Dinarius

By which I take it you mean no call to show a single-suited major, such as the 2D bid in Multi-Landy? Yes, you're correct. So, Dbl could be Minors, as I've stated above, OR a single suited ♥ or ♠. Advancer, chooses his favoured Minor and now I correct to the long major. Make sense? Also, by using Dbl for the Minors, Advancer can now use 2NT as a forward moving inquiry bid. So, in summary..... Dbl = Minors or long ♥ or long ♠. If it's a Major, doubler corrects after Advancer has chosen his Minor. 2♣ = Majors (with 2♦ relay) 2♦ = ♦ and ♥ 2♥ = ♥ and ♣ 2♠ = ♠ and ♦ or ♣ 2NT is Advancer's inquiry bid. D.

If people are happy to discard Dbl in favour of a conventional meaning, would it be possible to also discard 2NT for the minors and try to avoid the three level? Something like.... Dbl = ♣♦ 2♣ = ♥♠ (with a 2♦relay) 2♦ = ♦♥ 2♥ = ♥♣ 2♠ = ♠ and either ♦ or ♣ Yes, you risk the three level with both major bids, but might Dbl be better to show the minors? Based on my own experience, I agree that finding a fit, or generally making a nuisance of oneself is, over the long haul, going to win more matchpoints than the occasional successful double for penalties. D.

Interesting point. I find it interesting that systems that try to avoid advancer having to make enquiries at the dreaded three level aren't more popular. But, maybe I'm missing something. A few versions of Pinpoint Astro, for example, seem to manage this. http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/pinpoint_astro_defense_method.html Though I haven't played it, I like the look of Variant VI. D.

Thanks for the replies. Obviously, much to ponder. A few observations.... Playing two systems, mostly to preserve the Dbl against 12-14, and make better use of it against strong NT, is interesting, if complicated. But, it appears to have quite a few advocates. In the first reply, Mikeh mentions a defence called Molson. This is the one defence not listed in the Bridgeguys very extensive list. Does it go by another name that might be listed there? Finally, Multi-Landy appears to have a lot of advocates, and this concurs with feedback I have received when posing the question in other circles - but, this is totally un-scientific in survey terms. Keep them coming! D.

I am curious to know what readers are playing against the 1NT opening, strong or weak. I guess you might call it a poll of sorts. The choice is manifold, indeed mind-boggling, you might say. I've looked at... Anti http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/anti_against_no_trump.html Landy and Astro http://www.bridgewebs.com/eden/1NTDEF.pdf Multi-Landy http://www.glasnevinbridgeclub.com/styled-3/styled-4/styled-26/index.html Cappelletti http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/Cappelletti.html Modified Cappelletti http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/CappellettiModified.html Acol 2NT http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/acol_two_no_trump_defense_method.html These are the handful I've read up on. There a loads of them listed here> http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/no_trump_defense_methods.html So, which do you play and why? Do you use any tweaks? What part does point count/losing trick count play? How do you vary it for vulnerability and weak or strong NT? Any other comments? Thanks. D.

Thanks for all the clarifications. As I see it now, there are two requirements; 1. We must make the best attempt to find the queen - which I think is A,K and then run the J through East. ...and.... 2. The 9 must be no worse than 9xxx Correct? D.

Thanks for the replies. I see it like this; Possible ♥ distributions are... Q xxxxxx Qx xxxxx Qxx xxxx Qxxx xxx Qxxxx xx Qxxxxx x Qxxxxxx with either East or West holding the above. So, the finesse works 7/14. A,K, followed by a ruff works 8/14 (Q, Qx, Qxx or Qxxx held by either East or West) though I'm open to correction on this. If you force out the A Spades and defence puts you in dummy with a diamond continuation, you still have A clubs and one trump entry in case of Qxxx by either player. Right? But.... A,K, and running the J works 9/14, because of possibility of singleton or doubleton ♥Q with West, as well as the seven possibilities of queen with East. Therefore, I think that A,K and running the J is the correct play, by the tiniest of margins. The finesse is, I think, the worst play. Lastly, in order to assure your A and K of hearts as two winners, you must remove trump A first. If either is ruffed due to void or singleton, then there is nothing to talk about. Right? D. Ps. For the record, this was a top class teams events. Both rooms were in ♠6. In one room, South finessed and claimed. In the other, South, a mathematical wizard, played ♥A,K and ran the ♥J for minus one.

North ♠ Q 8 7 5 ♥ A K J 10 8 ♦ A ♣ A 8 5 South ♠ K 10 9 6 4 2 ♥ 5 ♦ 5 2 ♣ 9 7 4 3 In an uncontested auction, N/S reach 6♠. West leads ♦K. Assuming you play one round of trumps, West plays ♠J and East plays ♠3. Now, how do you handle the ♥ suit? D.

I'm still waiting to know why we should forgive partner for the jump to 6 Spades in the first place. :huh: D.

Thanks for the clarification. So, my wild theory about partner intending to reverse into diamonds is dead if LHO bounces into 5D. :rolleyes: Partner has a couple of diamonds at most. Partner's rebid was now either 1NT/15-17 (possible in view of his pass of 5 Diamonds after my Double), 2NT/18-19 (unlikely, in my view), or a Club hand - more likely now that we're at the 5 Diamond level and at least three of the four hands are looking distributional. So, after I double and LHO bids 5 Diamonds and it comes back around to me; partner has ignored my offer of a major (admittedly, he doesn't know I'm 5/5 - but, if Bridge bidding was a perfect science, none of us would be playing the game. It would be dead boring!) so, with my Kxx in Clubs, and given the vulnerability, I'm bidding 6 Clubs. As I said before, if we've missed something better, then the pre-empt has done its job and we put it down to experience. With my monster, opposite an opening hand, 6 Clubs has to be a very good bet. On the other hand, doubling a non-vul 5 Diamonds will be the losing action most of the time, in my view. D.

Ok, missed the bit about Strong Club system (it's early), but still don't understand the need to use up all that bidding space. D.

As well as my question above about whether or not you're playing any kind of strong 2s; given the total lack of interference by the opposition, surely a jump to 6 Spades has to be totally unnecessary on fundamental bidding principles. What reason can he possibly have for such a bid? You've been granted all the time and space you need to explore the efficacy of any of the suggested contracts, so why not use it? Yours, (dead curious ;) ) D.

Are you playing Benjamin 2s, or any kind of strong 2s? It's hard to imagine a hand that can justify a 6 Spades rebid that couldn't justify an 8-playing tricks opening in the first place. D.

Interesting points. Partner's hand can be anything, obviously. I also play weak NT always, so his rebid may be 1NT 15-17, 2NT 18-19, or something in Clubs. He may even have been intending to reverse into diamonds! :rolleyes: Given the bidding and my hand, I would be very surprised if partner is unbalanced also, in which case we're probably heading for game/slam in Clubs or a Major. I want a bid that is.... a. Forcing b. Best describes what I've got, while still catering for a Club rebid (but, make my Kxx in Clubs the same in Diamonds, and my hand is greatly reduced in value) c. Most important of all....takes up NO space, something which is now at a premium. If I bid one major, I may not be able to show the other. For these reasons, I double. D.

Or bid on "with a lot of holdings". Take your pick. I stil double. D. Ps. If double isn't available, I bid 4 diamonds - obviously asking for a major. If he retreats to 5 clubs, my Kxx are now huge and I bid 6 clubs. Once again, we may make seven (or maybe not even six! 😎) but, if so, we simply have to accept that the preempt did its work.

Double (negative) is the bid for me. I play it as forcing for one round at this level. With my 5 loser hand, a slam is almost certain. But, why the rush? If player on my left supports his partner's diamonds, my partner can still bid. If, for example, LHO bids 5 diamonds, and it's passed around to me, I can consider either 6 clubs (to play), or bid 6 diamonds (riskier, in my view) forcing partner to choose a major. They may talk us out of a grand slam, but unlikely a small one. D.

Precisely. Very annoying. D.

And yet, in (all! :angry: ) the emails I'm receiving for each thread I'm following there is the following text included by default: "If you have configured in your control panel to receive immediate topic reply notifications, you may receive an email for each reply made to this topic. Otherwise, only 1 email is sent per board visit for each subscribed topic. This is to limit the amount of mail that is sent to your inbox." So, yes, I AM receiving one email per reply to a topic, whether or not I visit the thread. But, the above text doesn't tell you how "....only 1 email....per board visit for each subscribed topic." can be achieved. Anyone have a definitive answer to this? Thanks. D.

Thanks. Am going to try Delayed Notification. Doesn't appear to be the option I'm looking for though - simply, one notification until you next visit the thread/discussion - which is standard on most forums. I could be misunderstanding, of course. :rolleyes: Thanks again. D.

On most forums, there is the option to receive one new posting email for each thread your following, and you don't receive another email for that thread until you have visited it on the forum. At the moment on BBO Forums, I am receiving one email for every posting to every thread that I am following. This means that my email Inbox is crammed with BBO emails. :huh: Please tell me where in Settings I can change this so that I only receive ONE email per followed thread between visits? Thanks. D.

Why do I get email notification of every reply made to this thread? Very annoying. On most forums you receive ONE email notification for each thread you're following, and you don't receive another one until you have visited the thread. Very sensible and very obvious. Thanks. D.

I want whatever lackeman's on! :) D.

Should have said no 2/1 - just as natural as possible. Yes, pass (instead of opening) was a consideration. I'm guessing from the replies then that, partner's 3H is never simply a final admission of 3 card support with 10/11 points/8 loser holding, which of course opener would pass? Thanks for the replies. D.

Playing 5 card majors, as dealer you open. The bidding goes: 1H : 2D 3D : 3H Is 3H forcing? Secondly, for the record, my hand was: K 87432 KQJ K843 Rightly or wrongly, I chose to open 1H and then had to find a rebid. With a wretched 7 loser hand, I figured a simple Diamond raise was best. What would others have done? D. Ps. Please comment on the forcing/non-forcing question in isolation from the actual deal. It could obviously occur with a multitude of hands.

I played chess for years before I took up bridge. In chess, you can be defending (and hoping) a lost position for two hours, and still lose. In bridge, if you make a total %^&*& of a hand, another comes along in 5-10 minutes. That is bridge's huge appeal over chess, for me. D.