MickyB

[hv=pc=n&s=sa975htdakt986cq9&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=2s(%21S+minor%2C%20weak)p4s]133|200[/hv]

A familiar story, I'm afraid. Up by 26 after three boards, still ahead at halftime, they put on 41 unanswered imps in the next 7 boards. Final score was 84-28, I'll post some hands in due course.

Er yes...Simon thought he was showing 5332, I thought he was worried about hearts in 4S eg QJx

I've arranged for a pair of British juniors to play. 30th time's the charm! Thanks for the offers, Hrothgar and Rumenpard, much appreciated.

I thought it was a 4S opening at first. I would bid 4H, however I do have a theory that people don't pass doubles of 4m enough due to the psychological barrier from conceding a doubled part-score. QJT9 Jxx T7xx xx 4H-X-P-? I think most people would give much more consideration to passing here than in the original problem, even though the only difference scorewise is that 4C-X making scores less than 4H-X making. Of course, if you wish to argue that the definitions of the opening and/or the double are different and thus 4C-X is more likely to be making, I am willing to be convinced, but I don't think that is what is going through people's minds in these positions.

Most English people who I might've asked are already playing a national event this weekend but I am sure I can find a pair.

One of my regular partners once did precisely this and was quite proud of himself...although I eventually persuaded him it would've been better to pass 1NT instead.

Sure, I think you'd expect us both to have better uncontested auctions on the balanced range that we choose to open 1C. I can stop low on 17-19 NTs after 1C:1S, 1N and 1C:1R, 2M when I suspect you get a level higher. Obviously these are less frequent, but I think it's worth it for the extra bit of preemption on the weak NTs. Also, I do have two ways of raising to 2S after opening 1D playing my more advanced methods.

Yup, MickyB and Slmplicity in.

duplicate

It can be played with different complexity levels, right upto full relays in various positions. Simplest is - Over 1D, natural in uncontested auctions. Lots of uncontested schemes are already out there but I think it is important to emphasise competing opposite partner's likely weak NT, so neg free bids at 2-level/leb for competing to 3-level, or better still, transfers. Auctions like 1C (2H) 3C show 7-11 3+clubs, ie partner is to convert to 3NT with the 17-19 NT. Act aggressively as responder if you have relative shortage in oppo's suit and wish to be in game opposite 17-19 NT. Uncontested over 1C - transfer responses, with completing the transfer showing C+D unbalanced. This frees up your 2D rebid for some kind of raise. 1C:1S implies diamonds 1C:1N shows 5+clubs, 0+hcp. Now 2C = any 17-19 NT, others show unbal hands 1C:2C = 5+spades, 4+hearts, NF. As well as getting out in 2C, this gives you 2D as a strength enquiry 1C:2new = natural, INV. I've always played 1m:2M as 4-8 hcp or so but this cuts across the range of a 17-19 NT quite horribly, better to play the jump as INV and then with 4-8 you can sign-off/invite/gf opposite partner's 17-19 NT as appropriate. It gives you the potential to right-side those contracts too.

This is what I play, except with 17-19/11-13/14-16 as my ranges. A very good method IMO. Compared with 1C as nat/11-13 NT/17-19 NT - - we have better uncontested auctions on unbalanced hands and 17-19 NTs - we are more preemptive on 11-13 NTs, bidding 1D-P-1M instead of 1C-P-1R [transfer] with little cost to our side - in contested auctions, we lose out slightly when opener is unbalanced, but gain when opener has the 17-19 NT I don't know of anything published though, sorry.

If responder has to cater to opener rebidding 1S on 18-19 NTs, I suggest rebidding 1S on some unbalanced 19s as well. If partner passes 1S you are unlikely to be missing anything, and when you do rebid 2S partner won't be tempted to pass it holding trash. I much prefer this, as there exist GF two-suiters that I'll choose to open 1C instead of 2C.

Helgemo for best newcomer IMO

Think T.F. and I are available, will confirm in due course

This doesn't feel like an answer to the question asked. If you agree that 1C then 2D can be 5-5, then bidding this way isn't distorting the shape of the hand. Spaderaise - 1D then 3C is GF. If partner responds 1H, the hand that WellSpyder gave isn't worth 3C, it is a mere 2C bid. If partner passes, we'll occasionally miss a game, but more likely is that we've done well to stop low. If partner gives preference to 2D, then I'll bid 3C, natural and invitational, 5-5. Now I've described my hand perfectly at a lower level than I ever could by reversing. You could argue that 5-5 GFs should bid 1C..2D...3D or so, rather than 1D...3C which could be 5-4 [or, for some, 6-3], but that would be ignoring contested auctions. For example, 1C-4H-P-P; I want 4NT now to show clubs with a shorter diamond suit, I don't want it to potentially be 5-5. After 1D-4S-P-P, I have 4NT to show D+C, 6-4 or so, and 5C to show 5-5 or 6-5. Regardless of the strength of the hand, reversing is never something you are ecstatic to be doing - hence my veiled brag earlier in this thread about having eliminated all reverses from my system B-)

I know this is the normal logic for good weak 2s and bad multi, but I am not sure it applies here. I think we rate to do better having overcalled 2M natural than 2D multi, regardless of the range of the bid. Unless your definition of "good overcall" differs greatly from mine, it will be much less frequent than the "bad overcall".

OT, but - 2D/H/S all natural or 2D as a good 2M overcall? Which is better?

Sensible natural auctions on 2(443) and 1444 GFs. As Justin says, these will normally have stoppers so I guess just bid 3N over 2S, but there's a difference between 2344 with Axx heart [3H then 3N for me] and a hand with a huge heart stop [direct 3N]. Also what if you have slam interest but no fit yet?

This surprises me. If the auction happened behind screens, I'd say it's roughly 100% that you'd realise what had happened when partner bid 4C. Are you really supposed to proceed under the assumption that partner has a 2236 19-count or similar? Or that partner has found another ace and is making a slam-try?

I'd have thought it standard for 3H to be ART GF here. We already have one way of showing an invitational 3S bid, is having another really a priority? Obviously if you play 2N as natural and forcing then it's different but surely that's non-standard.

The discussion about terminology has got me wondering - Given that 1C-P-1H-P; 2D is a reverse even if 2D doesn't show extras, is it a reverse even if 2D isn't natural?

Reverses became obsolete on Tuesday, when I removed the last one from my system file. I am a bit worried how OP's source knows this, perhaps there is a vulnerability in Google Drive?

Not quite sure why I didn't mention this in my OP, but - What about 33(43) responding hands with an honour in each unbid suit? It feels good to try to get those to 3NT not 3M/4M when pard is 5332, so would you tend to start with a forcing NT, should you have one available, to indicate flexibility?

The lowest-scoring candidate gets eliminated first and their votes reassigned, then the second-lowest, etc. I am not sure what happens in the event of a tie.