Trump Echo

Thanks all for your comments. It's clearer now, thank you. I understand. Thank you. I agree it's a common error. What I am missing is considering that Clubs is an unbid suit. I wouldn't regard clubs not having been bid in this case because the 2 NT in our system promises a stop in Clubs, and therefore is just as good or better than a club bid. I understand that others may play the 2 NT rebid differently. Is it possible the ops hold AK in Clubs? Yes. But my understanding is that in a slam investigation the possibility is so remote (after partnership has either shown the suit or shown a stop) that it's worth the risk of taking the chance. Of course, if the suit was truly not bid and no stop was shown, that's a different story. Thanks so much for your detailed responses, all.

In this morning's paper and online, Frank Stewart has an article with his usual Daily Question. http://www.baronbarclay.com/product/bridgecolumn12-30-14/December2014 Most of the time I agree with what he says, but this time I don't. I'm referring to the Daily Question at the bottom of the article. Your opinion please? You hold: ♠ AJ973 ♥ A92 ♦ 1074 ♣ A6 Partner holds: ♠ 2 ♥ KQ106 ♦ AKQ652 ♣ 32 You open 1 Spade. Partner responds 2 Diamonds. You bid 2 NT. In my system, this last call would show a balanced hand, stops in all unbid suits, and 13-16 hcps. Maybe it's different in Stewart's system. What is partner's next call? It seems to me that partner should see the full fit in Diamonds, revalue, see the good chance for slam in Diamonds, and he should check for Aces with Gerber. But Stewart has my partner bidding 3 Hearts. I don't agree with this call. Nonetheless, that's partner's second call. So what is opener's next bid? I would bid 3 NT, but Stewart claims opener should bid 4 Diamonds (support) or better yet, 4 Clubs, a cue bid, indirectly supporting Diamonds. I don't see why this makes sense, given the hand that my partner holds. Because if partner held this hand, he'd have not bid 3 Hearts. He'd have bid Gerber. Because although it's remotely possible we could have a 4-4 fit in Hearts, it's highly unlikely and it risks missing a slam in Diamonds after opener calls 3 NT. And of course, after the 3 NT call, this makes checking for Aces potentially confusing even if partner wanted to slam. Comments please. Thanks

I would definitely pass on the free bid. But I'd pass on the balance bid too.

My regular partner wants to play for penalty, so I would pass.

Yes... Kxxxx raise QJxxx pass. MHO

With my regular partner, South would redouble with an Ace or a King/singleton in Hearts. With neither, he would pass.

North's is to blame by at least 200%

There are so many different styles, I don't think there is a right or wrong way to bid this - it just depends on how you communicate with your partner. And if your partner is a stranger, it will be all the more difficult. For example, is the cue bid forcing to game? If I was North, I would have passed the opening just as this North did, but as mentioned above, that's a different discussion. My second call would be a jump to 3 Hearts inviting game in Hearts. It would not be a limit raise in the conventional sense. It would promise game values if partner holds anything better than a bare bones light opening. Nonetheless, if I did cue bid, after my cue bid, my partner's Clubs call would show slam strength and concern about either the Diamonds or the Spades. He already knows my strength due to the pass combined with the cue bid. I would be obligated to bid 4 Diamonds. His Spades call obviously shows a void. That's bad news. I would try my best to back out of the slam by calling 5 Hearts.

I'd bid 3 NT. (not an expert)

I would pass in 1st or 2nd seat, and open in 3rd or 4th seat.

The question is, how does East read the 3 Diamonds bid? My regular partner would read it as a reverse, regardless of the fact that it's level 3. She would see grand slam values in Diamonds. We'd end up at 7.

I don't like the opening. Regardless, in this auction, I would bid 4 Clubs, with no chance my regular partner would think Gerber. Partner would see grand slam potential in Diamonds and bid Blackwood. An incidental advantage to 4 Clubs is it seems to warn of extreme shortness in Spades since 3 NT is happily passed by.

West's opening is suspect, but with my regular partner playing 2/1, I'd open 1 Heart as East. Not playing 2/1, I would pass. With my regular partner, the bidding would go like this: 1H - 2S* 3C** - 3H*** 4H**** 4NT 5H - 6H All pass *Partner, my hand is very strong, I have slam interest **Okay. I have the Club Ace ***The trump suit is Hearts ****Partner, be warned, I have a bare bones minimum hand.

With my regular partner, I'd pass. The 3 Diamonds bid is not forcing and I have a hand close to minimum.

What is the abstain option?

The poll doesn't make sense atm. Only 2 people passed, but 15 people are bidding after their pass. ... I'd double 1 NT, not knowing how the remaining strength is distributed, and expecting a chance to bid again. My next bid would depend on what happens, but I'd expect to end up in Spades short of game.

It's my understanding that it doesn't matter what my partner's hesitation suggests since, ethically, I am bound to read partner's call for its face value and dismiss any advantage that might be gained from a hesitation. I think this is in the rules somewhere, isn't it?

Reminds me of something I read a while ago - it was probably on BBO. Various experts were asked what does it take to be an expert? One of them said, the important thing is to be on the same page as your partner. What really struck me was that he said (paraphrasing) "It doesn't really matter what system you use. The important thing is you are both in sync." And the other thing he said was to play every hand as if it was the world championship. I think it's interesting that the robots play rebiddable 5 card suits. And they play a pretty good game, IMO. I don't know who wrote that software, what his play level is, or how they decided that rebiddable 5-card suits makes sense in the new millennium, but the robots seem to handle themselves fairly well (I believe they don't necessarily promise a solid stop in NT but they imply it). I do acknowledge, of course, the game is evolving for the better, and I may someday be convinced that our system could use improvement. And btw, I do own Goren's 1963 bridge book, not that I follow it too closely these days (Fluff - I believe you mentioned you read the book twice early on - in one of your stories...)

I think Aqua's point is the rebiddable 5 Diamonds gives opener somewhere to go. It would be silly to play both "must have stop" and "must have six to rebid."

With my regular partner sitting across the table, I'd have to bid 2 Diamonds because 1 NT promises a stop I don't have and the Diamonds are rebiddable in our system.

1. I'd see it as a preference bid showing 3 Spades. 2. I'd pass.

I agree. In light of the distribution, I think a pass is the wiser call.

I'd respond 2 Diamonds followed by straight blackwood.

Yes, Clubs would be a better trump suit in that situation, but normally we'd embrace the 6-2 fit.

Because our system would promise 5 of each suit.