dake50

I suspect 4S gets opponents to Key-ask and guess which suit. Good enough. Down 4? Nah! Well, maybe.

What makes this a strong overcall? Partner heard 1S. He said 2C -- not some strong suggestion. Let 2C play.

Why would LHO make such an informative lead? He can guess likely diamond is safe, spade is safe. Leave declarer to his own resources. I'm guessing a desperation lead, eg. H:Qx C:Kxx OR H:Qxx C:Kxx OR H:xx C:Kx How did he guess his partner has CK to get his C-ruff?

As often occurs, if this auction is well-discussed, ONE CASE zooms; the other delays. Here I suggest hearts zooms -- which short, control. Spades to 3N -- show on relay 4C.

Taking space leaves little room for multi-exploring. I like 4D (the intervening bid) to transfer to opener. Choose 4H with tenaces/surprise shape. What slam tries? Western Q? 4S,5C,5D alerts this control needed. (straight-up or Zia-type) Modified Key-ask? Won't have HAK+A, but may need a top heart? 5NT Grand ask?

Why did you not "strong relay" then pass to scramble? How much could a passed hand "strong relay" be? Why would a system not allow passed hand tactical "strong relay"?

Easy for me. I play DAPO*. I have 2-suits takeout: bid the suit not held. Here 2H shows S+C. Next 2NT/3NT to show D-stop. Double would be 3-suiter takeout OR 1-suiter to show next. 2S: H+C. 3C: S+H. Jump: 1-suiter shown. Without DAPO, I try 2S. Hope that denies H-interest. 3NT over 3H.

I don't like 2NT rushing to suggest stops when I have HHx fit and maximal controls. Try 2S. Now partner sees his 'perfecto'. 6C on SQ finesse -- close enough for me.

1H-3C- (4xM canape, 1m F1) - (GF explore) 3H-3S- (1H-top) - (short?) 4D-4S- (0-1D) - (more?) 5C-5D- (5+good clubs) - (more?) 5S-7H. (SA)

Play 4xM. Now 1NT is intended to preempt Majors and needs little reserved for M-exploring. Much allowed for various minor bids, jump minor bids, delayed minor bids. minor-game/slam OR 3NT answered well.

Which was intended? We play 'modified KS'. OR 'WE' have modified KS. One is well defined as what is a 2D rebid. Second is "as we please" 2D rebid. Feels like a "black magic" rebid, doesn't it? Been there often -- what can be done?

As I play forcing passes are ON if < 2S; ON is > 3S; best guess between. Here pass is the T/O suggestion; Dbl has defense. So, what opener needs is unsurprising shape: not offensive; good DT. Canonically near S:AKxx H:KQx D:Qxx C:KJx.

I had a negX, did I not? Did not select that. X after pass: C:Hx want D:Hx to 3D. X not passed: H-stuff -> try NT or penalties? 2S after pass: can we play S:4-3? 2S not passed: S-stops, do you stop hearts 2NT after pass: is one of the minors likely running? 2NT not passed: H-stops, can we 3NT?

I try 4H to play. Hope to use partner's entries to elope my small hearts. If he's maximal, I'll show S-fit -- S:Jxx is about all he can hope for -- with exclusion 5C if magic happens..

East cannot now find fitting CQ. West showed his hand as S+D stops -- not rich controls. I guess not. Can West GF explore? Get a club rebid + H:Hxx support? Just barely room to A-ask safely, far off find Q's.

As I respond to 3-level T/O Dbl, partner seeing game -- he did jump 4S -- always cues 1st control, 2nd if 4+controls (controls rich). He did not. I quit. Edit: Of course not any Q-bid. A DIAMOND Q-BID.

Weary of "what is standard?" In an advanced blog, shouldn't that question be "what is best?" At least "what is better?" Even "what do y'all experts think?"

Takeout. How else to suggest the other major and a bit of something. Especially as I play a power double, many overcalls beg partner to show/suggest the other major. However, I know this is new theory. Old was an overcall is a 1-suited hand of bounded strength. Little or no interest in other strains. Raise if you can, 3NT if my suit is source of tricks plus your stop(s).

Can I have a psych eg. 2H? Hoping to double 3NT, cashing 7x clubs

Looks partner has 4xC (not 4xD, else open 1D?) 4xS 3xH 2xD or 3334. Brain exploded -- late night. I'm lost for further.

Are doublers expecting penalty? Or do they have eg. DSIP agreements in mind?

Look at Amsbury-type openers: 2x shows 6-suit in bid -- sits a double OR 3-suited not bid suit -- redoubles a double: SOS OR 2-suited not bid suit -- lower suit over double: P/C Confounding, yet paradox-type raises are possible -- this 'raise'/new suit is our spot or the correction finds the right spot.

Having C:AQJxxx -- the unclaimed suit AND H:Kxx -- partner's suit AND D-single -- opener's suit I'm not defending yet. I guess 5C, esp. as partner will expect not misfit hearts which would double.

Agree Rainer, Most signals merely redundate what your bridge logic already determined. The real problems come when 'that signal' was needed between two nearly equal cases. Did I get the signal I needed? Or did partner go automatic? Asleep? Didn't see my problem?

Interesting to infer what must be in 2-suiter calls from "insist this is 2H bid". Must be very weak distributional -- never worth another bid. How to ever dis-entangle 1-suited hearts from big 2-suited after 2H? 5-4, 6-4, or control when D-rebid? Jump D-rebid has C-void? SA? UNKNOWN?