mishovnbg

Hi Frederick! Depend of style you play 2 suiters. By old way yes, not right hand for michaels. By modern way with continue ranges near opening hand(can be by distribution) or more, the way I play them with Ben, it is right hand for Michaels. The reason is to not show your distribution in hands, where opps are expected to play. This method is normaly combined with very weak overcalls. Stronger hands go through take out double/michaels and rebid of suit, which is not so strong and is NF. This is actual modern style in Europe. But nothing new, hehe, Culbertson strike back B) Misho

Hi Frederick! "I have noooooo idea what the Dbl meant, sure no penalty Dbl in one of the suits :) ." -> This is main reason why good players don't like to play against i... :) Misho

Hi Gonzalo! Actually no. We play with Ben like Ghestem, but include Hi-Lo 2 suiter in 1NT raptor. Our 2♠ show exactly ♥-♦ 2 suiter and 4NT will be slam try with ♥ support, while 5♣ will be slam try with ♦ support. 5♥/5♦ are competitive. DBL is still under discussion, but is clear not penalty and I suppose we will use it as own suit (like we use RDBL if our 2♠ was doubled) or/and bid your better suit p. Hi Wayne! I am very happy because you raise this discussion. Can we begin another thread, where we will discuss several very interesting imo continuations after 2 suited bid by partner? There are several different situations and their combinations: 2 suits known and same (majors or minors)(1♦-2♦, 1M-2NT, 2 suited dbl...) 2 suits known and not same (M-m) - (1m-2NT, 2 suited dbl...) 1 suit known, 1 unknown (1NT raptor, 1♠-2♠ Michaels...) For all above situations need to determine 2NT(3,4) and dbl/rdbl if they are available too. Do you like same discussion friend? I think will be helpful for all us, becuase nebulous continuations here by bidding theory, at least what I know. About your question, depend you asking about partnership agreement(1) or playing with random partner(2). I will answer about 2. Because 2NT bid is normally use as "show me your minor" I will suppose my p will take my 4NT similar way (yes Gonzalo :) ). He will probably take my 5♣/5♦ as natural, so I will bid in examle ♦. Misho

Ciao Sandocan, the tiger of Mompracem! Link about Ben's scheme: http://bridgebase.lunarpages.com/~bridge2/...indpost&p=22288 His 2NT scheme (taken from ETM victory system) is similar tp posted by MickyB with addition I already posted. 1M-2NT, ? 3♣: didn't accept inviation 3♦: accept inv, deny slam interest 3M: slam interest 6M (can include here 5422) 3NT: slam interest, 5M332(5M422), max hcp, in your case 14-15 side suit: slam interest, singleton/void in that suit 4M: slam interest, 7 cards in M, deny singleton/void Continuations after 3♣/3♦: Cheapest suit show slam interest and responses are same as after 2NT Side suit show slam interest with singleton/void in that suit. ... Note: ANY our 2NT is inv+ major raise, when p bid major, doesn't matter in competition or not and we use same scheme after 2NT too. Misho

Begin guess Becuase all are not vul, 2NT can't be very weak, but also probably is not too defensive - not 2 A for example, because possible sacrifice by p can be bad with sure 2 tricks. RDBL can't be with 4 fit, else will search own contract instead of penalty. RDBL can't be with very long ♠ (7+), probably not even good 6, else with such good suit and fit game is more attractive. RDBL is with penalty for ♣ with at least 4 cards there, sequence expected. RDBL is short in ♦ and expect p do dbl them. RDBL have enough defensive tricks. End guess Expected deal: [hv=n=sxhxxdaqjxxcq10xxx&w=skjxxhkqjxxdkxxcx&e=sxxxxxxhaxxdcaj9x&s=saqh10xxdxxxxxckxx]399|300|[/hv] Suggested bid: 4NT RKCB, to know how high to sacrifice or to not let opps to use it :) . If my p take it as willing to sacrifice in his better minor, I can pull his ♣ preference any time to ♦ :) Misho

Need to add if responder didn't ask by 3♦, he show singleton/void with hand stronger than splinter. 1M-2NT, 3♣-? 3♦: ask for shortness 3OM/4♣/4♦: splinter Other bids depend of 2NT range. We play with Ben 2NT as inv+. In this case they are natural and NF. Misho

Hi Slothy! Be a man, choose your skill and try to defend it at table! Unlike some of "private stars Fred's selection" :). Misho

Hi Helene! The problem is if you repeat something many times, it will not become Truth, even you don't like it ;) . It is true that conventions are designed for some reason, but normally their usage is much more wide at table than basic understanding of beginner. Normally any convention about distribution show only min length for suits, leave longer suits for player's decision, not for director's one :o . Here is one link from your beloved Germany, strange, explained as 5+-4+ :): http://home.nikocity.de/kwiese/konvent/Dutch.htm Hi kgr! Welcome to BBO forum! 'If playing Muiderberg and multi and you get a 6-4 hand then you will have to choose if you open Muiderberg or multi. Probably you will only open Muiderberg if the six card Major is bad and you want to consider it as a 5 card. For me this looks like a hand evaluation decision if you open Muiderberg with 6-4 and I would not give a penalty for it except if you do it regurarly. If the rules in NL are that strict then put on your convention card: "With weak 6-4 we can open Muidergberg or multi, decision depends on strengths of the suits." ' Most of good players and TDs will agree with obove written, as well as I. This is only reasonable way of judgement in our versicoloured bridge community. Misho

yes it is Jack - but BBO is not that strict about this topic as I am. We have now Uday's word that it is not acceptable for 'golden stars' to hide their identity. For the content of my web-sites I am the solely responsible person. I am glad to note that you accept responsibility for the content of your websites. Perhaps you will then act on that responsibility to correct any misrepresentations of BBO policy. "Starred" names are priviledged. That priviledge comes at a cost, one part of which is loss of anonymity. Your site implies that it is contrary to acceptable conduct on BBO to conceal your identity. Your site makes no distinction between stars and other players and fails to acknowledge that it is a personal view, but condemn such practices by reference to acceptable codes in the passive tense, suggesting that it is by reference to an objective test, not a subjective one. Fred expressed BBO policy in the following message, and I stand by my earlier post in this thread. http://bridgebase.lunarpages.com/~bridge2/...indpost&p=20418 It is fun to watch what even virtual "banana", like Fred's "stars", can do to atavistic monkey egos :) Misho

Hi Peter! It is no chance that most of top players use 2nd from small instead of top of nothing. 2nd reveal less to opps and helps enough to p and didn't sacrifice high card that can be important for defense. Combined with UDCA marking it helps to show number of cards by regular way in leaded suit for sure, very important for trump contracts, unlike mud, where can be too late for you to reveal that p had 3 cards, not doubleton. Misho

I am fan of optional doubles, esp vs modern in Europe overcalls with garbage and variable preempte with 5 cards... You can read here: http://bridgebase.lunarpages.com/~bridge2/...findpost&p=4924 You can also track in "My hands" how many successful doubles of this type we did with Boian (PPilot). Of course to do that you need good hand evaluation and good level of defense... But without them you can't win either. Need to say when opps know about they receive almost any possible penalty double, they become far less aggressive and his play - less wining :) . Misho

I am proud of my country, my parents and my name! But I can understand, if somebody don't like to share same information. Can be really important reasons to do that - like security job (military), country restrictions, religious restrictions... I prefer to believe and fail than to not believe and fail - matter of own choice and view of life. Skill level... Because of self choice, it is matter of fair competition imho. It is not right to lie to opps that you are "novice" and to make double trump squeese next deal!!! It is not also fair to choose "world class", when your world is your own village. But if you are between 2 skills it is fair to pick up any one of them, depend of which will be more usefull for your opps. I have to choose "expert", because I had major success in national competitions in my country by BBO definitions. But I didn't play 15 years and my actual level is not all time expert, especially palying with dummy, so I choose sometimes advanced. Finally I decide to be an "expert", because in bidding process where is more important for opps, I am real one, so will be more fair for them. I think that most of other good players also have some hesitations, feel free to use my above thoughts friends :) . Misho

Hi Chamaco! Theoretically right bid is pass here, similar if your RHO opened 1♣ Precision with 16+HCP. You can later balancing if nessesary. Direct bids after opps shown strength (strong artifical opening, strong NT or 2 free bids without negative) are based on distribution and show nothing about strength, because opps already do that job for you. This theory is particulary very useful vs strong pass systems. I will give you an example of my bidding vs strong pass system in BBO team match. My hand:[hv=d=e&v=b&s=saxhkqjxxdkxxcaxx]133|100|Scoring: IMP (P{14+}) - P{*} - (1♦{0-7}) - P (1♥{18+}) - P - (1♠{0-4}) - P (P) - 2♥{**} [/hv] * Pass because lack of distribution ** Time to fight for your own score/game Misho

Artificial bids are nice intellectual challenges, in particular if you're into information theory or linguistics. Also, they can boost your reputation as a bidding expert, which is a nice thing, in particular if it isn't true. With my wednesday p, I play all kind of nonsense (T-Walsh, Raptor, 3-way-preempts). Very frequently, opponents get impressed (or even better: get scared) when looking at our CC. Whenever we happen to bid the right contract, we allways get remarks about our fantastic, scientific system. With my tuesday p, I play Stayman, t/o-doubles, strong 2♣, and further everything natural. As for efficiency, it doesn't matter, of course. The major disadvantage, however, is that everybody consider us stupid blonds, and when we happen to bid the right contract it is sheer luck, or maybe it's good judgement, but it's certainly not the system. To make opps think about you as stupid is great advantage imo. My favourite is "lucky rabbit" by Victor Mollo ;) P.S. Conventions are nessesary, because only limited language is available for bridge bidding. Usage of them can help, but can't improve level of play of course. Transfers, include after double, give you more flexibility, typical for natural bidding and is probably more natural than direct naming of suit :) . Misho

When I vote for 4♠ ERKCB I rely on my experience. In all boards where I late to use it I had difficulties and most of time unsuccessful guessing at higher levels of competition. In opposite case I played really few cases at 5 level for down 1 or even too. Misho

I think you should check this, if it is forcing, pass. ... and if 2♠ is NF, then also pass, but higher quality one :blink: Misho

With 8 cards or 7-4 I bid normally at 4 level. With 9 or 8-4 - 5 level. Misho

Pass Can be alerted: willing to compete but failed because lack of materials :lol: Kidding of course :blink: Misho

Change NT range by vul. Can begin intelectual conversation with TD, about you play not 3 but 2.71 system, and sure not 3.14 system :lol: . It is typical for grey people to produce lot of grey garbage and throw it on heads of innocent players :blink: Misho

Hi all tournament directors! Thank you very much for your efforts, the only way free BBO community to play at tournaments! Need to say that I really respect Gwen, the way she made total points brave tournaments is charming♥! New fun fishy tournament is logical continuation of her work and is also great :) . Probably people like Gweny have the merit for most newcomers to Bridge. When somebody love the Game, like Gwen, people feel that and tend to fall in same love :) . Marta (Maaa) is one of best directors I met. Even for me was difficult to catch her mistakes, except few times :P ;) . Need to say I won a lot of bets about the Law even with qualified directors, hehe... I enjoy playing at her tournaments, feel protected by Law equal for all, may be except poles :P ... Sorry I can't write about all TDs I like and respect, thank you all! Probably will be surprising for those who read my posts, but I like the idea about restricted tourneys, like SAYC,WJ200,Major francais... events. Why? Because I (and hope you all) love bridge as intellectual game, challenge of minds, battle between egos. How I can do that if I don't know what opps bids/signals means? Alerting and explaining artifical bids is not enough, because lack of knoledge about whole system, can lead to my wrong conclusions, about the opps possibilities to choose between available bids in system. This will be not fair competition by Law. Is the restrictions are only solution for fair game? Of course not!!! High restrictive environment can lead only to regress, the prove is all human history, as well as lack of new/young players in all world now. The solution is simple, but hard accessible - money, money, money... Instead for cabaret, money for tournaments, where no restrictions for systems, to ensure evolution of bidding process and all game Bridge. I am sure at such tourneys will compete lot of young people and will attract lot of them to thry their skills in strategy, tactic and finding new ways of optimising bidding and marking. Same tournaments will be like research laboratory for Bridge, but like for any research need to find finances. How to explain to sponsor, even bridge player, that if he spend some of that $20000 which he will lose to enjoy roulette for such tournaments regularly, his name will stay forever in history in game, which he also love. :) Thanks to Fred and Uday, BBO become of unpaid(yet) field of system experiments. I am sure this site is ticked for them to stay in bridge history as men who allow in dark eges of restrictions bridge evolution to continue, because of free BBO and communication and interchange of ideas between players of all world. Misho

Hi Mauro! To search in BBO forum, click "My Assistant" at upper right corner of window and type in field "Search posts for..." what you search, in example "kokish". You will receive as result all posts that contain searching word, similar to Google in Internet. Happy to be useful for you! Misho

Hi Jimmy and Gonzalo! My p hand: [hv=s=sxh10xxdkq10xxcjxxx]133|100|[/hv] Bidding: 1♣-1♦ 2♠-2NT 3♥(yes I bid that)-5♣ Pass Rsult: -1, where 3NT is relative easy contract My p, expert, told that took my 3♥ suit as 4th suit asking for stopper... I also think that it can be, but my answer was that 2NT is for sign off here and I normally must bid 3♣, and he where he like to stop. As you can see he mean this too by his bid, despite we didnt have any agreements. Another story is final contract and continuations when breaking convention with exception. Misho

Hi Misho ! :D Where can I find the relevant info for applying kokish relay to this sequence (and similar)? :) Thanks !! :) Hi Chamaco! Instead of use me as searching machine, use your assistant in BBO forum and Google in Internet please... http://bridgebase.lunarpages.com/~bridge2/...findpost&p=6969 http://bridgebase.lunarpages.com/~bridge2/...findpost&p=6944 Misho

Read about kokish relay, instead of develop wheel again. Misho

Hi Gonzalo! Just type in Google "game bridge history" and you receive this and more facts about history of our great game Bridge! Misho