dicklont

Good luck in your new job and welcome back in Holland.

♠J I try to find a save lead. There is no reason to risk a club lead from this holding into the strong hand. A heart lead could easily give away a trick. Two suits to chose from, ♠J is the safest.

I like where this thread is going..... :) I would like to contribute experiences like this, but I don't have them.

I really like the 12-14 NT in a 2/1 system.

In the BBO robot forum North posted a complaint about his partner. "I show great judgement and bid the small slam, but those humans just can't control themselves!"

When you do that it shows a 18-19(20) NT hand; too strong for a 1NT overcall. You still don't have the promised shape but now you also show the wrong point-count. With imperfect hands try to tell the smallest lie.

I also play a 12-14 1NT opening, but our 1NT overcall is 15-17 to avoid trouble. So this hand is a normal 1NT overcall for me.

I play it like Helene, the lower cuebid is gameforcing and shows the fourth suit (clubs in this case), the higher cuebid shows support and is limit or better. Bidding the fourth suit (3♣) is 8-11, supporting partners suit is competitive. The cuebidding does not appear often. My somewhat selfish memory-aid for it is: "me first, then you." :rolleyes:

In my system 2♠ would be a limit raise or better with diamonds. Does GIB play the same methods? I don't know. When you click on any call made by GIB is explains what it means. Easy, but don't be too disappointed when GIB's hand doesn't match the description, this happens sometimes.

The points are for both partners.

Never had a signature until now.

When you play forcing 1NT you can bid that and 2♠ in the next round, unless of course p shows hearts as a second suit. This makes is a little harder for the opponents to find their fit. Without the forcing NT I see no alternative to pass. You would not mind to play 1♠ if they let you.

Partner cannot touch the 5♦ bid, I heard him bidding spades twice, he knows that. Helene is right in her comment that this hand should blast 5♦ in the first round, let them make the last guess.

I agree that 4NT would be silly :D

Welcome to the forum. 5♦ is a good save, probably down 1 or 2 and it's likely that 4♥ makes. I would do it on equal or favorable vulnerability. When even your partner gets disgruntled you might try to make faster decisions, but thinking is allowed. :)