dake50

Tempted to bounce opponents to sac decision over 6D. Nah, partner is right. Take the set.

Partner with stopper-less clubs could find no other bid? Nah, 3NT.

May I have 1N as 4+H with 5+minor?

My partner calls 3C over 2S with a C-control and H-fit. He didn't. Double expecting HA +DAK +partner's C or/and S to set.

Does 1H-1S- 2H-3C force? So over 3D, 4H gets my good support and C-control into this auction?

I have another method for mini-spl, another for C-fit bid, another for C-spl. So it fits as strong JS similar to Soloway: str bal if NT next; solid suit if C-repeated; slam adv Q if new suit next showing that and C-control and SKxxx.

I play 1C force with forcing pass ON below 2S --trust a partial can be found, and above 3S --trust 1C force has 4DTs. But best guess on 3-level. Also partner's double suggests he has useful cards without a clear where-to-play suggestion (not simply 6-8hcp). And a little leeway for positives in majors over interference --I didn't hear that in this auction. I double now as some good chance that is our top score.

Seeing a misfit (having 0-1 support for partner), I surely do not jump 3C. Try 1S. Then 3C over 2H rebid.

Chorus 1S. But what rebid structure does partner have? What of his hands rebids P, 1N, 2C, 2D, 2S, esp 2H. Now do we know Game/not? Will partner's rebid clarify where/how high? Can we choose 3N sensibly, next? 5C? 4H?

When I see a misfit (0-1 support for partner's hearts) I go slow. Here pass. If I bid 2C I promise H:xx+ or near GF hcp. THE feature that helps most in game decision is 1NT showing S-stop and no fear (enough hcp to be near game) on this hand.

is D-short good or bad? How high do we bid to show what may be key, may be duplicated? Short needs to be shown second on slam tries --at least often. Partner not liking hearts, is strong clue to skip this slam.

I already showed D+C with 3H over 2S. Now partner's 4H is near sufficient suit and he did no Q, so 4H is it.

I very much like my pass to show no suggestion for our best place. Then a bid is a reasonably good suggestion --no further couching just-in-case. Let partner have his steering wheel operative. I trust his judgment. Here 2C-xx is too low (3+level -> to suggest penalty or a limit bid in) to suggest penalty, just amenable if partner wants to try.

Miss 4-4H slam, miss 5-3D or 5-4D slam are possible fails to calling this bal 22. You saw that fail 16 of 20 times in a "fairly strong Norwegian team tournament". Do you still pick your poison --showing this hand strong bal? Hope never again? I have a 1D(F1) to show 18+ hearts or H+m. That finds H:4-4 fit and D-top help quickly. Just grand/slam to decide.

Could 2C be 'garbage'? If yes, I have good to show --3C as direction asking. Heading to 5D/4D decision. Did 2C already show 7-8? Now 3D as offensive hand, liking D-fit assumed as partner chose 2D not P, not Red, not 2M, not 2N. Maybe partner likes 5D.

Counter accepted theory, in IMPs their vulnerability is more important than ours. And the put-them-guessing is most valuable at they NON-vulnerable. They vulnerable means 10-6 IMP to bid game. How much does our interference push them to miss 37.5% (10/(10+6) game decision? In contrast to nv vs. Vul thinking this is the "best" vul case to obstruct --attempt to obstruct a mere 37.5% decision?? Vul vs. Vul, now we have 500 to offer (X Vul -2) in our risk assessment. But they only need 37.5% to try game. At We-Vul vs. nv, they must approach a 50% game decision. Unfortunately we can only risk a 200 (X vul down 1) to confound that decision. At WE-nv vs. nv, their game decision is near 50% and we have 2+tricks to confound them. Pandora released! To forstall wild objections, none of what I say is preempts favorable don't work. They do have the highest payback for success and most trick leeway. Effective for exactly that --not because they confound a game decision. That decision is at only 37.5%.

Did partner make a mistake? He didn't show his S-support as a passed hand. Nor did he show some shape or long suit. Nor even some fight. I think he was right.

Do you expect top range to zoom above the responses for lower range if/when relayed? That trades back space when slam/grand is most likely. Or just hope good answers keep relayer continuing for slam/grand? Can the top range then ever decide to up a slam to grand with unshown values? I have similar partitions to get asks simplified --at least for common shapes/strengths. There remain some that just persist as "by guess and by golly".

gnasher, Do you mean 4% more now? Or 4% a priori decreased by shape inferences from discards? To gain from C-switch if H:Qx wins (my LHO case -painted by RHO) HK in the 3xC of LHO, not 5xC of RHO? Hard to believe that adds 4%.

Does having double mean "I see 2+losers in their suit" clarify the cases? Of course with convertible values --not a trump stack alone. Then any forward bid suggests slammy and control. 1S (4H) ?? (1H) 1S (4H) ?? (2H) 2S (4H) ?? I like 4NT as general interrogatory: " I really like slam chances if you are not rag". I could draw attention to a missing control by bidding the one I have, so 5H has H-1st minor 2nd/2nd. 5S fears trumps not solid. 5N guard my H:Kx. Blast 6m if that's a good guess. I won't spend much on minor fit search. 1S (4C,4D) ?? Way tougher as H-fit needs to show.

I like DA first. Not much percent between the two choices --gut instinct, not summed --BUT when DA drops DK to make this slam, opponents will be demoralized.

You mean RHO had an easy 5th C-discard and instead painted his shape. Why? Does he have wheels spinning or just random card-throwing? He wanted to show H:Qx / H:xxxx? Or let me think HQ wasn't dropping? I always play opponents to have played purposeful. Here, RHO WANTED his shape known. I expect H:Qx. First a club toward CQ.

So common for convention-itis (play any new convention that gets promoted around me) to not even see why precision was designed. GF early so many subtle inferences may be injected into exploring auctions. Here, a 6th heart, 4+S, could have bid 4C to show CA and H: Kx fit.

Agree benlessard. Why stop playing bridge just because they start artificial 1C=16+? Not even sure they have game, nor sure slam they find is making. Sure you want to get to 3-level often --take space and close to safe. But why does the weaker side want to tell "I have 5-5 minors weak. Does that help you 1C bidders judge this hand better?" I have often ranted against weak blabbing bids for that very reason --they judge well, NOW. Most 1C forcers have seen this foolish "not-playing-bridge-just bidding" and have agreed how to handle that. Do you think your interference is special they haven't seen? Do you think your bids work this time? "Well, do ya, punk?" --Insp Callahan

Whose partner opens a semi-balanced 5242 12 with no A? If yours does, doesn't pass 4H stand out?