andy_h

Void in clubs is probably a sign to defend but am afraid the auction might get passed out, and I can't resist not showing my six good diamonds.

I also agree that it's a good agreement to have. Although I usually play some sort of splinter with this bid, but I love it as natural too. With those kind of hands that you suggested, I would like to bid an immediate 4H to suggest that hand type (in which going via 2H or 3H or w/e would show something different) and sometimes the bid may work wonders. For example, your LHO now has to come in at the 5 level and although that might be OK if they have both minors, it's when they have a 6 card minor that would give them a problem. Who knows, bidding an immediate 4H might be a good sac against their making 5m, or maybe it will prevent the opponents from finding a sac! It's similar to the auctions when partner opens 1m, RHO passes and you bid 4M.

Aces = power = control of tempo. Aces coupled with intermediates = tempo plus potential source of tricks. 3NT for sure.

You might find this recent thread a good read: http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/53420-responding-to-1s-with-very-strong-3433-hand/

Not sure if I "agree with E/W bidding" since I don't know what West has bid with :) Anyway I will pass now and see what my partner thinks. However I would have preferred a 4D splinter as my 2nd bid if I was allowed. I understand that splintering with stiff Aces can be a flaw but I feel it's the best way I can get my 4th trump + good hand across on this hand (since 1S says it shows 5, my 3D bid can be all sorts of random hands with 3 card support).

1D, 1S, and double

I normally play that a jump to the 5 level is exclusion. Alternatively, you could play as Han suggested to have the superaccept bid at a lower level. If not, then I suggest that over 3H to use 3S/3NT/4C/4D as None/Low/Middle/High shortages.

Don't include any GF hands in the 1NT even if it's 100% Forcing. The forcing 1NT is already hard enough to deal with, don't overload it even more. If you do, then good luck with your constructive auctions to distinguish between 9 or 15 points, as well as your competitive auctions.

If you're going to draw trumps, it's probably a little better to win the 2nd trump with dummy's Jack. If trumps break 3-2 and the 9 has come down you can go for a dummy reversal, using the SJ, CA and the HA as entries to dummy.

This should be just a matter of setting hearts as trumps, asking for keycards, the trump queen and the 3rd round control in clubs. A typical continuation after 1NT-2C-2M would be to use: 3oM=sets M with a shortage somewhere (3oM+1 asks), 4C=sets M slam interest with no shortness ("quantitative raise") and 4D=RKC. Using that the auction would go: 1NT-2C 2H-4D (4D=RKC) 4S-4NT (4S=0/3, 4NT=Q ask) Thereafter just depends on your responses to Q ask. Mine would continue 5D-6C (5D=Yes, 6C=Asks for 3rd round control in clubs) 7C-7H (7C=I have the Q [as opposed to a doubleton], 7H=Due to the unknown location of the club J, opts for 7H rather than 7NT) If opener has a doubleton they would just bid 7H instead of 7C. It gets a bit tricky if the partnership is missing a KC and/or without the Heart Queen since then you might want to offer to play in 6C.

Awesome work!

4H. Don't have much else to add that this shows a good flexible hand with 5H and the best we can achieve to find the right game.

Whatever methods you have, given that 1NT overcall is usually 15+ to 18 and that you know where the majority of the high cards are, just make sure that you are inviting on hands with 7 counts (sometimes even GF-ing if it's a good one).

Thanks for the -1540! Was such a terrible lead :( Anyway back luck in the finals, hope to see you back next year!

Dummies that table their cards that is perfectly visible to all but they then proceed to spend the next two minutes with their hands on top of the tabled cards rearranging them endlessly.

Keycard. If for whatever reason 1D->2D is systemic you now have a maximum and partner is still interested. We have a solid trump Ace filler, diamond control, doubleton club which could be ensure a ruff or as a last resort maybe even the JT of hearts come into play.

That's awesome, congrats guys!

When I said "Given our suit is spades I would hope this would shut the opponents out of the auction" I am comparing the different types of openings (1♣/1♦/1♥/1♠) as a whole in 4th seat, which means that pass is out of the question.

I use 2m as a 3 card inv+ raise so we can stop low if partner's overcall was light, and it may also give partner the needed space to show a 2nd suit or possibly show some game interest but doesn't want to commit to the 3 level. I think it helps to distinguish between 3 or 4 card support to explore game prospects (with exercised judgement, for example with 4M333 I may prefer to bid 2m) and would be more beneficial than to distinguish between say 3m=6-9, 3M=0-6.

Nice!

1. Splinter 2. 4 card lim+ raise. Given RHO's pass I play 2NT as natural invite but if RHO had doubled/bid then 2NT=4 card lim+ raise and a 3m jump bid (if applicable) is mixed raise.

Yes I would open 1♠. Given our suit is spades I would hope this would shut the opponent's out of the auction. If partner responds 1NT then I will bid 2♣ gazzilli or not because I desperately want to play in a suit contract which could still either be clubs or hearts.

I'd have overcalled 1♠

I agree with the plan of transferring to hearts planning to pass unless partner breaks it by making a 4 card superaccept in which I will raise it to game. This I think has more of an upshot than being able to play in a 3♣ partscore. If it was 2♥ vs 3♣ I have no idea which one is the "more superior" part score but I guess it will be in my six card club suit since opposite a doubleton support I probably prefer to be in clubs to keep control if our hand gets tapped on diamonds.

I agree with Free. Ordinary puppet stayman may not be the best system over 2NT overcalls but if that is your (default) agreement (regular stayman over 1NT, puppet stayman over 2NT) then I don't see any reason to divert from something of a meta-agreement to something that you expect partner to work out as all it does is create a potential misunderstanding.