skjaeran

Oldfashioned standard is that 2♥ is forcing here. The normal treatment among Norwegian experts is 2♦ as a conventional forcing (inv+) bid, and 2♥ NF. (With some I play transfers here.)

I lead the two, which is the standard lead (3rd/5th) in partners suit where I play.

I might pass 1/1 facing a passed hand, with the right hand for that. But this is not the right hand. Easy raise to 2♠, IMO. It's the most descriptive bid, it keeps open the possibility to reach game vs the right hand, and it preempts the opps when it's a competitive hand.

Nothing is perfect here, but 2♠ is IMO clearly the best bid.

Well, pass and -400 is even better. B)

Splinter 4♦, wtp? Obvious 4♥ cue for partner.

Obvious 1♦ opening. I'm bidding 4♠ now, pretty obvious too. Showing 5-6+ and not enough strength to GF last time, my hand is limited.

South has a clear opening hand for most people. Facing an overcall by myself, south now has a clear 3NT bid. Facing a lighter overcalling style, an invite is correct. North has a clear raise to 3NT, whatever overcalling style. With the expected spade lead, north can count two spade tricks and six diamond tricks - you can assume the suit is running facing an invite. And south need to have another trick. I'd assign most of the blame to north, who has the most clearcut, and final, decision. 80/20.

Not only Americans. Transfers after a jump to 2NT is very easy to use, and is also efficient.

A day late here too, Happy birthday, Richard! Hope you had a nice one!:rolleyes:

Seems I'm a day late, but.... Gratulerer masse med dagen Helene!!:rolleyes:

2♣ for me, practically forcing, as I play it. Very seldom plays a stupid 3-3 fit. Supporting spades next. Never 3♦ on this suit for me.

I know about people playing 2♦ (FSF) as GF who use 3♦ as 55 inv, 55 GF and splinter. 55 GF is the default meaning without discussion here.

If he had reported her for such behaviour before, it was time to come down on her with some heavy DP IMO.

It might be true that it's meant to be from the totality (I doubt it), but grammatically that's not what is written in the text. "of whom" points back to "a significant proportion".

Happy birthday! :lol:

1♠. Might take another action later, depending on what happens.

Agree with the ♣7 return on the first hand. On the second hand, I assume partner has KT9x. If I return the ♥4 or the ♥2, partner might read this as A42 or Ax42, and we won't be able to cash all our five tricks in the suit. Partner will think he need another lead from me through declarers jack. What I can do though, is to return the jack. For the time being blocking the suit, but giving me the opportunity to force us to cash four tricks in the suit. I'll follow up with the ♥8 and 4, to make it obvious to partner that I've got the ♠A as an entry for the fifth heart still in my hand.

I play 3♦ here as 5-5 GF. Then again, I play a non-standard convention which applies here; the xyz-convention. 2♣ is a puppet to 2♦; to play or initiating an invite. 2NT is a puppet to 3♣; to play or slammish with 4♥5+♣. All jumps are natural GFs, showing 5-5 or a very good suit (rebid). 2♦ is a conventional GF for all hands not fitting 2NT or a jump (3-level or to game).

I open 1NT. Having opened 1♣, rebidding 1NT is fine, you're showing the 12-14 NT you've evaluated (downgraded to :lol: ) the hand to be worth.

I do, and at least two of them post here. I don't think I've seen the stop card used in that auction. I've often seen the stopcard used in that auction. I've even seen partner need more than the standard 10 second pause before passing too. And having the TD called after I led a spade from a doubleton with 2443 distribution and a couple of stray jacks. Btw, the TD allowed the lead, a ruling which was upheld by the AC.

To me it's close between 4♠ and 5♣ as the worst bid in the auction. Having 2KC and the trump queen, not cuebidding over 3♠ is criminal. But there's absolutely no point in bidding on past 4♠ by opener either - there's no hand responder can have for his bidding that makes slam anything but ridiculous. I voted 4♠, but after writing the rest of the post, I think it's a draw.

When it's far from certain that I can make 6, I won't think of venturing a grand.

I don't like east's pass over 3♥ at all, strongly prefer to stretch a little and bid 3♠ here. 4♠ would be preemptive raise for me, 4♥ a high card raise.

I strongly disagree with your view here. I have been playing something similar for a few years now (2N forces 3♣, either to play, or a slam try with 4 in my major and 5-card support) and find it extremely useful. It is a big benefit to distinguish slam tries with 4 in my major from those with 5 in my major. It is extremely useful to show shortness with such hands, sometimes just to pick the right game. I can't remember a single lead-directing double on such an auction. Agree with Arend here. I prefer all invites through 2♣, reverses at the 2-level to be GF and all jumps to be GF - jumps in another suit (also openers) shows 5-5, jumps in my own suit invites slam with a very good suit.