bluenikki

There are many silly things about the auction. But the real structural problem is that the 2-or-5 response fell on the trump suit. Suppose the suit had been spades. West would sign off in 5♠. If east had 5 they would continue.

So you would also open 1♦ if the diamonds had been headed by the 8 and the hearts had been AKQJ10?

Any consistent opener with the singleton heart jack. (Responder has AKQxx.) Often with the doubleton heart jack.

I said _this_ big hand.

Maybe I don't understand XYZ. When will opener ever learn that responder has Ax AKQxx xxx Axx after a 1♣ opening? Rather than Kx AKQxx xxx Qxx. This big hand needs to tell, not learn.

No. But you can _tell_ more. How else can you show 16-18 or so, then hand over the captaincy below 3NT?

If the only 9-hcp hand you respond 2♣ has AKQxxx, how is requiring rebid a burden?

3♦ would have more going for it facing a passed hand.

After the noncompetitive 1♠ - 1NT ; 2♦ - 3♠ , I'd bid game. On the general principle of straining to accept with a singleton. Is this so different?

7 Goren points. For good reason.

East must bid unless both minimum and misfit. Like the noncompetitive 1♦ - 1♠ ; 2♣ - 3♠ .

Opener's fake jumpshift is the worst bid in bridge. It's easy to fix. Just switch the jump rebid with the jump in the lower unbid minor.

How does 4♣ go down? The auction ... 3♣ - 3♥ - 4♣ seems reasonable to me.

You mean all _game_ contracts, don't you?

Surely not in fourth seat!!

Goes to show a single raise should promise potential covers for three losers.

From Rubens's wonderful long-ago article on playing 4-3's: When in doubt, play on the side suit.

And he won't have the club king and a major-suit ace. Nor AQ of spades and the diamond jack. And he _should_ not have the spade ace and the diamond queen.

I don't believe I've ever seen it stated explicitly, but you should have planned in advance your action over every possible Blackwood reply. Huddling before Blackwood is not as damaging as after. By far.

I believe it is an overbid to say that partner has shown preference for hearts. Most of the time, the 3♦ bid will come from fear of a black suit. 3♥ is opener's normal bid when when lacking secure spade stop.

There is considerable value in _not_ narrowing the range. Usually, it is the opponents' hand, and they will profit more by the knowledge than your partner. That said, it's important to count distribution aggressively to arrive at that "0-8."

In KS, why not play that double shows strong NT? Pass shows minimum with bad long suit.

In Kaplan-Sheinwold, the simple rebid of the minor is defined as either a terrible suit or a terrible hand. So although you may be stuck in a 5-1 fit at the two-level, you won't get into big trouble from partner bidding too high. (Of course, a minimum KS minor opening is always sound in quick tricks, so terrible means no extra quacks.)

we were taught "7-4: bid some more."

Responder should strain not to pass 1♦ - 1♠ ; 2♣ - ? And opener should strain not to pass 1♦ - 1♠ ; 2♣ - 2♦ ; ? That agreement would mean opener has to suppress the club suit more often than they would like with 5-4. I personally can live with that.