dake50

I like C7 to look like a single.

1C "may be short" on 4xS,4xH,3xD,2xC then is also HUM? Promises no known length in any suit. Does then ACBL "may be short" mean artificial opening? That should be "alert" but this bid is excepted? Is ACBL allowing this WBF HUM? Law dogs sic this one. There exist "fairly natural" HUM's. But I agree that complex methods shouldn't make HUM, some other test must be better. One 'catchall' artificial bid doesn't make Highly Unusual Method, except by definition. Aside HUM by responses to natural openings if even one response is 'catch-all' artificial?

I'm with you on questioning what is definitive best in some arguable sense --not ME and X-famous like this. Who has sims/prob calcs to make those types of gains-when, loses-when, trades-what sensible demonstrations?

Wouldn't these reverses intend to show 6-5 5-losers, 5-controls: eg. S-xx H-AQxxx D-AKxxxx C-x so pictured very well? Passable or Up-able quite clearly: A side, quack in promotes. What does leben add?

Try Lionel (look-up I-net write-ups). Dbl =S+2nd may be 4S-4-2nd lays a claim to win 2-level partial as we have 'boss' suit. 2m =H+bid minor. This may be pushed to 3m/3H as we tell opponents they have spades likely/maybe, so 4m-4H too aggressive. 2M =just want to play here X then 2S =raise me up if you will. 2m then 2NT =raise if you will. The payoff target is 1NT =-90; -1 =50; -2 =100 THEY non-vul is highly likely a good result for them --try for 110 us. Whereas, -1 =100; -2 =200 THEY vul is likely good for us. I do like hefty 5-suit to lead +entry to double 1NT when they vul. THEIR vul is decider!

Transfers on, invite+. Should be SOP anyway, but GF+. Accept if fit, natural if not. Super accept is GF. Lebensohl-like to shake out invite from GF+ after accept. Forcing pass ON at 2-level/4-level; best guess 3-level. Partition 1C openers strong with Spade suit in, strong with Heart suit opens 1H (eg16-17)

Certainly partner and I already knew what I would do on this expectable auction. So I do that agreed bid/pass. Assuming 13 bal scattered honors is outside 1NT opener, what did your partnership decide to do here? I fear 2H finds H3-4 misses S3-5. Clubs on my left, maybe C-stop. I try 2NT hoping partner can/will show 5cM/even good 4cM fearing 3NT.

Distinguish 2C, 3C, 4SF then 3C, 4SF then 4C from immediate 4C. Incidentally also 2S raise GF then 4C, 3S then 4C. What is left for a space consuming immediate 4C? I like Gerber 4C. Splinter forces to explore short Club asset/duplication.

Which sequence says 'I want C-ruff? which says 'kill S-ruff in dummy? verses 'I overruff dummy'? Which says 'nothing to say -partner, make your best guess'? Off the top of my head, these cases exist. Which others? Then what signals for chosen cases? Which cases left to by guess, by golly? An analysis of payoffs for 'got this case right' verses 'not these cases' sacrificed. That is frequency with score payoff/ traded. Or just a 'gut feel' in choosing signals on this hand (these problems)?

What over 2D would partner have done to ensure a forcing pass to get my input? I think he chose NOT forcing pass to 4S. I double =max-pass, not good fit.

Try DAPO(super MAF) where 3C = 5D5H; 3D =5C5H; 3H =5C5D cheap new suit is 2-suiter not bid. Above 3-steps is 1-suited preempt; X =1-suiter/3-suiter/bal w/o stop

For me, 3S asks for primes: A/K(primes) not Q/J(quacks) needed, so 3S. Expect 3 primes to go 4S.

Does 4NT here ask 'how good are your clubs? 2-loser =5C; 1-loser =6C; solid =show short/K-side, eg. Ace ask unneeded as never 3C with 2xA.

Partner bid a spade suit over 2H, he wanted to get spades in!! Give him 3S. Pass would hate spades: S-x/xx. Ax/Kx/Qx is great support here.

Is 2NT intended as primary info bid or as the catchall? What hand types are already system scheduled? Which are left? Which other is catchall if not 2NT?

To compare systems, note game-on distribution has a mean and deviation. Systems are bound to find games at mean plus some less, plus up to slam on. This is invariant. I would be surprised to see game-on stats differ by 1.5%. Slam-on similar. So partial/obstruct is the only source of 2+% possible. Anything works because each systems invariant (must bids) dominate AND agree. Further a superior system would seldom win above random if it's ONLY 2-3% better.

Direct seat action needs keep his minimum up to support game tries. So leaving those partial-seeking hands to reopen. Just what I have: would have pushed direct action trying game, but now can suggest not that much. Hope 2S - 3C - 3D isn't a misfit disaster.

Would partner have neg-X with good 4xS, 5xS stretching to not lose S-fit? Yes, then I won't quit to 2C, 2D likely good spot if partner bids that, so Double. He heard my 1H =5xH, I got 1 more. That's not to say I have good hearts AK/AQ/KJ10 6th. KQJ98 5th would bid 2H.

MickyB, I think you encapsulate the idea more concisely than I. Thanks. Some partition by other than just hcp seems explorable. Advantages where? Dings where? Inferences different in comp?

Go farther. Partition S1,H1,D1,C1 (strong 1-suiters); and SH,SD,SC,HD,HC,DC(strong 2-suiters); and -S,-H,-D,-C(3-suiter, short in - suit); let bal +super strong subset of each partition relay. Eg. S1,C1, SH,SD,SC, -H,-D,-C bal 19+ in 1C opener. So H1,D1, HD,HC,DC, -S, bal 15-18 in 1D. Now, a dbl to competing/obstruction suggest misfit to likely suit. Bid IN likely suit eagerly; bid OUT suit only with good values. Easy read of 'right' stuff and quite reliable.

With bal, pick a number, N-hcp that asks NT-ladder, not tells. Eg. 1NT opener =12-14, 1D-1NT =15-16, 1C-1NT =17-18. More than 18 (this N=19) relay asks hcp. Doesn't this cover ALL bal?

At least an ace+ over minimum must act on his own. Min to min+Q/K lets partner decide quite aware of combined assets. Would partner's 6 have already acted? I hope for 4 useful. Double, expect 3S from partner often just to stay below 3NT.

Partition 1C/1D NT ladder 14-17 in 1D; 18+ in 1C and ask NT ladder, not tell. S, S+2nd, C, and not H(4=1=4=4) in 1C. H, H+lower, D, and not S(1=4=4=4) in 1D. Now responder even knows which near negative hands to go low: To 1C without S-fit goes negative even 2 hcp richer. Not-H to 1D goes low. Competition to 1C, X if no S-fit; to 1D if no H-fit. Cheap suit if it is on-the-list suit; heavy values if it is on other-opening-list.

Wow! 3C on that?! Even X =they've stepped into a misfit (maybe) makes massive more sense than 'let's suggest 3C'. I think 3C bidder is one 'cowboy' "only I can bid anything I want". My partner is totally unreliable. This ain't partnership bridge.

Get NT in before they 'see' clubs is not a good lead.