miamijd

As others have noted, there are two logical alternatives here: 1. GF, club support, splinter in diamonds 2. GF, 5/5+ in spades / diamonds I like option 1 better, because the second hand can be shown (though not as perfectly) via 2D (4SF) followed by 3D. There are probably other good ways to play this bid, but none that are super-common. Using 3D as a stopper ask is silly. 2D (4SF) does that just fine. Cheers, Mike

I don't think much of 3H vul, either, even against the bots, but if I pass 2NT, West bids 3D, and that gets passed back to me, I'm doubling for takeout against the GIBs at IMPs (maybe even at MPs, though that's close). At real bridge, I pass. West is NOT unlimited. West has at most 12 HCP, because in robot bridge, none of the other players has more HCP than you do (could be tied at best). East likewise has at most 12 HCP. And if you look at what 3D means per GIB, it's 11+ total POINTS. That means West could have 9-10 HCP. So your partner has at least 4 HCP and rates to have more like 5-6, including likely some H legnth (if he doesn't have spades, and the opponents have clubs and diamonds ...). This "best hand" concept is very important in GIB tourneys. There are all kinds of inferences to be made from it, and it affects the actions you should take. For example, I would open all 11 counts in GIB tourneys. Cheers, Mike

I'd get to the "wrong" contract on this one given the lie of the cards. I'd bid 5NT pick a slam. If partner is nice enough to bid 6C, I would raise to 7. All I need is four clubs and decent splits in the rounded suits, and we probably make, and I know partner has more than that since he passed rather than Xed. If partner bids 6D, I would correct to 6H (hearts score better than diamonds). If partner bids 6H, I will take a chance and raise to 7, because partner has to have something, and the odds are pretty good that his something is in diamonds. Here, I'll get to 7C by East, which can be set on a H lead. Of course, if North is nice enough to X, I'll probably run to 7H, and now I'm apt to end up defending 7SX. Cheers, mike

GIB tourneys are very different than regular bridge. In regular bridge, this auction wouldn't exist. In a GIB IMP tourney, there is no way in the world I would ever pass out 3D. 1. The GIBs don't bid very well (keep it simple when bidding with GIBs). For example, the 3D bid here is insane. West has an easy 3C bid, which East should pass. 2. GIB tourneys are "best hand" with HCP as the defining factor. This is VERY important to keep in mind. Since you have 12, East has no more than 12, and West should have 10-11. That means your partner has 5-6 HCP, most likely in the red suits. In real bridge, your partner might have next to nothing. 3. The way to win GIB IMP tourneys is to bid and make thin games. You'll win a lot of IMPs if you do, and you won't lose too many IMPs if you overbid and go down. The reward far outweighs the risk in most cases. In regular bridge, this auction wouldn't exist, as 3D would be forcing. So you are forced to guess with GIB. Do you want to defend 3D and hope to beat it? Or do you want to act (X or 3H) and maybe make game in H? Partner could easily have: x KTxxxx xxxx Kx in which case 4H will make far more often than not. The reward is going to be far greater than the risk, which is why a lot of "better" players didn't choose to defend 3D. I would pass in a minute in "regular" bridge. But I would never pass 3D out in a GIB IMP tournament. I hope that helps. Cheers, Mike

Well, you said you'd bid 3H on KJ98xx if vulnerable, which I would never do. I wouldn't bid more than 2H on KJTxxx, either. KJT9xx is a different story. Now you have four tricks opposite a stiff in 3NT, and only 1.5 losers opposite a small doubleton in a heart contract, so I would probably bid 3H. As for 3NT, yes, I will probably bid it over 3H more than you will. For example, I will bid 3NT with a small stiff heart and an 8 count every time. The reason is that for a 3H rebid, I expect partner to have either (A) a really good hand (not some ratty 16) OR (B) a really good heart suit (a great 6 or 7+), in which case a great 15 is OK sometimes. With a good hand but not a fantastic heart suit, we have a decent chance to make 3NT opposite an 8-count with a stiff heart, and if we don't, we probably weren't going to make 3H, either. With a great heart suit, we have a very good shot to make a game. Cheers, mike

Pete, I'm sorry, but I would say that less than 1% of expert players would agree with you. When the opponents preempt at the four-level (either with a 4-level opening bid or on an auction like this one) X is card-showing. With an unlikely trump stack, you just pass and take your plus score unless you have a true rock-crusher. The hand in question is rare, in that you have both all your side's three trump and all or almost all of your side's strength. It's close, in my opinion, as to what to do, but I think X will win more often than pass. You are certainly strong enough to X with your 20-count, but you have to realize it will practically NEVER be left in. Unless he is 4144 with some secondary honors, partner is going to bid something. That is quite likely to be OK, however. Since the opponents have a likely 10-fit (could be 9 if RHO is shapely), your side should have a big fit, too. Maybe partner has 6-7 spades. Maybe he has KJxxx of spades and Qxxx of clubs. Maybe he has 6+ clubs. Maybe he'll bid diamonds. Maybe the opponents will push to 5H over his bid. Who knows -- but the good things that can happen outweigh the bad. It's certainly true that your partner could have something like 4045, 5044, or 5035 and bid 4S. Now if the opponents X, you'll have a guess as to whether to pass, bid 4NT (pick a minor), or bid 5D, and if the opponents pass, you're going to be in the wrong spot. If you pass 4H, you are likely (but not certain, as one of the opponents might have a club void) to set 4H a trick or so, but you might well miss a game or even a slam. At IMPs, I think it has to be right to X, because passing risks huge losses (a double game swing, +50 vs +400 or +920), whereas X generally won't end up with a telephone number (if the opponents X 4S, you probably should run). At MPs, I think it's a closer call, but I'd still X. Just understand, however, that you AREN'T going to play 4HX. Cheers, Mike

Even if you are in the "invite light" camp (I'm not), I don't think this hand suffices. You will break even if your partner has 2 hearts (you will gain more often than not if partner can raise to game, but you will lose more often than not if partner passes). But you will lose big when partner has 0-1 hearts and fewer than 10 HCP, because you will almost always have been better off in 2H than in 3H or 3NT. Cheers, mike

Playing standard 2/1, I'm tempted to say WTP? 1H is very clear as an opener, and after 1S, you are maximum for 2H. If partner can't move over 2H, you are unlikely to have a game (possible, yes, but not likely). With a ten-count or better, partner is going to bid again. Yes, partner could have xxx Qx Axxx Qxxx But no system is perfect. You aren't good enough for 3H. If partner passes, you are a level too high. If partner bids 3NT on a hand he would have passed 2H, you have probably exchanged +110 for -200, because if partner has a small stiff heart, you have no source of tricks. If partner bids 4H on a hand he would passed 2H, you will gain on hands like the one above, but you'll lose when partner has a little less or cards that aren't working so well: Qxxx xx KQxx Jxxx All in all, you'll lose more often than you win. However, if your As were the Ah: xx AKJ98x xx AKx I would bid 3H. Cheers, mike

I don't know where "around here" is, but in the USA, (1D) p (p) 2NT is overwhelmingly played as a strong bid. Cheers, Mike

"Standard expert" is as follows: 1. Natural - a normal balancing NT limited by your failure to open. Probably an 11 or really horrible 12 count (I open almost all 12 counts); maybe a phenomenal 10 in a rare case. There is no need for it to be unusual, as there is nothing to be gained by preempting the opponents (RHO has nothing). 2. Unusual - two lowest unbid. 3. Can be either natural or "sandwich" depending on agreement. I don't have a strong preference, but if it's undiscussed, then "standard" is natural. The case for sandwich is that you won't generally have 15-18 here, and if you do, 1NT is a bit risky. Using 1NT to show 5/5 means that X shows a less shapely hand and 2NT shows 6/5 or better The case for natural is that a lot of players respond to 1m bids on fertilizer nowadays, so the hand could well belong to your side (maybe you even have a game). 4. Natural 18+ to 20 or so. This is important. There is no reason whatsoever to play this as unusual. There is no need to preempt; RHO has nothing. And if it's your hand, the last thing you want to do is jump the bidding with a hand of indeterminate strength. On the other hand, there is a very good reason to play this bid as natural. Over 1D, a balancing NT is about 11-14. X followed by 1NT (if available) is 15-18 or so. 2NT immediately is 19-20. X followed by 2NT is 21-23 or so. If you don't have the jump to 2NT available, you have no way to distinguish 19 from 23. Not good. 5. Sandwich - probably 5/5 in the unbids. What else can it be if you are passed hand? Cheers, Mike

I assume that if you bid 5NT, partner is either going to bid 6C or 7C. Bidding a King above the trump suit is quite odd. 5NT will at least allow you to reach the grand if partner has 6 clubs. From partner's perspective, he knows you have the three missing Aces and four clubs. Likely you have only 2 spades. Also, it's likely you have a red King; otherwise, where is your strength for the slam? So partner can count two spades, three red tricks, and two spade ruffs for seven. Six clubs will make 13. Partner won't be able to go to slam with the Qs or Qd, but at least you'll reach the grand when he has 6 clubs. Cheers, mike

Without the X, you pretty much have to bid 2NT. It has three ways to win as opposed to pass. First, partner might have a good hand where 3NT makes. Second, 2NT might make for a better score than diamonds. Third, partner could have 3-4 diamonds and NT might go down fewer tricks than diamonds do. With the X, the question is what XX would show. I think it ought to be most hands (not wildly unbalanced ones) where we have the balance of power -- say a really good 16 or more. Those hands are also the ones where game will usually make opposite an invite. After all, if we have the BOP, we might want to BOP the opponents. Thus, partner's 2D bid thus should show at least 5/4 in the reds with a hand that isn't super-strong. Sure, he might have a hand where 3NT or 5C will make, but at MPs, it's all about the frequency of gain, not the amount. With the Ks wrong and most of the suits breaking badly (the doubler figures to have the spades, clubs, and diamonds, and his partner rates to have hearts), I would take the low road and pass. It's a harder choice in IMPs. Cheers, Mike

I think X is just fine. North is going to have some club strength for his bidding, so partner has some good pointy-suit cards, not just a bunch of club honors, and you should beat 3H easily, maybe for +500 and a big IMP score. Partner defended very badly. Sorry, but a trump lead is blitheringly obvious. You are marked with diamonds, some H strength, and maybe a spade card, with very short clubs. Dummy has a club stack, probably three-card heart support, and shortness in one or both pointys. So with the Ad and As, and your being marked with some cards in those suits, a trump lead stands out for two reasons: * It will cut down on dummy's ruffing power in spades and diamonds * It is safe. It gives declarer nothing he can't do for himself. Leading the As or Ad may well kick a trick. Leading the Ac would normally be a decent move after partner doubles, but not here, because partner isn't the only one with 0-1 clubs. Declarer is very short also. So you will just set up dummy's honors and gain nothing. Then again, if you KNOW your partner is that bad a defender, maybe it is your fault for doubling :) Cheers, Mike

I think it's close between 1D and 2NT. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. For those who think 2NT is insane: * You'll reach good games if partner has a decent 4 or a bad 5. * You'll reach good games if partner can transfer to spades with a bust * You'll reach good games if partner can Stayman with a weak hand * You'll reach better partials if partner has major suit strength and a weak hand If partner opened 1D, I would bid 1S with the hand you show, but it's close. Make the Tc a small club and I'd pass Cheers, Mike

Except that your partner doesn't need much to make 4S a good shot.

I take it you play 3S shows this type of hand. For me (and I think for most, though not all), 3S is preemptive. Cheers, mike

Much too strong for a mixed raise. That's generally a good six to a bad 9 with 4 pieces. This hand is worth a whole lot more than that, especially with all prime honors and the Kd likely well placed. Indeed, there are a lot of ordinary hands partner could have that might make game: AKxxx xxxx xx Kx for example, probably does the trick. Unless your partner overcalls on garbage, it's not clear whose hand this is, so with our having the master suit, there is no need to preempt with 4S. I would just show my hand with 2D and see what happens. Cheers, mike

Yes, the method you suggest is superior and one that I like in a serious partnership, but I was just trying to suggest a simple method for those who didn't want to devote a lot of effort on 2C methods.

I would also start with 2C and rebid 2NT. 2NT openers are indeed slam-killers. 2C openers at not. At pairs, your primary goal is to get to a decent spot and then max out your tricks. You don't want to swing boards in the bidding unless you're pretty sure you're right. Here are the things that can go wrong: 1. You open 1C; it gets passed out; and 1C is the wrong spot (you can make a game somewhere). 2. You open 2C; you get to 3NT; and it goes set as partner has 3-4 count and short clubs. 1C would have made a plus score. 3. You open 2C and get to 3NT, but you could have reached a making 6C if you'd opened 1C. I think 1 is very likely; 2 is more likely than you think (but probably less likely than 1); and 3 is not even worth considering. Even after 2C-2D-2NT, there is still a shot at slam. With the 9-count your partner had, he will make some sort of major-suit inquiry (one version of Stayman or another), and when you deny a four-card major, I think it's close whether your partner should bid 3NT or 4NT. If he bids 4NT, you have an easy 6C call. If partner has 10+, you are getting to slam. If partner has 7-8 with shape and 4 clubs, you will languish in 3NT when 6C might make, but do you really think you are going to get to 6C if you open 1C? Doubtful. If you are dead-set on finding these slams, then play a good strong club system like Meckwell Precision. Your part-score bidding will suffer a bit, but you will hit all your slams. You are NOT strong enough to bid 2C followed by 3C. That ought to show 9.5 tricks (at least the way we play here in the USA), and that's going to result in playing way too many bad slams. Incidentally, you stated that playing 2H double negative can "screw you up" if partner has a positive hand with hearts. Not necessarily. Probably the best way to play is that 2S is positive in hearts and 2NT is positive in spades. Works fairly well. Cheers, Mike

mikeh gave a pretty good summary. My general advice is to stop using "Rules." They generally aren't helpful. Instead, focus on principles of hand evaluation. With respect to the hands you showed: 1. ♠Ax ♥QJx ♦KQTxx ♣QT4 I would never upgrade this and open a 15-17 NT unless I was playing in a GIB robot tourney (in which case it's an obvious 1NT opener). There's nothing special about it. The honors are poor three queens - ugh). The suit is OK but not stupendous. Just open 1D and rebid 1NT. 2. ♠Kxx ♥Kxxxx ♦KQx ♣xx I would never open this in 1-2 seat playing 2/1. Why? Weak suit; no Aces; no intermediates; and 5332 (which is the worst distribution possible with a 5-bagger). If you can't bear passing hands like this, then play a strong club system; then you can open them 1H. Cheers, mike

The simplest effective defense to the Multi (and by far the most common here in the USA) is ACBL Option 2. That is, X=13-15 balanced OR any strong hand; everything else on the 2 and 3 level is natural; and 4 of either minor is a sort of Leaping Michaels. With a minimum takeout X of a major, you pass and then double that major on the back end if appropriate. With a good takeout X of a major, you X the 2D bid and then X again on the back end. The responses to some of the sequences get a little involved, especially when the 13-15 balanced X occurs, but everything is pretty intuitive, especially if you play Lebensohl. Your hand is much too strong to pass the first time. For one thing, the Multi responder is allowed to pass the 2d call (very rare, but it happens). More importantly, however, if you pass and then X, you have put too much stress on that call (it could be 13-22, and partner can't tell the difference). Pass then X should be a minimum X; X then X again is a stronger hand. So I would X the 2D call, and then when it went (2H) - P - (2S), I would X again, showing a very good takeout X of spades. Now you are in good shape. Partner's 3C bid would show a constructive hand with clubs. You could try either 3S, 4S, or 6C. I think I would bid 3S and hope I did NOT hear 3NT. If partner had a weak hand with clubs, he'd bid 2NT Leb. Then you would bid 3S to show this hand. On the auction you gave, however, I would jump to 4S over the 3C bid. This has to be a splinter. I'm not sure your partner will ever read you for this big a hand, so I doubt he'll bid more than 5C, but 4S would be my call. And for what it's worth, I suspect the XX showed lots of spades. Probably 4S would have been a better call. Cheers, Mike

I don't see what you gain here. For the majors, why is "suitwood" beter than Texas and then key-card? I can see one way in which it is worse: you lose the ability to use Jacoby and then 4M as a mild slam try in the major. For the minors, over 1NT, why is "suitwood" beter than transferring to the minor and then using key-card? For the minors, over 2NT< why is "suitwood" better than a minor sequence starting with 3S or 3NT (many play 3S as a relay to 3NT, which frees up 3NT over 2NT for other stuff -- just don't forget). I just don't see the point of giving up Gerber, Texas, and some invites. Cheers, Mike

Your hand is a clear raise to game over a limit raise -- not even close. That being said, I have some advice for playing with the bots. Unless you opened some 10-count that you would pass in a flash in "real" bridge, go to game over ALL 4-card limit raises the bots make (yes, even with a mangy, balanced 12-count). The bots' limit raises are generally very heavy; they bid 3M with hands that should either bid 2NT, splinter, or else just go to 4S. Do NOT adopt this strategy, however, over 3-card limit raises (i.e., 1NT followed by a jump to 3M). There, the bots' evaluation is more normal, and is even on the aggressive side. That is, the bots will occasionally make a three-card limit raise on a hand where I would have settled for a heavy single raise. So bid normally over 3-card limit raises. Best, Mike

1S 4NT should NOT be keycard. It should be regular, old-fashioned BW. A hand like: x AKQJxxx AQx x All you need to know is how many Aces (and if 2, then also how many Kings) your partner has. No point bidding 2H and trying to get your partner to agree hearts so that you can key-card. If you have a hand that wants to key-card in spades, you can always set trump with whatever your 4-card forcing raise is and then key-card later on. Cheers, Mike

You get to 6S pretty easily without the insane immediate 6S call. The thing to note is that the West hand is much too strong for a splinter. Either: 1S 2D 2H 3S 4C(1) 5H(2) 5NT(3) 6S (1) Playing "serious" 3NT, your hand is good (6 losers) but not super-duper, so you bid 4C to show first or second round control. (3) 1/4 OR if you play non-serious 3NT: 1S 2D 2H 3S 3NT(1) 4D(2) 4H (3) 5H(4) 5NT (5) 6S (1) Playing non-serious 3NT, you are good enough to cooperate if partner wants to investigate slam, but not good enough to have serious slam interest, so you bid 3NT. (2) 1/2 round control of diamonds, but NOT 1/2 round control of clubs: slam interest (3) Last Train: Shows 1/2 round club control (otherwise you would bid 4S), but shows a hand that can't force to slam at this point (4) Exclusion key card (5) 1/4 Not hard. If you don't play some form of serious/non-serious 3NT and Last Train, you should add them to your arsenal. Cheers, Mike