HardVector

You didn't give any vulnerability, but on this hand, I don't think it matters. South's bidding is easier if NS is vulnerable and north is disciplined. 1c-1h-p-1s-p-2h-p-3d-p-? I'd probably pass here, but I'm a pessimist. I think 5d depends on perfect cards and is a bit lucky.

(p)-p-(1h)-p-(2h)-3h-(p)-4s

MPs, club game, sub-average field. [hv=pc=n&e=sqjt7654hkdcak982&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=pp1d]133|200[/hv] Have fun.

In the US, unusual nt is not alerted and cuebids are not alerted. By definition, a cuebid is something the opponents should be asking about if they have any interest in the meaning.

My rule of thumb, is with offensive hands, bid. With defensive hands, defend. This is an offensive hand, so I want to bid. I don't like double, because partner may pass it. Bidding 5c or 5h is a guess, the way to remove the guess is to bid 4n. Most people treat this as some 2 suited takeout. Partner is supposed to bid the first suit they like. If partner bids 5c, I'll pass. If they bid 5d, then bid 5h.

I'd start with a low spade from the board at trick 1. If it's 4th best, the 8 will win, problem solved. If, as I expect, the 7 is from a weak suit, I win the ace and duck a heart. This will set the stage for a number of squeezes including a possible double squeeze if north holds hearts/clubs and south holds spades/clubs. Edit: Oops, miscounted. There are only 10 tricks. You need to find 2.

I wouldn't have overcalled 1s as north. That would have slowed things down and make stopping in 3n much easier. 3n is where you want to be. Once you get past 3n, however, you might as well bid 6.

As I said, if you feel you know how to bid better than professional bridge players, good luck. I look forward to seeing your name in the Bermuda Bowl.

This all really depends upon how disciplined your partner's overcalls are. The J is usually good enough to help set up partner's suit. Hopefully, the diamonds will provide an entry. It's possible that partner will have the ideal holding to set up your diamonds, but I rarely score well by playing partner for perfect hands.

Given these agreements, you must pass. Keep in mind, however, that every book I've read that had negative doubles in it, specified that the auction 1c-(1d)-X guarantees BOTH majors. With just one, you are supposed to bid it as if the opponents hadn't bid. These books are written by bridge experts who make their living playing and teaching bridge. If you feel, however, that your methods are superior, then good luck.

I wouldn't open this. If the shape was 4432, I'd open in a heartbeat, but 4333 with 3 fast club losers tips it to pass. Of course, I'm counting on my partner to be aggressive in 3rd seat. If I'm playing with someone who won't open their 11 counts, I'm going to have to open this.

This hand demonstrates why playing strong jump shifts is so valuable. Playing strong jump shifts, you just bid 2d the first time. If you are playing that bid as weak, your system MUST incorporate some way of showing this kind of hand. XYZ/Modified 2-way stayman is one way to do that. If you are unwilling to learn some complicated convention, then go back to strong jump shifts. If you don't know what strong jump shifts are, get a bidding book written by Charles Goren, it will explain it.

I'd bid 3n. I would assume that 3h would ASK for a stop.

White vs Red is the ideal sacrifice situation. What you have to ask, is "Can I beat 4h?" The overcall is on your left, so that doesn't bode well for your isolated kings. Ideally, partner has and ace and a queen in the suits you have kings in, but I don't usually get that lucky. To me, it looks like 4h is making...provided that your LHO actually has a vulnerable 2h bid.

I guess you failed to read where I detailed what I would do for all the probable continuations. You still didn't try to give a meaning to the sequence I highlighted.

You should phrase it as: "In the direct seat" and "In the balancing seat". Direct seat actions and balancing seat actions are very different forms of competing. In the direct seat, you have no idea where the balance of power is as opener's partner has not acted yet. In the balancing seat, opener's partner has passed showing nothing, so you have that information to go on and can generally be more aggressive than in the direct seat.

I'm tempted to bid 2n. Very often a 1/2 stopper is enough, but I'm kind of leaning toward a 3d bid. If I double and partner bids 2s, then what?

So, tell me, after the auction: 1h-(2d)-X-(p)-2n-(p)-3d, what does 3d show/ask? If it denies a club holding, then what have you got? That was the whole gist of my previous post that I'm guessing you didn't read entirely.

Ethically, you should never assume condition A. You always assume that partner understands what your bids mean, and if they make a final determination, then that is what stands. Partner's failure to alert the 2c bid is UI and should have you leaning toward a pass. However, it is hard to construct a hand that can open 1c that can't make a slam opposite what you have. Partner is showing a minimum (for 1c) with A LOT of spades. You have a fit, shortnes in clubs, and controls in the reds. I'd be tempted to allow further bidding.

25.A.2. Clearly states that a call should not be freely changed because of a lapse in concentration. I know that I would have allowed a change of call, but barred their partner for the remainder of the auction a couple years ago, but with the rule changes, I'm not sure how to adjudicate this. 25 is a little murky.

Usually some balanced 18-19 count. It's usually the same bid you would have made had it gone 1c-1M and you didn't have a fit for the major (or diamonds, I suppose, but that's a different conversation). Anyway, your partner has promised 6-9. You are inviting partner to bid 3n with 8-9 and pass (or bid 3c) with 6-7. If partner bids a suit other than clubs at the 3 level, that should be shortness and questioning whether you should be in 3n, or 5c.

If you have a distributional hand, after FSF, you just continue to show the distribution below game. The real questions happens if you are otherwise balanced and are considering a bid in nt. The way I learned it, was after a GF bid (either FSF or a 2/1 bid), 2n shows either 12-14 or 18+ balanced and 3n shows 15-17 balanced with the caveat that 1n was not opened (usually means a singleton in partner's suit). If you bid 2n, partner assumes that you have 12-14 and if you attempt to sign off, opener continues with 18+. Distributional hands are easier, as you show your distribution, and if partner tries to sign off in 3n, you just bid 4n to show more.

I already demonstrated the the right 7 count has a shot, and the right 11 count is cold for 6. You don't need a 1nt opener to be considering a slam. After thinking about this for quite awhile, I still consider the negative double to be superior to a 3c bid. There are 2 negative bids that partner can make, 2h and 2n. 2s, 3c and 3d should get you excited and on the right track fairly easily. After 2h, 3c should be to play opposite a min, but invitational to 3n. So if partner bids 2h, you are going to have to bid 3d (cuebid) and pass 3n if partner bids it, and bid 4c (invitational to 5c) if they don't. Keep in mind, that while the 6 and 7 levels are in play, the 3 and 4 levels may be the limit with the wrong hands. It's different if partner bids 2n, however. Now when you bid 3d, what are you saying? Bid 3n with a diamond stopper? Partner has already shown that. You have a good hand with spades? If you had more than 4 you would have bid them already. You have heart support? You wouldn't have messed around with the negative double in the first place. I think a 3d bid here should show something like the hand I've shown. 4 spades, a good 6+ card holding in the other minor and interesting in exploring slam if partner likes the minor. If you just had 4 or 5 cards in the minor, you would probably just settle for 3n here, so the cuebid should show something more distributional. I haven't read this anywhere, just musing and inserting my 2 cents worth (or appropriate denomination in the European currency system).

Note the question I put earlier. There is room for a lot of possibilities here. Partner with the perfect hand could make 7. To make 6, partner just needs the right 11. With just 7 points, 6 is possible, but not assured. I can also construct several hands in which even 5c doesn't make and you should play in 3n. If you bid 3c and partner bids 3n, what do you do? This is the question I put in the very first post in this thread, how are you going to constructively bid this to get to the right spot. Nobody so far has come up with anything that is anything but a guess. Most are bidding 3c and passing a 3n rebid from partner. But if they have Kx Axxxx AQx xxx aren't they going to bid 3n?

And how happy would you be when 3n made 4 and 7c was cold?