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As Stephen pointed out, the answer depends in large part upon whether you like or dislike opener's three-card raises of responder's major. If you frequently raise on 3 (which I hate, but which is relatively common here on the West coast, especially among Mike Lawrence disciples), then you need a method to show a minimum with 3 pieces and 4+ support for opener's minor. In the given auction, 3C fits the bill. If, on the other hand, you follow the modern trend and don't raise on 3 unless there is absolutely no reasonable alternative, then you don't need a bid to cater to this specific situation (or you can use 2NT to suggest a possible 3-card raise game try). Cheers, Mike

Looks to me like a very obvious 2H bid at any form of scoring and no matter whether RHO opened 1H in first, second, or third seat. Cheers, Mike

It depends on the hand. With xxx AKQx AKJxx x, I think you want to bid 2H. 4H could easily be your best spot (or maybe 5D). With KQx Kxxx AQJxx K, I would bid 2NT. These are a bit extreme, but you get the idea. Incidentally, although it isn't "SAYC," most USA players play inverted minors. In that case, 1NT doesn't necessarily show many clubs. Your partner could easily be 3343 (in SAYC, too) or 3352. With the 3352 hand and an 8-9 count, partner generally starts with 1NT and then hops out of the bushes with 3D later on if the opponents bid a major. Otherwise, the 3D preempt covers much too wide a range for constructive bidding. Cheers, Mike

Bid 2M.

Invite. A great 17 that you decided to upgrade to 18, or else a bad-to-middling 18. With a great 18 or any 19, I bid 3NT. Partner shouldn't bid 1NT over 1m with a 4-5 count. 1M over 1m, sometimes yes; not 1NT.

This is more a matter of hand evaluation than a matter of system. This is a pretty good hand opposite a strong NT. It's a seven-loser hand with an almost-guaranteed 8-fit (partner could be 2254 or 2245, so it's not a guaranteed 8-fit) and a very possible 9-fit (maybe even a 10-fit). That will generally produce a game. The one big negative is your hideous lack of spot cards in your long suits. KT8xx would certainly be a lot better. I would make whatever bid you use to invite game in a major. For me, that's 3H, but there are a wide variety of methods and treatments here. I think forcing to game is a little ambitious, even in IMPs, but I don't think it's completely nuts. Failing to invite game, however, is way too cowardly here. Cheers, Mike

I think the bidding is fine except for partner's 3H call. At MPs, I would have passed, as it's very unlikely you have a game. At IMPs, 3H is worth considering.

AKx or AQx or the like I would agree with you. But who in their right mind wants partner to lead a suit where they have a singleton? I think this is not lead-directing in any sense that the opponents would expect, and accordingly, I would think it should be alerted. Moreover, the agreement potentially yields an underhanded way of showing shortness. Certainly you would agree that if the agreement was "shortness" it should be alerted. Well, how do we know that the pair is going to make the same bid holding AQTx in the suit? Maybe they will pass with that and choose MOSTLY to make the bid with shortness, relying on their opponents to believe that it shows a suit. I still think that if the bid can show shortness at this level then it should be alerted. Mike

Not necessarily. Doubles of higher-level calls could be AKx or AQx. Just depends on the context.

Well, I'm an ACBL certified director, but I get them wrong sometimes, too. In my opinion, you should alert this double, but it doesn't look like the opponents were damaged. Under ACBL regulations, doubles, redoubles, and passes are alerted if they are "highly unusual or [have] unexpected meanings". (1NT) 2c(capp) 2d(transfer) X What would a typical expert expect this double to mean? I see three main possibilities: 1. Short hearts and support for all the other suits. That is: "Partner, if your suit is hearts, you might want to double for penalty. If you suit is anything else, I have support for you, and you can bid over their 2H bid." You could use a 2H call here for that meaning, but what if partner's suit actually is hearts? That's why I think X is better for this hand. 2. A diamond suit. "Partner, I don't know what you suit is, but I have good diamonds if you want to compete there." 3. Sort of like 2, but lead-directing, with enough diamonds to survive if the opponents elect to X 2D and partner leaves it. Maybe AKxx at a minimum, hopefully longer. I like treatment 1; many would play 2; I don't think 3 would get many votes on bridgewinners. Lead-directing with short diamonds looks very odd to me. Would you double two diamonds with x xxx KQJTxx xxx? Probably so, unless you play treatment 1 above. Well, if you would do the same thing with xxxx xxx x Axxxx you're going to put your partner in an untenable situation. How you do know his suit isn't spades? And if it is, how does he know to pass if you have the first hand and bid like crazy in spades if you have the second? Short diamonds here is going to be VERY unexpected. If your actual agreement is "lead direction; could be a suit or shortness," I think that needs to be alerted. On the other hand, I'm not sure how your opponents were damaged. Did they do anything differently as a result of the failure to alert? Seems unlikely. I doubt I would have adjusted the score, but if that really is your agreement, then I would have advised you to alert it from now on. Are there any ACBL directors out there who disagree with me? Cheers, Mike

No, I don't bid 1NT. Where in the world are my tricks opposite not much of anything from partner? I will get killed. No, I don't double. Why double? I have two defensive tricks and probably a third in hearts. That's it. West obviously has a singleton diamond; he is no double 4315 with strong clubs that will run with my Qx in the slot. At most I'm beating it one, and in IMPs you don't risk giving away a normally unmakeable doubled game for an extra 100 points. I lead a heart honor to cut down on dummy's ruffing power. Cheers, Mike

A simple rebid is not constructive. It's 6-9. Most 2/1 systems treat a jump to 3H here as invitational. GF sequences go through 2C FSF. There are still a few 2/1 styles (Eastern Scientific) that use the jump as forcing and FSF as forcing one round, but they are now a very tiny minority. Mike

Not a hard slam to find. If you play that 2H is NOT a strong jump shift (weak, Reverse Flannery, or some other treatment), then a very simple auction would be: 1D 1H 1S 2C(1) 2D 3H(2) key card(3) response 6H (1) fourth suit forcing (to game) (2) strong hand; strong suit; slammish (otherwise you just bid 2H to show 6+ hearts) (3) partner has announced a strong jump shift in H with a self-sufficient H suit. You have two-card support, first or second round control of all side suits, and a source of tricks. How can you not have a slam if you aren't off two quick ones? A slightly more complex auction would be: 1D 1H 1S 2C 2D 3H 3S 3NT(1) 4C(2) key card response 6H (1) moving along; tell me more if you can (2) first or second round control of clubs Even if opener just raises 3H to 4H (very bad), responder can bid 5H to ask about clubs (some risk, since you could be off three clubs tricks, but minimal, and if opener has a club control, you have a slam). Playing strong jump shifts (does anyone still do that?), it might go: 1D 2H 2S 3H(1) key-card(2) response 6H Again, when responder shows 17+ with a self-sufficient H suit, what is opener waiting for? Cheers, Mike

2H immediate double negative is a much better option than cheaper minor (which is just dreadful). A common set of agreements in the USA is: 2D: waiting; game force 2H: double negative 2S: positive in H (either 6+ H, but not a 3H or 4D bid, or else five good hearts) 2NT: positive in S (either 6+ S, but not a 3S or 4H bid. or else five good spades) 3C/D: positive in the suit 3H/S: a one-loser six-card suit with nothing outside (maybe a J or so) 3NT: a running seven-bagger (any suit headed by AKQ) 4x: a one-loser seven-card suit in the next highest strain (clubs shows diamonds, etc. - 4S shows clubs) with nothing outside Cheers, Mike

I have to admit I hate your treatments over 2C. Simply awful. Get some better ones. That being said, most hands should respond 2D waiting over a 2C bid. A bid other than 2D should show something very specific. Much of the time the 2C bidder has the 22+ balanced hand, and you want to retain your system over 2NT. The rest of the time, the opener generally has a long major, and you don't want to bid 2NT and have to start at the 3-level. I would respond 2D here. If partner bids 2H or 2S, you have an easy raise to 3 and will end up in slam. Same if partner bids 3D. Just raise to 4D and proceed from there. If partner bids 2NT, you can transfer to spades and then bid 5NT, telling partner to pick a slam. As it is, you said partner bids 3C. Not what we really wanted to hear, but just bid 3S. Partner knows you don't have a great spade suit, because you didn't make a positive response. So if he doesn't raise, then support clubs and see what happens. Probably you end up in 6NT. Cheers, Mike

On hands like these at IMPs, you have to bid game. Maybe you go set a trick if partner is totally blank, but you can't miss games on these sorts of hands, and there is very little way for partner to know how useful his hand is going to be. I think you have two alternatives: 1. Double then bid 4S. 2. Bid 4S directly over 1H. I prefer X then 4S, because all partner really needs for slam is the A of spades and the K or JT of clubs. You probably won't get there if that's all he has, but at least it keeps slam alive if partner has a slightly better hand. But a direct 4S call (followed by a X of 5H if the opponents bid that) has a lot going for it, too. Cheers, Mike

You generally want the shapelier hand (unless it has a void) to be the one asking about key cards, as it is easier for that hand to see how the play will develop. Cheers, mike

I understand it fine. Just haven't played it in 30 years b/c I find it boring. You can't simply consider what you think might be the most likely result and then ask whether that is worth it. There are a ton of possibilities, and you come out way ahead on most of them. Going -100 for down one doubled on this hand would be stupendous in rubber bridge. The alternative is -820 for letting the opponents make game in a major. Why do you think this is the opponents' hand? With 40 on and South an overbidder, God knows what he has for 2C. Maybe just a pile of H or S. Perhaps you can actually make 5C (not out of the question at all). Why do you think the opponents are going to win the rubber the next hand? Perhaps you will score game on the next hand. Perhaps you'll be able to defeat 5M (declarer is getting very bad breaks). Perhaps you'll prevent losing a 1000 or 1500 slam bonus. Perhaps a lot of things, most of which are very good for you. Cheers, mike

You don't win at bridge by being pusillanimous. If you let the opponents bid these sorts of hands without interference, you will lose big in the long run at any form of scoring. How many tricks do you expect to be set in 5c,a anyway? Hey, on a good day, you might make it. Cheers, Mike

These freak hands are hard to bid. No one really knows what is right. I'll forget rubber bridge (I haven't played that in 30 years) and concentrate on MP or IMP scoring. I think 5C is very reasonable. That would probably be my call. The opponents likely have a game in 4M (although South is getting some awful suit splits, so if he is an overbidder ...), and you want to bid 5m over that. So let's do so now, before the opponents can exchange information. The clubs are sufficiently better than the diamonds that 5C seems preferable to 4NT. The other approach would be to bid 4C now and then 4NT if (probably more like when) the opponents settle in 4M. This approach shows your hand far better. It suggests lots of clubs, some (though fewer) diamonds, and a hand that can bid on its own to the 5-level. That's exactly what you have. The trouble is that this strategy gives the opponents a lot more room to operate. The 2C bidder can get his suit in at the 4-level instead of at the five-level. If his partner passes 4M, then and over 4NT, the opener can pass, X, or cue-bid a minor. Much easier to find a slam. To me, the advantage of 5C (it makes things much harder for the opponents) outweighs the disadvantage (you might belong in diamonds and be able to make 5D). Cheers, Mike

As others have indicated, the standard treatments for 6-card weak 2s work fine against 5-carders.

At IMPs, I would just bid 3NT, Leb or no Leb. Leb is fine when the opponents are showing one suit only. It is not good when the opponents are showing two suits. Let the opponents guess which suit to lead. Maybe they will guess wrong. Maybe partner will have a spade stop. Maybe they will lead from AKxxx of spades. Who knows. At IMPs, we want to make our games. 3NT looks like the best game and a decent shot to make, so let's bid that and see what happens. Cheers, Mike

As others have already noted, neither you nor your partner acquitted yourself very well on this hand. Since you play negative doubles like the rest of the world, X of 2H is awful beyond belief. Pass is pretty clear here; the question is what to do if partner reopens with a X. I would pass for penalties. Partner's X ought to show either (A) both minors with 10+ or so or (B) a slew of diamonds with a decent hand that isn't good enough to force game (intending to correct 3C to 3D). Either way, you have an absolute moose. You have a three-loser hand with great 4-card support for both of partner's suits and a void in the opponents' suit. How can you not have a slam? I would bid 4H over the X to show this hand. What else can that be but a fit in diamonds (partner could just have diamonds), a heart void (you didn't investigate NT), and slam intentions? Another possibility is 5NT over the double -- pick a slam. This probably gives up on the grand, though. 3C over the X is insane. That shows a hand that does not want to play game opposite a minimum negative double. That isn't what you have at all. Cheers, Mike

Interference is more effective over a strong 2C than just about any other opening, because responder has no idea what sort of hand his partner has, and now there is less room to describe things. The same holds true over a Precision 1C opener (especially if you can get the bidding up a bit quickly). This is especially true when you can prevent the opener from making the most common rebid -- 2NT. If you can get the bidding to the three-level, then if opener has the balanced NT hand (by far the most common 2C opener), all his systems are out the window. Moreover, it's difficult for the opponents to double you. Most pairs play X over interference as a bust and pass as waiting. If responder Xs, opener can't very well leave it in unless he has a stack in your suit (very rare). If responder passes and opener has a one-suiter, he'll bid his suit. If opener has the balanced NT hand, he'll be forced to bid NT (responder will never be able to do so). With a two- or three-suiter, opener probably reopens with a X, but these hands don't open 2C that often, and even if opener Xs, responder probably won't leave it. Bottom line is that it will be a rare day in Hades that the opponents can wield the hammer. There are two main hand types where you want to bid. One is the sort of hand where you would have opened 3x or 4x. If you would have preempted in first seat, do so after 2C. Even stretch a little if you have to. The other is a hand where you are two-suited. There are many conventions to address this, but I like CRASH, which stands for Color / Rank / SHape. It was designed to work vs. a strong 1C opener, but it works well over a strong 2C, too. It's really effective if advancer can go to the three level immediately. Suction, Reverse Suction, and TWERB are also very playable. Whatever you choose, get in there are fight! Cheers, Mike