TylerE

If I was feeling really sick, Pass,

Agreed. Flashing ads = bad.

Frankly, if TDs are really making such poor adjustments, I think they should have their TD permissions stripped. I know BBO doesn't police the TDs, but perhaps they should. I don't quite get the mindset of people who play tourneys, but are so concerned that the opponents might actually outplay them.

Mark me for 1♥. 2♥ if playing intermediate jumps. Can tolerate treating this as a takeout double too. We might very well belong in ♦ or ♠.

Don't confuse a technically better bid with a better (matchpoint) spot. I'd rather be in a 60% 3NT than a 100% 5m all day long at MP. Just because 3N could be down on best defense doesn't mean it will be beaten. I could make extra tricks on careful/sneaky declarer play. Other tables will get less than optimal defense. Basically, 5m will NOT score well, as even when 3NT should be going down, it often won't be, and 3NT is where the field will be.

In a case like this it's an easy way to get a bottom when all the LOLs have a simple 1NT-3NT auction.

The thing is, a 3rd seat 4♠ bid can be quite strong. When I make that bid, I expect to make if I catch a dummy with 2 card support and a random 6 count or so.

I have no earthly idea why people feel the need to show that hand with anything other than PASS. Your LHO and your partner share some 30+ HCP. Instead of opening 2♥ with 7 HCP hoping to find some 10 in partners hand, you are bidding 2♥ with 2 HCP expecting to find 15+ HCP in partners hand. I'm thinking your logic here is a bit flawed. You really are expecting 15+ from partner after a simple overcall, on the auction (p)-p-(1♣)-1♦? It's possible, sure, but I wouldn't consider it likely. I just think it's bad bridge to make a bid that is still probably down if you catch partner with a cold max, and likely gets partner off to the wrong lead when you end up defending, not to mention handing declarer a roadmap on the distribution.

No, I'm not putting 5332 hands into the relay, for now. I'll admit it's not the most efficient scheme, but it works well, for one responder will rarely bid a suit he actually has, so wrong siding is minimized. This does mean the NT is occasionally 'wrongsided' when responder has 5 clubs, but at the same time it's often right for the weaker hand to have the lead come up, so I don't lose much sleep over it. I looked at the relay you linked to. While it certainly appears playable, it's a bit more complex that I want for this system. I want the basic system to be something that an intermediate player can sit down and play comfortably. Also, as a guiding systemic principle, I try to limit the hands as much as possible as quickly as possible, tends to work better in competition.

Ahh, ok, I'll admit it's been a while since I really dug in PT. It's the book I learned from, but I've since moved on, ya know?

Mind reformatting that auction into something readable? Exactly 4 bids per line, with opponents bids in (). I mean, I really tried to work it out but that's just impossible. At the very least a call appears to be missing. Did N really bid 3NT?

No, Precision Today recommends tab first. While the main section will use standard TAB/CAB, I have an alternate relay version of CAB I am going to include compresses the responses considerably, often allowing asks in all 3 suits BELOW 4NT, especially when responder's suit is spades. The system uses a 10-12NT when NV in 1st-3rd. I intend to include a full writeup of our penalty runouts.

I've seen it in other systems before. Probably not standard. Making the bids forcing makes it easier to handle some hands, mainly big two suiters, since you're going to get a rebid. Kokish can work with this system, certainly, but in the base system I've tried to avoid artificiality like that unless I see a real systemic need. In the regular partnership I play this system with twice a week, we don't play kokish, and I rarely miss it.

It's a good process to go through. While we currently have a set of notes, it was just a few pages I'd thrown together in a word processor. Many auctions were basically just assumed. Partner and I are on the same page (usually) on these undiscussed auctions, but I plan on codifying all of them. I'm also making a few changes to the system to improve it. For instance, we're currently playing a 5+ 2♣ opening, in the new system I've gone to the more modern 6+ 2♣, with the (43)15 hands going into the 2♦ opening. The version I posted is the 'book' version, setup for printing in the 6x9 'trade paperback' format. Once I finish the notes, I'm going to go through one of the online print-on-demand sites and have a few copies printed up to have around. This is surprisingly affordable, on the order of $7 per book + shipping.

Mark me for a pass. Might be getting stolen from, but I think the odds are greater that both contracts are going down.

Posted for public consumption....will get more complete as time goes by: 100k PDF

I have no earthly idea why people feel the need to show that hand with anything other than PASS.

Yea, basically. All of my regular partnerships are Strong Club/5 card major, I've played strong club canape', polish, etc.

I've never heard of 1♣ - 1♠ - 2♦ as NMF... it's a forcing reverse.

Looking for someone to play Mocito with. It's the only major strong-club variant I've never really learned/played. Looking to play a vanilla version at first, e.g. http://www.geocities.com/daniel_neill_2000...to2005intro.pdf I'm usually on from about 6-Midnight EST.

I'm willing to try anything you can give me notes on.

Had an occurrence last night that I think is indicative of some of the things that people get frustrated about. Had a pretty strong game, 59.9%. Finished 7th of 13 in our section. No masterpoints. 12th overall in a game with 4 sections (104 pairs total). A total of 9 A pairs won masterpoints while having lower percentage games. Ten pairs won masterpoints despire being below 50%, 2 of them A pairs. Love to have someone explain the logic of how one A pair can place with a 46.1% game, and another A pair in the same field with a 59.9% does not.

Contract is 6NT ♠ AKxxx ♥ AQ ♦ ATxx ♣ AT ♠ xxx ♥ Jx ♦ KJxx ♣ KQ98 Opening Lead: T♥ Auction (for better or worse) went 1NT (10-12) - 6NT

Note that the page you linked to is NOT official BBO policy or rules. While I see nothing wrong with it, I think it is important to state that. In the situation you described I would call the director and refuse to bid until given proper disclosure. PS, the hands were: Qx Jx AKQxx QJxx AKxxx Kxxx xxx x I am somewhat skeptical that you would have reached game had the proper alert been given. Depends on system.

Pass. Would bid 3♦ over 2X