GrahamJson

If you are not going to pass with this collection then you may as well play 3D as forcing. After all, if you don't pass when holding a flat minimum with rubbish trumps when do you?

I believe that BBOSkill, which is no longer working, allowed for the relative skills of both partners and oppo when calculating skill levels. I don't know how effective it was but it should certainly be possible to have a system that foes this. On another matter, my personal grouch is over players who play double dummy (I.e. kibitzing themselves when they are playing). I have reported three players to BBO who are obviously doing this. One seems to have disappeared, perhaps banned, but two continue to play. (although one I only reported very recently). Can others please report offenders, they are not difficult to spot, to ensure BBO is clean.

One other point regarding uk bidding. Bridge Magazine has just changed its standard system used in its monthly bidding competition from Acol to 2/1 on the basis that 2/1 is now the most played system in the country. So we don't all play systems from the 60's.

I did say that the standard was not high. And transfers can be complex;. For example 1NT-2D-2H-2S being a game forcing relay whilst 1NT-2D-2H-3C/D being 55 invitational. Also, 1NT-2D-3C/D being 4card support, maximum and xx in the bid suit.

The last time that I played regular club bridge, over ten years ago (I have been living in countries where bridge is not widely played since then) my partner preferred simple methods; 4 card majors, weak NT and most doubles being for penalties. It didn't stop us averaging over 60%, often due to picking up penalties from surprised opponents who didn't expect their over all's to be dealt with so quickly. I should add out of fairness that the general standard was not high. However it did show that you don't need to play trendy methods to win. Interestingly, we did play some complex methods; transfers, multi and tartan twos. However we made sure that these were well discussed.

Styles have changed over the years and it is up to you and your partner to agree your own style. In original Acol balanced hands were generally bid up the line. The modern style is to rebid 1NT with balanced hands using check back to find a major suit fit. This means that a major suit rebid indicates an unbalanced hand with a five card minor. One aspect of Acol is that it tends to be flexible, leaving personal judgement to decide the best bid. So, holding a 4324 15 count you might use the quality of the suits to determine the best opening and rebid rather than strict rules. I am not a fan of the Walsh system although obviously it is playable. It seems to me that what you gain on finding 4-4 fits on weak hands you lose on ambiguity regarding suit lengths, thus perhaps missing 5-3 major fits. The key thing, as with many conventions, is that you need to agree what bids mean on the next round, and the round after that. For example, playing Walsh what does this show 1C-1S-2NT-3D? Is it showing long diamonds, or 54? Of course top players will have all this sorted, but it can be a problem for less expert partnerships. I was amused by the comment that bidding knowledge in England is very poor. I'm not sure where this comes from. Perhaps because Walsk, Drury and other conventions of doubtful value are not widely played.

It seems to me that a double in this position is a request to get a bad score. You have already given a pretty accurate description of your hand, leave any follow up to partner. Yes, a TOX could work, as could a penalty double, but equally both could be disasterous. Partners don't always turn up with a fit or a couple of useful defensive tricks, at least mine don't. Look it another way. What will upset partner most; passing 2C when it goes one or two off, or making a penalty double and it making, perhaps even +1 or 2.

Help suit game tries are I guess what Acol used to call trial bids. The general rule was that with a minimum you sign off, with a maximum, as here, you accept and with in between you look at your holding in the trial suit. If partner is looking for a maximum and a perfect fit he is being too optimistic.

Unless I'm playing with a partner with whom I have a good understanding I would bid 5D. True, 5C might be better but 5D will almost certainly have good chances, especially if the distribution is not disclosed. It's the old story, go for the best result possible, not the best possible result.

But this is not a strong single suited hand. It is a good hand playable in three suits. By opening 2C and rebidding 4C you are in effect committing to 6D regardless of partner's hand.

My first inclination was to bid 3C. But partner might get it into his head that I was trying to show heart shortage, or at least weakness. I want to show positive diamond support and good values, hence my final choice of 4D. 3S seems too much like a master bid to me and very likely to be misinterpreted, no matter what the logic might be.

I don't see much point in playing weak twos if you are not going to bid it on hands like this, which looks pretty much like a text book example to me. Incidentally, I prefer using multi two diamonds and a version of Tartan Twos in the majors. Between then they cover all the bases.

One reason is that if the bidding goes 1NT - 2S -2NT (SA) - 3C both opponents know that responder is weak but with a good fit. This enables both to come into the auction, for example with a TOX. Playing 3C as the SA only one oppo has the opportunity to bid once knowing the fit. A second reason applies to the auction 1NT - 2NT. Playing 3D as the SA enables 2NT to be bid on weak 5-5 hands. If opener bids 3D then you have found a good fit, if he bids 3C responder can pass as opener is likely to hold better clubs than diamonds. Incidentally, I have used SA to mean Super Accept although I don't think for minor suits it requires the same conditions as for a major, when a SA takes the level one higher. For auctions starting 1NT -2D a SA requires a maximum and good four card support. For auctions starting 1NT -2S a bid of 3C just requires three to a top honour. This allows responder to try 3NT if he has a good six card suit and no other values. I guess that a SA would be, say, 3H, which would show a max with good four card support (together with, I suggest, a doubleton in the bid suit).

I don't see much point is playing four suit transfers if you don't use it on hands like this. So put me down for 2S. I'll follow up with 3D, whatever partner's response. As another has indicated, it is best to play 3C by opener as showing a fit and 2NT as denying.

Like with many problems, it all depends on partner. If he is a random BBO partner bid 2H, then 3C if you get a second chance. However you can bid 2C if playing with a regular partner with whom you have an agreement that a new suit after interference is not forcing (although 2H might still work out better). 3C as a fit jump might work out ok, but again, only with a regular partner. I can't say I'm too keen on the idea of playing 1NT as a transfer to 2C, as has been suggested. This treatment rules out natural 1NT bids, which can be useful, but perhaps worse give oppo a wide range of options. E.g. Double of 1Nt followed by double of 2C= penalties, pass followed by double = values.

If anyone is to blame it is West, who could reasonably punt 6S. Note however that if East's red suits were reversed then 6S will probably have two certain losers, barring a squeeze or lucky breaks (not likely given the opposition bidding). As is is unless diamonds are 2-2 then 6S is always off on perfect defence, unless the ace is singleton. All in all I wouldn't lose sleep over missing this slam

That's because players employ the multi defence to 1NT whereby a 2C overcall shows the majors, except of course if you happen to hold clubs in which case you can announce it to be natural. I'm sure there are other options available also, such as clubs and a major.

5D looks like a reasonable punt to me, unless partner is of the sort who bids Michaels on tram tickets.

Exactly. The best choice depends on your partner. Playing with a random BBO partner I'd probably bid 4H followed by Double. A reasonable positive score should give a fair number of match points. Also, I've seen what some players will respond 1H on. With a regular partner Iwho would not bid a poor suit in a poor hand I'd probably bid 3S followed by 5H, but it would obviously depend on our agreements.

Indeed, BM standard uses a 15-17 NT, hence a 3NT rebid shows a hand that could have opened 1NT but opener chose not to, usually because it inches a 5card major. If the opening was 1D I guess a 3NT rebid is likel to include a six card diamond suit.

Bridge Magazine standard, which has just changed from Acol to 2/1 and is supposed to represent current expert practice, uses a jump to 3NT to show 15-17 in a hand that opener did not want to open 1NT. If it was a major suit opening then it would be a 5332 hand, as others have mentioned. With a 18-19 hand you rebid 2NT, which initially shows 12-14, and then press on over partner's minimum rebid.

Why bid 2S when there is a perfectly natural 2C bid available (assuming a 1D opening). I think I'd bid 1D (1S) 2C 3C 3D 3H 4C... Then maybe some cue bids before ending in 5C, 6 if feeling lucky. If 2C would be NF then bid 3C and follow the above bidding, but one level higher. I think that a 2S cue bid is best used for something like xxx Kxx AKQxx Kx.

Whether 2NT makes it difficult for oppo to find spades depends a lot on their standard. Good oppo are likely to have agreements which give them big advantages. For example they have two suits in which to cue bid, then they can double immediately or on the next round, in effect having the ability to play both penalty and take out. It seems to me that the best argument for bidding 2NT is that if you are not going to bid it on this hand then what are you going to bid it on given that you could double with better defensive values.

Current expert practice is to require a six card suit for a two level overcall, although I guess a very good five carder would be ok in some cases.

My guess is that if you pass then oppo will sail into 4S, which will then go one or two off due to bad breaks. I suspect that in practice I'd go with 1H, but I suspect that pass is the best call.