Robert

Hi erki_ That (2H)-X-2NT*-3H bid shows a game forcing hand. Just changing suits here, a 3D bid rather than 3C* would show a strong hand. Your prior agreements should come into play after a 3H cuebid. Lebensohl Convention Complete by Ron Anderson is highly recommented. Page 63 says, "Game forcing cuebid." A 3D bid example after (2H)-X-2NT-3D= AK109 x AK10xxx Qx Regards, Robert

Hi everyone In KS(?) I think that it shows 4-4 minors and asks partner to pick a minor contract. Strong minors and weak majors suggest the bid. I do not bid this way, however, I have seen it in print. You should have a prior agreement before using this method, as the assorted guesses from other posts suggest that many other answers are possible. Regards, Robert

Hi mikegill The post clearly states no conventions used here. I clearly stated that I like to play good bad 2NT here. Since joshs mentioned 2NT showing 6D and 4C 'in DC' and keylime also mentioned Good Bad 2NT, please feel free to compain about their posts since you complained about mine. Fair is fair. ;) I play double= 4 clubs(and a good hand) and a direct 3C bid shows both 5(+) clubs and a good hand since I 'do play' Good Bad 2NT. If you do play 3m shows ??? I would like to see the results with both screens and a footstool present. I know that I can often tell the value of the 3m bid from the way that the hand was bid. But it is not legal as I understand the laws. I abstained for answering the question based on the lack of methods. If you want me to make bricks without straw, do not blame me after the building falls down. Regards, Robert

Hi jillybean2 This hand is not worth a reverse after partner bids 1S. Those three small hearts in a suit that was bid behind you are a red warning flag. The shortness in partner's suit is also a bad sign. I open 1D and rebid 2Cs. hrothgar is almost correct. Opening 1D is a good idea. That '6' is barely enough to raise a jump bid suit in this auction. More than enough would be xx xxx or 'J' I deleted the KR evaluator from my PC because the results tended to much higher than many hands deserved. This hand is certainly not worth almost 19 points after a 1H overcall and partner now bids your stiff. Several red warning flags are flying. :D Care to try another auction with partner holding a 5=4=3=1 holding with the same HCP as you hold? The KR evaluator will show that each hand is worth close to 19 points. With 37-38 points, shouldn't you be playing slam or even a grand slam? Making any slam will be interesting. :) Tell partner to XX only when he holds 'unexpected' cards/shape. His suit was weak for the jump bid and the double should 'wake him up' to the bad break that the other pair has just warned you about. His hand also holds three small hearts and a void in your 2D reverse. The other pair should not be counting defensive tricks in the minors 'sitting' in front of the opening bidder. Regards, Robert

Hi Jlall Change the opening bid to 10xxx KJxx Qxx AK and most of these 4H bidders appear somewhat overboard. Now move that Queen into clubs for AK10x KJxx xxx Qx and the play of the hand is a little bit more challenging. :D Why not jump to game with an 8 eight loser hand 'unless' you are looking at both hands? Let someone post a non fitting eight loser hand opposite a single raise and see all of the players 'looking' at both hands that pass out 2Hs and comment wtp? Regards, Robert

Hi everyone I disagree with hrothgar. My dictionary defines variant as, "an altered form of something." The poster asked for 2NT Jacoby or your favorite variant. hrothgar is absolutely correct that he(and I) would never use a variant of any bid with a pick up partner. However, given the stated 'variant' in the post, after prior agreement with partner, the 2NT limit+ with 4 trumps or a GF raise is a variant that I do play with regular partners. Hi Free What blackshoe said! If you reread the first post, it uses the word variant(which means "an altered form" If you want to complain, at least read the post correctly. :) Jordan 2NT is used after 1MX as a raise in America since you changed the topic. If you use a variant, please state that you do so in your post. All bidders do not use the same mehtods, so 'if' the post does suggest 'variant' bidding, I will continue to feel free to post my variant type answers. Regards, Robert

Hi Flame If you enjoy these methods, play them. I enjoy collecting and building systems. :) FN uses the opposite approach. Unlimited one bids, weak NT and 'wide ranging' two bids. This makes their one bids better defined. Do you have a problem with competition? The modern game with numerous light overcalls and jump raises would be fairly effective against many of these two way bids and the wide ranging 1NT bid. That 12-17 NT range is a possible problem area. I have played 13-17 in Blue Team Club, however, since the 13-15 range shows clubs, the 1NT bid is normally strong. Your 12-17 1NT will normally be weak since the number of 12-14 hands is much higher than the number of 15-17 hands. I would not worry too much about penalty doubles of a weak 1NT, I have played them for several decades and the fear of being doubled is mostly from those that do not play them. Just have good methods to escape if doubled for penalty. Those 0-11 jump replys(5H/4S) might be better off with a Meckwell style 2H@6-9 and 2S showing the same hand with 10-11. Playing your methods 2H@0-9 and 2S=10-11 For your 1D opening and replies, you might want to read up on Romex. They play a forcing 1NT opening bid. For your 1C opening bids, you might want to read up on the Power System(Ron Klinger) since his 1C bidding is something like yours. Regards, Robert

Hi jillybean2 Playing standard methods a reverse is a one round force. Hi everyone This must have been a 'self rated expert.' Most experts play 2NT as a relay with higher bids showing values. I use the cheaper of 4th suit or 2NT as my 'relay' after a reverse. Regards, Robert

Hi MickyB A top American expert Edgar Kaplan of Kaplan Seinwold bidding fame played a weak NT and sound minor openings. He did not feel that it was a disadvantage to open 1m with 15+ balanced. FN play a weak NT and they are one of the best pairs in the world. If they switched to a strong NT, you think that they would win more often? Why wouldn't they switch 'if' your theory was correct? Likely the strongest U.S. team has two pairs playing a forcing club. Meckwell and a Blue Team Club offshoot. If their outstanding record is any indication, your comment on players in your country avoiding big club methods because of the problems involved is just not supported by the facts. One of the best teams in the world has two out of three pairs playing and winning with big club methods. The problems from playing a big club method are vastly overrated by your comments since these two world class pairs use 1C forcing and have a proven winning track record. Regards, Robert

Hi Apollo81 I like to play Good Bad 2NT so both my 3C and 3D bids would show a good hand here. Does partner think that a 2NT bid 'wthout prior agreement' would be the bid made by someone holding 14HCP and 6-4 in the minors? Isn't partner going to double the other pair at a higher level after you show a good hand with a 2NT bid. The 6-4 minors with 14HCP might be a big disappointment. Regards, Robert

Hi everyone 1. Forcing, choice of games. You really should take up the XYZ convention. You can invite and often stay at the two level. You can also make a game forcing 2D* bid which will allow a low game forcing auction. 2. 3C You promise 4 card support and invite game. B) 3. Some(many?) like to jump with a long suit. I would overcall 1H and not be worried about missing game. Those four small clubs are a warning sign. Depending on your partner, 3NT or 4Hs is the bid. If the 1H bidder is one of the 'overcall on 5/6+HCP school', that 3H bid is an unknown quality. What do you think partner should hold to overcall 1H and jump to 3Hs? I show a good hand. For my own amusement, what were the EW hands here? :D Regards, Robert

Hi everyone I assume that your 'expert' partner was self rated? He appears to be a 'results' player. One that results only after the hand is over and he has looked at all four hands. He doubled 4NT to show good defense and doubled 5D to show good defense against that contract. You have a huge hand to 'defend' with if the 'expert' has anything near what his two doubles showed. Regards, Robert

Hi pclayton Steve Robinson is a very good player, however, he has some ideas that are not standard. He opens 65432 void void AKQJ10987 with one spade. Maybe that is good bridge, however, some players might disagree. I highly reccomend his Washington Standard book. It contains a great deal of very good advice. Regards, Robert

Hi awm If the weak NT results from your match were the normal result. FN would destroy any pair that they played 'if' they simply switched from their weak NT bidding. KS swept the American bridge scene when it first arrived. That Tiger bridge pair made life master in something like six weeks playing a weak NT. If the other pairs were playing double dummy defense because of the bidding and the weak NT 'wrong sided' that many more contracts, how did all of the weak NT players manage to win so often? Are you sure that you didn't either play against a much weaker pair or perhaps you just simply had a session where everything goes right? I played with a gentleman from out of town and we won seven times in a row in our club game. One session that we won, second place was slightly above average and everyone else our way was below average. :) Regards, Robert

Hi cherdono Didn't you just post about the methods that were played after one of your 5/6+HCP overcalls. I am hoping that you do not go for a number. since my raise might well be a bit thin considering your overcall style. If you have bid 1S on KJxxx and a side Queen or Jack, we might too high at 4Ss. Regards, Robert

Hi Echognome The first post stated that 3C was a "preempt in clubs", why argue with that statement? I play that it asks for a club stopper for 3NT. Regards, Robert

Hi everyone Double shows the minors with 4 clubs. A three club bid should show 5 clubs. Why are we worried about this hand 'if' we have no agreements? Play Good Bad 2NT* and your bidding will inprove. Playing with random partners, good results are often random. Regards, Robert

Hi Free Is it that hard to read the first post to get the instructions 'correct' before you rant and rave in 'error?' What did you think that "(your favorite version thereof)" meant if not non-standard 'versions were not welcomed. :) Regards, Robert

Hi eveyone Roth Stone playing 5 card majors with a 16-18 NT swept the American bridge scene when it first appeared. Kaplan Sheinwold with 12-14 NT also did the same thing. Tiger bridge made two visiting English players Life Masters in something like six weeks while they played a 12-14 NT opening. Currently, FN(one of the top Italian pairs) plays a 12-14 NT with fairly wide ranging shape requirements. The Blue Team from several decades ago played four card majors with a 13-17HCP 1NT range and dominated the rest of the world for many years. They once rolled up a big lead and arrived for the next day by saying that they would be playing Standard American bidding for the rest of the contest. Bidding methods are largely a manner of taste. I played a lot of 12-14 1NT while playing Kaplan Sheinwold(5 card majors) and Acol(4 card majors) in the 70s/80s period. I have also played ranges from 8-10 up to 17-20(Roman) and even played a 1NT forcing opening with Romex. Whatever you like to play is fine. The test of bidding methods is the results produced. When you adopt a new method, go over the follow up bidding so that your scores do not suffer 'when' something new does pop up. :) Regards, Robert

Hi everyone I play 2NT* as 10+ with 4 trumps or some GF. I also play 1M-2M as 3 trumps with 10-11 dummy points in my Big Club method. This Aceless semi balanced hand might very well bid 1S-4S*=a shapely weak hand up to 13-14HCP opposite a limited 1S bid. Mekcwell picked up +800 when someone guessed wrong at the five level. Regards, Robert

Hi everyone This double is 'bunny bashing.' You played an earlier hand against this pair and you know that they cannot bid. The double merely increases the penalty. Players that cannot bid will normally play even worse after you double them. They(and you) expect them to go down in a freely bid(and now doubled) contract. Regards, Robert

Hi ArtK78 I checked the 1989 version of Two Over One Game Force by Max Hardy. Page 4 Beneath the words, "All of the following hands should be opened with a bid of one notrump." Example C) AQ AQ KJx xxxxxx 2=2=3=6 and D) AQ AQ xxxxxxx KJ 2=2=7=2 He made the same comment in two different versions of his book and the example hands are identical down to the spot card in the KJ7 example in C) Hardy has been a tournament director since 1973. He directs 150-200 tournaments per year(according to his 1989 book, so he could well be non playing by this timeperiod) As of 1989, 52 Regional wins - many with students and these include 19 knockout team events. "He has contributed to every major American bridge publication." "He has been for several years a member of the Bridge World's Master Solvers panel." Bridge World is the leading Ameican Expert bridge magazine. I counted nine books published written by him up to 1989. I think that the point that he was trying to make was that he 'wanted' you to open the 2=2=3=6 and 2=2=7=2 hand with weak suits and strong doubletons 1NT. Max Hardy held 7,000 masterpoints as of 1989 and I suspect that might indicate that he could play. His 19 Regional knockout team wins also suggests that fact. Since he also has a total of 52 Regional wins(many with students) his record suggests that he is a good player. I open 6322 shapes with a long minor with 1NT 'if' the hand looks right. I opened one a couple of days ago. I have not opened a 2227 shape, however, Max Hardy does and writes this in his books. If you want some really strange 1NT openings look for hands bid by Zia. He is a great player and opens some truly strange 1NT bids. Please read the quotes in my answer to hrothgar for additional information. Hi hrothgar I cannot remember a 2227 shape hand opening 1NT. I have seen many 2236 types open 1NT. I opened a 2263 hand 1NT a couple of days ago myself. I have never bothered to ask players if a 2227 shape should open 1NT. I do believe that many players on this forum and some local D.C. experts open 1NT and 2NT with 1345 and 1444 shapes. Don't you suggest that bidding style yourself? From his 1989 version of 2/1, page 5, "a semi balanced hand with honors in the short suit holdings. It is best described by an opening bid of one notrump." From his 1989 version of 2/1, page 5 "Examples 1c) and 1d) carry this thought to its ultimate conclusion. In each case, an opening bid of one no trump is more descriptive of the general nature of the hand than would be a bid in the poor long minor suit." Regards, Robert

Hi everyone Isn't this a case of GIB will return the favor(money?) since it will go down when it plays another hand 'against' you? Regards, Robert

Hi everyone #1 X #2 7NT wtp, we cannot bid higher than 7NT according to the current rules? #3 Was that X a support double? Prior agreements might help here. The answer depends on our other agreements, 'if' that was a support doouble different agreements are in effect. #4 3 spades. Unless I know the overcaller very well, I am not offering to play NT holding Jxx in a freely overcalled suit. Jlall thanked you for the club Jack, I really thank you for the 10 of spades. :rolleyes: Is this an ad for playing weak NTs? #5 I would play partner for something like 3451 after his bidding. That 3H bid was an attempt to decribe his 3451 'or equivalent' shape. 2S does not promise six on this auction. Have partner write that 100 times. Regards, Robert

Hi cherdano Bid what suit? I do not bid(or transfer into' a 'three' card suits in reply to an overcall. You might, however, I do not. What do you bid holding KJx xx Axx KJxxx playing these methods? If you still reply with a 8-11 1NT, add a Queen or Jack to get to the next higher range NT range. Transferring to an Axx 'suit' is not part of my bidding style, partner may well want to choose diamonds over my later NT bid. Bidding to 2NT 'after' transferring to diamonds opposite what might well be a six HCP overcall is would also be a considerable leap of faith. :rolleyes: Bidding 3NT with 16-17 opposite a 5/6 point overcall is also quite a leap of faith. If 4MXed always makes, why not bid it directly? Why does the other pair keep doubling you 'if' the contract always makes? :) Enjoy playing your style. I have changed my bidding style from Italian style 3-12/13HCP overcalls(and 'off shape' doubles) with K10xx+ suits to my current style of a somewhat higher HCP standard. Seriously now, the other pair does not get to make raises(jump raises?) that now put you to the last guess with very little idea of what partner really has? Sounds fun to play against you, your bidding does not provide much information about defensive values so I am unlikely to be doubled while playing against you. Regards, Robert