TylerE

I've complained about that to Fred on multiple occasions. Drives me bonkers. Maybe you can slip a word in the right ear, since you have some pull around here?

Sure. Using judgement wasn't illegal the last time I checked. Giving the opponents the chance to hang themselves is perfectly fine. I'm curious about the EW methods. Either E or W are upgrading pretty seriously on this hand.

I'd like to get in on this at some point.

I have a lot of sympathy for south here. The 1NT bid announces that NS have at mount no extras for game, and every finnesse rates to be off. AKQx in a side suit isn't really the most inspiring holding, especially in a balanced hand with bad trump.

Kind of a tough one. Playing with a beginner I would just bid 4♠ here, as they tend to undervalue fitting hands and will pass 3♠ too often. Playing with a good player, I'll probably just invite (but I expect them to accept maybe 90% of the time, especially at IMPs). In fact, since no one has brought it up, I think form of scoring and vuln are very important here.

I don't think it's nessesarily a bad method, if you have GOOD steps. With one partner I play the following without complaint A = 2, K = 1 2♦ = 0-1 controls 2♥ = 2 controls 2♠ = A + K 2NT = 3 K's, systems on 3♣ = 4 controls 3♦ = 5 controls etc

Yea, sure, 4333 is fine. I think those super-accepting on 15, even with like a 4432, are looney.

IMO, X is obvious, but on my 2nd turn I'd bid 3♣, asking for a ♣ stop. Assuming partner bids something besides 3N, I will introduce the diamonds, except over 4♠. If parter bids 4♠ over 4♦ I'll respect that.... KT is far from the worst trump support I've ever put down.

AKQ63 with no none length opposite is far from a "running suit".

KNOWING what you play is honestly more important than what you play.

Yes. Did y'all even read what I said. I said if, having been thus informed, the poster continues to do this without alerting, etc.

I don't see it as outrageous. What is knowingly violating both the spirit of the game and the letter of the law, otherwise?

There are no such rules. That said, now that OP has been informed of the unusual nature of this bid, and proper alert procedures, if he continues to bid this with no alert I stand by my comments about his ethics.

Vampyr: Note that requires a promise of 5-4. OP strongly implies that he's doming this with 4-4 type hands, maybe even 4-3. Basically a takeout X that doesn't promise ♦. And of course, again, must be alerted and disclosed.

I can't say I love your ethics on this. Seems awfully close to the big C word if not disclosed. In the ACBL this would not be a legal agreement if disclosed at either the GCC or Midchart levels - possibly even superchart.

[hv=pc=n&w=sjhj2dat9862ckq74&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=pp1s2d2s3hd]133|200[/hv] I'm going to force you to bid 2♦, I know some might object. But it's MP and it's favorable. So, now, rate the following: P XX 3♠ 4♣ 4♦

I've started leading the other minor nearly 100% of the time on this auction (and also similar auctions like 1m-3N), and it usually works out ok.

Huh? Over 3♦ if responder has the 6-9 hand they bid 3♠, otherwise they bid something else. You can always stop in 3M over either 3♣ or 3♦. As for opener needing to know - suppose opener is on a 5332 16 count. That probably wants to be in game opposite any hand with 6-12 with 4 card support, but isn't interested in slam (unless perhaps partner has good side suit, which they will show show over 3♦).

It's IMPs, not MP. While a heart lead will almost certainly produces 2 tricks for us, where are our other 3 tricks coming from? In fact, on some layouts a heart lead actually blows a trick ... imagine KJT in declarers hand, which isn't that unlikely. 2NT should show a good heart holding.

I'm not sure how I feel about collapsing it down that far. Seems like that's vulnerable to interface, esp. at Unfav.

Fluffy, it's it quite possible that the diamond layout is something like KJxxx vs xx, where it's important to be able to lead potentially 3 times from my hand? Have to lead the T to make that work.

I'm not a result merchant. 2♥ is what the hand is worth. It's a 4 count with a bad suit, and the stiff in partners suit is quite possibly bad.

Since it is possible to lose a trick, I think declarer loses it.

I try the 10♦. If a heart lead was right this wouldn't have been posted.

Don't think anything convinces me to bid more than 2♥ here. If you really wanted to get agressive with this hand, I would have bid 3♥ on my previous turn.