Apollo81

I don't think it's absurd at all. It significantly increases your chances of beating the contract.

Pass. 4♥ if partner reopens with a double.

No, it's only three patterns. This auction is symmetric with 1♣-1♠-1N-2♦-2♥-2♠-2N-3♣+ which also shows 4♥(432), but side suits in the order 2-3-4 as opposed to 4-3-2. It's similar to how reverse relays work. All shapes resolve at 3♥ or lower, and the ones at 3♥ have zoom to min.

Just thought I'd share a modification to symmetric relay that I'm playing now, which makes opener declarer more often in notrump and heart contracts than the standard symmetric relays, while giving up little/nothing. 1♣-1♠ = any 4432 + any 4333 + any 5♥332 + any 5m332♥ (or red suits) 1NT- 2♦ 4-5♥ 2♥ 2♥ 2♠ (433)3 2NT 2533/3334 3♣+ (4432), 3♥ -1NT-2♦-2♥ 2♠ 4♥, 2-3-4 other suits 2NT 35(23) 3♣+ 4♥, 4-3-2 other suits -1NT-2♥-2♠ 2NT 32(35) 3♣+ (4432), 2♥ All patterns resolved lowest integer representation first / high shortness first. Steps can be shifted one down in one-suited auctions where the (5332) hand would respond 1♠, e.g. 3631 is now shown via a 3♦ bid rather than a 3♥ bid (rightsiding hearts).

I am biting on all three hands. 3♣, slam try, double.

Somewhat off topic: what about keeping 1♠ as natural and making 1♥-1♠-1NT show diamonds? This was first suggested to me by awm, years ago. This has some advantages. You can play 1♥-1♠-2♦ as a 3-card spade raise (bidding is natural over that) which you can even bid with some nontraditional hands e.g. 3-6 majors, 1♥-1♠-2♠ promises 4 which may make bidding in that auction easier, and you get 4th suit GF a level lower (1♥-1♠-1NT-2♣) when opener has diamonds.

Con: not as tasty as other kinds of sandwiches.

College students are also more likely to run up a balance, incur interest/late fees, etc because they are generally less mature and knowledgeable than older adults. I guess they are also less likely to file for bankruptcy because parents will bail them out.

Isn't he paying 3% fees every time he rolls it? Which isn't smart?

In the U.S. credit card companies send offers to infants, dead people, and pets. Anyone can get a credit card.

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Also possible is to make opener's singleton rebids start at 3♦, much closer to traditional Jacoby. This would still preserve the 4-tier structure for responder.

Some of you are familiar with the convention "2-tier splinters", where 1M-[3M+1] is a splinter of minimum-gf strength and 3M+N, N in {2,3,4} shows significant extra values (e.g. 13+ hcp). Basically one splinter needs a fitting non-minimum opener for slam and the other needs only a fitting minimum. Discuss the merits of extending this concept to the following, which I dub "4-tier splinters": 1. Direct splinters are similar to 2-tier, but promise a void. 2. Singleton splinters go through (modified Jacoby) 2NT. Opener's rebids modified to: 3♣: denies shortness 3♦: singleton somewhere higher: could be used to show voids, 5-card suits, or whatever else After 1M-2NT-3♣: 3♦: denies a singleton, shows more extras 3M: denies a singleton, shows at least a little bit extra 2-tier splinters on 4M: very minimum game force After 1M-2NT-3♦: 3M: asks for the singleton 2-tier splinters on 4M: very minimum game force Possible advantages include disguising the singleton in either hand when both hands are minimum, distinguishing between a void and a singleton at a low level, and clarifying both hands' hcp range. Possible disadvantages include being more vulnerable to interference.

North's 4♠ bid, whatever it means, isn't in my top 3 preferred bids at that decision. I also think it's sort of silly for South to assume it's keycard if all you've agreed/discussed is "let's play kickback"

2♥. You don't have to mastermind every hand.

To the aviary: It goes 3♠ p p back to you. Time for the rooster to crow?

RHO opens 2♠ 10-13 hcp 6+♠ you hold at favorable imps ♠K63 ♥QJ532 ♦AJ8 ♣A5 whats yer call

Why are people so pessimistic about setting? Sometimes RHO or partner will have the Ace or Jack of spades, and even if they don't, partner is doubling red on white opposite a passed partner and unpassed opponent. I would expect to have the majority of the hcp the majority of the time, even if they aren't positioned well.

Another general "rule" that may support this is that each person should get at least one chance to bid his long suit, although the crowd will say that chance is 5♣.

You deifnitely can't get NT played from the North. How silly would it be to find dummy held Qx Kx AKxxxxx Jx ?

You can't make the same bid with a no-constructive-value hand that you make with constructive hands and expect good results. You also wouldn't bid 3♥ with both Jx Jxxx xxx Qxxx and with xx Kxxx KQxx xxx.

This hand reminded me of the two previous cases where I had a 13-card club fit (both were also at unfavorable). In each of these cases as in this one, we could only take 9 tricks. The explanation for the auction is that I was playing with a creative partner who thought the lead-directional and obstructional value outweighed the risk of the 5♣ bid (actually, partner only had five clubs). We can't touch 6♠.

Followup question for the passers: what are you doing over each of the following: 1. 5♠-P-P 2. 5♠-X-P 3. 6♠-P-P 4. 6♠-X-P

That would have spoiled it. BTW, CHO didn't have a club void

Vul against not, imps ♠x ♥Jxx ♦QJ ♣QJTxxxx (1♠) p (4NT) 5♣ (p) ?