dake50

DO YOU ALL EXPAND YOUR VS 1C FORCE STRUCTURE TO MY MOST HATED 1C= MAY BE SHORT(THEREFORE CONVENTIONAL 1C)?? This disruption must be VERY effective as they have another variable: opener may have a 12hcp rag! While disruption system only adds honors in right place to distributional fit we discover to sac/make game decisions. How can 1C= 2-7C+ 0-5D+ 0-4H+ 0-5S and 12-21hcp be left un-barraged?

2m openings must show minimal Major interest (maybe a 3-support to 5cM). Minor fit plays at least 3m vs any reasonable reopening structure of oppts. Ie we won't play our minor fit below 3-level anyway. 2-minor opening shows source of tricks; asks Major stops. To expect the general exploring 1D opening to be simplified by exchanging distribution cases to 2-minor is counter productive. It clouds a 2nd(3rd)= 2C(2D) opening for what? Leave the ambiguity in 1D! Keep clarity for all other openings.

6-suit, boss suit, void their suit, 3-support if partner's C are real suit. 4S. They find 6H, 6Sx sac for -500 beats -680. Only minus is 5S-1/6S-1 when partner expects more than 4 likely tricks for me to bid 4S, AND they fail in 4H/5H.

Is there no 'suggest penalty' double here? CA+Cr+Cr+SA+SQ+HA+HK+DA in some order is DOWN 4!!

I want splinters to have 3-4 controls, Top-xxx in trumps, so I can trust partner 's signoff. If he thinks game force plus 2-splinter ruffs is NOT there, I trust.

1: both should bid more. N has 5-losers with 4-support for a major = 3S. South has a (maybe) double black fit = 3C. 2: both should anticipate S competition. N reopens double after only support double last round, can't get too hot. S double over 2S gets clubs considered, with a H4-3 as last evil.

A stiff after a natural 3NT????

Which is it? 1NT immediate OR 2NT over likely 2D? I want an Herbert neg 2C to takeout dbl from partner for best answer.

3NT bidders surmise a S-suit shut out after the opening lead -- no duck to keep communication, no side entry by S-preemptor. Or S-preempt missing S: KQ and 10! Double wins way often. Especially if 3NT response under preempt is a bal hand -- not stop promise. And 3NT reopen does not promise S-stop under preempt.

Who is sitting on 16hcp here? Partner with no good call? Or RHO waiting to crack any 4-level bid? Or is missing hcp 9-7-12-12, when 4-level needs right placed honors: only my DK,HJ? Pass wins most often. RHO's tell may persuade me.

Not only should one recognise the 'some strong hands open 2+level', but recognise that the responses to 4th-hand 1C should be modified -- e.g. no 12+hcp exist, so expand the 7-11 bids, expand the 5-7 bids. Even different from "3rd hand club" that I've seen published. What thoughts out there??

3C. Then 2H responder is worth one more try 3D(D-stuff); 3NT the obvious game.

3Nt because long clubs are worth 3C preempt, not 4C preempt. Stir this auction up. 4S now AND X to 5C. I want a Rexford/Kantar cue 4C, may I have one?

Partner had a chance to voice an opinion that this hand is ours because 7+hcp added to 15; because H very long; because 2nd suit. Expect a rag escape over there and fear they make 4S.

Was East's S-void enough to add a 3rd trick for raise to 5D? No, initially, yes after partner came in. Now, no S, no D, no H, maybe 1C trick in defense for a double?? Insane! 5S.

Play 2C over 1H as artificial GF. Frees all others to be distributional middling.

Partner invited a thin 11-13 to game? I got max for a thin 11-13. He plays excellently so give him a chance to shine as he asked.

1) 2/1 GF loses to game try hoping C-stuff is promotable in 2/1 F1, unrecoverable. 2/1 GF must GF BEFORE noting C-promoting! Save one/few slamtry rebids after 2/1 F1; Use 3oM as artificial slam try. 2) NT as light as dare since the 2M on 4-4M vs 1NT almost ceases to exist. Clear scrambles into minors. 3) With 1C force, jump on 5-5; simple rebid 4-5. 4) Mafia takes gas out of oppts OC/preempt. We started our M-explore already, do oppts think we miss this M-fit? We may over-/under-bid but NEVER mis-bid. 5) Big partial gain if willing to play 4-3M fits often and well. 6) Both fit/no fit decisions become easier after Mafia 1M opening, esp. as 1C force bounds top. You hit near best that can be: 1C force+ 4cM+ 1NT light (no 4M). Add descriptive 2m openers: 5+suit unbal (no 4M) or 6+suit (SS if NT rebid). Minor hands must play 3m unless game anyway, so bidding space is extraneous. Certainly not needing to open 1C/1D!

Use ulven's except 2-level cue= weak TO. Likely 2-unbids. Put 12-16 6-suit into X.

Yea, yea I play xfers. And want to hear expert thoughts on counters to them. Come on y'all put thoughts out.

We use xfer advances, with X(orXX) for next suit promising 1-1/2DT also in case penalties is a bonanza. Also above 4C, X is 2-losers in opponents' suit, ie no-slam warning. 'Take 500, maybe more since we have no slam'. Forcing pass below 2S; above 4C; best guess at 3-level.

4NT immediately over 2S: 1) our hand, partner is in catbird seat for 6m/P; 2) their S-fit hand, let them guess 5S/X; 3) unknown, let everyone guess. Show stuff, let auction develop.

After 1C(strong) play forcing pass below 2S, 4+level. So pass over 1NT was 'good stuff' = forcing. Now pass, opponents can escape 3-level undoubled.

Amsbury had a 1) 3-suit takeout= XX if X; 2) P if X=WJO; 3) new if X=2-suits: this and unbid. Abject ambiguity to obstruct opponents! But you are right. These obstructive tactics rate to pay MUCH better over short/ convenient minors, since opponents have an additional variable= strength to sort out!

The Overcall Structure of Hodges/Twineham/Fouts/etal have strategy mostly correct. The overarching defensive need is to obstruct, so devote most bids there. Leave a few bids for compete/construct. Game Us is about 8%, not 58% of hands as after opening. Especially opponents 1C on 2-7C, 0-5D, 0-4H, 0-5S, 12-21hcp! Nothing is nailed down AND their hope is space to clarify -- take that space!! Play to induce their over-/under-/mis-bid. Vs 1D=4+D(even better if 3cD), their hope is to find 8cM fit, take space often wins. Vs 1M=5cM, the likelihood of their mis-bid is very low(the very justification for 5cM) so induce over-/under-bid.