benlessard

in a bidding challenge https://bridge.downagain.be/FD/FD.php?bod=1DP1HP1NP2CP2N 1D--1H (4D unb, at least 3H or GF) 1Nt-2C (4H min or any 6D--- at least 9pts) 2NT--3C (sing !C 15+ rkc D) 3H---3S (3/0---!DQ ?) 4C---4S (yes but no !HK bypassing !SK/!HQ) 5C---7Nt (yes but no !DJ) Asking for !SQ is stupid, so proper bid is 4Nt not 4S with a 7th !D or !DJ we would play 7D probably. iRL 1D---1H 1NT---3C solid clubs ... here are our responses over 2C... ?? 6D min 5D+4H min 6D 15+ no sing 2Nt sing !D (3361) or 7 card !D

1NT---(2S)----3D (♥inv+) 3H nf 3S willing to play 3NT or strong max 3Nt doesnt promise stop. 4m nat but willingness to play 5m4H instead of 3Nt even if responder got a !S stop 3S-followed by 4Y is H fit forward going for !H slam. As you can see bidding 3NT when you dont have a stop never cost.

In a relay system I use it. But im going to try for standard system in many situations.My conditions <a> NT by your side has already been bid (mostly only because i hate wrongsiding) <b> 3♣/3♦/3♥ is the last bid (you could play it over 2Nt I guess, but 2Nt-3Nt as artificial got a bad reputation) <c> Your forcing to at least 3Nt/4m <d> doesn't matter if your opener or responder or its a competitive auction. This may seems weird but i know "doubt 3NT" got a lot of value in comp auction where 3Nt is less viable than usual because of concentration of pts in opp suits and knowing a 5 card danger suit exist. <e> Make sure opponents understand the meaning before the lead. <f> probably not worth it after a 2NT opening

For me I dont like to upgrade 17 count with only 2s in my hand. After a 1Nt opening if responder got 5/6S and a marginal hand he can go via 2C-2red-2S to show an invite. Obviously this doesnt apply if 2S is used for something else.

[hv=pc=n&s=saqj63hk7dakq63c7&n=s82hqjt32d7ck9543&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1sp1np3dp3hp]266|200[/hv] here I also reverse 3S and 3Nt. 3S= to play 3Nt or quite slammish 3Nt some doubt about 3Nt (singleton !C or maybe 6232 xx in clubs) 4C= cog 4y nat delayed 4C= cue agreeing !H 4y stronger. Note that north could probably make a COG bid on the ealier round.

1S-1Nt-3D-?? (1nt is forcing and may have a limit with 3 trumps, 3D can be 6?3?) 3H 5H or H values worried about club stop 3S puppet to play 3Nt or strongest actions. 3Nt willing to play but tol for !S or big worry about !H stop. 4C natural 4D natural 4H COG 4S 5-7 delayed 4C cue for !D . delayed 4D rkc delayed 4H !S limit delayed 4S !S limit if 4C natural isnt possible than direct 4C is for !D and delayed is for spades.

Its a work in progress but here is the conditions so far. <a> Nt has already been bid <b> 3 in a suit is the last bid <c> 3S bid would be forcing (no intent to play 3S) <d> 3Nt would have been nf 1Nt--2H 2S---3m (GF doesnt matter that much what 3m mean) 1S-2H(gf)-2Nt-3D 1S--1Nt--3H(gf) etc and in many more auction. ----------------------------- 1st principle. 3Nt can be passed but show doubt/medium interest in going forward. ------------------------------ 2nd 3S is a puppet to 3Nt tend to be discouraging (most likely to want to play 3Nt) or strongest action. my idea of strongest action is RKC>control, Void>sing, forcing>NF, cue agreeing partner suit>natural new suit cue where fit is more probable>cue in less plausible fit. clean fit>COG fit in M>fit in m ----------------------------------------------------- 3rd direct bypassing of 3Nt are medium encouraging ------------------------------------------------------- 4th its played by both side. ----------------------------- first example 1NT---3H (15-17 may have 5M)---31(54)/3055/maybe even 3046 with bad 6 card suit not quite slammish. ?? so with hand that have !H waste, low interest in minors/4S------------3S as a marionette to 3Nt (weakest) hand that can try for 3Nt but have doubt or potential for minors or !S-------3Nt direct. (medium) hands to dont want to play 3nt but are not that good you bid direct. (medium) hands that are maximum you start with 3S first and bid later (strongest aka delayed bid). So if you play 3H as 100% GF than you could do 4m direct invite to cuebid (or min) and delayed is rkc (or max). If 3H is not GF than direct is NF and delayed is GF. 4S direct can be 4S cards ex 44(32) min nothing in !, 4H direct is COG but delayed 4H/4S is maximum. you have direct and delayed 4NT/5m too. Quiz... Kxxx AJT AJxx Kx KQx KQxxx AJx xx KQx 9xxxx AKQ Kx AQJx xxxx Ax Axx AQJ AJx xx Axxxx

i recommend a takeout style at imps, a hand that desire to compete but can also stand 3Hx. ??? (pick a holding wich you would like to bid over 3H) x AQTxx AKJx the logic is that the pen x isnt that useful in imps and its the hand with the H fragment and longer spades that is in a better position to see the off/def ratio. To my talented students I like to give the example where having a void in opps suits make you want to compete but since its your partner who got opps trumps hes often in a better position to know what to do.

the hands mesh slightly better than average and opener hand got slight extras and its still a borderline game. One hand doesnt mean a lot but inviting look right on target.

thanks Nullve, the convention was rename crazy train despite being moe about parity keycard or turbo than last train.

http://bridgewinners.com/article/view/crazy-train-combining-last-train-with-a-parity-keycard-method/ Worked a lot the last 2 years desinfection/cleaning in industrial health care laundromat (pre-covid) and elderly residences + prison (infected by covid). I also spent 2 1/2 months in US mostly to avoid winter and for poker. Ironically its was because of a small success in bridge that ive took a break from bridge, we won free entries and some $$ to cover expenses to go to the LV national and there me and my partner hit the poker tables every day. In short for the last year I didnt play bridge at all and rarely went on the bridge forums but now my interest for bridge is making a little comeback. Of all the "weird" stuff I teach to my tough students the "crazy train" (similar to polish end signal) is what give them most bang for bucks. I very highly recommend to adopt/design a similar method for your expert partnerships. You can use denial or show cuebid it doesnt matter. Even expert grossly underestimate how many imps they lose because of slam guessing at the 5/6 level. Any expert know how to ask for kings for small vs grand but very few of them are able to do it at a level lower and being able to locate all the Q for 6 or 7 decisions. Maybe I already wrote a post about it here but i wasnt able to find it in the search. If you have hands where you went overboard or miss slams because you didnt know about side K/Q you can post links ill do my best to show how my method might bring solution for those cases.

I ve tried many stuff and regular neg is what I prefer. I like to play that opener rebid of 2M is not even forcing.

If your willing to add some artificiality. I recommend my 1H/1S inversion. It handle both majors by responder better than standard methods and without the need for 1D-2M as reverse flannery or similar gadget. If responder got 54?? 1D-1H-1Nt (opener denied 3S/4H so we know there is no fit.) 1D-1H-1S (we know we have a fit in the major but we dont know where it is) responder got 55?? 1D-1H-1S (we know we have a fit in the major but we dont know where it is) 1D-1H-1Nt (when responder rebid 2H it will show 5♥ not 4♥) so if opener is 23?? we will play 2♥ not 2♠. responder got 64?? 1D-1H-1S (we know we have a fit in the major but we dont know where it is) 1D-1H-1NT responder can rebid ♠ and be sure not to miss a 4-4 ♥ fit. responder got 45?? 1D-1H-1S (responder will rebid 2H to show 5,we might play 2S in a 43 fit if its 45?? vs 31?? 1D-1H-1NT (since opener deny 3S, we are very likely to have a ♥ fit unless 2254) responder got 44?? this is where we are at a disadvantage in reaching some 2M in 4-3 but we are never missing a 4-4 M fit compared to 1D-1H-1NT where you can miss a 4-4 !S fit 1D-1H-1NT= no fit so we are ok 1D-1H-1S= here we might have a 44 ♥ fit but maybe we only have a 43 ♠ fit, the solution to avoid too many bad 2♠ is that if opener is 3343 and 12-14 he rebid 1NT (rather than 1S) even with 3♠. On those hand the inversion do a lot better than standard method even if you don't use 1D-2M for both M by responder. The exception is when its 1D-1H-2C where responder could have 5H and we might have a 5-3♥ fit. You also have a lot of others advantage from the method.

In PC 1S-(2D)-2H is a neg free bid. Bidding a 5 card suit after a bid that show a balanced range isnt really a neg free bid. 1Nt--(2H)--2S(to play) no players I know will call this a neg freebid. If you bid with a hand that is 7-11pts its not a neg free bid in my book (but i understand why its simpler to say it is). 1C--(2D)--2M in PC is totally safe even with almost any 5 card suit and 7-11. The bid fit if opener got a bal hand or if hes art 17+. It doesnt fit my idea of neg freebid. Over 1D prec its a bit different since opener can easily have a unbalanced hand, I know players that bid 2M with a crappy 5 card suit saying opener will have a bal hand 11-13 70%+ of the times but for me a neg freebid is like a weak 2, if its only a 5 card suit you need a very good suit quality good enough to play in a 5-1 fit. A neg freebid is a bid that partner is able to pass with a singleton support.