neilkaz

Very nice post, Mike!

North is often void in ♥ on this auction and had better not leave in a T/O double for penalties at the 3 level. I'd try 3NT with your hand also.

You mean 3♥ tricks since declarer will split his honors.

The other problem is rebidding with a normal 12 count when game seems quite unlikely.

All that needs to be done is to rebid 2NT rather than that silly 3♣ and then it is passed out.

Nowadays most with a decent 6 card suit and 11 HCP open that suit at the 1 level. Some may also open 1 with 10 HCP and some meaningful distribution.

To me, Hand 1 is a perfect 4♣ opener per your methods.

With 8♠ and this much trick taking power I happily bid 4♠.

North should be shot for passing the X with that hand!

Nice bidding except for the XX which risks losing what will still be a good score if playing vs decent humans, who might even now find a 6♠ bid with plan of bailing to 7♣ if no fit is found. Also, humans playing UVU can show ♠ earlier.

For me and rather standard in these parts for players above beginner level. Cue=LROB. Cue of 3♣ shows limit raise or better. Therefore, 3♠ can be preemptive (some would play mixed).

I can see why South doesn't like his hand opposite N's splinter and cue, but if he decides he's will to try slam opposite 2 aces, then 4NT on the way to 5♦ is indicated.

Why not now bid 6♣ which has to show interest in a grand I'd think after the previous sequence. Then South loves his hand considering the bidding and what little he's shown.

I agree with everything Mike says in his above post.

Easy pass for me. I don't even think about balancing here.

I agree with Mike above except that I am extremely reluctant to open 2NT with any stiff.

I had 31 HCP on BBO a year or so back in MBC. With an unsophisticated and silent pickup PD I just opened 6NT. He put down only a jack and I was supposed to go one off, but the opps slipped late in their defense and let me make it. OTB I've had 29 a couple of times.

[hv=pc=n&n=sakqjhakqjt94dcak]133|100[/hv] I had the above hand in a Gold Rush Pairs event a few years ago (U750 Masterpoints) with a rather new PD whose bidding wasn't at all sophisticated, but whose card play was great for this level. Since it was MP I decided to see if he could hold the ace of D for 7NT. I opened 2C he bid the usual 2D and I jumped to 3H showing an amazing suit and setting trump for RKC later (unless we stop in game) as we'd discussed. Next round I bid 4NT as RKCB and he passed stating that he had nothing after the opps passed! At least no D was lead so I just tabled my hand claiming 13. I then explained, again, that the RKCB bidding is captain and that someone bidding like I am knows what he's doing. He replied that we should play 2H = double negative bust hand. We would've but I didn't think he knew that so I never mentioned it. So imagine your PD's shock when the bidding goes 2C-2H(bust)-7H and he gets to play a grand with a trump void.

It is this way in quite a few informal clubs also on this side of the pond as well. However, I did have to suffer the following at a regional in the Gold Rush pairs event a year ago. PD opened 1♠ and RHO overcalled 1♦ and I raised my hand, "Director please." This was followed by RHO saying, "Neil, do you really want to win this way, I made a mistake." As she tried to change to her intended 2♦ bid prior to the arrival of the director. Then her husband, LHO said, "C'mon Neil, you win all the time (not as true as I'd like) anyhow, just let her correct her bid." To which I replied, "this is why we have directors, you're playing in a regionally rated event!" My point is that players can learn bad habits when the director isn't called per the rules.

I handle idiots like that differently in MBC. They get booted if I am host and made an enemy with a note explaining what they do. If I am not host, I ask host to boot and leave if they don't.

Yes but GIB doesn't play Bergen.

In order to better answer your question in this specific sequence I need to see the bidding and your entire hand.

I'll bid 2♣ 100% of the time with this hand. If PD doesn't know this is NF and hoping to play, I'll soon be looking for a new one. Good lead or not, much of the time declarer has the ace ♣ and can hold up long enough to shut me out.

3NT shows this for me.

Partner was clueless. Overtaking is the only option. She needs to learn to count to 40 HCP. Then it becomes super obvious you can't have anything outside of ♣.