Apollo81

My general strategy with this shape and not enough to reverse is: - with a singleton Q or better, treat the hand as balanced - else if the 5-card suit is very strong, rebid it - else if the 3-card major is unstopped (T98 or worse), open 1♦ (the diamonds are strong by inference in this case) - else if <15 hcp, rebid 1NT - else, choose the above action that most closely matches my hand The OP fits into the last category. I think the best lie is to open 1♦ since the diamonds are stronger than the clubs, and the hand is clearly (IMO) too strong for a 1NT rebid.

Partner would balance with Axxxx xx xxx xxx I would hope... We aren't hanging partner, now we are hanging ourselves. And what's the problem if he does have that (a good partner wouldn't have that, but assume he might for argument's sake). 2NT may well be better than 2♠.

4♥. I expect 3NT to be the best contract a significant percentage of the time, but passing puts a few too many eggs in a basket that's a bit too small. After 4♥ we should be able to put the right eggs in the right baskets.

2NT. As much as I believe in not hanging partner, we have at least got to invite with 15 hcp sitting over a strong notrump opener.

2♥ -- in this auction partner should normally take a preference to 2♠ with 2-3 in the majors.

Double, and very satisfied with it. I like spades and hearts about equally, and if pard bids notrump or clubs I'm fine with that too.

I'd invite due to the general lack of spots.

LOL posts: i dislike them, presumably the quoted post wasn't just trying to waste peoples' time, so if you're going to respond you might as well try to help the person learn something WTP posts: i don't mind them, to me they translate to "because there's no other reasonable alternative". If lots of people are posting a different opinion, then the egg is on WTP's face after all. one-liners: i don't mind them, i don't mind when people use them in response to my OPs, maybe i want to do a poll but i only want to count peoples' responses when they have to identify themselves and i agree that often it's possible to apply the "i don't read this kind of post" filter, though this clearly doesn't apply to one-liners since you can't help reading them in their entirety

Double

Here's the full hand, and auction. This was given to me anecdotally. [hv=d=s&v=b&n=sxhxxdt9xxxcjt9xx&w=sxxhqjtxxdjxxcqxx&e=sakqxxxxxhxdaqxxc&s=sjthakxxxdkcakxxx]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv] 1♥-(p)-p-(4♠) Dbl-(p)-4NT-(5♠) Dbl-(all pass) ♥A lead, making 5. It's interesting that ♣A lead will let them make 6! Declarer draws trumps, cashes the ♦A, and leads a heart, endplaying South.

What's your lead?

♠JT ♥AKxxx ♦K ♣AKxxx MPs, all red 1♥-(p)-p-(4♠) ?

With longer clubs tend to open 2♣ or rebid 1NT. Thus take preferences to diamonds like normal bidding.

I would tend to bid, mainly because I think they are almost sure to make 5♥ -- and yes, a 4♣ bid last round would have been nice. I don't like fit-showing 4m bids when they might not bid over a direct 4M, but here it's pretty clear that they will.

agree

I wouldn't automatically assume that partner will understand 3♠. Mightn't we want to bid something other than 4♥ on say, a 1444 11-count or 0436 9-10 count? I think 3♠ is pretty clear if partner takes it as choice of games. 3NT would have been my 4th choice -- after 4♣, 3♠, and 4♥

So, it's a fit non-jump? lol

I'd bid 4♣, hoepfully partner can tell I don't have a bunch of clubs that I didn't preempt.

Spot on, and that does not only apply to a weak NT. An escape method that will not allow you to play 1NT doubled is not worth playing in my opinion. Roland 10-12 NT usually doesn't play very well in 1NTx

I'm sure opener will just bid 4♠ over this and you have the same leading decision -- but now you're setting it if you make the normal ♦ lead. He didn't think he was making 4♠ since he didn't actually bid it, but he will save over my 4 of a minor contract holding Qx in that suit? let's agree that if he can open 2♠ on that hand then he's capable of any bid at that point =)

I'm tempted to play a heart to the K on trick 2 and lead the ♠J. If this is covered then I could win and cash ♠Q, looking for a T or 9. If one appears I could ruff a spade, then draw 2 rounds of trumps ending in my hand. Hopefully I can pitch a diamond on my last spade. If the ♠J is not covered, I'd overtake with the ♠A, as I think it's virtually 100% at this point that the ♠K is offside. Then I'd proceed with the trump drawing. However, this line gives up on 4-1 trumps with a singleton honor offside and runs mild risks when spades aren't 4-3. I think at the table I would stick to the trump-drawing line, leading the ♦T on trick 4. Maybe LHO wins and plays a spade away from the ♠K.

I'm sure opener will just bid 4♠ over this and you have the same leading decision -- but now you're setting it if you make the normal ♦ lead.

Whatever your runout scheme, it's important that the doubler be put on lead as much as possible. It's usually much harder for the doubler to lead than it is for his partner to lead. Thus I prefer a transfer oriented scheme: pass: 5+♣ or two-suited with at least one minor. over this: --Rdbl = "I prefer your other suit to clubs" --2♣ = "I want to play in clubs iif you have clubs + something else" 2♣: 5+♦, or majors 2♦: 5+♥, or black suits (5-5 or better) 2♥: 5+♠, or minors (5-5 or better) 2♠: natural NF XX: penalty oriented, so 1NT bidder feels free to act if advancer runs 3-level: natural NF The nice properties of this are: 1. The auction 1NT-(X)-pass-(pass)-2♣ may be a 5-3 fit, 4-4 fit, or 4-3 fit. I think to most opponents it looks like a real fit, and I find they usually bid over it. 2. The doubler is usually put on lead 3. When it's our hand, opener need not pass out of fear (we can penalize them!) 4. On the rare (but not too rare) occasion that we want to preempt to the 3-level, we can. The disadvantages are: --We can't play 1NTx, so we don't use this scheme for strong notrumps (where I think the ability to play 1NTx is important). --We have to play make-believe when responder is (4333).

One possible structure: After 2♣-2M: pass: 2-3 card support and min, dead minimum if 3 2♠: 3145 or 2146, allows responder to respond 2♥ with 5521 hands and get out in 2♠ 2NT: minimum with 0-1 in the major, nearly always converted to 3♣ 3♣: maximum with 0-2 in the major, frequently passed, but sometimes carried on to game or 3M 3♦: too good to rebid 3♣, possible example: Kx x x AKQxxxxx after a 2♠ response 3M: 3-card support and not a dead minimum 3NT: like a 3♦ bid, ok with declaring in 3NT higher: support and a maximum The thing I like about this is that the hands where opener rebids 2NT will virtually never be played in notrump, so we avoid wrong-siding.

To play devil's advocate on myself for a minute, I'll admit that maybe I shouldn't be making so many assumptions about a bid that I would (almost) never make.