Liversidge

I have been reading a book called "Bridge - common mistakes and how to avoid them" by Andrew Robson, who is widely regarded as the best British Bridge player around (Silver medal in the World Individual Championships). I have just got to the back page, headed "A new simple signalling idea", where he strongly encourages players with regular partners to embrace reverse attitude signals. As for the "New..." the book was published in 2005.

Many thanks. Makes a lot of sense. I am a novice and play with several partners at different social level clubs. One occasional partner plays at a higher level than the rest of us and has asked me to play reverse attitude signals. I will point out to him that although his logic is sound for regular partners who play a lot and stay focussed, he may well have cause to regret asking someone like myself!

I have found a number of sources that give a reason for playing low to encourage (why waste a potentially useful card) but none in defense of normal attitude signals. There must be good reasons or playing low to encourage would not be called "reverse" attitude signalling. Could someone enlighten me please.

Checking up on my crib sheet again, it says you can bid 2C with an unbalanced hand and 4-5 losers (bid 2 diamonds with 0-3 losers). This hand has 3 1/2 losers - 1 club, 2 1/2 in hearts. So maybe my bid was OK after all. Replace the heart 10 with a Jack and there would have been 3 losers. Would that have made it a 2 Diamond opening bid?

I have just come across the EBU Standard English ACOL system file that says (1.3) "2NT may also be the best choice on some slightly unbalanced hands (including a hand with a singleton ace or King)"!! I wouldn't have called a hand with a singleton slightly unbalanced,ace or no ace.

[hv=pc=n&n=sahqt97dakqcaqt86]133|100[/hv] We play Benji weak twos. I had this hand last night, and I panicked and bid 2C, which is obviously wrong.:( We ended up off one in 5 clubs, while others made 3NT. With 21 HCP I felt I had to make a strong opening bid, but my cribsheet says 2NT should be balanced. I have found one site that says 2NT can be semi-balanced, which I assume is 5422. Is this a 2NT or a 1C opening? My instinct is to bid 2NT.

Thanks everyone for the advice. The consensus seems to be that I should have passed,which is what I suspected, but now understand why. When in a hole sometimes the best option is to stop digging. The advice on using the 2S route to 3C for a weak hand with a 6 card suit and the direct 3C for a strong hand is obvious now that I think about it. Thanks again. I have found this site very helpful.

Should have said weak no trump 12-14. 1nt- 2s - 2nt - 3c/3d is the same as 1nt - 3c/d but results in the strong hand being hidden. Opener must pass.😦

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If I swopped a low diamond for an extra low club is it still a pass or is a transfer now right?

Sorry, Yunling, should have been a fourth low diamond.😮

We play transfers with 2S transfer to a minor (opener rebids 2NT, responder bids minor). My partner opened 1NT and I had C AJ864, D Q93, H 6, S JT7. I transferred to show my clubs even though I had only five cards, because I was worried about my heart holding. Should I have passed?

[hv=pc=n&s=sj8hak9daqjt75caq&n=sq6hq653d964ck854]133|200[/hv] We play Benji weak 2's with Strong 2C (8-9 playing tricks or 23-24 balanced) and 2D (24+) I opened 2C. How should the bidding have gone? Was it just a bad break in spades?

Many thanks for that. Not sure I understand why you have scaled up the ratios. I have constructed a hand S Axx H QJxx D Qx C Qxx. With LTC I get 7 Losing Tricks. Using your scaled up ratios I get 12 (4.5 + 1.5 + 3 + 1.5 + 1.5). I am guessing that 18-7 = 11 which is roughly equivalent to your 12. Or am I well wide of the mark?

As a novice, I struggle a bit to fully grasp some of the expert advice given here. I am still using mechanistic guidelines to get me through. With an agreed 8 card suit, I count 6 losers in my hand, and assume 9 losers in partner's hand, making 15 in all, so in the absence of anything else to guide me the highest I'd go to would be 3 hearts, but only if I had to after a 2 spade bid from my opponents. It's a primitive rationale. I can see that it lets the opposition into the bidding and they might bid and make 3 Spades. Is it a reasonable approach for a novice?

And thanks for your advice too, Secretary Bird. I can just visualise myself melting into the base of my seat every time I play a hand I know is going to go down in flames, and thinking its all my fault!

Very sensible advice now you have explained it. Besides the lesson on not running for cover in No Trumps when in trouble, the most telling point was Artk78's observation that North's 2NT ask was almost certain to get a Diamond reply. All my notes / books / downloads on Michaels say that you may sometimes have to bid a suit with "as few as" two cards, implying that bidding one with a singleton is a No No. But here it's the logical bid. I remember my teacher telling me 50 years ago that rules are for the guidance of wise men and for the blind obedience of fools. As I get better at this game I will hopefully throw away my scaffolds and be able to think more about why.

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt764htda9765ck8&n=sjhq97653d8cqt732]133|200[/hv] I am learning the Unusual No Trump and Michaels Cue Bid conventions. We had a hand something like this one last night. I was playing South and RHO opened 1 Heart. I cue bid 2 Hearts to show my Spades and a minor. Partner bid 2NT and I replied 3 Diamonds. He rebid 3NT and I passed. We went off a shedload on a Diamond lead. Was the bidding correct? Were we just unlucky with a freak distribution? Should partner have passed my 2 Hearts bid?

Wow! What a great board. Thanks!

I am a novice and this is my first post. My partner and I play a Weak No Trump and I had to open on this hand. I bid one diamond. My partner said I should have told a little lie and bid 1NT. What is the right bid? [hv=pc=n&n=sakqhkq6dt753cj64]133|100[/hv]