ArcLight

What should North have overcalled? 2♣? Double, then bid some number of clubs?

Why bid 4♠? Isn't this a Limit Raise? 4+ trumps and 10-12 support points Those ♦ may combine with pards ace and be worth 4 tricks. You can make slam if pard has: S A K x x x H A Q D A x x C x x x

Foo, >The use of 1M-1N;foo-3m to show a weak sign off is theoretically flawed. Such a sequence can easily result in being in 3m w/o a fit and with less than 23 HCP. That's a recipe for nearly automatic minus scores and much easier to find penalty X's by the opponents. You are not forced to the 3 level, its a choice. Use judgment. It can work out badly. It can also work out well. Pard opens 1 spade, you hold: ♠ ♥ x x x x ♦ x x ♣ A Q J x x x x Do you respond 1NT (forcing)? (yes) Pard bids 2♦ (drat). Now what? Pass or 3♣? Should you have just passed pards 1♠ bid? (no) What if your clubs are only 6 long, and you have 1 spade? With 3 ♦ you can pass. Is being at the 3 level in this case, with pard hopefully holding 2 clubs, worse than being at the 2 level in a 5-1 or 3-2 fit? Foo, how would you bid this hand opposite pards 1 Spade opener? Your last post showed a hand I would not bid 2 Clubs with.

Point counting is reasonably accurate for NT contracts as opposed to suit contracts.

Pard passed the X, so I assume he has just 3 spades. With 2 that would mean declarer has 5 spades and 5-6 clubs. I think he'd instead overcall 1 Spade at the 1 level, rather than make a 2 level overcall on a 5 card suit that appears to be missing spots and an honor or two. Pard should have KJxx at least in Clubs to sit for the X. Pard is: 3=3=3=4 Declarer is: 4=2=2=5 To set him we need 6 tricks. 2 spades, 1 heart, 1 dime, and 2 trumps. You need to prevent declarer from reaching dummy for 2 discards before you get your spades. Lead a club, so pard can top it, and exit a spade.

3 additional factors to consider - 1 - spot cards, having a few extra 10's and 9's can make a huge difference 2 - are the points all in one hand, or does dummy have some entries. Opening 2NT with 20-21 and having a 0 HCP dummy means no finesses. Opening a 17 HCP 1NT and dummy has 3 HCP can also mean no finesses. Compared to a 15 HCP hand opposite a 6 HCP hand with 2 entries. 3 - length - is there a side suit than can generate an extra traick or two? Its not just a simple matter of 21 HCP = 7 tricks. There are other factors to consider.

Positive Declarer Play - Reese / Pottage Positive Defense - Reese / Pottage Both are from advanced intermediate to advanced. The emphasis is on technique and visualization. Some (too many) problems involve non-simple squeezes. Also, a few far fetched problems. While the books are worth reading I didn't find them as good as some others on similar topics. I'd rate them B- Defend These Hands With Me - Julian Pottage I liked this more than the above two books, though some of the card play was a bit hard to follow. (It was easy to miss that a player had shown out, or a card discarded, the author uses MUD leads, and the author doesn't tell you what pard or declarer played - if he felt it was unimportant). The bidding is also confusing, though thankfully you get to see teh bidding summary after the verbal description. Asside from that I liked the book. There is a nice recap after each problem where the author discusses a theme. Its more on the advanced side than intermediate. Some of the hands were not that good, but overall its a good book. I give it a B or B+.

For a moment I thought teh title of this topic was "Paris Hilton in Jlall", and I was thinking "he certainly does like the party life. ;) As for the auction, what is responders shape? I assume its 5-4, because with 4-4 Hearts would be bid before Spades. I assume Clubs are the trump suit? Grand Slam Force makes little sense unless responder is 5=4=0=4 with AKQ in both majors and the A or K of Clubs (and probably spots too, maybe 10, 9 or even J 10). Pick a slam? What are the choices Clubs and what? NT? Certainly not Diamonds if responder is 5=4=2=2. Are the cloices Spades or Clubs? I guess its the GSF. I'm tempted to bid 6C because even though I have the 2 of the 3 top honors, I hate going down in 7 on a misunderstanding.

Justin, Is this only after a penalty double when the opening leader originally bid some number of NT?

Foo, What you suggest is different form whats on Mike Lawrneces 2/1 CD. I'm not saying either of you is right or wrong, but I am not sure what you are suggesting is standard. On his CD the requirements are 9-11 points (I assume HCP), and a 6-7 card decent suit. He never mentions having 2 cards in openers suit. Obviously jumpong to the 3 level with a 6 card suit vulnerable may require a better suit than a 7 card non vulnerable. He gives an example of n invitational jump shift over pards 1♠ of ♥K 7 3 ♦ 9 8 7 3 ♣A Q T 8 6 3 My point is - no 2 cards in openers suit (void), and thr suit is good , but not opposite a stiff. Your method may be good, but it seems like it would rarely come up. Having precisiely 2 cards in pards suit and that good a side suit.

>I would pass, and this is why hamman says inv jumpshifts suck. What would Hamman use the bid for, instead of the invitational jump shift? Fit jump? Bergen raise? ???

When I tried the link, I was asked for a Username / Password (which I don't have)

>I think its almost unanimous here these days to cuebid kings (unless partner has shown shortness in the suit of course). Justin (an anyone else) - are there any articles/books on this style of bidding, other than: Ron Klingers Cue Bididng Ken Rexfords Cue Bidding Belladonnas article on cue bidding Specifically, what are some of the problems to look out for using mixed cue bidding, (and how are the problems solved). 1♥ - 3♥ 4♣ - 4♦ = >>>>>the 4♣ bid denies a spade control. What does the 4♦ bid show? Does it show the ♣ control, and has nothing to do with ♦? Do you use 3NT for a meaning other than natural (to play in 3NT). If the responder has both a ♣ and ♦ control, what do they bid? 4♥ sounds like a sign off. Do you have to use 3NT as a slam try? In Klingers book one idea is it denies the ability to cue bid 3♠, while 4♣ is a cue bid for both ♣ and ♠ The Italians use Turbo instead of Blackwood, yes? The Italians are obviosly no fools, why isn't Turbo being used widely by US Experts if they use mixed cue bidding? I am VERY interested in seeing a comprehensive set of system notes for mized cue bidding (kings and aces). Would a strong experienced player please post a few comments, and show some hands where mixed cue bidding needs to be handled with care. (i.e. not a hand where mixed is better than straditional ace first, but instead where mixed cue bidding can work badly unless some understanding is in place, or judgment is involved)

>But with 3♠, good clubs, short in partners first suit, I leave it in, and lead a trump. Is a trump called for on this auction? Is the lead of a ♦ not good? Hopefully setting up ♦, and allowing a ruff, as well as pard leading a spade to our Jack?

This is MP, are we likely to make 5♦? Or is it less than 50%? Will teh field be in 4♠? I'd double. I don't think 4♠ is making.

Thats the beauty of pick up pards who make crazy bids. Sometimes THEY get to play in their own mess. :) 5NT is either: - Pick a slam - Grand Slam Force - Quantitative for Grand Slam The beauty of 6NT or 7NT is they can have the fun. 6 Spades could work too, though you get to play it. Or maybe pard will convert to 6NT. I'd have bid 6♠. 2NT is probably 18-19 HCP.

I don't know what the standard is but ask the followng questions: 1 - how could the opp pass, then make a weak spade bid? How is it flawed? A weak jump overcall of 2♠ is very obstructive. To pass implies a flaw, maybe a 5 card suit? Maybe its just a mistake (bad bid) 2 - from the openers point of view, responder denied a 4 card major, and denied 5 (and probably 4) Diamonds. Responder is probably 3=3=3=4 or has even more Clubs. Therefore a take out double doesnt make sense. Responder can only have Clubs, so opener can bid them, not double. Opener probably doesn't want to play in a 4-3 fit. This leaves the meaning of PENALTY. That Spade Jack will be useful.. Lead a diamond, expect a spade back. >no special agrrements other than off shape 1nt. I think 1NT is a fine bid.

In 2/1 the 2♦ shows a weak hand, with 6 or more ♦, not enough for an invitational jump shift (if they are even on by a passed hand because you would have had the option to preempt). I can't imagine bidding on. I'd pass with either: AKxxxx, x, xx, AQxx AQJxx, xx, x, Axxxx Opener knows responder is weak. With a great hand opener needs to make a forcing bid which they didnt. 2♠ must show a hand that hates ♦. Probably a ♦ void. Maybe 6♠ and 5♣? Or 5-5 or 6-4.

>This means that as long as a bid is natural, there is no alert of for example 1♠ 3♣ if it is weak or strong. This works fine since you need to bid your OWN hand anyway. If you really need to know you can still ask / look at CC. So if I have a good hand I ask to look at the opps CC and then pass, and with a bad hand I just pass, without looking at the CC card? :P

I don't agree with Souths penalty double. North could only scrape up a raise in competition. Pass and see if you can set the opps. I agree with norths bid. Show the 3 card support in competition. North doesn't really have enough for a negative double either. If north doubles, and the bidding continues, should he/she support hearts at the 3 or 4 level later? That implies a much better hand. Bad luck, and South should not have made a penalty double, hence my vote of blaming South

Why open 1NT instead of 1♦ since you don't have a rebid problem. You can rebid 2♣ I don't see why you would open 1NT since you don't need to Compare the hand above to this one: Spades: K Hearts: A x x Diamonds: A K x x x x Clubs: Q T x Richard Pavlicek suggested opening this 1NT ------------------------------------------------ These also are problematic (from Richard Willeys post on RGB) S K H KJT4 D AQ84 C KT73 S K H KJT3 D AQ873 C KT4 Neither of these hands has a reasonable rebid after 1D - (p) - 1S

Jack of Clubs. Declarer is probably 4 - 2/1 - 5/6 - 2/1 Dummy is probably 2=5=2=4 or something close. 2=4=3=4

What is the best use of the 3 level bid in the sequence 1♥-2♥-3♥ or 1♠-2♠-3♠? Should is be a general purpose game try? (but you already have various game tries) Or focus on Trump support? How would experts play it?

Do any of the participants in the Cavendish pay the other to play with them? Does a "lesser" expert in the Cavendish pay to play with Meckstroth or some other top player?

This hand does have the potential to make slam. The problem is, its not enough to have good trumps. It's likely that pard has wasted values in spades, especially something like KJ. You need pard to have either a great hand, or very little in spades. I'm not aware of a systemic way of asking "pard what do you have outside of spades, beyond good hearts". 5♥ asks for trump support, which is not enough. Your chance of slam is probably a lot less than 50%. 4♥ is an excellent contract. I would sign off. ulven, As for 4♣ being a ♠ splinter, go ahead and spring that undiscussed with a pick up pard :( Fred (and everyone else), What are some of the ways (real) experts use 3NT by responder after a forcing NT? >Consider using the 3NT rebid in this auction to be a strong hand in support of hearts with shortness in spades. While this makes sense to me, how much does it cost? I assume if responder had a crayy 13 HCP they could make a 2/1 then sign off. If responded bids 2NT, that shows 11-12 (or a great 10). The other question is how frequently will one use the 3NT bid in this manner? How often will this come up that the non-expert partnership (that plays once a week) will remember it in a year :lol: I can imagine a set of agreements that make perfect sense, don't cost anything, but because they are rare might result in partnership forgets.