mishovnbg

{SIZE=7}{COLOR=red}FOUR hearts?{COLOR=gray}{SIZE=1} (Edited: Why didn't the size and color work?) -> Because you didn't put closing tag=same as opened one but leaded by "/" Example: {COLOR=red}FOUR hearts?{/COLOR} (you must use square brackets instead used in example large ones) and you will receive wanted large red hihi effect :lol: I though my opinion is different, because most of experts here played rare vs NF bids at 2 level and don't have enough experience with them. In bulgaria they are very common and imo are more reasonable and much better. It is quite often to bid such way with hand like xx,Kx,KJ10xxx,xxx, so p of overcaller can be quite strong. In such case with 4♥ he can't pass, even with singleton/void in p suit and only possible option is to dbl. Example: x,KQJx,Axxx,Axxx. It is possible even to have game here, what to say about almost sure score... paulhar, I am sorry, but will not give you more answers to your questions, because for beginner you are too arrogant... :lol: P.S. I can reconsider if you fill my BBO account with enough BBO$ as exuse :P Misho

Hi Ben! With bal hands after opp's redouble you will be happy to stay as low as possible, so will bid probably cheapest transfer for 4+ card suit without showing nature of your hand. The great advantage of transfers here will reveal itself when rdbl was given with not strong hand but as psyche or any other reason. This alow responder of dbl to continue later. By std way jumps after rdbl are preemtive, so you dont have right bids with inv hands. Bidding high with 5-5 2 suiter at 3 level after p t/o dbl is safe with any strength - it is protected by your beloved LOTT. 2 way transfer, when direct natural bid in same suit is available imo must be done only with some strength. Example: (1♦) - dbl - rdbl -? pass: 4(3)+♥ 1♥: 4(3)+♠ 1♠: bal or ♣, both with some hcp 2♣: 5(4)+♣, weak After some thought I realize that we have no bid with 2 suiter, wich include opps suit. It can be important in case of unbid 5+ major. We can use free bid also for that exceptional case, but I am in doubt that we both can remeber it :P . In above example 2♣ can be 5+♥/♠-5(4)+♦. What do you think? Misho

Transfer for 4+♥, doesn't promisse any ♠ support with enough strength. Snapdragon double is suitable only after 2♦F1R, because in such case 2♦ bid contain at least inv hand and your p can't be strong. Misho

I will not comment obvious meaning of artifical good raise. It can be also any inv hand and this convention you can find in BBO library, if I remember right described by Fred. One interesting meaning of all rebids of 1NT F1R in higher suit is GF hand with missfit in opener suit (suitable for NT hand). Example: 1♥-1NT, 2x-2♠: 5+♠, GF, sing/void ♥. If you play nat 1♦ opening (5+♦, unbalanced), you will almost never play 1NT, so can use 1NT answer as F1R, like in majors. In such case: 1♦-1NT{F1R}, 2♣/♦-2♥/♠: 5+♥/♠, GF, sing/void ♦. Strong hands with sing/void in opener's suit are very difficulte for bidding, because level of contract depend of level of duplication in opener's suit. Above way solve this problem by most natural and easy way. P.S. This convention is part of system of one of varna's bridge theorists, who play in BBO - bychechi nick. Misho

Hi Ben! Passing rdbl as transfer is great idea and fit perfectly to our method! Normally passing rdbl when your p ask you to pick up suit with t/o dbl is not good idea, so pass can be used as transfer! I really like it! About 2 suiters - really good idea again! Because opps have hcp, our chance to fight for deal is distribution and 2 suiters are most complicate. Direct bids: 1NT, cue bid and 2NT must be used for 2 suiters. About other bids I am really not sure. My suggestion is: 1NT: 4high-5+low or 4high4low41 or 5+high-5+low cue bid: 5+high-5+mid 2NT: 5+low-5+mid It is similar to our direct overcalss with similar reasons and you can use same schemes. What do you think? Misho

Thank you for your furst participation in this area of Ben&Misho duet B) Misho

Yes! Actually in not vul the best way is to play strong ♣/♦. In vul there is no right answer at all, so most of top players continue play it. One of best solutions is to play in vul something like polish club (look Rumen-Kalin system). Misho P.S. I did research about systems of top world players and posted it here in BBO. Only 25% of them use strong ♣/♦ system and between theese 25% some use in vul different system.

not quite true... the system i posted plays at 2 of a minor very nicely and jt, brozel is a fine convention... i like it *far* more tha a lot of the ones people play Luke: "2C=diamonds and hearts OR hearts only 2D=hearts and spades OR spades only 2H=spades and clubs OR clubs only 2S=3 suited with spades 2NT=3 suited without spades... and X=clubs and diamonds OR diamonds only OR pointed OR rounded" Comments: What I like is principle "2 suits with higher or only higher" - partially implemented in this try. Now what I dont like, sorry Luke: - many "or"s - useless bids in competition, so dbl = nonsence, similar to "I have any unbalanced hand p". - pointed and rounded and... - at 3 level with ♣ preference after 2♦ bid of responder. - 1 suited ♣ hand - only 3 level available. - any 3 suited hand with minor preference go to 3 level - terrible Misho

paulhar: "Now I'm confused. Bid? What, 2NT? Oddly enough, I remember a thread about a month ago that discussed this very sequence (maybe the 2H didn't show 5) but most thought it showed a real strong notrump although some went down to 14." Sorry if I repeat myself, but this question is probably for beginner/intermediate section again. Exuse me for boring explanations again experts... We use with Ben simple convention - scrambing rebid of take out dbl in cheapest suit. It already happen at table several times with success (least lose). With (14)15-17(18)hcp and same distribution Ben will dbl and on 2♠ response will bid 3♣ scramble and NF. With (9)10-13(14)hcp he will bid 2NT directly from reopen position. Misho

For sure? From the posts I've seen, Ben, albeit his reputation for bidding a lot, is a competent bridge player. Show me the competent bridge player that will bid over 2H-P-P with: A5 J63 K542 Q763 :) With hand in example he will balance with 2NT. In vul it will take some time :D . Our own limited competence is sometimes obstacle to realize higher competence of others. I had similar problem with Henri's(ritong) balancing and I hate to remember about it... B) Misho

whereagles: "I've played strong club for years against top competition in european championships. And quite honestly, I don't remember any particular board where opponent's overcalls on my strong club openings led to disaster. But I do remember a few boards where I myself made unsound overcalls on their strong club openers and got trashed." Do you really believe to your own words or you again just kidding? Any player who used to play strong ♣/♦ had a lot of mistakes after opps preempts, as well as some gains of course. I watched several matches, here in BBO, where Rado&Joro played vs Ron&Rubin. Rado's pair used to play vs 1♣ opening (16+) Rambler (complicate, but most destructive, based on Law). Several times (!) Ron&Rubin give up when after 16 boards they already lose by 50/70 imp, because 1♣ coming too often!!! Shortly: if opps know what to do after strong 1♣/♦ opening, you are in trouble, because need to guess almost all time. It is true that most of pairs are too lazy to use something complicate... Misho

I agree. Despite lot of people will bid 3♦ (not 4 - it is too high) I never bid such suit without A/K. Misho

Mekwell - the only way to play 2 of minor all time when need. All other conventions practically can't fight for score at 2 of minor and can pay at 3 of minor. Misho

2NT is bad bid. You have no fillers or long suit, you have too much hcp in ♥, so you can make 3NT only by power. If your p have 10+hcp and his name is Ben, he will balance for sure... If he don't have hcp/distribution with 5 def tricks and 4 trumps is much better to defend. Misho

Best preempt 3 level any vul 1/2 seat - 6+ cards with 2 TH. Best preempt 3 seat - is not good suit for lead B) Best preempt 4 seat - solid/semi 6+ suit without side QT. Best system - search forum for polish club, Rumen-Kalin version. The system you describe is suitable only in not vul... Misho

You can't play 2♦ as multi with only with weak options, because this way is brown sticker, so I will not comment it. The best way is 2♦ to include strong major 2 suiter, besides weak 2 in major. Same strong option give you 2 advantages: - Any bid from responder as answer of weak 2 of major is also useful for strong major 2 suiter, especially in competition. - You can play wide range of 1 major opening without losing game in other major when your p pass. Misho

Pass - missfit boards I leave opps to play... If LHO had trap pass, I don't like to play possible 2♥ rebid of my p with dbl. Misho

Hi whereagles! Did you try your skills playing poker? If not imho will be good idea to change the game you play B) . There is a big difference between pressure bidding and gamble. The right pressure bid must aim opps, not your own p. Have you regular p and how many years you play with him? If you have, will be nice to ask him what he think about your preempts with such hands... If you don't have the question "why" have clear answer... Normally experts hate to guess, as well as to open high with unusual hands. They prefer to receive more info about board, include from opps and they believe in their right decision based on additional info. Misho

Send it to me ♥ B) I will make good analysis :) Q♣ -> younger player... Can try coca-cola research too to be sure. At BBO ask both about leads and marking and watch answers... :) Misho

5♠ 4♦ can be with slam interest(1) or to choose game with good ♠(2). Because of negative 5♦ bid after forcing pass I take (2), so I didn't expect ♠ loser. Despite my forcing pass p didn't bid slam, so he is min (he also like to bid slams B) ). My hand is only slam try already shown by me, so if I respect my p I can't bid slam directly. But I didn't show my ♠ fit with cover card there and my p can change his mind if I show it at relative secure same 5 level. This bid have additional advantage because my p will bid slam with ♥ control probably - need if you don't like to play slams less than 50% with ♥ loser. Misho

Pass. Playing with Ben 5♣ was already too high... Misho

No blame - just real competitive bridge. If you change K♣ and K♠, what to say about 3-2 ♥, then poll will be "Who miss double for 500" B) Misho

Hi Tiger! Ben invented very good continuations suitable for ANY 2NT bid which show support or after fitting suit. It is very simple, show less information/possibilities to opps as possible and give/show most important info - about singletons. Search forum about or ask him to describe it. About what to do with bal hand - the actual answer is to bid new suit round forcing. Of course you lose possibility for sign off in suit at cheapest level playing this way, so better, but more complicate, is to use transfer responses to overcalls. I describe some of it in our Equality method, search forum about if you like. Misho

Hand in example is GF(3NT) statisticaly. There is low chances for void ♣, so you make 7 tricks on finesse ♣. Even with light opening your p have statisticaly 10hcp, normaly AKQJ scattered in suits. This mean 1 sure trick for A and 1 more when you take opening lead with your stopper. But question is how to bid it, of course preferable by p, because he hold stoppers. It is impossible to do this playing 2/1 GF without some lie, because 2/1 system sacrificing inv part of 2/1 bids, is very uneffective in most common case of inv responsive hands and lead often to wrong sided NT contracts after 1NT RF. Even clear 2/1 GF bid, which rarely comes, actually does not bring any advantages. Because of above weaknesses you need also ton of gadgets to avoid it and lead to unnecessary complication of system to about 300 pages. I will illustrate my thoughts by given in post example: 1♠-2♣(only possible nat GF bid in 2/1), 2♠(most common rebid) - 3♣(without lie only possible bid) ? Without gadgets continuations here are very unclear. Depending of reponder's intentions bids of opener must be different. If 3♣ establish ♣ suit and show slam try cue bids and serious/frivolous 3NT apply. If 3♣ was for finding best game, then bids are stoppers and deny stopper in unbid suit, which is case in example. Because these 2 possibilities contradict each other, you again need some gadget... What is the solution? IMO - give up playing nat GF responses, switch to transfers and one GF relay :) Misho

Pass, 4♠ if reopen dbl... Misho