apollo1201

I play long minor almost solid + outside values, looking for S stopper, or minor 2 suited ok for 3NT if partner stops S. My H/m 2-suiters are at 4m, but with 2 suits headed by A9, it is obviously a joke to consider such a weapon. So 3H is the only remaining call, showing an opening hand with 6 cards or a bit more strength if only 5, usually not that bad but we can’t always have a textbook hand. 3D is pointless, and passing is too coward, if things turn bad and we go for 8 or 11 hundereds, well, it is only one board at MPs.

If I start with 1C, and w/o this 2NT unbal GF rebid, I’ll have to lie about my majors lengths, by rebidding 2S over 1H, and 2H over 1S (but in that case if partner fits H, she’ll have 5+ S so we should survive). Only in the rare cases where she bids 1D, will I be confortable with the rebid (easy raise of 1NT to 3). I can also be left there to play but it doesn’t look too likely. I only have 19 HCPs so someone will have enough to move. Otherwise, from a purely technical POV, I’m super max for a non-GF strong 2, and a little light to open a GF (I should have 10 tricks by my own in a minor). With a passed partner, at MPs, I’d go for the strong GF road. After all, 3NT looks like our most likely game. However, here, partner could have some strength and we could need space to ascertain the best contract. The auction will be less condensed starting low. So I’ll risk 1C.

Thanks Nigel and all the others Actually, I forgot the fit jump possiblily, that after X would have been easier to recall (but if was a 1H overcall). Very few deals played since March 2020...and rusty bidding. True, the strength is min and the C are a bit light, so the 6th card will have to compensate. But more importantly, that would have relieved me of all my hand at once, and no more nasty guesses when the bidding comes back at 4HX. So a compromise between good anticipation and good description. Mikeh’ rule about passes forcing or not is a very good advice we ll try to keep in mind for sure.

A good player corrected me in a simillar sequence, that it was (technically) not an invite. But you, a good player from what I read from your other posts, use that terminology. Maybe it is a question of native speaker (I guess he was, I am not, I don’t know for you). Courtesy raise is the word? Or it is a different strength vs an unopposed invite (from a good 10 to a bad 12)? If you know, I’m happy to learn. After all, improving one’s bridge is not only masterizing new squeezes techniques or conventions, it is also using the appropriate terms!😃

IMP pairs, red vs green Partner deals and opens 1D (playing 5CM, 15-17 NT, could be 3 only if 4432). RHO overcalls 1H, and you decide (for good or bad) to bid 2C (not GF, can be weaker than 11HCP in competitive) with this long suit, aggressive distribution and and a potential fit for partner: Kx x Kxxx KTxxxx Then the auction quickly gets animated. LHO jumps to 4H, partner Xes and RHO passes, not really impressed by all that. What now? We hadn’t really discussed that with partner, but: - is it a FP situation? - if I bid 4NT, is it a minor t/o or is it natural (thinking +630 is more than the doubled green under tricks at 4H)? - anyway, should I pull out? To what? In the PM, partner had a very doubtful X (but what did you have in mind I asked, she said I didn’t want you to bid on so believed we were in a FP situation). QTxx K Axxxx QJx Those with nerves of steel, accurate defense, and faith in their luck (D split 22) and in their specific K8 doubleton (dummy hit table with AJ9x S, J to 6, Qx, x) scored +100 for 6 IMPs. A few +50 but also several -420/590. Most common result however was -100 in 5C, losing 3 aces. Not all in 5D suffered a C ruff.

Love it! 🇫🇷

In books. But they don’t lead small, they lead the 10 (signal the highest ranking suit). In a friendly game or against friends, I’d happily risk it. In a match / official competition, I hope I’d dare. But in a reasonably qualitative field, I wouldnt be surprised that the lead is found at several tables.

2S what else? Unless of course 1S just denied a 4-cd major where 1NT stands out. Provided of course you don’t play weak NT where you should have opener 1NT earlier...

I thought that in contested auctions involving a reverse (that might be a little shaded in the circumstances, you need to convey shape and reasonable amount of strength to partner when things get active around the table), the 2NT bid to « moderate » partner doesn’t apply anymore. 2NT becomes positive, affirmative about the opps’s suit being stopped, but still unsure about being in game. Repeating one’s suit or fitting partner at min level is passable. Cue-bid or 4SF (and 3NT obviously😁) are the only GF calls. Depending on what X from partner could show, uses of such calls are to be adapted. Also if you had S and partner had H, where you can repeat your suit, adaptations are probably required.

3C and the bidding isn’t over...4S next even if partner Xes 4H.

My Kx H are good news, the rest of my hand probably not so (more defensive honors than offensive, even the doubleton might no be useful, facing partner’s doubleton). HCPs are probably close to evenly split between us and them, I have 9, partner 11-13 or so (the 2H bid just said « I have a 6th H, in a decent suit » but didn’t show additional strength) and E´s first bid shower the upper part of the minimal range, 5-7 maybe. 3H is clearly our limit and would be an obvious call at green. I doubt opps will compete to 4D, but if I know it is in the pair’s style to save 50/100 against 140...on the contrary, agains a trigger happy pair, we could be conceding a magic 200. I guess I’m bidding 3H just in case it makes or we go undoubled, but if you got a goood board it is probably because you let them play 3D for an unlikely 130 when every one else was -200/500.

Not bidding 2NT with Axx was almost criminal but cue bidding with a flat hand like this, hoping partner would do sth intelligent is way beyond that. Contrary to the others, above a low level intervention, X shows values, rather balanced, probably w/o stopper otherwise you can bid NT, and pass is nothing to say. Suits are natural, 5+, at least A, K or QJ, with values. Cue is like a positive with short in enemy’s suit. At least when 4th hand raises the overcaller, the big hand knows what to expect opposite. But over high level interference, X is weak, meaning I am broke and not at ease to go play 5-sth, so do it on you le own, while pass welcomes a bid from partner.

Good guts! Pairs with less opposition are better placed to find the grand, 5D exclusion after 2S, then 6H do you have 3rd round control, answer yes. Not sure what 5D by you in this sequence should mean.

It is a precised Michael Cue Bid 1M-2M is other M and C 1M-2NT is both m 1M-3C is other M and D Seems N understood properly (min hand, prefers D to H) Over the « strength » X, N proposed his long C suit and S aggressively raised Of course, all of that should have been explained to you

I was thinking when you went down in 5, the other table peacefully played in 3 making 10 tricks. Or had left your teammates defend in 4 something for 1 or 2 NV undoubled tricks. Same for the grand, they would be playing 4 making 11 on a sloppy play🤣🤣.

Making a wrong bid the 1st time (which major to bid) doesn’t help. Given we are halfway between weak and strong for the 1-level response (with 8-9, I try to bid 1NT or 2 something), so bidding S first and now 2H would show a moderately cooperative hand. Now, our hand is still (a bit above) average. An Ace, a (weak) fit for D, a doubleton (potentially facing a doubleton however). Awe should remember, though, that by not cue bidding or jumping in D, partner doesn’t promise more than 20 or so. At least how I play with my partner. So either one-suited but not a rock crusher of 9-10 tricks alone, or 5332 w/o clear C stopper where stretching a NT bid would be more appealing. Sth like AJx KJ(x) AQJxx Qx(x). Without a lot of luck, we are not going anywhere facing this. And if partner had a 4(2/3)5(2/1) with S, well, too late now. Not sure, though, an 18-count with just the H ace to enter my hand for finesses would play well at 4S. WE are definitely safe in 2D, very likely in 3D too. We could belong to S too. Raising or not will be dependent on up to how strong partner can be. Mine would not be strong enough to make game a good bet even at IMPs. If she needed just one ace from me, she’d not have bid 2D. So I’d pass this one, but with sth more, a Q, a 5th H, I’d take more radical actions. If your style allows slightly more ambitious hands, then raising is automatic. We are in the fine line where we can’t commit to game but give a new round to partner in case they have some more.

I indeed incorrectly expressed myself. I implied 3H as a constructive raise, that doesn’t give up on game should overcaller have extras. I don’t know, though, how to describe W’s « acceptance » to bid game over that « courtesy raise ».

A bit of bad luck, the form of scoring is not indicated but could explain some shyness and being not too pushy if MPs. W already had an awkward decision on the 1st round, but could X now to show extras (and a suit not biddable by its own to the 3-level). Whereupon, E can jump to 4H. On a delayed competitive raise, I’m definitely not bidding game anyway. It could be an average HCP hand with Hx trump support. E on the 1st round with 2 « big » cards (although I’d prefer HK and DA) and a side doubleton was already (almost) worth a raise to 3H. Especially at IMPs. And W would gladly accept the invite. Overall, I’d say bad luck at MPs but more on East at IMPs.

I thought it was a sign-off 😉

The puppet to 3NT method seems interesting. I play the minor transfers over 2NT as « facultative BW » i.e. it requires a hand with slam ambitions at least (or a shapely weak hand with a 7 or 8-cd minor that just signs off in 5m whatever the reaction of opener). Over the transfer, 3S or 4C, opener answers his keys when interested, or bids NT at the minimum level when not interested (3NT or 4NT). With another partner, we just accept the transfer to show we are positive. 55m start with 3S, and if opener rejects, continue with 4D. I heard that weak 55 or 65 should bid 5C, choice of minor, to avoid partner getting too excited if we introduce D after a C transfer, but it is easily forgotten and that hand type doesn’t come up too often! With 54 hands we just bid 4NT if 22 in the majors, or the M singleton if 31 (and shouldn’t be surprised is sometimes opener jumps to 6 in the other M!). With another partner, we use 4M for a mild slam try in M, so that can’t be used (same if you use transfers at the 4-level). One has to pick what they remember best, fits their system and nicely meshes with the other conventions they use, and what they feel is more useful, frequent, rewarding in terms of IMPs or MPs over the long run.

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Playing 12-14 NT kinda helps, as I am not sure I’d have the guts to open 1NT, but here I’d rebid 1NT more easily. The SQ or SK would almost make the problem a no brainer in « modern bridge » tbh, with the same overall strength. All your tenaces are now ready to work should you play the hand. You’ll also find H more easily with a NT rebid while you might bury them forever if you rebid those skinny diamonds. The imaginative 2C is closer to your cards than 2D, but is probably delaying the issue for next round if there is one. Bidding 2H looks exaggerate to me with a slightly subminimal count but most of all because of those bad diamonds and the potential liability of the S singleton. Make my hand AQx AQxx KJ98x x and the bid is clearer. Especially at IMPs. Anyway, I have a less promising hand so 1NT will probably be the best lie. And too bad if partner rebids 2S with 5. The funny thing is that it never happened to me to drive p into a 5-1 fit, the few times I opened or rebid NT w/ a singleton honor. Not that statistics can be drawn on that very limited experience, but the fear is probably overrated.

N probably forgot to pass. Or to ask if W’s pass meant « bid your M » or « I wanna play 2DX »...

What is the difference between 3S and 3D? 6 good S vs. question about D stop with only 5 (or 6 bad) S ? Seems we’re scr***d. I guess 4S is the most discouraging bid I can find now...

Cannot add anything on what Mikeh and Cyber said. An easy opening, an easier rebid, and an almost as easy 3rd descriptive bid, 3C to show the 55. Yes, even if 2D (a « cheap » 4SF is not GF for all systems) didn’t commit to game, I just crossed that line with my minimal HCP strength and a possible misfit. But that will be the key to a successful C slam that it is worth having partner struggle in 3NT with his AQxxx xx Qxxx Kx.