RD350LC

This is just my opinion, based on what I have read what others have said. I would not open the west hand 3 or 4H, not first hand. Too strong for that. I would open it 1 heart. But, in response to the negative double, I would simply go 3H. No need to go further.

Bill Root's book is good. I also have another one (fortunately, I got it used), which is The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge. There are about 40 pages devoted to suit combinations.

With this I agree. The chances of you having a slam when the opps open the bidding are very slim. I once had a hand like the following: ♠AKQ ♥AKxx ♦AKxx ♣AQ Of course I opened 2♣, and after the inevitable 2♦ reply, bid 4NT-showing 28-30 hcp. Partner missed this, and we would up in 6NT, down 1.

Others have given their opinions, but here are mine. 1. No, do not agree with the double. 2. Prefer a 2NT bid (showing ♥/♣. More like what the hand is. 3. Given a double, think that 3♠ was excessive. I would have bid 2♠ over the double. 4. I would not consider 4♣ forcing, but I would have bid with the north hand. Likely 4♥-but I consider 3♠ quite excessive. 5. In my view, a double caused a lot of these problems. I would have either bid 2NT or 3 ♣.

In reading a book by William Root-"Modern Bridge Conventions", he strongly suggests that when you do an inverted minor raise, you do not have a 4 card major. So in bidding 1♣, pass, 2♣, or 1♦, pass, 2♦, you deny holding a 4 card major. So in this example, I would bid 1♥. The fact that your major is weak does not matter. This is similar to responding 1NT to one of a minor-it tends to deny a 4 card major.

With this I agree. About the only time you would want to play in a minor after partner opens 2NT would be to play in slam. If you REALLY want to play in a minor, I would simply bid 5 or 6 of the minor. I cannot remember the last time I did this, though.

This statement is accurate. This is in the Help section, in The Rules of this Site. I have held my own against the better players in our club, and have done reasonably well in ACBL tournaments. However, I still rank myself as Intermediate, not above that. I have played against Fred Gitelman when he was still in the Toronto area, and held my own there. I could be Advanced, but choose not to overrate myself. Certainly NOT Expert or World Class, though.

There are many "players" out there who seem to forget that Pass is an option.

With this I agree. There are many hands worth an overcall that are not worth an opening bid, and vice versa. I have had the unfortunate experience of encountering players who have no idea what a takeout double is. They would pass my double because they had a balanced 3 count-saying that they had no bid.

I have read an article by an ACBL Bulletin contributor (I believe it was Lynn Berg) who clearly states that a hand worth an opening bid is not necessarily worth an overcall. She indicated that once she passed an 17 hcp hand, because she had no good bid. She stated that until you have passed a hand of that strength, don't complain to her about overcalls. Mike Lawrence is an advocate of overcalling on 4 card suits (at the one level ONLY) if you have no other option (no take-out double, NT overcall, etc.), but I will not do this easily. Certainly NEVER at the two level. One thing that I have noticed that a lot of people will indicate Blackwood (virtually everybody), transfers, but very few indicate that they do take-out, negative and responsive doubles. The first two (at least) are essential for players who want to advance beyond the beginner stage.

I really do not like making an opening lead of an unsupported ace. I will underlead an ace at NT (not at a suit contract). If I happen to be defending, and have 4 aces, I will underlead the ace of trumps-that trick is not going away. Often enough, I will lead a singleton ace of trumps.

I have encountered players like that. If that player is my partner, I then pass-REGARDLESS of my hand. He soon gets the message and leaves.

For me, it is a close decision between 3♣ and 3NT. I am more likely to bid 3♣ for the reason described above.

I agree. I would call this double "Do something intelligent" double. Certainly NOT a penalty double-though partner could pass if he felt that was the best option.

I remember going to a seminar by Alan Truscott, discussing this very auction. Any call other than Double would show less than 10 hcp. Double would not necessarily be penalty, but strongly suggests that playing 1NT doubled would be a good option.

I am reviewing a book that William Root and Richard Pavlicek had written called "Modern Bridge Conventions" that I have had for a number of years. In general, they agree with all of the above statements, in that 4NT would be quantitative in all of the above mentioned auctions. However, with the quality of players here, I have experienced people bidding a suit when I respond 4NT to a 1NT opener. Then I let them play it there-even if it is in a 2/2 fit. I then get a new (and hopefully better) partner.

I agree with what is being said here. There was a time when I played in a 0-20 game, and be lucky to get average. I now play in the open games, and hold my own. I tend to be aggressive in my pre-empts, especially when white vs red. That being said, once I make a pre-empt, I leave all decisions up to my partner. I also do not tolerate a partner who repeats a pre-empt. There are two major problems with that: 1. The opponents have two chances to hit you. 2. Your initial pre-empt may have just pushed the opponents up high enough so that partner could hit them for a telephone number (800), and in repeating the pre-empt, you deny partner that chance. Yes, the bots are not very good. However, I greatly respect the person who programs them in that they are as good as they are.

I agree completely. I would not have splintered in 3♥, but simply bid 2♠. The hand is worth at most 16 points, and I would consider it to be closer to the 15 hcp that you have. So a suggested auction would be: 1♦, 1♠; 2♠, 4♠. Enough said.

In general, there is no simple way to assign hcp to spot cards. I tend to adjust for distribution, adding points for long suits, and I deduct a point for 4333 distribution. However, as a humourous anecdote regarding the value of spot cards, there are a couple of funny bridge stories in Robert Darvas and Norman Hart's book "Right Through the Pack", where the significant feature of the stories is that a three is higher than a two. One story involves a balanced hand, and the second one involves an unbalanced hand. One is called "A trey wins by weight" and the other is called "A trey that killed dummy". The stories may be dated, but they are still worth reading.

I agree with this mostly, but in my view, it does not matter if East does cover. I still would discard a club-and two more on the other hearts.

I agree-don't get into exotic conventions, like rolling Blackwood, Reverse Bergen raises and the like. BUT, I do like a couple of additional items that I use. When counting point, deduct a point for no aces, add a point for all 4 aces, and deduct a point for 4333 distribution. These are simple to remember.

I use the rule of 20 only in 3rd and 4th seat. Otherwise, I open on 12 hcp, or a good 11. I also deduct a hcp for no aces, and an additional one for 4333 distribution. So about the hand that may be considered a 1♥ opening-I would not open it, except MAYBE in 3rd seat, white vs red. 11 hcp, -1 for no aces equals 10, and that is not an opening bid in my mind. I am also fairly strict about my 1NT openings. I use 15-17 hcp, and will not deviate from that. Again, no aces, deduct a hcp. 4333 hands-deduct a point. So for the example hand, I count it as 14 hcp, no deduction factors, so I would open it 1 ♦.

I agree that Victor Mollo was a very good writer of amusing bridge stories. I would add that David Bird and his Abbot stories are just as funny.

By some people, a 2 club opener is defined as 20+ hcp, or a 4 loser hand. By this definition, this would be a 2 club opener. However, I would not open this 2 clubs. A strong 3 suited hand is difficult to describe at the best of times, and opening this 2 clubs makes this harder. I would open this 1 club, and jump in spades over the (expected) heart response.

I have read (and believe) that losers pass, and winner balance. But in this case, I have no reason to bid. What would I bid? Not 1NT-no spade stopper. Not 1 heart-only a 3 card suit. So there is no bid that I could make. And, if I were to make a balancing double, partner would respond in spades-and we would be playing in a 4/1 fit. So there is no bid I can make-and I would pass.