MickyB

Poland: Artur GULA Piotr NAWROCKI Michal NOWOSADZKI Jan SIKORA Mikolaj TACZEWSKI Piotr WIANKOWSKI You can find all the team lists here.

I've never seen this played as NF in Polish Club but I have in Swedish Club (Svan). I'm sure that there are PC pairs out there who play it as NF but for the vast majority it will be forcing.

[hv=d=s&v=b&n=sk843hadkjt43c632&s=s52hkqj54dckq9754]133|200|Scoring: IMP 1♣:1♦ 1♥:1♠ 2♥:3♣ 3♠:3NT 5♣:Pass 1♠ was natural and showed a good hand (as we were playing something resembling Walsh) The lead is the ♥T. What's your plan?[/hv]

[hv=d=e&v=n&n=sqt5hqt84dkjcj842&s=sa93hakjdat7643c3]133|200|Scoring: IMP (P)-P-(1♣)-1♦ (X)-2♦-(P)-3♣ (P)-3NT-AP Any thoughts? How would two of you bid this hand?[/hv]

[hv=d=e&v=e&s=sk4hj5daqj5cak876]133|100|Scoring: IMP 3♥ on your right. Hidden text, for once you've decided your call - If you pass, [/hv]

[hv=d=s&v=b&n=sat96hak854da54c5&s=skjhj6dkq863ckt43]133|200|Scoring: IMP 1♦:1♥ 1NT:2♠ 2NT:3NT ♣65J Plan the play.[/hv]

Interesting that you consider these to be different methods. Both use X as 4+♠, 1♠ as <4, leaving 1NT free...transfers seem the natural progression, and you've got a lot of bids (2♦/♥/♠) that can now be used to show various hands with more than four spades.

I do this too. Presumably 2♦ isn't actually a transfer :P

Pass, if pard was interested in slam opposite this he could have started with 2♠ (or 3♠ if 2♠ is/might be NF)

IIRC, Carrot Club only opened 1M on four cards when holding 4M5♣, enabling the 2♣ opening to promise 6 cards. This is a rather different style to Auken/Von-Arnim and similar who open 4 card majors as often as possible (could be 11-13 bal, could be 4M5♦ min, etc).

Why are A/K 6/4 and not 3/2?

Agree with Helene.

Pass, Pass, 4♣. Think the second question is the most difficult (no, I'm not considering 3NT there!)

Look at the opponents (particularly LHO) to see if either is showing signs of anxiety. If not, it's clear to open IMO, and I prefer 1♦

Penalties. I don't think it shows a hand that was going to pass partner's double of 1♥ though - why can't it be a hand with 4 decent hearts, 3 decent clubs and inviting pard to penalty double 2♥? Or a hand with 5 hearts that will penalty double 2♥ but wasn't prepared to go for blood at the one level?

1♠:2♣ 2♥:4♥ (presume 3♥ would have been NF) 5♥ What does it ask for and why?

Yup it seems difficult to stay out, even if I rebid 2NT instead of 2♦. FWIW, the other table passed 3NT on the same auction. Seems pessimistic to me.

Nope, pard bid 6♠ and it was a phantom. I can see why he did it given the form of scoring (if slam makes 50% of the time you probably want to be saving for 500/800) but I don't think oppo were reliable enough for him to assume that would be the case when they have only half the deck.

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=saktxxxhqxdkqjxcj]133|100|Scoring: Total Points 1♠-(2♣)-2♠-(6♣) ? You are the underdogs near the start of a 30 board match. Stick or twist?[/hv]

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=saxhaqxxxdxxxcaxx&s=skxxhkdakqjcqxxxx]133|200|Scoring: Total Points Honours count. Two decent players in a pick-up partnership. Mixed cues, 1430. 2♠ was needed to remove ambiguity, standard in England is for 3♣ over 2♦ to be NF. Any comments? 1♣:1♥ 2♦:2♠ 2NT:3♣ 3NT:4♣ 4♦:4♥ 4♠:5NT 6♣: P[/hv]

My most frequent partnerships over the past couple of years have been playing short club, xfer responses, either 2/1 GF or 2/1s forcing only to the two level of opener's suit. Before that, I was playing Acol in my two most regular partnerships. Not my choice. Before that, I was playing Precision with symmetric relay over the 1♣ opening. We never got as far as xfer breaks, though I think he did with his next partner. 2/1s were GF. Before that, I was a budding system freak and a nightmare to play with; We never used the same convention card twice! Towards the end we were using 1♣ as 15+ either ♣ or bal (so other openings fairly unlimited), otherwise it was all wide-ranging openings, 2/1s not forcing to game. I suspect I'll land up playing Polish Club in a serious partnership at some point in the near future.

Okay, here goes. Playing 5cM and better minor, somewhere around 15-17 is best. This is because, having opened a suit, there exist many competitive auctions where it is uncomfortable for these hands to take a second call, while passing could easily miss game. 1st NV there is a case for 10-13/11-14/14-16 due to the preemptive effect, but in 2nd seat this is much less significant (only one opp to preempt, they won't have 13 opposite 13 and miss 3NT). 10-12 or 9-12 is taking it too far, you are doing serious damage to your constructive bidding - 10-13 is bad enough. In systems with a way to show a strong balanced hand (min 17/18 points) with a 1NT rebid, there is a good case for 14-16 NT, as seen in Swedish Club and many short club/xfer responses systems. In Siege, there are many auctions where opening 1♣ and then doubling shows 17-19 bal - for reasons I won't get into, we don't need a pure takeout double here. In a strong club system, you have the choice between having one or two balanced ranges below your strong club opening. The former uses a 11/12-14/15 1NT opening, the latter uses 14-16 or so except 9-12 is probably better 1st NV. The best way to play a weak NT is to use 1♣ as a very sound short club. Millennium Club/Nightmare play 1♣ as 15+ nat or bal (or any GF) with a natural 2♣ opening. Fantunes uses it as 14+nat or 15+bal (or something like that). 1st NV, Siege uses a 10-13 NT with 1♣ as 13+ with clubs or 14-19 bal (we have to pass with 11-12 points and clubs). If you like to open 4 card majors in 3rd+4th seats, you should set your NT range according to the soundness of your openings in 1st+2nd. If you open flat 12s but not flat 11s in 1st+2nd, then you want your range in 3rd+4th to be 14-16/17 so after P:1M, 1N:P you have a maximum of 13 opposite 11 - I would prefer to be in 3NT with that, but not by much, and it is easily worth the other gains of the method. Btw, I agree with everything Frances said, except I like to be able to run to 2♣ intending to rescue if doubled.

Follow-up question - What should it mean if pard doubles 3S?

I've started playing a fair bit of Chicago for 50p/£1 ($1/$2) per 100 at the local club. I'm getting the hang of it, and obviously most of the tactics involve knowing the tendencies of the other players, but any advice would be welcome. The format is - Four deals, noone vul/dealer/dealer/all Part-scores carry If you make a part-score on the last hand you get a 100 point bonus 4 card suits, strong twos, weak or strong NT, very few conventions As I say, I think I'm getting the hang of it. KJ9xx xxx xx Axx - You deal, both vul, 60 below, strong NT, I opened this 1S. Is this taking a good thing too far? We eventually went -200 (11 tricks) defending 4C. xx AJx KQxx xxxx - LHO deals, noone vul, strong NT, pard opens 1S. I responded 1NT, pard bids 2S. Given that we will be vulnerable next hand and weak twos aren't available, should I have let this go? I bid 3S, pard had a minimum and the 4-1 trump break scuppered 3S.

I quite like having them change occasionally. Mark, on the main page you can see members ranked by number of posts. You should be able to find out what you want to know by clicking through there (it will correlate to the number of blue squares)