CodeByJim

I watch as these hands are frequently underbid or if a strong hand is held by East, a slam is seldom found. My partner and I play a forcing Club opener showing 13 plus high card points and asking for a major. With 0-8 high card points partner will bid a diamond to keep it open so I can set the suit for a 1 bid. In this case I would bid 2 no trump indicating 18+ high card points. This is semi forcing! Partner knows that we have game points and bids 3 diamonds to which I would respond 3 spades. She then sets the obvious 4 spades contract. As for the double, we ignore it since it is in our favor to know where the ops power lies. Best of all, we don't have to remember any fancy conventions to be successful with this hand as it is based strictly on HCP bidding. Also, the responder is the one who sets the contract as it should be. Opener should never set the contract for this type of hand. I know it's not standard bidding today, but it has worked well for 60 years. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. Maybe they should be reconsidered.

Thank you. I have a lot of folders with dozens of hands saved in the Deal Archive. TopSpiker asked where the Import .lin button is. It definitely is not in the Deal Archive. I have been trying to import files to these folders for years. Never been successful. If this version has this capability, I would really appreciate someone explaining where it is and how to get there. It is possible to export .lin files from bbo although I haven't tried it in this version. Thank you.

I looked at every tab in Accounts. Sorry! Didn't find it. Could you be more specific?

Here is an old style solution. P and I play a short !c that shows 13+hcp and is forcing one round. It doesn't give any distribution information. As S, I would open 1!c. P should say 2!d indicating 9+hcp. She knows we have enough for game. The interference is ignored. It simply shows us where the defensive hcp are. I bid 2!s and P responds with 3!c showing control of the !c suit. The !h are the only thing in question. I jump shift to 4!d showing a long and strong suit. Bid tells p to investigate slam with a high point count hand. She bids 4nt. I respond with 5!s and she sets the contract at 6!d. Hope this is helpful.

I play opening ♣ is forcing for one round. Bid 1♣. Second bid is jump shift to 3♦. If North passes East must bid 1♦ Ignore what South bids and Jump Shift to 2nt, forcing 1 round. East must keep the bidding open with a 3♣ and I follow with 3♦.

1♦, 4♠, 5♦, Pass, 5♥, Pass, South can pass 5♥ or bid 6♦ or 6♥. Opening ♦ indicates 13+HCP and a weak ♣ suit. She is looking for a major. East's 4♠ bid also shows 13+HCP with 8 card suit. South knows West has a maximum of 8 HCP. Also knows that North is short ♠ and doesn't have a biddable ♣ suit. Therefor, North has a biddable ♥ suit. Hands fit! Contract will depend on length, not points. With a 6 card ♦ suit, she knows they have 10 ♦ and at least a strong 7 card ♥ suit with the ability to cross ruff the black suits. She proposes a 5♦ contract hoping that North can correct by showing a good ♥ suit at the 5 level. If North corrects, South proposes a contract that will make at either level. If East leads the A♠, N/S make 7. Code

Let's analyze this by what you know as opposed to what you hope. S opens 3!c indicating 9 hcp. You as West hold 13 hcp. 9+13=22 hcp leaving 18 unaccounted for. Using the rule of reasonable estimation, the other 2 hands hold 9 hcp apiece. Therefor, you can estimate that WE has 22 hcp, not enough for game, but easily enough for a contract at the 3 level. W should bid 3 !h. If N bids 3 !s, West knows he has 13+ hcp leaving your partner with 5 hcp. If N passes your estimation of his hand remains at 9 hcp. Now it is up to your partner to begin telling you about his hand. With a very strong 6 card !d suit headed by AKQ, E must bid 4!d. Since E went to the 4 level you know your team has 25+ hcp. Add the fact that New Minor Forcing also indicates a strong hand. South has no choice but to pass as he knows that his team only has 12 hcp between them. Back to W. Since your 3!h bid showed a long/strong !h suit, you should now show your good !s suit at the 4 level. N passes and E supports the !s bid at the 5 level. S passes and W shows his !d support at the 6 level to which E sets the contract at 6!s. No muss, no fuss! Just simple addition and subtraction. And by the way, I don't take the 4!h bid after the 3 !c bid as anything other than a close out bid, and a poor one at that.

The ♣ opener indicates 13+ hcp and looking for a major. The ♠ bid indicates 8+ hcp. Tells S that opener is 3-3 or more likely 4-2 in majors. The South bid of 2♥ tells the opener that you have 9+ hcp and that our team can play at the 3 level. It is up to the opener to show more about his hand. Opener's 3nt is a close out bid, limiting his hand to 13- hcp. Bad Bid! Openers 2nd bid must define his strong Minor which is, in all likelihood, the ♦ since the ♣ were opened. Therefor N should say 3 ♦. If ♣ is his suit, he rebids them and south can set the contract at 4♥. If N bids 3♦, S knows immediately that they have slam potential. All he has to do is find the other two aces. I would do this with a 4♣ Gerber bid. If N holds both Aces, South sets the contract at 6♥. If N has less than 2, South can query the Kings using Sliding Gerber (4nt). Since S has no Kings, this response is critical. In my world, if Gerber didn't yield 2 Aces, I would close out the bidding at 4♥. If the finesses are successfully run thru E, 6♥ might be made with N having only 1 Ace. Have fun! Be Happy!

N opens Short !c. S responds 2!h. N denies a major /w 2nt. South declares the contract suit w/ 3!c. N shows !s control with 3!s. South initiates B/W to reach the 6!c contract. N makes easily. Have fun! Be happy! :)