Apollo81

What style of 2♥ are you playing? Forcing? NFConst? NF? My knee jerk reaction would be 3♠ with this hand; I usually play NFConst.

I don't understand your comment about 2NT. It looks like you may not understand this auction correctly. As for what to bid, I would pass since your majors lack internal quality.

Open 1♣. rebid 2♣

80% 4♥ 20% 3♦

3NT since you want to accept the game try (nice hearts!) but don't particularly want to play in spades.

2NT is not a possible answer to Stayman. Most people who do that are beginners who don't know that you're supposed to bid 2♦ with no major.

Whether you pick 3♠ (limit raise) or 2NT (GF raise) is up to you, but those should be the only choices up for consideration.

When you have a hand stronger than N you have to start with a double rather than just an overcall. Overcalls have upper limits too. Standard for N is somewhere around 17; people have their own styles. 25 HCP clearly merits a power double and your partner is clearly resulting you on this deal. Given that the auction has gone (2♠)-Dbl-(3♠)-4♥, you could have cuebid instead of blasting 6♥. This expresses doubt about the strain and partner could have bid his clubs. I might have missed this one as I'd have probably passed with your partner's hand rather than bid 4♥.

1♠. What does a jump shift by a PH mean in your methods? I could see bidding 2♠ if you're playing strong JS by UPH and haven't discussed by PH.

Tables in slam do not affect your score as they get either 980 or -50 which are both outside the range of possible scores for you. Assume the field is in game and play accordingly.

Standard: voluntary 5M asks for: 1. control of the opponents' suit 2. else, control of the sole unbid suit 3. else, two of the top three trump honors I don't think the "responses" to this are universal, but it does make sense to cuebid if you have the ace or void and the partnership could still have grand values.

vaary niice.....high five!

Pass. I will surely be able to describe both of my suits at my next call.

I don't know how the auction will work after your 3♣, but it seems like 4♥ describes my "mild slam try" perfectly. If my hand was a trick better then I'd have to bid 3♣ I guess. 4♠ is not the right bid with significant extras beyond a min GF.

I think this is between pass (partner didn't preempt) and 3♥. I think I'd choose the latter.

It would be a very strange hand for double to be right.

Actually most of the wins came from both partners having the same understandings about all the bids. That can be said of any method.

It's reasonable to just bid Blackwood/RKC/whatever on your first/second/whatever call with this hand.

Since some play 4♦ NF and some people bid 4♥ on HHxxxx(x) Hxxxx in the reds he's still way more likely to have diamonds than spades.

I've had partnerships in: 1. normal 2/1 2. strong diamond 3. precision w/TOSR relays after 1♣ and an alt. 2♦ opening I played #2 for about 2 years before I realized that a large percentage of the system wins were coming from the notrump range (10-12 1/2W, 14-16 otherwise) and that the rest of the system was basically not worth the memory load although not really worse than #1. I currently play #3. Its main advantages are that the defense often goes wrong after a relay auction when relayer is declaring, really tough slam hands are loads easier to bid, and certain intermediate strength hands can be shown with one bid instead of two. Its main disadvantage is the strong 1♣ at unfavorable.

I would lead a diamond against this. Note that there is no good way for RHO to have shown hearts and diamonds over 3♣, whereas with the majors he could have doubled or bid 4♣.

You could play: 2♠-->♣ 2NT natural 3♣-->♦ 3♦ = spade splinter, (45) minors 3♥ = heart splinter, (45) minors 3♠ = GF equal length minors I play this in casual partnerships. The advantages are simplicity, your notrump invitations can't be doubled for the lead, and you have a little more room to explore slam on the 13(45) hands. The main disadvantage is that there is no diamond invitation.

It's important not to punish partner for coming into the auction at the 1-level.

I'd usually pass, although I might double in certain circumstances. White on white I would take my chances with a 2♠ bid.

I think that if I were playing Puppet Stayman or if the ♥J were the ♥10 or lower then I would bid 3♣. I'd transfer in the position given.