miamijd

+1

No, it was a 5-3 fit. Trump were OK. Problem is that he was off three cashing H tricks. But the opponents didn't find the H lead, and Becker was able to execute a neat Morton's Fork sort of endplay.

I think the original poster wanted to know when 4C would be Gerber and when it would be natural. In general, 4C is standard Gerber when made (i) where no trump suit has been agreed (ii) over a 1NT or 2NT bid: 1x 1y 1NT 4C 1x 1y 2NT 4C 1x 1y 1z 2(fourth suit) 2NT 4C 1x 2y 2NT 4C If you play "Standard expert," then 4C is RKC Gerber after a Stayman inquiry and a major suit response: 1NT 2C 2H/S 4C It's sort of "standard" to play 3 of the other major as an unbalanced slam try; 4D as a balanced slam try; and 4C as RKC Gerber. That way, 4NT is natural, with no fit. In other situations, 4C is generally NOT Gerber. Cheers, Mike

I don't understand why you bid 7H. The Robot showed about 8-9 when it signed off in 3NT. With 10+, it doesn't bid 3NT over 3S. When you bid 4H, if you moused over, I think the robot expected 5/5. So your partner has 3+ hearts and 8-9 HCP. Why do you think you can make a grand? If I wanted to gamble in MPs, I would bid 6NT and hope I didn't get a diamond lead (even on a D lead, you have some squeeze chances, but they don't come in here). But I think after 5S, you should just bid 5NT (Q, no lower Kings) or even 6H. Incidentally, when the robot bids 2NT over 2C, it generally doesn't have a four-card major. Not 100%, but that's what I have found. Cheers, Mike

It's not easy playing 2/1. Much easier playing a big club system. But in 2/1, perhaps: 2C 2D 2S 2NT 3H 3S(1) 4C(2) 5NT(3) 6H (1) two spades; stronger than 3NT (opener can bid 3NT with a minimum) (2) patterning out; stronger than a minimum (min bids 3NT) (3) Pick a Slam; should be 2/3/4/4 The reason 5NT should be 2/3/4/4 here is (i) responder has shown two spades; (ii) responder didn't raise clubs, so he doesn't have five of them, but still appears to consider clubs if opener is 5404, so likely four); (iii) responder appears to be considering H as a possible strain, so 3 is likely as he has denied four. Also, if any of these are not true, responder has five diamonds, but he bid 2NT, not 3D. When opener shows a probable 5413 with slam interest, responder's hand becomes awfully good. And besides, this auction gives me a chance to use my second-favorite convention (5NT pick a slam). Cheers, mike

I'm afraid I don't understand. Why would this bid be self-alerted? If you aren't playing with screens (and since this was a club, you wouldn't be), you don't self-alert. And even if you did have screens, this isn't an alertable call. So I am very confused.

I completely agree. I find the entire idea of women's events to be sexist. Why would a lack of testosterone or different body build be any sort of disadvantage at bridge? If men and women can compete against one another in equestrian events, in auto racing, and as jockeys, surely they can do so at the bridge table. Cheers, mike

Don't be so hard on yourself. One thing that separates top players from everyone else is the ability to visualize what partner holds during the bidding and then play the hand out mentally. Experience is a good teacher here. Thus, any time you see a free rebid opposite a support double, you know it's 5+ and 3. This is just one of those things that comes up from time to time, and the more you see it, the more likely you are to get it right next time. As you point out, once you figure out that partner has a stiff spade, it's pretty easy to play the hand out and determine that 5D is likely to make if partner has as little as four diamonds and the Ah. By the way, I think your partner overbid with 4D. The Kc is worthless. A simple 3D is plenty good enough after the 2D 10+ raise. You'll still get to game over 3D. Keep on truckin' Mike

Let's give partner the minimum hand he rates to have on this auction: x AJxx Qxxx Jxxx Do you think that's strong enough to splinter 3S after (1C) 1D (1S)? I certainly don't. You are basically committing yourself to 3NT or 5D, and your hand isn't strong enough. After the 2S bid, a 3S call by partner is NOT any spade control. It's a spade stop for NT (the opponents have bid two suits, so cue bids show controls). Partner doesn't have that. Please tell me what hand partner can have on this auction that (a) justifies his bidding; (b) makes sense given the opponents' bidding; and © has two spades worse than Kx and only one rounded Ace. It's very hard to make up such a hand. As for the opponents, West must have at least five spades and East must have exactly three. If you believe otherwise, I suggest you start playing in better games. And by the way, I'm not the only one risking IMPs on 5D making. You are risking IMPs on 5D not making. I'll bet 5D is at least 80% on this auction. Cheers, mike

West bid 1S, showing four or more. East made a support double, showing exactly three. Over your 2D call, West freely bid 2S. He might bid 2S with only four if you pass and he is forced to bid something. But once you bid, he is off the hook. If he has only four spades and a minimum hand, why wouldn't he pass? So he has at least five, which leaves your partner with at most one. There is another way to look at it, too. What does your partner have for his bidding, which showed 10+ in support of diamonds? He has at most the AJh and the Qd in the reds. That's seven. East has bid clubs twice, so it's unlikely he has much there. What else could he have for his bid? A stiff spade -- ah, there's the ticket! Cheers, Mike

I would have bid 2S or 3D, rather than 2D. You have a hand that is much better than minimum for your 1D overcall. 6/4, great diamonds, a stiff in opener's strong suit. When the opponents have bid two suits, a cue-bid of one suit tends to show, rather than ask for, a stop. Since you have sort of a stop in spades, you could bid 2S, so that if partner has a good stop in clubs, you could play 3NT. Or you could jump to 3D if you are afraid that East could lead a spade to West, who would then put a club through your partner's stop. On this bidding, yes, I would try 5D. What do you think partner has for his bidding? East has shown long, strong clubs. West has shown five spades, East three, and you have four. I would wager partner has the Ah, the Qd, a stiff spade, and probably one club honor (that you don't need). In that case, 5D will roll. Cheers, Mike

Like Mike H., I pass -- no real second choice for me. 1. If we have a fit, so do the opponents. Thus, if the strength is anywhere close to evenly distributed, it should be easy enough to show this hand later, either with some sort of Michaels or unusual NT bid. 2. If we don't have a heart fit, opening 1H may well lead to a very bad score, because there will be no way to prevent partner from correcting clubs back to hearts. Opening 1C is less likely to lead to disaster, but quite likely to suppress a heart fit. 3. We have no defense whatsoever. God help us if partner doubles for penalty. 4. If someone put a gun to my head and forced me to open this hand playing standard 2/1 methods, I would open 3C NV, insane as it may look. 5. If playing a big club, I would treat this as a 6-4 hand and open 2C. Most big club systems allow for 6C/4M hands (certainly Meckwell does). The advantages are (i) I show my good club suit; (ii) I get some decent preemption, especially if partner can raise clubs. The only disadvantage occurs when partner has 3 hearts and a very good hand. If my partner has 4H and a good hand, we won't miss H, and if we have a heart fit but not a clear balance of power, the opponents likely have spades, so it doesn't matter which suit we bid.

ALlow me to disagree slightly with some of what has been written before. A weak hand with great hearts just bids 4H over 1D. That's isn't a splinter. 3H is a double-jump; it is a splinter (you wouldn't want to go past 3NT in this situation, either). 1♦-1♥-2♣-4♥ This is a GF hand with no first or second round control outside of hearts. Maybe something like: xx AKQJxx xx Qxx If you had weaker hand, you could invite with 3H. If you had an outside control, you would bid 2S FSF first, then bid hearts as cheaply as possible 1♦-2♥-3♣-4♥ There really is no such an auction if you are playing any sort of disciplined strong jump shifts (17+). The whole point of a SJS is to find slams. The second bid from the jump shifter shows whether he has a strong suit of his own, support for opener's suit, or a big, balanced hand with a five-bagger. Bidding 3H shows the single-suited strong jump shift. 3NT would show the balanced hand with five hearts. 3S would show the diamond support hand. The hand one commenter posited: Axx AKQxxxx xx x is probably not quite good enough for a SJS, but if you think it is, then you rebid 3H to show a very strong hand with a good heart suit. Bidding 4H is pointless. Ostensibly it would show a great hand with no first or second round control outside of H, but it that's your hand, you don't have a SJS. Cheers, Mike

I think either 2S or 4S is OK. 2S may allow you to buy the contract for 2 or (more likely) 3S, and 3 may well be the limit. On the other hand, you might miss an occasional game if partner has the right hand. As for slam, you'll get there after 4S (I would just blast 6). After a raise to 2S, I suppose you could accept a 3C try (but I don't know that I would), in which case you'll get there. All in all, big club methods like Meckwell Precision have a huge advantage on hands like these.

That's why 4S, not 4NT, is the key card bid for H.

I would pass in 2d seat at red vs white. At any other vulnerability, or in 1st or 3d seats at any vul, I am bidding something.

I think 5H is clear. First, partner made a red vs white preempt in second seat, so he needs a lot more than KJT seven times in H. He has to have side strength in spades or diamonds, more likely diamonds. Perhaps something like: x KJTxxxx AJxx x in which case you are likely making 6H. Second, you can't be at all certain of beating 5C. You may well have no H tricks. If one opponent has a stiff in partner's pointy suit, 5C will roll home. So in IMPs, 5H is easy. The worst thing that can happen is you lose a few IMPs when 5C and 5H are both -1. That's cheap insurance against a double game swing. Even in MP, I think 5H wins a lot more than it loses. And FYI, if partner has something like KJT eighth in hearts and out, you better have a conversation about your preempts :) That is NOT a second-seat red vs white 3H bid (at equal vul, it's OK).

If the situation really was as you described (and, of course, I have heard only your side of the story, not the director's). then the director was plainly wrong. Even in ACBL-land, there are NO delayed alerts when using screens or on the computer. If the director really told you it was a delayed alert, I will bet he or she was not a certified ACBL director (or certified anywhere) the way the directors of BBO tourneys are. In ACBL-land, in face-to-face games without screens, any alert of a bid above 3NT (except for bids on one's first turn to call) is delayed until after the auction is over. This is because it's highly unlikely the opponents will want to ask about these bids, so the alert serves mostly just to wake up your partner. But when using screens on playing on computers, there are NO delayed alerts. All alerts are immediate, because you can alert without your partner knowing you did so. What is this Sky Club? Sounds like the Delta Airlines lounge to me. Cheers, Mike

Of course it is. You have 9 cards in the minors, and you have to show partner that now, so that he can make an intelligent decision at his next turn. If you pass, West is likely to raise to 2S. Now what is your partner supposed to do with: xxx Qxxxx KQx xx or xxx Axxx xx Kxxx He is stuck guessing, and if I'm your partner, I'm probably just going to pass unless I'm NV at MPs, and maybe even then. You don't want me to pass; you want me to bid 3m. It might make; we might push them to 3S; and even if we go set, at MPs, we'll likely go set less than -110. You have to show your minor holdings immediately, so that partner has an easy 3D on hand 1 or 3c on hand 2. Cheers, mike

I think (I hope) he was referring to your making an accidental pun. You said FOR US. But the first time I read that, I thought you meant "For the USA." Keep well. Mike

In the USA, a very common treatment is to play 3H over 1NT as a 5/5M invite and 3S as 5/5 GF or better). Then the auction goes: 1NT 3S(1) 4D(2) 5D(3) 5NT(4) 6S (1) 5/5M game force or better (2) spades, with a good hand (c is H with a good hand; 4h/s are minimum hands) (3) exclusion (4) two, no Qs (don't count Ad, although we don't have it) Cheers, Mike

In this vein, I like to play a 2nt response to 1M as a balanced game force with 2-3 card support. You can use 2s over 1h and 3c over 1s as your 4 card GF raise. Gitelman has advocated this for some time. This way, 2x over 1M always shows a five card or better suit, with the rare exception of. 1444 over 1s, where you must bid 2c with only 4. Makes bidding minor slams much easier and doesn’t give up much at all. The trouble with 2c semi-artificial (which is what I end up playing with most partners) is that finding club games and slams becomes very tough.

What Stephen Tu said is quite right, but you sound like someone new to the game, so I would forget about Rubenshol for a long time and just learn regular Lebensohl. In addition, drop your 1NT opener from 16-18 to 15-17. 16-18 was for the days when you needed 13HCP to open. Nowadays, almost all balanced 12-counts are worth an opener. You don't want to have 1x-1y-1NT show 12-15; a four-point range is too much for responder to bid accurately (for example, if responder has a 10-count, if he invites with 2NT, you are apt to go set if you have only 12, but if he passes 1NT, you are likely to miss game if you have 15). Cheers, Mike

X is so obvious here that it's a WTP? Here is a good general principle for you. If you are at all short (two or fewer) in the opponents' suit, you should strain to reopen. I would reopen with a X even if the Qc were the Tc. Partner is likely going to have length in the opponents' suit (as he did here) and could have a decent hand (he could even have had a slightly better hand but with no D stop). If you have length in the opponents' suit, however, you should reopen only when it seems pretty clear to do so. Now your partner is apt to be somewhat short in the opponents' suit, which means that he is less likely to have a good hand (he has length in other suits but didn't overcall or X). Cheers, mike

With a human partner, I X, not because it keeps 3hX in the mix (that will be very rare), but because it keeps diamonds in play (I have a good dummy for diamonds if partner has KJxxx of diamonds and out with a stiff spade). GIB Bots, however, tend to pass for penalties when they shouldn't -- a lot. I wouldn't X with a H void with a bot for fear of a penalty pass. Probably I hold my nose and bid 4C, because the bots tend to correct to diamonds on their own (when they shouldn't) if they have a long suit. If I did X and my GIB-bot partner bid 3S, I would pass. Same goes with a human partner. If partner didn't have enough to bid 2S over 2H (and he should absolutely strain to do so), then either he has only 2 spades or else (more likley) he has 3 spades and a really bad hand. Either way, a pumping defense (forcing you to ruff hearts) is apt to work quite well. Cheers, Mike