miamijd

Playing strong club systems of one sort or another, of course they do. Totally different.

Of course you are right, but my point is that I'd have a hard time constructing an 11-cout 5332 that I'd open in 1-2 seat at IMPs playing 2/1. Maybe AK98x Axx xxx xx That's about it. Cheers, Mike

Maybe your system is that the cheapest bid is the default bid (i.e., the inability to make any other bid), but no one else in the world plays that. In almost all modern 2/1 systems (though not Hardy's original system), 2s does not show 6 spades at all. It shows either (i) 6+ spades OR (ii) the inability to make any other descriptive bid. So you aren't "fudging" when you rebid 2S at all. Your partner should expect you to have 5, as the default bid will occur more often than the 6+ spade hands. A 2H bid shows 4+ H here. Period. You don't want partner bidding 4H on 3451, do you? A 2NT bid ought to show at least a partial stop in H and C. Not a small doubleton. Yes, in Hardy's original system, 2S showed 6+ and 2NT was the default bid, but very few top-level players play that way any more. In early versions of 2/1, a raise to 3D used to show 4+ diamonds and extra strength. No more. 3+ trump and a minimum opening are fine. So your choices are 2S (default) or 3D. Since my diamonds are awful; my hand is weak; and I have no shortness, I don't really want to encourage a diamond contract. So I would bid 2S here. After 2S, I'm well-positioned to handle whatever partner bids. If he has three spades, he'll raise and we've found our strain. If he bids 2NT, I can raise to 3NT. If he has a side club suit, he'll bid 3C, and now I can bid 3NT. If he rebids 3D, I can bid 3H, showing a heart stop and pinpointing the club concern. If he rebids 3H, I'll bid 4D. Luckily, partner won't rebid 3H here unless he is totally bankrupt in clubs or else has 5 hearts (he knows I don't have 4 when I bid 2s). Incidentally, I would only open this hand in 1-2 seat if playing a strong club system. In 2/1, it's generally better to pass with 11 and 5332 (exchange a small club for a small h and it's an easy opener). If you open hands like this in 2/1, you put too much pressure on the 1NT forcing response (it has to cover much too wide a variety of hands, even with methods like Gazilli).

Depends to some extent on your agreements with partner. Is Ax xx xx KQJxxxx a 3C bid or a 1C bid? Is x xxx xx KQJTxxx a 3C bid red v white 1st seat? How about Axx x xx QJTxxxx? There are no right and wrong answers to these questions, but if you haven't discussed this with your partner, then you basically have to guess what to do here. And even if you answer those questions 3c, no, and no, it still might not be right to bid 3NT. You have a 10-card fit (partner shouldn't bid 3C on a six-bagger red vs white), so the opponents should have at least a 9-card fit. That means partner likely has a red-suit singleton (or a spade void). If it's hearts, the opponents could easily run 5-6 tricks (or not, maybe RHO will have the Jack). If it's diamonds, then your partner is going to have to have Kc and an outside Ace to make. If he has a spade void, the opponents generally are going to take at least the first 5 tricks, and maybe the first 10 if both majors lie badly. In a pickup, I probably would try 3NT vul at IMPs (but pass at MPs or NV at IMPs). Since my partner and I tend to be very aggressive preemptors with respect to 3C and 3D bids, I probably would cross my fingers and pass in my regular partnerships. Cheers, mike Cheers,

After a 1NT bid (and the one here is bare-basement minimum; I would have considered a pass on the first round), a X in this situation is penalty unless you have an agreement otherwise. I don't know why you would want to X, though. If partner just has a pile of spades headed by KQJ and maybe an outside Ace, then the opponents are likely making 3h; where are your tricks? If, on the other hand, partner has minor-suit defensive cards, then you probably aren't making 2S, so there is no need to X 3h. Cheers, Mike

With nothing else to go on, play low to the ten. This wins whenever West has a singleton or doubleton honor, and also when he has KQx. But maybe you have reason to believe that West is longer in clubs than East. If that's the case, you should play East for the doubleton honor by playing low off the board toward the Jack. If East plays his honor, you can hook West for the other one. If East ducks, the Ace will fell his doub honor. Cheers, Mike

Well, opening lead is one of the most difficult parts of the game. There are no hard and fast rules, only general principles. In a vacuum, yes, a low doubleton is often a poor lead. Still, there are some hands where it is the least of evils. And there are other hands where partner is marked with possible strength in that suit (for example, where the opponents have a protracted auction to 4M or 5m and bid the other three suits but never NT). You gave bidding but not the opening leader's hand. On the bidding you provided, I would generally lead a minor suit, unless I had a stiff spade or my spades were especially strong (in that case, there is no danger of declarer getting discards on dummy's spade suit). You didn't indicate what the opening leader's diamond holding was, but if he had the Ace, then the club lead, though not great, would certainly be preferable to a diamond lead.

Faking a reverse into hearts is 100% safe if you have 3 spades. If partner raises hearts (showing 4), you know he has 5 spades (with 44 he would have bid 1H, not 1S), so you just go back to spades to show your hearts were phony. This is rather common on 3361 and 3163 hands, and sometimes is useful on 3262 hands, too (if you choose not to open the hand with 2NT).

The trouble with a 2C opener is that it's going to be difficult to know what the right spot is after 2C 2D/2H 3D 3H/3S. You now have no idea either where the hand belongs (NT, D, or if partner bids 3S, spades) or how high (game or slam). And unfortunately, you have pretty much run out of room to explore. I would open 1D on this hand (but I think I would be in the minority). I'm not too worried about playing there; if partner is bust, someone is going to bid hearts or clubs. After 1S, 5D is a silly bid. All partner needs is Kxxxx of spades to make 6S odds-on, and KQxxx to make a grand a good bet. Alternatively, 6 or 7D could be cold. Instead, you have an easy reverse to 2H. It is actually common enough to reverse into a phony suit. There are a lot of 6331 hands with a 6 card minor where you have to do that. This is an extension of that. The reason 2H is safe as can be here is that you have 3 spades. So if partner raises hearts, you know he has 4 hearts, and thus at least 5 spades (because with 44, he'd bid 1H, not 1S). With your hand, a heart raise would be great news. So now you have 1D 1S 2H 2S (showing 5) 4NT 5D(one) 5H(Qask) 6S (Q no Kings) 7S. Easy peasy lemon squeezy :) Cheers, Mike

This hand is too good for 2H. You can take your pick between 2C Reverse Drury or a passed-hand "fit jump" bid of 2S. Drury will keep you low when partner has a minimum (if he responds 2D, invitational, you probably should sign off at 2H). The fit jump will get you to some thin, making games that Drury won't, but you'll be stuck in 3H on some hands that might only make 8 tricks. Cheers. Mike

Hopefully my response will clear up a few misconceptions that seem to be around: 1. If you play "standard" NMF, then 2S does NOT establish a game force. It shows 12-13 and 3 spades. With 14 and 3 spades, partner skips to 3S (forcing). 2. That means that unless you have agreed otherwise, 3s is NOT FORCING. It is an invite. I don't think that's what you want to do with this hand. If you don't believe me, perhaps you will believe Larry Cohen: https://www.larryco.com/bridge-learning-center/detail/108 3. 3C isn't typically played as forcing, either. The meaning of 3C depends on how you play 3C directly over 1NT. If you play that as a weak 46 (4 spades 6 clubs), then 3C now is a 45 or 46 invitational hand. If you play 3C over 1NT as invitational, then 3C now is a weak 46 and is to play. Otherwise, you have no way to show the weak 46 hand and the invitational 45 and 46 hands. 4. I probably would bid 6S at this point, especially if this is MPs. Partner didn't bid 3S, so you are highly unlikely to have 7S. But you have a 5-loser hand with a 9-fit opposite an opening bid; that ought to make slam. The advantage of just "blasting" is that the opponents have less information regarding what to lead. They might have the AKh between them and fail to lead H. In addition, if you play standard expert cue-bidding, it's hard to find a control in the suit below the trump suit, as in a cue-bidding sequence, a 4H bid is not a H control, but instead is "Last Train." Finally, the reason why I say "especially in MPs," is that in MPs, there is an additional reason to blast. If you cue-bid or use key-card and end up in 6S with partner having the Kh, I guarantee you that LHO will lead H even if he doesn't have the Ace. This could cost you a valuable overtrick. 5. This sort of hand is the reason why NMF is not a great treatment. Two-way NMF or xyz is a lot better. With two-way, you would bid 2D, not 2C, to show a game forcing hand (2C would show game invitational strength). Partner would bid 2S with a minimum and 3 spades, and now that you are in a GF auction, 3C would indeed start a cue-bidding sequence. Much easier. Cheers, Mike

You can't X against opponents that know what they are doing. Partner didn't X 2H, so he doesn't have four hearts. Thus, the opponents have at least 9 hearts between them. Doubling a 2H contract when the opponents have 9 trumps between them courts -670 or worse.

I didn't say 3NT was the right bid (I would not bid 3NT here), only that it has merit and will work out more often than you think.

2NT here is not Lebensohl, because there is no need for a Leb bid here. Leb is used to distinguish merely competitive hands (which go through Leb) from constructive ones (which bid directly). Here, partner knows you have a constructive hand, because if 2C were garbage Stayman, you would pass 2h (maybe gamble a X if your hearts were good). So 2NT here ought to be natural and invitational. X in this situation ought to be penalty; what if you have a decent hand with 4h? You have three reasonable choices here, none of which are particularly appetizing. You could bid 3d, a game force showing 4S (you did use Stayman, after all), 5D, and likely no heart stop. You could bid 3H, showing 4S and likely no H stop, with balanced minors. You could bid 3NT directly and take your chances. I think I prefer 3D at this juncture to 3h, because if partner has no H stop and we have to play 4m or 5m, it at least indicates that I prefer D to C. It also lets partner bid 3h with a partial stop in H (Qx or Jxx, after which I can bid 3NT with my stiff K). 3NT isn't for me, as I tend to be more scientific, but it's not off the wall, especially at IMPs, because that's the game most likely to make. Partner often shows up with something like AQx Jxx Kx AQxxx and 3NT makes easily. Cheers, mike

Tough choice. I think 3S and 4D are reasonable. I would bid 3S without a lot of confidence. 3S is right on values, because partner doesn't guarantee a big hand here. He might have something like Axx Kxxx x AQxxx. Hands like those have to compete in these sorts of auctions or you end up getting robbed blind On the hand I posited, 3S almost certainly won't make; 4H or 4S will likely go down at least two -- quite possibly three -- and quite possibly doubled. 4D will be the winner when partner has a really good hand and is 43 or 34 in the majors. Now you'll get to game in the right strain. It might also win when partner has a good but not great X (one where he would not have raised 3S to game) and game makes. Something like AQxx AJTx xx Axx, perhaps. The reason I would settle for 3S is that the auction isn't over yet. If partner can't raise to 4S, we might not have game. Moreover, the opponents, with at least 10 diamonds between them, are likely to bid 4D if we can make game (with few high cards in the majors, they will tend to bid on; if they have secondary major cards, they might leave 3S, but that might be a good thing for us). Then I can bid 4H. I think it's pretty close, though. Cheers, mike

Tough call. I could see X, 2NT, 3C, #NT, or 5C. I think I would start with X, but none of these bids seem horrible. X generally should work out OK unless partner insists on spades. If partner bids the expected 2S, you can bid 3C, showing this sort of hand, and see if partner has a little something to continue on, in which case you'll likely reach 3NT. If partner bids 3S (invite with 5S), you can try 3NT. Over 2NT Leb, you bid 3C. If partner bids 3S (invite with 4S), you have an easy 3NT call. If partner bids 3D, I would try 4C. Yes, 3NT could work, but since partner has denied 4S, you are apt to get killed in spades unless partner has the Ac. I'd bid 4C and let partner go to 5 with a couple of cards. Altogether, pretty comfortable. The only risk is that if partner insists on playing 4S, you may well be in the wrong spot. You'll have to guess whether to leave that or bid 5C. 2NT seems wrong to me, as it contains a lot of risk without much reward. First, partner may drop you in 3S on hands where 5C or 3NT makes easily. Second, partner could drop you in 4S on hands where it's wrong. Finally, partner could have a hand that's good enough to make 3NT or 5C, but not good enough to bid over 2NT. Lot of bad things that could happen. The trouble is, I don't see what good can come of starting with 2NT rather than X. 3C is an underbid with risk and reward. The risk is that you'll miss a game if partner isn't strong enough to bid over 3C but has enough stuff to make game. The reward is that you'll almost certainly make 3C, so if game doesn't make, you'll get a good score. At MPs, I would be tempted to bid 3C. At IMPs, I don't want to miss an easy game, so I think 3C is way too risky. 5C is reasonable, but what if 3NT is the only making game? Seems a bit unilateral to me. 3NT also seems unilateral. What if we belong in clubs? Surely there is room for some investigation.

I think others have pretty much nailed this one. 2C is a truly awful overcall. If you overcall on hands like this, you'll end up too high when partner has a good hand and go for way too many telephone numbers when partner has a poor hand. Substitute the Jc for a small club and now you might think about overcalling. At least you have a one-loser suit opposite partner's expected doubleton, so you won't get Xed as often, and if partner has a holding like Ax of clubs, you have a source of trix in NT. 3NT is similarly an overbid. Ax or Axx of clubs would be far preferable, and even then, 2S or 2NT seem more reasonable. As it is, I think your only choice is to bid 2S. It's ugly on that shabby spade suit, but if partner has decent support, you might have a game. As it is, partner will pass 2S, and you're in decent shape. Hopefully, the opps will bid 3H and let your side defend. 50% charge to both I would say.

What you have. "noticed" doesn't comport with reality. 4/4 generally plays better than 5/3, especially when you need riffing tricks. And if you think you need 29 Pts to make 4M with a 4/4 major fit, I'd like to play vs you for $$

No you don't. See my post above re 2s as range finder or clubs Mike

If you're going to play 2s for clubs and 2nt for d, you should play 2s as range finder or clubs. That is, you his 2s on NT invite hands and hands that would otherwise bid 4nt as a slam invite Opener bids 2nt with a min & 3c with an accept. Then responder can pass, correct to 3c with a mini, bid 3nt over 3c or bid 3x to show a gf with clubs and shortness in the bid suit The advantage here is that 2c goes back to guaranteeing a 4 card major, which opens up more possibilities for auctions like 1nt. 2c. 2d/h 2s Cheers Mike

Tough choice. North probably has 4s (south has 3 or less, and if South had 2, North, with 5, probably would have shown spades at some point). North has shown up with at least 1c. The question therefore is whether he has 5 or 6 diamonds. If he has 5 diamonds, then he is 4351 or 4252, and your best chance to make the contract is to play low from your hand, hoping that South has a void or the stiff Ace. If North is 4252, it's 50-50, but if North has 4351, you have to hook the Q, so that tips the scales toward the finesse. On the other hand, if North has 6 diamonds, then you have to hope he's 4261 (if he's 4162, you have no chance, as South has the AQh). In that case, your only chance is to rise with the King, because if South has the stiff Ace, he'll just give North a club ruff with North's Q. It would be nice to know what North's 3H bid meant. It would also be nice to know what South would bid with good 5-card diamond support. Would he really start with 1s? Or is that more of a 1nt bid? I would normally expect the latter. If I had to guess, I would play North for 6d, because I would have expected South to show diamond support on the first round with 5 of them, either with 2d, 3d, or 2h. So without any great amount of confidence, I would play the Kh. What actually happened?

I would pass. The key is that partner is a passed hand. If RHO were the dealer, then it's a different auction (partner could have quite a good hand, but no good bid). In IMPs, X might win as often as it loses, but when it wins, it will win 4-5 IMPs (by pushing the opponents to a contract they can't make), whereas when it loses, it may lose big (responder could come out of the bushes with a long spade suit for a making 4s, or partner could get excited, go to the 3 level, and go for a phone number). When faced with these sorts of coin flip situations at IMPs, choose the action that is less likely to result in disaster. In MPs, it's the frequency of gain that matters, but here, there is an extra way to lose that you don't really have at IMPs. As before, X could push the opponents to a contract they can't make. It could also help us find a making contract, although the hand is so poor offensively that seems unlikely. As at IMPs, X might result in our going down against nothing or pushing the opponents into a makeable game. But now there is an additional danger. Clubs may well not be the opponents' best strain. They may be far better in NT or spades from a scoring standpoint. X gives them the chance to find a higher-scoring spot. I like to bid, but not this time.

4S is only preemptive if 3D is a limit raise. Assuming 3D is weak, 4S is NOT preemptive. It's a hand that wants to bid game but is not strong enough to bid 4D. If the bid to your right was preemptive, a jump by you is strong.

Support Xs are at the level of 2h or lower and are always made by opener to show 3 pieces in responders suit. They are never made by responder, over caller, or advancer Some folks play this X as dual meaning. That is, it's either responsive or else a good hand (not good enough force game) with three card support. That treatment works well, UNLESS the opponents are rude enough to keep bidding.

A number of your descriptions are not correct Double is not "negative" here. Standard expert is responsive. A 4d cue bid does not promise 4 pieces. You can't be that precise in high level competitive auctions. 3 card support is fine. This hand almost qualifies but not quite. I wish we had three diamonds At least then we know partner has at most 1. This way they are apt to be 2-2. 4S is in no way preemptive. You never preempt over a preempt. A good rule of thumb that actually works is this: if the bid on your right was strong, a jump by you is weak (unless it has a conventional meaning). If the bid on your right was weak, then a jump by you is strong. Here 4s is a good hand but not as good as 4d I would bid 4s the first time if playing responsive doubles, because there's no good way to invite game and because I have no clue what to do over 4d at MPs. At least I give the opponents the last guess. I know exactly what to do if they bid 5d. Cheers, Mike