Flame

Next time give more information, like the vul and the lead. To the question, when having Aj98xx against Qxx you 3 options , 1 lead small to the J to find Kx or K on side. 2. run the Q and if it covered my the K take the A and play the J , works when K on side and 10 is doublton or singelton. 3. double finnese for both pictures. Here however is a different story, you dont need the second picture you only need one finnese, so you finnese to the Q and drop all your diamonds on the spades. (only if spades doesnt work you need the diamonds.

2nt isnt forcing, and therfore isnt GF in most systems.

1 ♦ is a clearcut. i want to achive 1-4 , but i dont need to think about it, i just have a simple opening bid so why do i have to think about achivments ? with 2-2 in the majors instead of this 1-3 ,and this vul' its possible to bid 2d but only if the partnership agreed to play this as a very very solid, in third hand this will make even more sense.

3NT is too far to try at mp, so i would pass. At imp 2c would show the hand perfectly and i would bid it.

I don't think you should decide to play this or that, there are two ways to know whats the right way to play something, either check thousend of hands taking into accout many many variable , which is close to impossible, the second is to check what is the right way played by the world class players, and writen in the books. Trust me you will gain nothing by plaing your weird stuff. I thought it show less the 15-17, i asked and i understand i was wrong, simple as that, i will not even try to argue my way was better, because its just imposible to show something like that, or maybe will take 6 month of work. my advice just go with the experts.

2sp i guess. About the 5-2 and 3-4 discussion, i agree that 5-2 is better then 4-3 but not better then 5-3, so its not that clearcut. maybe with a non forcing 1nt knowing partner wouldnt bid 2h on any 4 hearts, passing is better.

You had a system misunderstadning i think. It looks like you took 3sp as showing 4 hearts and as so bid 4h and thought 5c was a cue. your partner thought 3sp was just asking for stop. We play lebelsohl which mean 3sp does show 4 hearts and no spade stoper and with you partner hand he should bid 3nt shoing no 4 hearts and no stoper which you would pass.

Good learned a new thing , i will pass it now.

This might open a new thread....;-) Well if you think you are right about it, please open a new thread i will be very happy to learn new things.

yes i do agree excpet to this "Partner should be more willing to enter auction after 2M than after a 1level opening bid with any contructive hand. Therefore lower the gain." partner needs more to compete over 2 level then over 1 level.

To those who ask about the logic in having less hcp for the bid, did you ever heard of a balancing 1nt ? 1nt in balance show 11-14 and some strech it to 10 or even 9 hcp, do you find a logic in this ? I think its the same logic but like i said i agree that with 2nt this logic inst enough and 2nt should be 15-17 or maybe 14-16.

I agree with Flame: Partner may have passed with 14 HCP if his hand does not have the shape for a t/o double. Thanks for agreeing with me, but i think we are wrong here. I just thought its like balacing 1nt but i guess its not and 2nt is too risky with 13 hcp.

2♠ pass (pass) 2NT I thought its (12)13-15(16) or something like that , but people are talking about 16-18. 2♠ was weak.

The way you said it "feel the need" explain something i tried to tell you guys not long ago, i always feel the need because i like to bid, i like to play, but i can controll this need and hopefully so is my partner. Anyway i think i'll bid 4♦ here.

Well ok, nice rule i guess. The way i bid i wouldnt know about the heart shortness because this didnt look even close to slam. its a balanced hcp, some might even consider this invitation to game (like luis who bid invitational nt) sure after learning about the spade support its getting better but my expirence (and not only mine) tell me that when slam is rare just bid the game, u will gain alot by a. making it simple, b. not telling your opponents how to diffend, c. not going down in 5 level and/or bad break, d. when you do show interest in slam, you partner will take you seriously. and yes on the other hand once in a while there is a slam you didnt even invastigate for.

No this isnt what Ben said, he said with the A of spade we have 6, and even with the given hands we can make with that devil coup. Now you said 6 of the 30 hcp ? did i miss something, i thought there are 40 hcp , now seriously you cant just ignonore some of the hcp. And to sum it up, there are many hand which i can build a slam against a very specific partner hand but i will still just sign up for a game, this will give me more then i will lose for it, and i think this approach is the one used but most expirence players while less expirence (but probebly more talented) sometime look for slams when the chances are rare.

I think partner just saying he has a void and think we can find it. it doesnt have to be spades, if i have a long outside suit i will lead it, if not ill lead spade, and if i lead A of spades which holds i will easily find his void wather its spades or not.

Losing heart and diamond how do you make this slam ? Usually its not a good idea to go above 3nt just because there is a possible hand that you will make a slam with. imo this hand isnt even close to think about slam, give me another A and ill start thinking. Ben i was curios for a while and this hand make me think i was right, i thought about players from the forum, and my guess was that you are a very talented player who play only about 4 years, how close am i ? (if i already giving my guesses, so Richard is a long timer, Mike also play for long time,misho around ten yearts, luke 3 years, the_hog ten years, and luis also ten years, free 4-5 years)

The one who hold this hand : QJx ♥ 96xx ♦ KTxx ♣ AQ had a weak hand which is barly enough for a game vs his partner opning bid, but for some resson he thought he got more and did 3 slam bids, 3sp, 4d, and 6d, all these 3 are wrong and show bad hand evaluation.

I did, and you are right, it will help us alot, but i am not sure my memory is ready for such a complex system, we will add things slowly. Anyway about this thread, 1c-1h-1s as far as i know can also be a 12-14 with 4 card spade. Is it better to bid 1nt with those hands , i think it is but the WJ2000 say otherwise.

In which dream world will i bid 1nt over 1c with this hand ? anyway i ment the stoper argument in general, when we have no stoper then we are not going for 3nt anyway and will look for a 4-3 major fit.

Its great to give examples, now lets change your examples just alittle bit xxxx AKxx x AKQJ xxxx Q AKxx xxxx just added the Q of heart, could have added the Q of diamond just as well, now 3nt is much better then 4sp. actually even adding the J of diamond makes 3nt better imo. Axxx x Qx Axxxxx xxxx xx AKJxxx x This hand got no heart stoper this mean my partner after checking for stopers will want to play spades on 4-3 fit, and what a great surprise he will have when i'll show my 4 card suit.

Are you sure 4M on 4-4 fit is always better then 3nt ? In general it is, but when you have a good 6 card diamond and a very bad 4 card major im not so sure anymore, we will play 3nt unless partner think we should play 4sp on 4-3. btw im cheking my email every ten seconds ;)

1. 1♥ 2. pass although i wonder how much further can you push this, i mean will i pass with 1 more hcp ? 2 more hcp ? i think with 2 more i will surely bid, with 1 more i think i will bid. 3. with 5 card suit and 5 hcp i can bid my 1sp, but i think there is a point for passing here, because there is a good chance that my partner will be on lead and i certenly prefer a heart lead to a spade one, i think i would pass for this resson. 4. i dont understand why everyone wants to bid 1nt , i think its a close call between a double and 1sp, depending on our double style , if it promiss 3 card on each suit i can bid 1sp, if not i will double. I would bid 1nt without a stoper but not when i got good alternatives.

What is this thoery ? it looks really strange to me because i know many who will not raize to 2M even with 3card and 6-7 hcp, they will bid 1nt with it and later support like they had a doubeton, now u have not only a 6 hcp but also a doubelton and you support imidiatly. Its intresting and i would be happy to read more about it. The other things about is to you Ron, when you dont show a 4 card major, its because you dont think this will show the hand, you have to have something that make you think that, for example that good 6 card diamond. Anyway when you dont show a 4 card just treat it as it was a 3 card and act acordingly wather it to support later or not.