Apollo81

1. I'd not double just because they're bad, for the reasons you said. There are tons of other chances to gain on bad players. Besides you might find some brilliant defense to hold them to no overtricks when the field is making 1 or 2. 2. I would still bid game. Even if the game shouldn't make there are going to be lots of tables where it does since it's a STAC, so you rarely get a great score by stopping short.

I haven't read even 10% of the posts in this thread, but for what it's worth I think that remembering your system uses a different part of the brain than trying to make "judgment" type decisions in the bidding. If you spend a fixed amount X of mental energy in the bidding then you will have way more mental energy for the play if the X was spent on memory lookup than if it was spent on judgment.

I think the OP hand is a GF, and that it's borderline. I think many but not all (5332) 13 counts will pass a 4-card limit raise. I think nearly all openable (5431) hands will bid game opposite a 4-card limit raise.

Against. Killing is wrong. The ends don't justify the means.

When i play xfer advances i haven't usually discussed the followups by opener -- I think we assume that 2♦ in your first example means youd have passed a NF 2♦ bid and all other bids are the same as what youd have done over 2♦ if playing new suit NF

Speaking pf psyches, if RHO passed I would bid 4♠.

my point was it might make on the club lead that is probably coming so 7♣ could offer them fielder's choice

seems normal, I'd bid exclusion if available, cant imagine not bidding a slam with openers hand

yeah, take that RHO

I bet the whole hand is [hv=d=n&v=n&n=sxxhxdkxxcqjtxxxx&w=skxxhkqxxdjxxxxxc&e=saqxxxxhajxxxdaxc&s=sjxhxxxdqxcakxxxx]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] and good ol pard leads a club against 7♥W wdp and I think on such a hand it's at least worth a shot to see if W bids only 5, remember he cant make a forcing pass, can always bid 7 over 6 later

I think I'd only bid 5 and see if they stop short.

unless a ♠ is returned

He really should have expected 6-5 from this bidding.

♠x towards jack If this doesn't immediately give me 12 then there are various squeeze chances

Penalty, suggests a heart lead. Takeout doesnt make sense at all, you coulda doubled 1♥ or bid 2♣ over it or bid 2♣ now.

True. I'm sure I'd open 1N opposite a BBO random

If opps are playing texas and i trust them to have a slam try for this sequence then I would lead a heart. Otherwise I'd lead a trump, I hate all my leads. If you had thrown in some decent club spots I'd lead that insteafd.

If partner is the 4 card overcall type then I would bid 3♠. Otherwise I'd bid 4 since I don't want a decision over 4♥pp. Maybe I'd show a mixed raise (3♥) if I have that option and then let 4♥ go if that happens.

Hate to post after the fact but I think that if you can trust P to have 3 spades, a 4♠ bid stands out. Then again I'm not used to playing opposite people who psych or pass on a doubleton which I see ppl do also, so I dunno. But bidding only 2♠ seems really, really wrong to me even if you redoubled first.

pass, pass a X Closer to doubling directly than bidding 5♥.

If opener doesn't want to rebid 2♣ then it might go 1♥-1NT 2♥-3♥ 3NT-p At least the auction makes a diamond lead less likely than some other suggested auctions.

I'd replicate this auction.

I'd pass even if the diamond was natural.

I'd lead a low spade.

I'd go with a high diamond. Close between that and a heart IMO.