MickyB

This was sorted out in Brighton, NGS is no longer affected, and no masterpoints are awarded. The problem was not so much the psyching, more that a few players were doing unethical things that they never would in any other event, including a few cases of deliberately misentering scores.

I'd correct on 3-2 anyway. Partner can be 5-5, which is obviously less frequent than 5-4, but I think it's much more important to play the 5-3 instead of the 5-2, whereas playing the 5-2 instead of the 4-3 is only a marginal gain.

Transfers give you both forcing and non-forcing bids in the other suits. Putting the overcaller on lead is often advantageous so I'd be happy for opener to declare here.

Majors, weak, hearts equal or longer. I'd typically bid Stayman then 2S [iNV] with a 5431 7-count and Stayman then 2H [sign-off] with a 4531 7-count. The 4531 is horrible if you can't bid Stayman then 2H. Edit: Alternatively, play 2H as a puppet to 2S. Now, pass = 5S4H weak, 2N = 5H4S INV, higher = up to you.

Was it a face that said, "now give me a real explanation"? Surely there are hands with 0-3 spades that would do something else...or would a 4H/5m overcall have shown four spades on the side?

Heresy!

Meckwell [and others] play 1D (1M) 3M as a transfer to 3N to put overcaller on lead. Why would you choose to put opener's partner on lead after 1M-X-P? After 1x - (X) lots of bids are raises of x, it would make no sense to play the same scheme after (1x)-X-(P). Add me to the chorus of people who haven't discussed the call and wouldn't make it at the table.

It's clear to bid IMO. As others have said, there's no reason to think 4S going off will be worse than defending 3C.

When I've played rubber for money, it's been normal - required, I believe - for everyone to play simple, old-fashioned methods, including penalty doubles in this position.

If RHO would ruff low 30% of the time without the BIT, then ruffing low is an LA, and the result is calculated based on them ruffing low. Weighted rulings only apply when it is unclear what would have happened after the infraction.

Almost everything that can be said on this has already been said, several times, in various other places on the web. For all this debate, very few will have changed their views on the subject.

Takeout doubles FTW

Wow...never heard of this before. Love it.

QT853 is not a weaker suit than K7652.

No. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/48867-protect/page__p__584551__fromsearch__1#entry584551

I once had a partner overcall 1D when I held nine to the AKQJ.

Ok, yes fair enough, 1N:2C, 2H:3N, 4S does leak more info than 1N:2C, 2H:4H, assuming you respond 2H to Stayman with 4-4 majors. I don't understand your second point, though. 1N:2C, 2H:3N and 1N:2C, 2S:3N are equally informative to oppo.

Sure, but how useful is it to know that LHO has two and RHO has four or five? It won't often be clear to lead the suit just because LHO can't have three cards there, and the defenders will have a pretty clear picture of dummy's hand once it is on the table.

Thanks Ben. Looks to me like 4H would come out on top once hcp+shape requirements were relaxed as per Andy's post.

Why the difference between the majors? A 5-card major is less frequent, but the leakage is much more serious. If I show four hearts, I can still have 2-5 cards in each minor. If I show five hearts, I have 2-3 cards in each outside suit. Possibly - it is highly undesirable in my experience - but then why not use a mixed strategy?

Meckwell disagree, despite the fact that their puppet bid is 2N [i.e. can't be doubled for the lead]. Stayman gives up more info about opener's hand, but Puppet helps more with the opening lead.

Indeed. JLOGIC has argued persuasively that most overestimate the gains from having ways to get in on other handtypes and to distinguish between 6M and 5M4m. Landy is there to be abused. Getting in on most hands with 5-4 majors is just such a big gain. It wouldn't occur to me that it might "usually be 5-5", even vulnerable.

It's clearly right to rebid 1S in a Precision context, not least because partner can often pass it.

I was referring to the garbage hands [H+S or D+H+S], but specifically those which are interested in game iff they find a fit. A 5-4-3-1 7-count opposite a 15-17 NT is the perfect example. These hands are more important than having ways to invite and stop in 2N/3M IMO.