit weird because i dont know ppl who play 10+ such overcalls, but even so it still it doesnt mean they play it over art 1c, and you can always ask if you arent sure. so i doesnt consider this a psych bid. and one more thing, if you didnt ask or look at the cc during the bidding and only looked later to find they show 10+, it wont help you because their system wasnt part of your judgment in the bidding.

I think you can and should avoid giving your opponents two shuts, i dont think the laws you mention say otherwise.(maybe even support this). Your action is not effected by your partner ui its effected by your opponents calling the director, saving their rights, or your knowing they will.(depend on the procedure in ur place) imo 73c "he must carefully avoid taking any advantage that might accrue to his side. " even suggest that you not use any alternative in question. It doesnt say you should ignore the UI, its sepficly say you should void taking advance of it. Also the word carfully suggest if in question go with the other alternatives.

Only if you will insist and if its a good tournament usually those who have some money in them, but not in an afternoon tournament when ppl just come to relax.

OK (i would say nothing more but you said so much i feel i must say something more) I wasnt aware of the "same partnership methods" part. In general i think its might be too much to ask a commete to consider the player style, its possible but there is a limit to how much you want the commette to work and this will lead to some unfair rulling since not everyone can prove his style like Ben, so making a general rule of not using style and only system is ok with my common sense. I do agree that zar points, pre alerts and cc , are good enough to convince the comette that this is the way you play, but i wouldnt go farther then this into bridge browser or friends asking.

Are you sure ? Are you basing it on logic or on previous cases ?

Ben the law isnt talking about how you bid, the law talks about how other ppl at your level bids, if you're an agressive it wont help you at this case. maybe its wrong but thats the law.

With the way the club splited and the fact that north lead the diamonds id say north rate to have the last diamond is more then 90%.

Playing 1s as 4 card will help hands wit 4 cards but hands with 5+ cards will suffer in competition. Not saying the idea is bad, i used to try having 2 bids for showing spades.

As a player i might consider 4H, but as a director no way im letting this one stand. Must correct it to 3H. The rule is if 3 of 10 ppl would seriously consider (even if they choose differently after considering) to pass 3h then 3H is a logical alternative and south cant choose a different one, those here south cant choose 4H, and the result will be change to 3H. (easy case imo) And to those who claim the hand is good enough for 4H KQx xxxx KQx xxx A109--AQ62--J-KQ632 even against this 10 hcp hand 4h isnt good, so 3h is definelty a logical alternative

Maybe there are safer plays but i will play A♥ and heart to the Q. Some doubled overtricks cant hurt.

I wish i could help you, but i think those systems are a secret, i play boochi doubin 2c over 1M, and really wish i knew thier conntinuations because ours sux.

Intresting, if you bid the 44 major with 1d (and not 1h) you can add more to it, maybe it can be weak or strong, but this makes it forcing or almost forcing.

Nice score by pavell.

Dont leave pls :P You just have to understand that many can say thier system is the best, by saying that you dont add anything to how i see your system. You can be just a kid who think he invented the world and no one else know anything, i dont know you.

I find this a bit confusing ? :P I mean, 2/4 leads but here leading 5th card ? ment 4 sry.