PriorKnowledge

I guess the bidding has never gone 1S X 3C and you wonder if that is Bergen. Determining when and what bids mean is bridge. Telling partner what your bid means and what convention you are using when you bid is not bridge. Your ethics are based on the level of the event? Like stealing an ice cream cone versus robbing a bank?

I think having flexible, context-sensitive conventions are very useful. Why only BW? If Partner has a useful convention on his/her profile, I have the option to play the SAYC or partner's profile interpretation, whichever is most useful. How about if partner has Weak NT on his/her profile. Now I can open 1N with 12-17.

If this is commonly accepted behavior at individuals, even by the director, I will never play in them.

i pass... if it continues X p p to me, I redbl asking partner to bid his cheapest 4card suit, which i will then pass

I just called BaronBarclay. I was concerned because the picture on the website of Robinson's book is 1st edition, not 2nd edition, but they assured me they ship 2nd edition.

Washington Standard, 2nd Edition by Steve Robinson Send $26.95 to Steve Robinson, 2891 S. Abingdon St. #A2 Arlington, Va, 22206 Steve Robinson is in the ACBL Hall of Fame, 4 time World Champion and numerous national titles. #8 on the all-time master point list Don't forget to ask him to autograph the book. This book is so thorough and complete and written with such an easy to understand style, it belongs in every serious bridge player's library.

If West leads the AH, and returns a diam after the ruff, you set them 1100. You are sitting behind the 1N bidder, responder ran from 1NX, and your partner made a free 3C bid. The double looks good to me. How else can you punish foolish opps? Can they make if opps have the right hands? Yes! If the opps never make a doubled contract, you aren't doubling enough.

Some simple rules of signalling: 1. Never signal with a card that could be a trick 2. Signal with the highest card you can afford 3. Use your head - Partner's card may not be a signal. There is no signal that says, "Don't do something stupid" From 9753, you would normally signal count with the 7. The 9 may be useful. From the 9832, you would signal even with 9. The 8 would deny the 9. I have never READ that you signal even a special way so partner can differentiate 2 cards from 4 cards or that a low even signal is count but a higher signal is attitude rather than count, although I have heard pseudo-experts say these things. (Pseuo-experts have a whole bunch of silly rules).

I think it is reasonable to argue that the FIRST card in this situation is count as partner may be stressed and needs to know count immediately. But the SECOND card is definitely suit preference. Very few experts play Lavinthal anymore. More play Roman Discards (odd/even on first discard). Even more play UDCA (Upside Down Count & Attitude) + Smith Echo versus NT. A few also play Foster Echo versus Suits. The advantages of UDCA are: 1. You may not be able to afford a high card in a suit you want to save. 2. You usually can afford a high card in suits you don't care about 3. UDA is more difficult to false card against. 4. Playing both UDC & UDA against suits allows you to play a 2 from 92 as both a come-on and a doubleton. Some play UDCA+UDSF (Upside Down Suit Preference). I have not figured out the advantage of UDSF, can someone please tell me?

After a 2/1, whether a reverse shows extra strength is a matter of style and is not required. I can't believe that 1H 2C 2S MUST show extra strength or else the whole logic of our bidding falls apart, whereas 1S 2C 2H is just as ambiguous but does not cause any problems. Puuullleeeze While you are pondering that... how about these auctions for "Reverse not showing extras" folks: 1D 2C 2H - does that show 5d-4h or could it be 4d-4h? What about 1D 2C 2D with 5d-4h and if responder skips 2H, forget about the heart suit. For "Reverse showing Extra" folks: 1D 2C - What does opener rebid with AQxx xxx AKxx xx? Forced to skip over 2S and rebid 2N? Or maybe rebid the 4-card diam suit?

4C splinter. This hand screams slam. You have length and weakness in opps suit, a void and AK in unbid suits and great 4-card support in partner's rebid suit. Except for the JH, every honor in your hand is working towards slam. The only alternative bid is 6D. If partner has D-AKxxx and a singleton heart, the hand is cold for 6D.

I lead a club, my longest side suit. The club lead is also implied by the dbl. If one of my red suits was 5+ cards, I might lead that instead. If partner has 2 tricks only if I make a "safe" lead, then the dbl is a poor dbl and I need a new partner. Even so, it is unlikely that leading away from J9xx is going to cost a trick that partner was hoping for. Without the dbl, I would probably lead a trump as the safest lead. I'd hate to lead a red suit and catch partner with Kxxx while declarer had AQ9

1) I open the hand 1C, not 1D 2) I rebid 2H over 1S 1) I open 1C to more easily find a fit in either minor or hearts, since I am strong enough to consider a slam opposite a healthy responder. I think you will find that opening 1C on strong minor 4-4's allows you to find more minor suit slams that you otherwise end in 3N. 2) After the bidding 1C 1S, a 2H rebid is a lie as it shows a 54. If you must lie, lie about length rather than strength and lie about a minor rather than a major. If you rebid 1N, you invite a disaster if responder next bids 4S.

I agree with awm's analysis. 2C, 2D, 2H and 3C are shape showing. The rest are q-bids. Once a suit has been agreed, especially a minor, you have to start your mixed q-bids. Although I think Ben is right that opener can bid 2N over 2H and try for slam over 3N, I think the actual bidding is better, because it can stop in 3N. So 3H, 3S are mixed q-bids. So far it is OK. With nothing more to show and an absolute min positive response, responder should try for 3N instead of retreating to 4C. 4C denies a diam control, but should show a more distributional hand not suited for 3N. Then opener would give up. Over 4C, opener has another chance and tries again with 4D and responder bids 5C, denying a 2nd heart control or a spade control. Since Responder has denied a 2nd heart control and a spade control with 5C, opener knows that the hand has 2 major losers and could be off 2 aces. Responder denied a diam control with the 4C bid, so opener knows the hand has a diam loser. Oops. Conclusion: The 6C bid is insane and the 4C bid is poor because it skipped 3N.

Dbl. What is the problem? You can't make a forcing 2S bid, so you start with a negative dbl. Over 3D bid 3S. Over 2N bid 4S. Again. What is the problem? That is the system you play. Same as: (playing strong jump-shifts) Holding xxxxxx xxx xxx x and partner opens 1C. What do you bid? You pass, of course.

no question, 2H. Don't raise responder's 2/1 minor with 3-card support unless you have no alternative. The 3C shows 4-card support. Change the hand to KQxxx x AKJx xxx and I rebid 2D.

Playing 2/1, I would rebid 3N. Although the 3C bid may be manufactored, opener treats it as natural in a GF auction. If bidding 3N without a club stopper scares you, then bid 3S. 3D and 3H are positive and not "temporizing" bids. 3D shows 3-card support, implying a singleton club, and 3H shows a 55.

Def1 guilty, Def2 forgiven 1) 100% a 1S opener. The advocates of 1D are joking, right? You'd bid a 5-card minor before your 5-card major? Most experts open their 5-card major before their 6-card minor. Open 1S and if partner bids 2H, rebid 2S. What is the problem? That is not going to be the final contract. Grow up. 2) I can forgive the pass. A 4333 13 count with only 3 spades. A 1N rebid would have saved Def1. A 2S rebid deserves to find responder with 8HCP and 4 spades, going down when 1N is cold. That will lose you 5/6 IMPS 3) 2S is terrible. Now is the time for a natural 3D. Give partner a 2nd chance.

How about a gambling type 3N but with a hole in your minor. Like Q10x x Ax AQJxxxx Responder bids 3N with misisng honor and bids 3m without.

One more comment: Seems to me you should be able to find the grands when you have all 4 aces and all 4 kings and 15 tricks.

Opener = AQx AKxx K KQJxx Responder = Kxxxxx xxxx Ax A The excess q-bidding confused the auction. Opener takes control early because 1) Opener is VERY strong (4-loser hand), 2) Opener knows about the club suit, and 3) Opener can see partnership assets. Once opener hears the heart raise, opener has 1st or 2nd in all suits and does not need any q-bidding. So opener can jump directly to RKCB. My suggested auction: 1C 1S 2H 3H 4S 5D 5S 5N 7N 3H = GF, 4+hearts, 5+spades 4S = Kickback for hearts 5D = 2, no QH 5S = specific king ask 5N = KS is cheapest king 7N = I can count 13 tricks 3s+2h+2d+5c + extra s, h, d, or squeeze

in general, "equal level conversion" means that in the auction (1H) X (p) 2C (p) 2D 2D is equal level conversion, shows no extra values (dbl and bid own suit is usually strong), and showing 5 diam and 4 spades. "equal level conversion" refers that both 2C and 2D are both 2-level bids. Since 2D did not raise the level, no extra strength is implied.

I like 2M in 4th pos = 6 cards, 14-16. There are several advantages to the 14-16 range: 1. if partner does not have game-invite values, you end in 2M rather than 3M. 2. Without it, you bid 1M 1N 3M and partner has little information for 4M decision. With 2M=14-16, responder can bid 2N invite asking for shortness (or length) to evaluate game better. 3. 1M 1N 3M = 17-18 and more likely to make if responder is weak. 4. 4-level splinters with 3 card support for difficult to find slams

1) 4H 2) pass 3) 3S

can't bid 4C... it would be a splinter in support of diam... 3C is good enough