mila85

I had the same problem. http://forums.bridgebase.com/

From my point of view opener has no reason not to pass 2s. He has bad 13 points, 7 loosers,.... (Maybe if he plays mixed trials for the first time and wants to try how it works <_< )

I would bid 3nt over 2h. I think I'm too strong to bid 2nt only..

Someone teached me a rule: 18 - (my loosers + partner's loosers)=level which you should make. I need 7 loosers to open so responder's hand has at least invit values. I don't play 2/1 so I don't know what the right bid is but I'm sure that there is a way how to show invit hand with 3card support...

No. Why?

Opener can have 12-13 balanced. I invite but I hope parter has more bids than two (minimum and maximum)

I open 4s. (if I don't know that 4s makes open it too:) )

When I was novice I counted: 5+3=8, we have 8 cards, 13-8=5, they have 5 cards, possible distributions are 3-2, 4-1 or 5-0. When I was beginer I counted: we have 8 cards, they have 5 cards, possible distributions are 3-2, 4-1 or 5-0. Now I count: We have 8 cards, possible distributions are 3-2 or 4-1. See how many cards we have and know possible distributions. I can't do this when I see 6 or less cards. But I rarely count these suits. When I need count that suit at the end: first trick all players folowed=4 + second and third trick west discarded=6 (10) + one card is in dummy (11) + I have one (12) -> east has one. When partner put cards to the table I count tricks. I count them once more. I think that when I was counting I already recognized squeeze position. After few seconds you know that playing some trumphs doesn't cost anything. So do not give time to opps and start to play trumphs. When they are thinking about discards you can think about sqeeze... btw When I was novice and played 3nt I counted: In 1nt I must make seven trick, 3nt-1nt = 2tricks, 7+2=9 tricks, 13-9=....thinking.... they can take 4 tricks. B))

If opps play forcing pass here I would bid 4s with very strong hand. I will make 4s redouble or double them and take about 1400... (Of course you do not get this hand very often but it's possible..)

I will give you another example. RHO opened something, you overcalled 1h, and after some rounds of bidding LHO bid 3nt. Partner leads 8 of heards, in dummy is J65, you have AK432. You think that LHO has Qxx, partner has 8x, so you play low. But LHO had 10x and made 3nt. This can be good tactic to bid sometimes 3nt without a stopper. The problem is that he didn't do it probably first time. His partner knows it's possible that he has no stopper. He should say it to you. But he do not use this information and if they played together for the first time he would pass as he did now. Unknown parter is better than regular partner here because he doesn't have to say to opps the critical information (which he do not use).

There is not many bridge players in Czech Republic. It means that you meet everyone from old ladies to representants in a pair tournay. I bid and play differently with diferrent opponents. Imagine 3rd place 2h opening: 0-12, 5+h You are at 3rd place and you have 2 points and 5 heards. You know that your opps can make a game. -When I play against weak opps I open 2h. Double is not very probable and they can miss a game. -When I play against strong opps I pass. I'm sure that they are able to bid a game with 27+ points and they are able to double me. Now you are at 3rd place and you have 13 points and 5 heards. -If opps are weak I open 1h. I will find a normal contract and I hope I will make a good score. Their play isn't ideal. -If opps are strong I open 2h. In standard contract they wouldn't give me more tricks than is necessary and it means bad score here... They are under presure after 2h opening and it can be impossible to find good contract. I can make a very good score. I opened 2h at 3rd place against strong opps. LHO asks and partner answers:0-12, 5+h. In cc is the same. But this is not a full disclosure of the system. He knows my style and tactic, so he knows that it tends to be stronger. The answer should be: "0-13, 5+heards, tends to be maximum." But if I know that he will answer this I would open 2h with zero points. Let's call it bluff. I can do it once, maybe twice and when I do it third time it's an agreement. So he should say:"0-13, 5+heards, tends to be maximum, but often open with minimum...." When he gives this full discosure I will tend to open it with maximum only... Vicious circle. The problem is that the strength of this opening is in its wide range. Nor opps nor pard knows how strong I am. Partner passed so it's not problem for him. It's problem for opps. But partner knows my style and he necessary knows more than opps. He must disclose what he knows even he doesn't use it.... I want this opening to be random for both:pard and opps. It's impossible in regular partnership. btw Imagine the situation. Opponent asks and you say: ...... It tends to be strong against strong opps and weak against weak opps B) This one opening is only an example. There is much more similar situations in bidding (and in play too - e.g. carding).

that might be true fly, but what if the 4 card opening guaranteed another, usually longer, suit? 1c= 16+ if balanced, 17+ if a Major, 18+ if a minor oriented hand 1d= 5x4x; x54x; xx44+ 1h= 54xx; x45x; x4x4+ 1s= 45xx; 4x5x; 4xx4+ 1nt= 12-15 balanced, all 5332 and no 54xx hands 2c= all 3 suited hands 2d/h/s= all one suited hands, 6+ long and limited (11-16/17) 2nt= one suited club hands, 14-17 3c= the same but 11-14 What do you bid with 5-4♣-2-2?

I bid 3♦. 3♣ are passable 3♦ shows clubs and strong hand. 3♥ is strong hand with spades. 3♠ is natural and passable. (General rule: their suits are used to show strong hand, our suits are passable) Double would be penalty with at least one of opponent's suit. We are not able to show a hand with only 4 spades but it's not a good idea to play on 4-4 fit after 5-5 overcall...

2♣-2♦ 2♥-? I have 3 loosers I open 2♣. 2♦ is relay, almost any hand 2♥ natural Now I have two possibilities. 2nt (negative) or 3♣ (natural). ...-2nt 3♣-4♣ 4♦-4♥ ??? or ...-3♣ 4♣-4♥ ??? over 3♣ I bid 4♣ with a fit. 4♦ and 4♥ are cue-bis. When you know about club fit and heart king (we do not bid shorness to partner's suit) it's likely to bid 6♣...

I lead ♥A here but I'm not sure it's good. "Don't lead from aces?" My partner likes leading low from an ace. When he leads and declarer takes by an ace I know that my partner has no ace <_< It sometimes gives a trick to declarer and sometimes it's a perfect lead. The problem is (for example): [hv=n=s&w=s&e=sqx&s=skt9x]399|300|suit contract low card was lead, small from dummy[/hv] Normal is to play nine. But when partner has the ace.....

If you don't like 5h imagine that the bidding goes: 1h-(p)-2h-(2s) 4h-(4s)-p-(p) 5h-(x)-all pass You can make one down when east has ace of spades. When you play club (trying to unblock), west can ruff, play diamond, other diamond other ruff and ace of spades. Down three and -500. Between -50 and -150 is not big difference but between -100 and -500 is. If the contract is doubled: do you unblock clubs (try make a game) or take -100? In MP you play 5h undoubled. If the lead was really singleton and you play for one down, you can defeat all the pairs who play 5h doubled. I think 5h isn't bad bid. I was sure that it doesn't ask trumph control (imagine a hand where you use it). Do you really think that they will let you play 4h. I don't. And what do you bid over 4s? I prefer 5h. So I bid 5h immediately. As you can see it worked. No 5 spades, no double....

sorry, east showed out.

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sxhk9xdxxxcqjtxxx&s=skxhajtxxxxdxxcak]133|200|Scoring: IMP 1♥-(p)-2♥-(2♠) 5♥-all pass[/hv] Do you agree with 5♥? Small club was lead. I cashed ♥A and east discarded spade. I can play safety one down. Or play second club and if they don't ruff I will make it.. I was 90% sure that the opening lead was singleton but I wanted to make it. Down two, can be down three. No problem. -50 or -100 at IMPs when they can make 5♠. But how do play play it when LHO doubles or at Matchpoints?

Take a club and cash all but one spades. Then heart to ace and ruff heart. Opponents' discards will help you.

I use 3c as a spliner. 2c is forcing so I don't need 3c natural. Yes. 2nd hand I open 2c. Between the hands is difference 1 looser. And and this is the differnce between 2c opening and maximum of 1c opening. My 2d multi contains strong two in a minor. So with the second hand I open 2d, 1d-1s/3nt shows the first hand. Yes, this is the problem. I wrote about very similar hands and bidding in beg-int forum last week... Open 2d.

Nice line of play. But tell it your partner when diamonds were 3-3 and west had ♣K...

Isn't it because on BBO play a lots of partners without good agreement? When I play with an unknown partner I do not discuss with him how to bid after interfernce over our 1nt opening...

When I wrote about our very good result after penalty double over strong 1nt I wanted to say that double worked but only because of a mistake from one of the opps (He didn't bid 2d). I don't want to play pen. double over strong no trumph. But I want to play pen. double over weak nt. I play weak no trumph as long as I play bridge (not so long but I opened it a lots of times). I made some redoubled 1nt but I had bad results much more often than good ones after 1nt-(dbl.) The very big advatage of pen. double is that all your other bids are limited. When opps opened weak no trupmh you can still make a game. It's very difficult to find it when your overcall is 12-20. I always double weak no trumph with 14+hcp. I will see if they will find a playable contract. If yes I can bid my suit now or use takeout double. If not simply pass (takeout dbl :D ). This doesn't cost anything. Ok, sometimes 1ntxx+1 :) Someone told me about a board opened by mini nt (9-11). LHO interfered with 18 poins and did -800. But this doesn't mean I won't play penalty double over mini nt...

I pass because our overcalls over strong/polish club when partner passed can be very very undisciplined.

Thanks all. But I still have some questions. :) I don't like 2c on small doubleton and I don't want to lie in major. Both these bids are solution of this problem but without agreement can be disasterous. 1d-1h 1s-4s (12hcp 4 spades) 1d-1h 2c-3c (weak hand, 4h 4+c) 3d is forcing now And it's not so easy to anticipate partner's problem and use one of these bids. 2nt in my system shows 19-20 balanced. It's almost GF (passable only when responded with 4- hcp because of short diamonds). Then you can bid 3nt immidietly. When 3d shows 3 heards what do you bid without them? And what do you bid over 3d with xx KJxx Qx QT9xx? 1d-1h 3d-3s Is third suit (not fourth) so it's seminatural, shows some values in spades. 1d-1h 3d-3h 3s can be good. But don't you want to play 3nt from your hand? 2s as multi reverse sounds interesting. I play it now as splinter. Do you think it's better than standard bidding in any other cases than this one? How does it work? I think splinter is very useful here so it should have more than one advantage if I have to play (and learn) it.