Kalvan14

I know that, Cherdano :P Seriously, Hannie: are you trolling me?

2♠ in the balancing seat is not Michaels, for me: it shows a semi-GF hand, and this more or less fits the bill

Guns are not dangerous, people are :P Robert, my post was a quote from the NRA campaign. Since we are in a bridge forum, I would have expected that the unriddling would have been easy: there are no "good" or "bad" convention, in absolute terms. There are "good" and "bad" players: if you are a good player, you choose the convention that better fit your style, and they will work, for you. If you are a bad player, 100 World Champions might pool together to prepare a bidding system for you, the best. And it will not work. While your army record is certainly interesting, maybe it was not completely germane to the discussion.

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=shj9dat8765ckt432]133|100|Scoring: IMP 1S - 1N* - 2C - ? *: forcing 1 round[/hv] System is 2/1, Hardy flavor if you want to know. What would you bid?

I think this is the best line. LHO ha certainly 5 clubs, and diamonds look better than hearts to develop a trick.

I know that, Cherdano, but the choice is between 3N and 4♣: which is better?The point is that the guy is a passed hand, and by definition limited. I would add, since it was given as a condition, a passed hand that would have opened 1NT with 10-12 balanced. So I would expect him to be non-balanced. I would assume he cannot have 6♥, otherwise he would have opened pre-emptive. If he holds a hand like x AJxxx Qxxxx Ax he would certainly be entitled to a serious 3N, but I would anticipate he would have opened. xx AJxxx Qxxx Ax or xx AJxx Qxxxxx Ax would make sense for a 3N I would submit that with either hand I would prefer 4♣. The only hand with which I would bid 3N would be one or the two above, with singleton spade.

As I remember, the Hog played WEAKER MINOR, to steer opponents' lead toward his stronger suits. Which is not a bad policy in itself. I am not really a fundamentalist in minor suits openings: I usually open 1♦ with 4-4, but also with 5-4 either way, if the hand is not worth a reverse. With 3-3, I usually open 1♣. I don't like at all 1♣ on 2 cards, btw. However, the key word here is "usually": tactically, it is worth to randomise a bit these openings. So I might open 1♦ with 3-3 in the minors too. In the posted hand, the main point in opening 1♣ was the possibility of hearing 1♦ from partner.

Guns are not dangerous, people are :)

North hand was: AKQJxx Axx x xxx Twelve tricks, but if you get a lead in a black suit the 13th is on a double squeeze. A red suit lead takes away the needed link between declarer's hand and dummy. 7♠ is one light (you cannot play for the squeeze) The lead at the table was ♣J, from JT98 (which I would say is the normal lead)

1) Isn't there a reverse in NT? Just to think that for all these years I've been bidding 1x - 1y - 2N, and this bid was not allowed :) I wonder how I can set it right 2) These expressions would not be considered acceptable at my club (zero tolerance policy). I doubt they should be allowed here. 3) I'm afraid being unable to agree with you.

The choice is between 1N and 2N. On a direct take-out double, I would bid 2N for sure. Here I'm more inclined toward 1N. Bidding is cooperative: if pard borrows a king from me for his bid, he must do the same for his re-bid. Which means that with a 14 HCP count or better he should keep the bid open.

Being a passed hand, there is obviously some redundancy in your bids, since 3♠, 4♣ and 3NT overlap considerably. Therefore choosing which bid to pick becomes more a matter of feeling than of technique. Actually I would say that it is a matter of technique rather than feeling: 3N is not just a way of wagging your tail, and saying you are happy. It must also convey a message to your partner. Now the message you appear to be conveying is that you have no cue-bid available in spades; I would also say that you appear not to hold the ♣A (otherwise why not show it?). Have we found the rightful heir to the "joyous" 4N? In these modern days, we have the "serious" 3N <_<

Over 4♠, you bid 4N, and pard shows 3 key-cards. If you are nervous, you can even confirm the Q♠ (which brings you to 5♠). Now what are you going to bid?

I am a lil surprised by the insistence on opening 1♦. I know it is the normal treatment for hands with 4-4 in the minors, but this time there is no possible issue with the rebidding. You can either reverse in NT, or reverse in diamonds. Opening 1♣ - btw - has a significant advantage: partner can bid diamonds at 1 level if he holds the suit. Don't you think that just this lil advantage calls for an opening in clubs?

Abstain. I refuse to answer questions where I'm forced to bid after a really silly auction. What the hell is 4♠ ? I really have to say that no one is compelled to participate in a discussion. OTOH, if one does, I would suggest that name calling and not contributing anything to the discussion is possibly not the best way to do it. I suppose you are the kind of guy who changes a lot of partners, aren't you?

sorry, Robert. i am not putting my head in a trap just for the fun of it. If I judge that the situation warrants it (like this case, if I find a black 5-5 against a red 6-5) there is no shame in playing 4♣. You are obviously free to raise your partner with a void. In particular if you play against me :(

I'm quite convince that passed hand needs both aces for going forward to a slam try; I fail to understand why 3N should be better than cue-bidding 3♠ or 4♣. Additionally, a 4-4 in trumps would be a bit light for a hand which needs ruffing a few clubs.

I'm in favor of 2N, which is what I bid at the table. Pard rebids 4♠, which is a fully autonomous suit.

[hv=d=s&v=n&s=s32hq84dak92cakq4]133|100|Scoring: MP 1C - 2S - ?[/hv] Playing SAYC. And playing it fairly standard. 2♠ is game forcing, obviously

Robert, I did not post the bidding. It beats me how a passed hand might invoke a "serious 3N", and I tried to build up a couple of hands which might be both passed hands, and willing to make a serious (?!) slam try. When I was playing precision (and even more so when I was playing Neapolitan Club), responder might take the lead more or less each leap year :rolleyes: , and certainly not if he was a passed hand. Maybe times are changed. Is there a real hand which might bid a serious 3N? And refuse to cue-bid spades? (IMO, you are right: opener should not put away his spade suit; another strange feature of this hand).

The standard treatment is that an immediate 1N overcall shows a strong NT. usually, all systems are on, but this is less standard. 11-14 is the standard range for balancing with 1N.

Any suit bid by 2♣ opener is forcing one round (even after a double negative). Maybe people should reconsider their 2♣ bids, if they want to stop below game :rolleyes:

I assume that partner migh have a hand like x AJxxx QJxxx xx, or even x Axxxx Qxxxx Ax (which would make eminenly sense for a serious 3N). I would bid 4N (RKC). If pard has 1 key-card, bid 6♥; if he has 2 KC, 7♥ might be there. Check if the spades have a 2nd round control

W was certainly damaged by the incorrect explanation: if he had known that N had the minors, he would have certainly bid 4♥ over 3♥ (hiding an 8-card suit is not good bridge :rolleyes: ). N-S were guilty on 2 counts: insufficient agreements, or lack thereof, for the first cound; and stupidity (on N behalf) for the second one. The first accusation does not even needs to be explained; for the second one, N has done his bid, and he has been lucky enough that S misunderstanding has not resulted in a hearts bid. Over 4♠, his only option is pass. Now, I am pretty sure that TD cannot change the table result.

There are too many clubs in this deck: LHO must have a fit in clubs for sure. No way I am going to pass and defend 3N.