keylime

I used to pass a lot with hand 1 until I learned that double game swings are not conducive for team dynamics. Now it's a regular double; got to show that the 4H preempt is not on a great hand. Hand 2, a calm pass and defend.

Pard's claiming to have some transferable values and I got a bunch of quacks. With a 5th spade then I consider taking a call - but here, I'm passing because pard has doubled under some duress potentially. That, and I have a really bad holding in hearts (2 of them, could be an instant ruff coming at trick 2).

If able to, 2NT - 3S to force 3NT, then 4S to show 4-4 minors slam invite.

Justin, did you consult Miss Cleo before answering? :D

If I had to do this, I'd make sure I adopt the "less is more" philosophy (i.e. sound preempts, overcalls, disciplined openings, etc.) and reduce my busy bidding.

4♣, natural, ready to retreat to 4H if pard insists. I may want to play 6m with hearts as my help suit.

I like Frances' line as well; the T♥ is a prime card here and it does cater to 4-1 trumps (5-0 trumps, well....) and clubs being somewhat civilized. I would think that if someone has 4 trumps that if they hold 4 clubs as well (and 3 clubs probably) that this line should function. I would guess that since we have odd remainders and one shortage, that we should be able to handle this hand if there exist a 4-1 trump break, but not a 4-1 trump AND 5-2 club break.

I think it's a maximum, 14-15 point hand with 5-3-1-4 shape or similar. Why they are redoubling I dunno, unless they have a way to differentiate between a direct 2♥ call and a delayed 2♥ call.

I loathe the 1♥ opening; that's a near textbook 4♥ opening. The negative double in this situation are for hands that have no constructive call. You have an excellent 2♠, forcing call. After pard finds a raise to 3♠, then you can make another noise here with RKCB. Once tho you table RKCB, pard will have some troubles trying to decipher how to answer it.

I as well agree with Adam. I personally am not sold at all with light openers in a 2/1 style system versus a limited bid system. However it's strictly an opinion and not empirical in scope.

I've been through 2 of the most nasty storms ever: Andrew and Supertyphoon Paka. I still remember coming out of shelter and feeling as if I had been bombed by a fleet of aircraft at the AFB. Scary, scary scene that was.

Something else I was thinking of while munching at lunch here; if pard had any decent 15-16 count wouldn't he make a move towards game himself? Or maybe a semi-solid suit with an outside stop? The hand I have needs a lot of covers from pard to get home in game, and if they've opened on AKQ♣ five times and K♠ doub and out, we're in trouble. I must be getting conservative in my old age; a couple of years ago it would have been 2♠ automatic.

Larry and I are currently discussing our 2 suiter scheme and one of the items of note is (1C) 2C being a natural call versus the multicuebid or another specific 2 suiter (we play specific suits so there's no murky undertones) because of the fact that we often lose the suit in competition.

I hate to say it but, I don't think the lead Irish pair (Hugh McGann and Tom Hanlon if memory serves) and one of the better pairings in the world would agree with the level of "suck" with their 2 way club meaning.

Phil, My concern is this one, and it may be flaky and thusly that's why I'm asking: I know by implication pard should have either 3 or 4 spades unless 4th seat is playing a deep game over there. However, what happens if they hold something like xxx or Txxx and can't rebid NT out of good sense (3-1-4-5 / 6 baggers / etc.)? Furthermore, let's say we table a cue, bid 3♠ to ask for half stop, and now land at 4♣ on a five-two? For me, I play 2♠ as stop showing, half or better, but with the construction, it's about the only bid I have if I want to force with reason.

I'm quite hesitant about 2♠ here, only because of the width of range that a 2♣ rebid encompasses, and the inability to bid 1NT. If I am forced to bid 2♠ with a gun to my head, and hear 3♥, my hand looks pretty good for the Moysian fit and would bid game in hearts knowing that pard should be shortish in spades by implication.

Pard found a 3♥ call on their own when they didn't have to, at red. I'll bid game, and see the mercurial Han turn into the pensive Han.

I like 6♣; I don't think this is a hand for science.

I G/F it as well; bidding a forcing NT leads to some awkward sequences where pard rebids in their 3 card minor on a 5-3-(xx) hand and miss 4♥ versus the SAYC bidders. That, and I have decent controls for a change...

I'm passing too. I've gotten them to the three level and pard's rather quiet over there. I'm thinking about what to lead versus a bid here.

I'd bid 2H showing spades and diamonds (specific suiters); I'm 5-5 and two suited and need to get pard's involvement in the mix. Otherwise, 1S, far more than 2S.

This thread has reminded me of a situation I was in while serving the Air Force in the early '90's. I was part of a rapid deployment force that went around the world on 6-12 hours notice. Basically, our chain of command was very compact: colonel, 3 star general, 4 star, secretary of the Air force, DOD chief, President. That's it. Some of the places I went to I still can't discuss in public; they are viewed as sensitive (it's not even one of those "over a couple of drinks" thing either - we're talking SCI clearances and up). Due to our globetrotting, we were constantly having to assess what the local laws were with regards to drugs and alcohol and such. Since there was mandatory drug testing in the USAF at that time, no one in my unit took 'em - it was not only career-ending but very taboo in my unit. Alcohol tho was quite different; we held the view that if we were of age in-country, we were going to enjoy the local quaffs. And frankly, in my younger days, no one could touch me in this department - I viewed alcohol as a relaxer and a fundamentally necessary item to handle the 12 hour shifts, the severe Balkan winters, the long trips away from San Francisco, the desert sandstorms, and being half a world away in New Zealand doing the Antarctic resupply for Deep Freeze. Does this make me a bad person? Absolutely not - I used drink to adapt from a shy southerner that hadn't seen anything in his life to having the whole world as his oyster. After one of my trips from the Kosovo airlifts at Aviano AB in Italy, all the members of our unit came back from TDY and was sat down in a room and read an order from the base commander of Travis AFB stating that regardless of whether or not the in-country's laws allowed alcohol consumption, we were barred unless 21. Let me tell ya, there were some angry young men ready to riot over this. Not one of us, not a single person signed that unlawful order. The commander of my unit discussed this with our group commander and basically found us an out - since we were a tenant organization we were thusly not aligned with the air mobility wing, and therefore not under his/her orders. Furthermore, the Uniform Code of Military Justice gave additional protections with regards to this. For me there are many parallels to this situation: the ACBL being overcontrolling and unrealistic, juniors who did not break the local law and acted appropriately with good taste, and adults attempting to handcuff and restrain. It's very simple: good judgment will triumph most of the time, and the only way that youngsters are going to learn that is to give them the room to discover, to err, and to overcome.

I vote "other" - for me, the "feel good" auction are the intricate sequences to a good slam. With the list given, penalty double, and you KNOW that they are going to suffer. Joy.

Regifting, definitely a divergent set of views in my household on this. Candace, she'll regift...to the point that she recycles the boxes, the fluff, and the ribbons. It's almost an abomination in my eyes; to me, someone had some thought about giving me something, and granted, a six pack of yellow socks doesn't excite me much (yes I did get this one year), but for me, it was just as special as a full-blown Kenwood stereo system when coming home from a temporary duty in the Air Force (I walked in and almost fainted; I miss that system). Maybe 15-20% of the time, after I've had the gift, I'll donate it to charity - I'm certainly one of the lucky ones in the world and I do live a charmed life admittedly. Admittedly, part of the rationale is the fact I grew up quite poor, and that my birthday is at the end of the year.

For me, I am somewhat partial to the 15+ range for a forcing club just because it gets you into your matrix of responses "faster". And admittedly for me, there's a certain positive of going "hey, I got a good hand" internally. Call it a morale thing. The minus of the 15+ is you have to be cautious on those soft 8 counts. That, and your NT ranges need to be carefully considered. For the record, Larry and I play 16+ or equivalent strength, and 14-16 VUL NT's to try to keep things clean.