PhantomSac

I don't play that we are in a force there with anyone and feel pretty strongly about it..

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=ainec

pass ainec imo

I don't get it, what is left after mcphee's answer? His line seems logical.

shocked it wasn't "go to hell" :P

If they quick double then pass if they tank double then run LDO

You lost your mind on this one D! Were you nervous of your opps or something (serious question, some people seem scared to defend doubled vs great players)? I would fist pump while passing and licking my chops personally.

Haha I would bid 2N happily with this. I would even unhappily bid 2N with Ax xx KJxx AKxxx even though I think in a vacuum that is wrong I think it is important for reversing (sorry if that is a stupid use of the word but you know what I mean) to show 6 of the minor. Hands like that are a good advertisement for rebidding your major to show 6 over 2C (but that leaves you with bidding 2N on some very anti-positional 5332s), or to just relay over 2C, but of course that is a different story. It's been happening for a while but I think pretty soon relaying over 2C will be the norm, it is already quite popular obviously and I have been resistant to the change.

I would consider 3C totally normal with that hand. I know it's "only" 2 steps but they are really important when we are dealing with such limited room, over 3C partner can preference to 3D, rebid 3S, bid 3N with nothing special and hearts stopped, or punt with 3H if nothing else is appealing. That is a lot different than 1S 2C 2S 3H where partner can bid spades a third time, bid 3N, or go past 3N to 4C. That being said even if we accept 3H as a reasonable bid (I cannot be convinced of that but w/e), how can not supporting clubs be right?

X

This auction is truly horrible. Bidding 3H instead of 2N, well I have no words for that, you use up all the room and just have to guess entirely from there. But even if you do that surely 3H promises real clubs, I cannot imagine north rebidding spades and passing! He has QJTx of clubs on an auction where partner must typically be 4-6 at least (even if you bid it with 1435 somehow, you presumably have nothing in diamonds so that is quite good for clubs). In my world 3H should promise 5-6 but that's how much I think it's wrong to be bidding 3H very often, with 4-6 bid 2N or 3C and with 4-5 never bid 3H please. 1S 2C 2S 2N 3C 3H seems like a more normal start to the auction from there then who knows what would happen.

Is it so clear a heart lead will set it? If west had AJ9xxx JT Qxxx x or w/e a spade shift is required to set it.

"Bad suit" is relative, I have 7 of them. I view my suit as much better than QJT9xx which surely is a fine suit for a preempt? If we are going to play in hearts having 7 is obviously a big plus vs having almost any 6 card suit. If we are going to get doubled at least there is some safety in being 7-4, I mean I'd rather have KQJT98 if I'm in 2H X but nothings perfect lol. I also don't view my hand as very playable in spades, with 7-4 I am unlikely to want to play in spades unless partner has lots of them and few hearts in which case we can still often find spades. I also don't view it as misdescribing my hand, I have a weak hand with hearts. The auction is unlikely to time out well for me if I pass. I guess you view the risk of missing spades as much greater than I do, I rarely preempt with 6-4 in the majors (only with extremely good 6) but with 7-4 I don't think it's such a big deal, most of the time I will want to be in my 7 card suit even when it's bad. Do you just view opening 2H on a 7 card suit as a misdescription or flaw? Because probably most of those suits are "bad suits" else you would open 3 (or you are just 7222 or w/e). I personally don't find it to be a flaw but I guess that's where knowing your partnership style is important. It seems ludicrous to me to say you're a sound preemptor and open 2H on Qxxx Kxxxxx and makes it impossible for your partner to judge in these situations.

Correcting to 2N seems pretty sweet

Ya ditto

@Fluffy, I think it's just better to have an agreement as to what opener is going to do with 3-3. I believe Fred and Brad play opener always corrects to 2S, so with 5 good hearts and 4 bad spades you would just transfer to hearts and take your chances. Most people do the opposite (so with 5 good spades and 4 weak hearts you transfer to spades and take your chances). I think this is better than opener always deciding in the moment what to do with 3-3, you get to the better fit more often if it is already pre-determined what opener does so that responder can adjust accordingly sometimes. Of course no matter what sometimes you will end in the wrong fit. Another thing is you don't want to be tanking on whether to pass or correct every time, it gives away to the defense that you are 3-3 which is very bad.

Obviously if you can bid 2S showing 5S and 4H weak you don't need to play this way. Some people use 2C then 2S as something more important than that hand type and sacrifice accuracy on weak 5/4 hands for gains on others.

This: Pard weak 2 style is usually sound. + This: Why is no one bidding spades? + This: i always have 7 if i've opened such a bad suit 2nd r/r Make bidding 5H pretty clear. Partner is very likely 47xx and if it's 4702 that could well be a double game swing. Either way we will very likely make 5H and may or may not beat them. If partner does somehow have 3 spades and they have 8 spades he still has 7 hearts in which case we are probably down 1 and we very well might not beat them. I would still take my chances and bid 5H. I do not think partner having 6 hearts is possible, I think a hand like x Kxxxxx xx KQxx is a reasonable 2H opener but our hand and their failure to bid spades makes that impossible. The same hand type with 4 good spades and 6 bad hearts is not a 2H opener. Qxxx K987xxx --- xx is a perfectly fine 2H opener to me, passing is pretty lame and 3H is way too much.

Is your 2N opener natural or artificial? Also did X deny 5 spades? A 6 card minor? Or is it literally just any hand with no shortness

If the jlol account still posted he would probably give Multiple Lols to doubling

If you bid 4H the whole idea is to double them if they bid something.

Pfft cooperative games?!

<3 helene, just so you know I found this thread really interesting, didn't have anything to add to it for obvious reasons but would enjoy more posts/threads like this.

Thanks timo (and y66). Was cool to win with Johnny since we have been housemates and teammates in several world championship and national events over the years but never partners (except for 48 boards in a regional). Ofc we have talked bridge a lot so it was pretty easy to play with him already knowing his style in a lot of spots. And as always, winning a pair game takes luck, we always sat the direction that had the cards and our opponents offered us several gifts and far less fixes.

Agree with the others, very serious. Serious enough that I plan to bid beyond game having shown a serious slam try if partner bids 4D over 4C.