apollo1201

The fact that partner didn’t bid 4S or X 4H gives some hope that he has some minors. Expect east to have some S too... The risk is that partner could have a small singleton C with KQxx D on the side. The C are slightly too weak (lack of intermediates) given this context, so i’d try 4NT even 8-5. Hard to blame partner with an « aceless » hand for not bidding 6. I would though, just to push opps to save in 6H (an unwise decision as it goes 300 only!). Some N might also give the fit immediately but I wouldn’t given the défensive nature of the H. Extreme distributions are hard to bid and a lot of guess / blackmail-bluff (if I bid 7 will they know they have a defensive trick or will they take the insurance at 7H which is probably cheaper than a small slam) is involved. Here you can thank East for his passivity!

I’d close my eyes and bid 7. Partner just fell in love and has HQ with either additional trump length (so SQ should easily be ruffed out to establish the suit) or another good news for me that can only be the SQ. Of course, partner is not expected to jump to the 5 level with a nondescript 14(35) or 24(34).

Thanks, I actually thought it was less risky at MPs in case something turns really bad. But I did X anyway, thinking it was unlikely partner would convert or bid C (after all m, I am the one with D length so I should find some Majors opposite!). A nice xx AKQxx x xxxxx opposite and some help from opponents for not leading trumps (SK offside, C not breaking) allowed a +620 our way.

Thanks, I actually thought it was less risky at MPs in case something turns really bad. But I did X anyway, thinking it was unlikely partner would convert or bid C (after all m, I am the one with D length so I should find some Majors opposite!). A nice xx AKQxx x xxxxx opposite and some help from opponents for not leading trumps (SK offside, C not breaking) allowed a +620 our way.

Still in Xmas mood, red vs green at IMPs, LHO deals and opens 3D, 2 passes follow, and now you have to decide if Santa was more generous with RHO or with partner... AQxx J9xx xxx Ax Would you bid differently at MPs?

Exactly matching the definition you gave😃

Coup, grand coup, en passant... this game is gonna be called « pont » anysoon 🤣 Merry Xmas to all!

Funny deal but a terminology question for the non-native speaker I am. Aren’t you supposed to trump winners to make it a coup (which funnily enough is a word of my native language!)?

I think several of us would be interested in seeing it! Especially if it doesn’t affect (much) other developments after 1NT. Like transfers, minor-suit developments, handling 54 Majors, etc.

I use Puppet at 3C with GF hands only, with either exactly 1 4-cd M (no disclosure or opener majors to help leader), or one or two 3-cd M and a small wide open doubleton (playing the 53 fit might be better in those cases). This restricts a lot the « fishing » that awn mentionned and that helps opponents as much as or more than you. But we don’t open all 5332 15-17. With 17 we rebid 2NT. So 15-16 be it. And we prefer to have several of the following elements to open NT, a « notrumpy » hand, with tenaces, scattered values in all suits, strong or weak M suit, and 3-cds in other M.

You guys are as crazy as me. I indeed bid 3NT, putting a stopper in partner’s hand and hoping C’s would yield 6 tricks, planning to run to 4C if Xed. She had a flat hand with SQ, HK, DA and CJ, and with the C finesse working... Opps almost called the TD seeing dummy after the DK lead.

IMPs, red vs green, LHO deals and opens 3D, 2 passes follow and you have the now awkward to bid following collection (who said diamond didn’t preempt?): Ax QJx xx AQX9xx Uh? My partner was on the conservative mode that day, if that helps. Slight lead halfway but you have 2 bad boards (incl. a red 6NT-2 with SAK missing, thanks not in’the same hand). I committed a crime on that one, but escaped the sentence (more of that later).

With all the junk people nowadays open or support, especially with S, I think 2NT has a better use to be natural, 10+ to 12- HCPs, with stoppers. Terribly old school but efficient. 3-level’bids could therefore encompass a slightly bigger range than unopposed, eg 3m is 5-6 cards and 6-10 points or so, and 3H is somewhere between 4 cards 8-10 and 6 cards 5-8 points or so. And X is obviously minor-oriented.

He’ll probably first of all call TD for having 15 cards, won’t he? More seriously the sequence’ got f***ed up 1) because of using a game try bid for’something else (slam try), with the non-economical sequence that follows (usually if you are trying just for game, you don’t want to tell your life to the leading opponent) 2) because C’s are not the main issue you want to focus on for slam I play that suit bids are game tries only, semi-natural, while 2NT (some play 2S when H are agreed to save a level) is either balanced game try, or slam try, preventing partner to jump to 4 unless he has a maxi-is she hand concentrated in the bid suits and w/o controls in the other suits (eg xx AJxx xx AKJxx), so responder can easily picture what he has when basically all bidding space was used. I know better players use 2NT as slam try artificial relay (and only that), on which opener can describe quality of his minor, shortnesses, etc. But it fits more a style where 2H guarantees a 4-cd support.

I doubt we have 9 running tricks (H KQJ 5th from partner who can’t have much more?) so 3NT is out of the question. 4H could turn out badly if he is tapped (likely S singleton) with a (likely as well) bas trump break. But partner will rebid their H’s with 5 over a X. And he is more likely to have 5 (or 6) H than being 1444. 5m could be the best contract when partner has a 2nd suit, but we probably can’t get there (4NT is BW and not minor 2-suiter now, I guess, and I can’t know the correct suit). Maybe pass and peacefully collect 50ies is the winning call after all. But I’ll risk a X hoping partner finds the good rebid (any 16xx hand gives a good chance of 4H making) - they are probably not leaving it in unless oops are crazy.

True. But given the title I imagined the missing part was « what is the 2nd dbl? » 🤣

Not penalty, some extras, no good fit for partner (e.g. 13(45) hand with 16-17 HCPs). Partner might have 4H and 7-8 HCPs only so you can’t bid 4 with this hand, but would be delighted: - if partner can bid them - or to play in 4m - or also you are not against partner sitting for 3SX if they have a suitable hand for this contract The only way to convey this message is a second (neg) X to further invite partner collaboration. After all they showed some values but don’t know we have extras.

In a context of 5cM and potentially 3cm, I play that after 1m, you « forget » the opening and do like after an unopposed 1N opening. After 1M, all transfer, the transfer to the opening suit being Stayman (you might switch after a 1S opening so that the 1N overcaller is declarer in a H contract).

Yep, immediate bidding if you can show a 2-suiter. Or the power double if allowed. The « nice » plan of cue-bidding 3H works only if opps behave well enough and do not reach the 3-level. LHO could well be 34xx or 33xx and the next turn you are to bid it is 3 or even 4H in front of you, not 2. Now having passed I am stuck and partner will have to figure out why the hell I remained silent and now come to life with 3NT.

That is probably why it was made like it is. As you don’t want partner to pass when you have a monster hand that could be short in H too. In my country the most popular defense is X = 13-15 (semi) balanced or 18+, an informative and economical /non-commital bid to warn partner you have some values (he is not obliged to bid should responder pass, as they probably don’t wanna play in 2DX), the rest being natural. Only downside is that if you have a TOX of a major, you have to wait the next turn, and sometimes you will be Xing at the level 3.

I am not sure 2 minor queens when partner has at most 4 minor cards are good assets to blast game even if technically speaking in terms of HCPs you are super max. Make them an A or the SQ and I am more eager to bid 4 directly w/o consulting partner. Your partner should of course bid them. But most humans would have forgotten to mention those 4 small hearts vs the self-sufficient S suit and be in 4S.

Even with a 11-15 or so partner you must be pretty well aligned on who does what (I guess with a strong hand you reopen with X when partner passes?), especially when after an intervention you expect the sequence to turn really competitive and quickly reach high levels. Admittedly, I played a précision-like system too long ago with 1 partner only, for an event (and loved the unopposed 1-4 sequence) but am probably keeping reflexes of more wide-ranging opening systems!

For the competitive sequences, in the first 2 ones, where bidding space isn’t cramped, you have ways to show a good GF raise based on strength (« the hand belongs to us, p ») rather than a competitive « LoTT » raise. Should this be taken into consideration (forcing passes, X rather thinking not to go to the 5-level, etc.)?

Very funny story!

I am amazed, Mikeh almost found the hand. And yes the FP is clearly the good way to show I am not against playing higher. Invite that partner will take and bid...6, actually owning an Ace extra (21 prime HCPs) vs average splinter: KQxx AKQx (H were 3-2!) AKxx x We turned up playing 6H 3 times out of 28 deals, always making, with this pick-up partner!