DozyDom

Is that really a problem as problems go? It supported you when it mattered, and got you to the best contract or thereabouts. There are enough problematic problems to worry about with GIB before you go worrying about it showing extraneous shape.

Now now, it didn't jump to six. It just bid to six. Clearly improvements are being made.

I would be trying to take control of the auction with blackwood rather than 5H - it just feels less likely to end up with GIB jumping to a grand.

I think you were saying AQxxx xxx xx KQJ isn't a 3C bid; I meant that the grand is still not good if p has AQxxx xx xx KQJx, which is a definite 3C bid.

I think it's amazing how much this post spoke to me. I've struggled with depression throughout my school days, and it's been bridge that's kept me going at times. My school's bridge club is what's led to most of my current friendships, and it's the place I've always gone to in order to lift my spirits. It's only been the last year or so in which I've been taking bridge seriously as an activity outside extremely casual play, and that's improved my life massively as well. Being part of the U20s squad, and being successful at the local clubs, has been an absolute wonder for my self-esteem, and has made me more confident in the rest of my life as well. I've had very similar experiences with friction at the table to you - a disagreement with a partner can definitely have me close to tears on my way home from the club, though I've only once had that kind of animosity from my opponents. I'm lucky to have such a convivial bridge club in my area, I think. Just like you, as well, other activities have never had the same uplifting effect, though perhaps I've just never got into them enough. Thanks for posting this here, by the way.

OK I know this is a bit of a weird direction to take this, but I was under the misconception for a while that strong pass systems count as types of precision, as they also limit the openings. Is that at all accurate?

It is also available on amazon with a "look inside" feature... not that I would recommend looking inside.

This one might just about be on you - it believes you've got an 11 card fit and 32 points. Which of course still means you'd be off the AK of diamonds, but it has an excuse for once.

I may be wrong - I've only just woken up - but KQJx in clubs and xx in hearts is still only a 50% grand, which shouldn't be bid.

Because the person playing it is someone who doesn't know which three weak twos he's playing, I'd guess, though RR seems much better at play than I remember from most of these stories.

Absolutely - reserve the asking bid for hands where you'll always be able to use the info better than the ops. And there's always the problem of when your partner's response means he or she's playing the hand - a 3S response to your asking bid may well be a hand you want to be in 4S on, but the ops will be able to play the hand practically double dummy as soon as the lead is faced.

And a nightmare for the rest of us... Is this seriously from something published only two years ago? Or indeed, this millennium?

I'll probably double and go down hideously in hearts, or very little in clubs, I guess. Though I am a little tempted to psyche a stop for 3NT... I'd definitely be tempted by 4D (which I'm not convinced is forcing), which would turn out pretty well as it happens - it's certainly a decent bid playing a short club/unbalanced diamond. No matter what happens, I won't be too traumatised since the other table will be dealing with the same overcall; things can't go too obscenely.

I've heard of Fantunes 1D being an excellent bid as well. I haven't quite heard the same about the 2D bid, though.

It's a way of counting controls where aces count as 2, kings count as one. It's used because it's easier to count than A = 1, K = 1/2. Normally people only pay attention to it if they play control-showing responses to 2C though. Or if they're playing a Dynamic NT ofc...

Oh, sorry about the club cue wrangling then!

I'll be honest... GIB bidding to a slam and you misplaying it is not the most compelling evidence for GIB's incompetence. Like, we've all had moments where GIB ruins our lives; this one was on you. Why can't it be a void? Because it's given as showing the AC, that's why. You can complain about it showing that, but I'm not convinced you can complain about GIB thinking you have it.

I don't think anyone is worrying about 2S making. Anyone saying pass is worrying about 4S making, or 3S with a poor split, because that's where we'll probably end up.

Weak only multi is indeed legal only at level 4 and above, so you're correct that it's restricted, but the vast majority of events satisfy that; level 3 would disallow that, but these days that doesn't really exist as only a few clubs class events as such; it would most definitely be impermissible at level 2, but I don't intend to be playing in one of those events any time soon.

Playing a weak-only Multi 2D with one of my partners next weak & I can't seem to find a great source on what 3m should mean in response. Playing it as natural and a signoff as Bridgebum suggests seems a waste of a bid - there's no guarantee that will play any better than partner's major. Meanwhile, the last thread on multi responses that I can find ended with a post saying that playing them as natural and forcing - which I think is pretty standard never came up and they should be incorporated into some sort of raise structure, but offering no further detail. Any thoughts on what is the best way of playing them?

Can't really see any reason to bid here.

I think awm is saying you'll get in trouble with directors since it's given as a balanced hand. Still, just needs a couple of words alteration (or just a tick in a CC box).

Probably pass or 4S - those are normally good bids - but I'd need to see the hand to narrow down the options.

Huh, apologies. I knew I wasn't forced but I hadn't realised I should still bid with nothing. Still, larger hand-types for my partner aren't hugely likely nonetheless. Also, having been corrected, I'm still not convinced by pass then bidding 2S later being a call I'm ever going to make.

I suspect the answer might change if I could see my hand, but I'll assume I have values to bid that unforced 1S, which kills off most "bigger" hands as a possibility - there would be rather too many points in the pack if my partner has a hand too strong to overcall on. I can imagine it being penalty of diamonds, but I'd like to see my hand before making that judgement - If I have a few diamonds that'll make it far less likely; if I have a better hand for my bid that will make it less likely as well.