bluenikki

I don't get it. If you avoid a club lead, you still have only 8 tricks. With a 7th diamond, though...

A famous or notorious case of option 5. Dorothy Haydn proposed it to B J Becker that 4♣ be Gerber even when clubs were agreed. Becker said ok but promptly forgot. Not long after, he found himself playing 6♣ on a 4-2 fit. (Not 6-2, as I mis-typed before.) His bridge face was secure enough that he did not get a trump lead. Without the trump lead, playing out the string, he noticed big problems in the opponents' demeanor, and the contract could not be set.

True. But you've just missed game.

Yes, if partner is 3-3 in blacks, you're better off in 4♠ than 5♣. But what about 2-2? Will partner know not to insist on spades if you open 1♠? Or worse: what if he has 2 spades and 3 clubs?

When a robot bids 4NT without a jump, your best chance is to pass. For one thing, bbo robots often (always, really) have xx in an unbid suit. Also, a player who has bid 3NT nonforcing cannot bid 4NT blackwood. For many reasons.

South needs to learn North's J10 of ♥ of course. But equivalently, North could learn South's AKQx. If the auction after 2♣ is structured to accommodate 4441 or 5431 shape, you could handle it. For example: 2♣ - 2♠ : 2 or more control points, no 6-card suit or 5-5 2NT - 3♥ : no 6+ or 5-5, asking || 3 control points, no shortness; or 4 control points, some sing or void 3♠ - 4♣ : artificial slam authorization, any suit bid below slam is forcing || Hxxx(x) in ♣ 4♥ - 4NT : Hxxx(x) in ♥ , not in ♣ or ♦ || no Hxxx(x) in ♥ or ♠ , no extra queens At this point, opener could pass, or bid 5♣ to support worse than Hxxx, or bid 5♠ to show a suit playable at slam opposite worse than Hxxx .

The toughest games are those where opponents do not let you rely on their bidding and play. You haven't played in those, I guess.

In the circumstance you describe, with no regular partnership, it is unlikely that there is any actual agreement about the point range of a jump overcall. For that matter, in your regular partnerships, do any of you have a explicitly agreed point range? If so, why? If it is not written down, there should be no alert or self-alert.

There was a convention structure called Byzantine Blackwood, developed by Jack Marx. Hugh Kelsey described it in his 1972 book "Slam Bidding." The elaborate structure involved the kings of *every* suit the pair had bid and raised, and sometimes the queens of bid suits if accompanying the king. It was the first method I heard of that involved queens. With only one key suit 5♣: 0 or 3 aces, or AAK 5♦: 1 or 4 aces or AAAK 5♥: 2 aces or AKQ or AK(K) where (K) is in a suit bid naturally but not raised 5♠: AAKQ or AAA(K) 5NT: AAAKQ or AAAAK or AA(K) With two key suits: 5♣: 0 or 3 aces or AAK, as before 5♦: 1 or 4 aces or AAAK, as before 5♥: 2 aces or AKQ or AKK 5♠: AAKQ or AAKK or AKQK 5NT: AAAKQ or AAAKK or AAAAK or AAKQK or AKQKQ

You really believe 3♥ is forcing?????

You think it is a *better* game when the opponents can be trusted to have their bids?? Or maybe never to false-signal? You must mean easier for you.

I was never talking about the risk of 5♦. I was talking about the risk of 6♦. Bidding 3♠ at your first turn is not any stronger than bidding 2♠ then jumping to 4♦ at your 2nd. (Overcaller's 2♦ did not show more than minimum high cards.) As to 2♠ guaranteeing 5: Responder is in a position to expect to defend. With AKQx and out, why not make it hard for the intervening side to find NT?

3♠ or 4♣ are available as cheaper, unambiguous forces.

You referred to ace-asking. The 10 imps was the bing-bang set of 6♦.

4 small ♦ is a joke. The jump is supposed to reassure opener about the suit's playability.

North had a chance to bid 3♠ over 1♠ but didn't. North also had the chance to bid 3♠ at 2nd turn but didn't. Two chances to show ♠ control but refused. But you are willing to hazard 10 imps on your sense of the *opponents'* bidding. They are not there to help you.

Note that word "normally." You are banking 10 imps on it.

Better than invitational is *not* the same as forcing. "bid on if you are max" and "bid on unless you are bare min".are both invitational, but way different.

How can you assume AK of ♠ won't cash?

How can you assume AK of ♠ won't cash?

would you expect a stranger to take 4♦ as forcing? On what general principle?

1♣ - 4♠ - p - p ?? 5♥ is no option as take out so only 5♣ remains 1♥ - 4♠ - p - p ?? 5♣ is now a option to show your x5x5 pattern and gives your partner a choice Is partner to know not to give false preference to 5♥?

Actually, I see I didn't respond properly. Before you open with an irregular 1-bid, you need to anticipate the way the auction may go, and plan what you will do in each class of cases. Not least to avoid a tempo-break at the crucial time.

There is no chance at all that, having opened at 1-level, you can inform partner that you lack defense. Unless you reserve an artificial bid. The full auction is irrelevant.. The bidders assume there will be fierce competitiion if you pass. In that case, there will be fierce competition if you open. In most such auctions, you will find yourself in a forcing-pass situation. It will never enter partner's worst nightmare that your hand will take no defensive trick.

None of the bidders have planned what they will do when their partner's double of 5♠ is redoubled.