TylerE

I don't see why S *has* to do anything. The best hand parter can have is one queen. A zero count is quite possible. The K♥ is sitting behind us. We have no suit. I would expect to take the same number of tricks defending as declaring.

X should show the 15-17 hand.

It's not clear at all to me that any law has been violated (other than the LOOT). The EBU reg quoted doesn't proscribe any penalties, and "should" is not "must" or even "shall".

You can't fail to alert an agreement you don't have.

Not enough information. What is NSs *agreement*? I would feel really hard done by if ruling against NS as without W's failure to alert there is no infraction (if there was one to begin with) was consequent to the failure to alert 2C. With all that said, I don't think of ANY rational grounds for the table ruling. It just seems wrong no matter what.

Because the laws of bridge say you have to use your noodle until all the cards have been played.

Not just a bad idea, but patently against the laws of bridge. Clearly an aid to calculation or memory.

No, it is correct to NOT alert. From the alert regs:

Which is correct, by the way.

What does it count when you're dummy? If it doesn't, you would expect to defend 67% of the time.

Strongly disagree. Red vs White means 4S can be very wrong, especially with a dodgy suit that isn't going to play well opposite shortness.

That isn't a contradiction. Some bids are considered "self alerting" as they are essentially always 100% conventional for everyone. The alert chart literally says; Not Alerable: "Any 2♦ response to a strong artificial 2♣ opening"

Personally I think the 3♣ SHOULD be alerted. Cheapest suit negative isn't nearly as common these days. My reading of the ACBL alert chart supports this. Artificial 2D responses to strong 2C are specially called out as not alertable. There is no such carve out for a conventional double negative. An immediate 2H double negative is certainly alertable, why wouldn't a delayed 3C be?

That isn't true at all. *Forcing* pass is illegal most everywhere,but nobody says your pass has to always be weak. For instance, in old school Std. American your weak 2s are something like 6-10 and 1 bids are 13+. Most 10-11s get passed.

Your suggestion is basically Polish Club without the supporting bits that make Polish club playable.

The problem is many club players don't consider coffeehousing cheating.

This has nothing to do with whether you open 2♥ (or not) and everything to do with south being, apparently, clinically dead.

You have it exactly backwards. You are ONLY entitled to the partnership agreement, if any, not what they're thinking or intending.

I think most bridge historians would disagree here. Blue Team Club was a Canape system.

Enjoy going down when opener actually has xxxx AJx KQxxx K or QJxx AJx KQxxx x or any of a dozen other hands. There is a reason no one under the age of 130 plays Goren.

1♦ (11-15, 2+) - 2♣ (Inv+, clubs or both minors) 2♦ (5 or more diamonds, unbalanced, not 4+ clubs) - 2NT (GF, denies a good major fragment, quasi-balanced, tends to show extras since not 3N right away. 3m here would be to play) 3♥ - 3♠ (cues) 4♦ - 4NT (1430) 5♠ (2+Q) - 5NT (all KC, asks for cheapest king) 6♦ (no king showable below slam) - 5♠ (K♠?) 7♦ (yes) This does involve south making the educated guess that N's shortness is in clubs, but opponents will usually bid their 10 card major fits. And obviously even if the shortness is in a major there are still chances.

#1 rule of GIB is never try to get to a secondary fit. It just isn't going to happen. Well, maybe #2 behind "all doubles are for takeout".

There's a big difference between being "inclusive" and "coddling".

THAT kind of nonsense is how we've gotten a generation of players with zero competitive spirit, afraid to play anyone who might (*gasp*) actually be better than them. But by all means keep them in their bubbles as the game dies.

As I have said main times, it will save much sanity if you just accept that GIB does not play or understand penalty doubles. Doubles are for takeout through 7NT.