andy_h

Generally no you can't use 3♦ as an advanced cue in spades because that sort of assumes you know partner will definitely be bidding 3♠ over 3♦. If partner doesn't and bids 3NT and you remove that to 4x, that is generally natural most likely a fragment (patterning out) and slam try. The bidding after that may then get a bit murky which would definitely need discussion. The 2nd auction you propose, I would still play that as patterning out. Now you may ask what to do with those 6+♠ that want to self agree trump suit and start a cue sequence. That may depend on your 1NT structure system, ie. what is 1NT-2♥-2♠-3♥? If that's non-existent then you can use this as self agreeing spades with slam interest (remember if partner doesn't bid 2♠ but does some form of superaccept you'll already be on your way to cuebidding). With one of my partners I play that sequence to show 5-5 Majors GF so we would need to bid 4♣ to initiate a cue bidding sequence. As for the last 2 texas auctions, I think the 'standard' meaning is that when you texas, it's either a sign off or about to keycard. So that makes 1NT-4♥-4♠-4NT keycard in spades and 1NT-2♥-2♠-4NT as 5♠332 quantitative.

1♣ opening all the way.

Pass, don't know what I'm supposed to be liking. However, I'd open it 1♥ if my club was a heart giving me 4540.

I say don't do this double undiscussed. These 2-way doubles of penalty or takeout depending on the number of enemy's trumps can sometimes work out badly. So...how fast was partner's pass over 2S and his X? :P

A boring hand, I don't see why I should bid. 1♥ at unfavourable with 4 card (not that great) suit? Not for me.

Pass and pass.

I don't understand delayed overcalls like 2♦ when partner could have easily bid 1♦ at a safe level or even preempted 2♦ over 1♣ which can causes a lot of havoc. My only guesses is that either partner has 5-5 minors (though even with that I'd still tend to overcall) or if partner believes that "1 level overcalls are sound" then his thinking might be that a weak hand should pass first and come back in. Well whatever it is, I'm competing to 3♦ as I don't think partner would have 4♦'s to be bidding.

2NT natural and invitational. It sucks with no supporting honours in any of partner's suits but we have a decent 11 count. Who knows, maybe partner will be able to show 5-5 in the minors or he may bid 3♥ next showing 1354 which will make me happier.

Words won't be enough.

Yeah, get some simple gadgets should make do with most hands. Like Fluffy said, either wolff or transfers work well enough. If you had no system whatsoever except for 3♣ being checkback and 3M being NF, I don't think I'd try 4♦ if it will be ambiguous.

I hate 3♦ unless it was forcing. But yes I bite the bullet and bid 6 !? unless it was forcing? You really thought someone will bid this NF 3♦ with *8* of them after partner opened? I would pass 5♦ and thought it was an easy pass. Partner could have done something over 4♦ if he has any life but didn't. 5♦ could even be going down if partner has nothing in clubs...

Opps are pretty good and you do play drury (no doubt!).

I would say partner has 5S much much more often than not, but then you might say it's a style thing. I would need considerable reason to overcall a 4cM and tend not to do it often. But umm...say you double (takeout showing unbid suits) what if partner bids clubs? How do you know if he's 4-5 or 5-4? What's even worse is if I dbl now and the opponents compete to 4D before I even show my 3card support.

Matchpoints! We are in 3rd seat, favourable and we hold: [hv=d=n&v=e&s=sqj8xhtdxxxcqt765]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] Auction goes pass-pass to you...

3♦, hate everything else. Why mess around when you can tell partner that you have a good raise in spades? We may never get a chance later at a safe level.

2♥ for sure, especially in matchpoints. 4333 is bad, jacks about which is also bad and given that we are playing constructive raises I see this as an easy 2♥ bid! Although there may be attractive sides in that there are supporting honours of AJ QJ JT9 but the negative factors are just too much. If people are in 2/3♥ maybe we can outplay them.

If 3♦ is non forcing why did you bid 2♥? I mean if you are worried about not being able to show a ♥ suit maybe you should use a negative double. IMO 3♦ is 1000% forcing. This frees up 4♦ to be what it should be....a ♥ self-splinterMy purpose of 2♥ was...natural bidding! Showing my 5th heart is huugee. How about say an unbalanced hand with either 6-4 or 5-4 with 9/10 count? x KQTxx ATxx xxx or x KJxxxx KQxx xx? I would rather not make a negative double with those hands as I have a diamonds as a backup support and when partner bids 2NT I would like for him to judge which strain we should play in considering I did my best to describe my hand - that is, hearts and diamonds but less than GF. I would also prefer not to support diamonds right away to supress what might be a making 4♥ contract.

If the opponents are NV, maybe it's safer to check with 5♠ to get partner to bid slam with 2nd round control in hearts in case LHO has like 6-5. But then again if partner had Kx RHO's going to lead their singleton heart and get a ruff anyway, so I think I'll just bid keycard. Bidding 5x now for me is the same as if partner had opened 4♠, that is, asking for 2nd round control in that suit. So I'm not exactly taking control, but I just want to show partner if we have all the keycards or not, and if not I'm just going to bid slam.

Definitely. I pretty much have an invitational hand myself provided that we have a fit and when partner tells me so (with a good 16/17 count) I am definitely pushing onto game.

Agree with gnasher. 4♥ is a hard preempt to deal with so I've been told by han and roger.

Only North is insane as South's x is perfect. I'd be content with 2NT.

Over 2NT I will bid 3♠ which is artificial and forcing. By process of elimination (for this auction) it's pretty much showing a self suited hand. That is, if we had clubs we bid 3♣ (forcing), if we want to sign off in diamonds we bid 3♦ and that goes with 3♥ as well, and if we wanted to set diamonds we can bid 4♦. In some other auctions, 3♠ may consist of both meanings (slam try in hearts or diamonds) and usually partner will bid 3NT and over that we remove to 4♦ to set diamonds or bid 4♣ suggesting self suited hand with a club control. For example, that auction might be 1♦-(1♠)-2♥-(2♠)-3♦-(Pass)-3♠. This 3♠ actually has a 3rd function, in that it is also a stopper ask. In this type of auction opener should always assume it is asking for a stopper, because if opener bids 3NT and responder removes that, it will tell opener that the intended meaning of 3♠ was a slam try.

I love playing 2NT as natural which is what I'll do here. We are NV so I'll give partner a bit of leeway if he wants to subside in 3♣ when it's right.

Pass. But at favourable hmm..

1) Direct raises definitely contains support. If you had both majors or a single major (not enough for a 2M bid) you would make a negative double. This direct cue should always contain support regardless if you're the opening/responding side or the overcalling/advancing side. 2) This may or may not have support, whatever it is, it is GF. Look at it another way, opener may have a self suited diamonds or maybe 18-19 balanced with no club stopper. This should be easily clarified after responder's rebid. 3) I think this one depends if your 2/1 after an overcall is forcing or not, and what 2NT here means. But I would say most of the time it will have support but if not, it will be a good hand mostly balanced/strain finder. If your 2/1's after an overcall is NF then 2♦ definitely does not promise support as it could contain a self GF hand or something.