bluechip10

Open 1 heart. Your hand is better than you think.

This hand has fascinated me all day. I would duck, and then hope that RHO does not switch to a club. All this preparation is based on a 4-2 ♣ distribution, the JT of ♥ not dropping, and the 8 of ♠ is the high spade in LHO hand.

My thinking. Pard should have at best Jx. If he had three spades, he would have bid 3sp preemptively. If he had a stiff spade and his own suit, he would have led it. Declarer passed over 2sp, so he probably has QTxxx at best. Spades are stopped. If declarer has the ace of dia, this hand is over if spades are continued. Why didn't declarer bid 2nt over 2sp overcall? What if declarer has QTxxx♠, Kx♥, xxx ♦, Kxx♣? Certainly possible. If this is his holding, 3NT is cold. Only chance I see is switching to the Q of club and hope that declarer does not have the K of Cl. And pard reads the club situation.

Against a weak NT, I always play Capp. I need very little (other than a fit) from partner to make a suit game. On a really good day, slam is possible. If one is a pessimist, she would double. If one is an optimist, she would bid 2 hearts. If game is there we can probably set 1NT 4 tricks. Now, when I played weak NT, I also played "escapes." So we don't know if spades is an escape. Given all of this, I would double and take any plus score. If the partner of the 1nt bidder bids redouble, that is a request to escape. If the opps escape to 2sp, I can always bid 3 spades if pard doesn't double.

Assuming South opens and no interference: 1NT--2♥ 2♠--3♣ 3♠--4NT 5♠--6♠

Easy one. Bid 2 hearts, showing 5 hearts and no chance for game (12-14 1NT opener). I discount the responder's hand and call it a "lousy" 11 points. If 13-15, then 3 hearts (invitational and showing 5 hearts).

3NT

1♦ P 1♥ 2♣ 3♣ P 3♠ P 3NT P P P

I play 2nt as a weak hand or as a strong hand. If I have an intermediate hand, I bid the suits out. I also tend to have good suits (two of the top three honors or even KJT). Given the bidding, you have a great chance to make at least four hearts. Even 6 or 7 hearts is possible, depending on distribution and high cards (picture a hand with a void in clubs, KX of spades; AKQxx of hts, and Kxxxxx of diamonds. That is only a 15 point hand.) So, I would bid 4hts. I am making a free bid at the four level so I have to have something. If pard is strong, then ace asking or cuebidding will lead to the appropriate slam. Even if weak (void in clubs, AKxxxx in hearts, Kxxxx in dia and xx in spades, 6 hts is possible).

I like this sequence: 1♠ P 2♣ P 2♠ P 3♦ P 3♠ P 4NT P 5♠ P 6♠ Pass out Rationale: As soon as partner opens 1♠, I am already thinking slam; just a question of where. When partner advances to 3♠, I know he has six spades. So we have a spade fit. Then I find out he has 2 aces and the q of trump. I bid 6♠.

Mom always said to lead the unbid major. So deuce of hearts is good enough for me. I can't remember how many times leading from a worthless doubleton gives up a trick or two or three.

5/5 and forcing to game.

I had a similar hand yesterday, except I want in the direct seat. RHO opens 3NT (gambling). From looking at my hand, I knew his suit was clubs. I had about 16 "good" points but nothing immediately runnable. I doubled. Then it goes Pass--Pass. RHO rescues himself and bids 4 clubs. I had 4 spades, 5 hearts, 3 diamonds and one club. I bid 4 hearts. All passed. Partner had 3 hts for me, and I happened to make the contract. I told my pard that I had no idea what to do, and just took a leap. He said that he probably would have done the same thing. What I really wanted to do was double 4 clubs for takeout, but I didn't want to take the chance of a misunderstanding.

I play it forcing. Really no different than the RONF rule for opening weak 2 bids I've been using. Obviously, the 2sp bid denies support (singleton or void in ♥). Responder will either support spades with 3 or more or rebid her suit. A new suit bid by responder, I believe requires partnership agreement.

Many moons ago, my partner and I played weak NT (13-15). But we also played 2♦ to cover the 4441 hand. Point count was 12-15. 5422 hands were bid naturally. Of course we used 4 suited transfers and 2NT was invitational. Never got into trouble.

I have played that 3♦, 3♥, and 3♠ are splinters. Definitely game forcing and "slam-ish." My 2 ♠ response to 1NT is transfer to clubs and my 3♣ bid is transfer to diamonds.

I have to agree with Art. I can just imagine the West Hand: X JTxxxxxx Qxxx VOID I would never preempt with this hand. But when pard opens 1NT, I know he has at least two hts. If he passes we probably make 4hts easily. If pard doubles, I know he has a one or two club winners, for he knows I have no defense. The 4cl bidder has a similar hand but with top club honors and probably a void in hearts. I love the 5dia bid from pard. Then I can cuebid 6cl. This gives pard a chance to look for the grand.

Accurately describing your length is very important. I learned this the hard way many moons ago. With the weakness of the West hand, the best you can do is rebid clubs. If partner advances, then you may get a chance to show your hearts. But at least partner knows you are weak.

I have been a Marty Bergen fan since I met him many moons ago. Then I read his book POINTS, SHMOINTS. To open, he taught the rule of 20. Add up your HCP, then add the number of cards to that in the two longest suits. If it adds up to 20, then open. Ever since I started doing this, I have found games and slams that would never have been found otherwise. So, without further ado: W--E 1♣--1♠ 2♣--2♥ 3♥--4NT (0314) 5♦--6♥ 9 HCP plus 6♣ plus 5♥=20. All of my regular partners open the same way.

Agrees that hearts are trumps and showing ace of dia. So, obvious slam try.

I guess I tried to put things into perspective. It is one board. Has anyone ever won a section or overall getting a zero on a board? I know I have. If this hand comes up in a tough field, I believe that most will bid a slam of some sort. Of course, the NT slam--if makeable, will beat all. Many experts, including myself, have made leads that hand the contract to the opps. I have to believe that experts think the same way. Now, if this hand is played in a weak field, then I know bidding a slam is a top or bottom issue. I would be more conservative in a weaker game.

Being MPs, I'll bid 6NT instead of 6 ♣. While I am pretty certain your pard opened with the most minimal hand, I still think the field will be in 6NT--given your hand. What's the worst that can happen? A zero? Average minus? The best? A top!

Penalty.

If pard had a strong hand, he would have cuebid 2 ♣. I play this 2 ♥ bid as a weak hand, a decent 6-card suit and no support for spades (void or stiff). Mom taught me to never "fish" for a partial, especially at IMP's where the losses can be great. At least a MP's, the worst you can score is a zero.

In response to the many 1♣artificial systems, I developed BOSCO (BS over strong club opener or any artificial 1♣bid). Every direct overcall and preempt bid was a transfer; 2 ♣"cue-bid" was transfer to diamonds. All for one suited hands. 1NT was minors. Double showed majors. Strong hands were passed until the artificial bidders revealed their suits. For example: 1♣--P--1♦--P 1♠--DBL DBL is traditional takeout double showing support for all suits except spades. A 2♠ cuebid showed ♥and a minor (Michaels). 2NT showed a strong minor two-suiter. This was fun to play. Another one was a overcall meant that the caller may or may not have the suit overcalled. My partner and I--many years ago--played Schenken. We were up against the Woolseys, if I recall. They played this system against 1♣ artificial systems. That was tricky too.