Douglas43

Well, one of the reasons I play modified Ghestem (3♣ shows the highest and lowest unbid suits not the majors) is that if partner forgets there is a 50/50 chance that we will be in our best fit...

Thanks again mycroft and pescetom. We stress to our improving players that there is no single "right" answer, so different perspectives are good. Keeps me on my toes too! On reflection, I suppose the best description of what I play is "better than minimum hand but with no clear cut bid available", which is why it captures both strong no trump and some take-out types.

Thanks Cyberyeti, another good option

This article is orientated towards players in the isle of Man where a 12-14 no trump is usual. Readers who play strong no trump may find it less use. In a situation where you open, your partner responds and then your Right Hand Opponent overcalls, it's valuable to agree what a double by you would mean. Here are 4 possible meanings: 1. Penalties 2. If your opening 1NT is weak: a strong-no trump 3. Take-out and better than minimum 4. A "support double" showing 3 cards in partner's suit Type 1, penalty is what we used to play when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. It brought in the odd 800 which was handy at teams, but just isn't common enough to work well at pairs. Type 2 is probably the most common amongst weak no-trump players and is what I would expect a player in the UK to have if this came up without discussion. Type 3 has merit and in practice is not really that different to option 2. Type 4 the support double was invented by the top US international Eric Rodwell back in the 1970's and is massively popular amongst strong no-trump players, for good reason, because it allows partner to tell whether you have supported on three or four cards in their suit. There are people who combine it with a weak no trump, but it does leave a hole on many type 2 hands and for that reason is not usual amongst weak no trump players. It's a pity because in its own right it's an excellent gadget. Finally, here's a hand that involves a type 2 double (this is Douglas Bridge Club, 17 March board 7) [hv=pc=n&s=s62ha52dqt3cakq54&w=sat853hq64dj5ct72&n=s74hkjtdk98764c63&e=skqj9h9873da2cj98&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1cp1d1sd4sdppp]399|300[/hv] Ultimately East-West got a bit too high in competing but the focus today is on knowing what your double means, so we won't worry about the rest of the hand

Lebensohl is very widely played in UK with weak NT. My partner and I also play 1NT (natural overcall) Dble as take-out 8+hcp. I would bid 3C natural FG on this hand.

This illustrates why 4NT was better than 3♦. Now 4NT would be ambiguous. I'd punt 6NT and hope for the best.

Subject to defining partner's 3♣ agree with Cyberyeti's first choice. We have 17 with fabulous controls but not a great fit, and partner's bid is at least "a king over minimum" (taken to be a good 14 upwards) we must be close to 6NT. 4NT is unambiguously quantitative because we have a natural 4♣ (or 3♠) to set the suit as trumps. A pair that plays the system must have an agreement as to the minimum hcp value of 3♣, but on the basis that "a king over minimum" means 14hcp, then 4NT from me. If "a king over minimum" means a good 15 hcp upwards, then 6NT direct.

I believe Santa Claus was traditionally portrayed in a green costume before a commercial organisation reclothed him in corporate colours, so Pilowsky could be onto something...

I'd have led Ace of Clubs too.

Where I come from, 3♠ via FSF shows three card support GF, just as 2♠ does in this auction. Opener's hand is limited by the 2NT rebid, so they are free to cue bid on the way without responder expecting extra strength. I realise that 2♠ is game forcing but it doesn't tell partner that your hand is a GF+ (just short of an old-fashioned jump shift). Surely 2/1 has some way of communicating that, and starting a cue bid sequence when you have 3 card support? The advantage of 2/1 is that you have an immediate GF in situations where an Acol / SAYC player has to manufacture one, But here the responder seems to be just pottering along making nothing bids that don't disclose their extra strength. If you can get opener to cue bid, you will identify the lack of minor-suit controls and stop safely. 3♠ on the second round must mean something, and presumably it is "I have interest in a slam, please cue bid"? (As noted by pescetom above)

Not sure whether 2♥ would have been natural or Fourth Suit Forcing? If the latter: 1♠ - 2♣ 2♦ - 2♥ (FSF) 2NT - 3♠ slam try 4♥ (cue) - 4♠ (North has no controls in the minors so is pretty much marked with 5=2=4=2 and diamonds no better than Jack high) Alternatively if 2♥ is natural in 2 over 1 can responder show extra strength and initiate cue bidding by bidding 3♠ instead of 2♠ on their second turn?

Not my usual system (I have to open 1NT), but would prefer 1♠ to 1NT rebid. The upside of strong NT/prepared minor at pairs is on hands where you make 2♠ but 1NT only makes 6 or 7 tricks. Also influenced by the acey-spacey nature of the hand which means you want to play in a suit fit if possible, or if in 1NT it might be OK to have the lead coming round to partner.

Hi Ruth, good point from Zelandakh about CAB. I've got a copy of "The Quintessence of CAB" somewhere. Blue Club used to have control-showing responses too over its strong 1♣ Control-showing would help to rule out bad slams early, but hands with a void (or even a singleton) can present a challenge. Consider this hand (deliberately extreme example): ♠ AKQJ1098 ♥ QJ109 ♦ void ♣ AK You open 2♣ and partner shows an Ace and a King. If they are both in hearts, you have an excellent 7♠. If one is in hearts, you have a small slam. And if they are in diamonds, you need to stop in game. So, still plenty of work to do before the information helps you.

Agree with Cyberyeti, it's not a huge slam by any means. 3♣ looks a mild overbid, but reasonable. I realise this is a 2 over 1 topic, but playing Acol, I would expect: 1♦ - 1♠ 2♣ - 2♥ (FSF) 3♠ - 3NT / 4♠ East's KJ10 of hearts depreciates in value as West shows 3-1-5-4 or 3-0-6-4. Alternatively: 1♦ - 1♠ 3♣ - 3♥ 3♠ - 4♥ (cue - no ♣A or ♦K, I don't cue bid singletons in partner's suit at this stage of the auction) 4♠ - ? East has a difficult choice because West could have more. It would take a lot of discipline to pass.

I agree with jillybean, not right to leave yourself, that's unfair on the other people at the table. And the fact that your "partner" has left means that the chances that your next partner will be a buffoon is reduced by 1!

If it helps, my partner and I play Acol with Jacoby 2NT. We play that responder's 2NT always shows support. With no opposition bidding: 2NT is Jacoby After an opponent doubles: 2NT is a sound raise to three (most Acol players do this) After an opponent overcalls: 2NT is a sound raise to three If responder is a passed hand: 2NT is a sound raise to three We play this over majors and minors alike. I am sure that there are technically superior methods, but it is simple and easy to remember.

The question you might ask is - have I done well to reach 3NT here? If you think you have beaten par by bidding and making game, you should guard what you have and settle for 9 tricks. By way of contrast, I overcalled 1NT instead of 2D (I know it's an underbid), then competed on my own to 3D, E-W bid 3S and my robot bid... 4D!

You have reached the top spot because (a) 6♣X scores better than 6♥. and (b) more importantly, 6♥ goes down on a spade lead (or as far as can see any lead apart from Ace of Diamonds and switch). After drawing trumps there is no way back to dummy without letting the opposition cash their spades

As the guilty West, I am in the camp that bids when the shape is right (subject to minimum suit quality, especially when vulnerable), rather than "weak or strong". This is influenced by the law of total tricks, another reason why I shouldn't have bid twice. If it's right to bid to the level of the fit, then it's right whether the 2NT hand is weak, intermediate or strong. In defence of North's 3♥ bid, Andy and I are one of the stronger pairs at club level, and one of the points we make to our improvers is to be compete against the good players, not to sit back and let them pick your pockets. Admittedly as North I might pass, then balance with 3♥ over 3♦.

It's not at Acol Two for me, at least in a minor, because if partner passed 1C I wouldn't be asking myself "have we missed game here?" I'd be tempted though if the suits were switched so it had a 7 card major.

Hi skyelinc, if you mean your profile on Forums (as opposed to on the BBO site) Go to your user name in the grey box on the top right hand corner of this page Click on your name and options will appear below it Select profile Click on the box "edit profile" Make your changes, and save them Hope that helps

For those situations when you get outbid by the other major it has to be Total Eclipse of the Heart

It's a sound principle in bidding not to "bid the same hand twice" - not to keep on bidding when you don't have to unless you have something new to say. On this hand from Douglas Bridge Club 10 March 2021, board 7, West breached that principle and collected a poor board as a result. [hv=pc=n&s=saqthk9642d6ckjt3&w=sk8h7dkqjt3ca7652&n=s9643ha853d752c84&e=sj752hqjtda984cq9&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1h2n3h4d4h5dppp]399|300[/hv] To bid 5D, West should have significant extra shape (say 2-0-6-5 with a void in hearts) and/or significant extra strength - the West hand has nice diamonds, but is a pretty standard vulnerable 2NT overcall. East played the hand well to get out for -100 and a 40% board. 4♥ - 1 would have been 70% and 4♥ - 2 would have been 100%. So remember, it's OK to bid again where you have: extra shape compared to what you have shown;extra strength compared to what you have shown;new information that significantly improves your hand (perhaps partner bidding strongly in suit where you had unpromising holding like Qxx) .. but not just to repeat what partner already knows The identity of the guilty West is of course a closely guarded secret (but it wasn't Andy).

It is a matter of style but most pairs play an overcall of a weak two as being constructive rather than looking for a sacrifice (don't bid weak over weak"). Also if the opener's partner doubles, it's for penalties

Welcome DComedian hope you find the forum useful. I would pass "nothing more to say for now". We have opened and responded at the two level, so partner won't sell out to 2S not vulnerable at pairs. Partner can double / bid 2NT/3C /3D /3H - whatever their choice, you will be better informed. Second choice is 3H as I have got 6 good hearts, but I'd like a bit more for that. As a footnote, a pass pretty well guarantees five+ hearts, in the style I play. Did not open 1NT, not enough extra strength to double, and with 4441 I would open a minor. Hence not a balanced hand, and has 5+ hearts. (If you open 1H with exactly 4=4=4=1 this inference is not reliable). Akwoo makes an important point about differences in style between North American systems and Acol. In another post I had a interesting exchange about nuances in an auction as simple as 1H-1S-2S (can be 3 card support in the UK but this is not, I am told, usual in North America).