stegenborg

So we should do as the norwegians! Upside down attitude and standard count. Call it UDA or perhaps UDAY.

I guess that 2♥ asked about heart quality and that 3♣ showed 5 hearts with 2 top honnors. Then 3♥ asked about the number of controls and 4♣ showed 3. We know nothing about partner's hand so when he signs off we probably lack at least 3 controls and they might be cashable. So I would just pass. If partner was interested in some of our queens he should have chosen a different sequence. The second hand is much stronger so there I would bid something 4♠? But on that hand I guess we would have bid differently to show the extra heart length. If you are unsure whether partner knows which questions to ask and how to use the information a different system might be an idea.

Kit Woolsey has a cool 2c structure. Here is an example: http://www.bridgewinners.com/index.php/kits-korner/718-the-right-strain

Hi I am danish so I can read both norwegian and swedish as well. There are a lot of interesting material in swedish but some of this is translated, so it is possible to get a good flavour of it before you learn swedish. What I would like is a comprehensive english treatment of SEF or to learn french overnight. (Actualy there is a little danish book about SEF, so that comes as a bonus if you learn a scandinavian language). Polish is obvious of course but a lot of the new polish stuff gets translated, so I will wait a decade or two and see if not the translations get better before I learn polish. Kristian

Thanks for all the suggestions. Our auction developed with opener showing 22-24 balanced then responder bid Stayman. This is more or less what most of you have suggested. Unfortunately responder was lazy and just bid 4♥ over 3♥. Afterward we discussed if responder should have cuebid. He probably should but opener is close to a whole trick stonger after the fit is found because of his distribution, so it is not that easy to visualize a near lay down slam with responder's hand. I like Ken Rexford's New Frontier method, which is very good with this hand. Soon I will read the book and some day I will try to play it. Do anybody know when I can expect this hand again :-) With standard Polish Club I think it will be easy too: 1♣ - 1♥ (4+♥ 7+) 2♦ (3+♥ GF) - 2♥ (4♥ 7-10) very good space for some natural continuation to 6♥ Now I am reading about it. Some day I will try to play it. Do anybody know when I can expect this hand for the third time :-) The 6NT won. Unfair you say? Well the team still lost 5-25. Kristian

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=s732hat73dk8cj942&s=sa4hkq82daqt32cak]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv] This hand is from a fairly strong Norwegian team tournament. The heart slam was only bid at 4 out of 20 tables. One table played 6NT. Most pairs (including my partner and me) play natural systems (acol or 2/1) with 2♣ as only force. How would you bid the slam? Regards Kristian

1: Yes, opening strength and support to all unbid 2: No, not strong enough. I would double if I felt like it. 3: No, I like 3 card support. I should probably reconsider this. Kristian

Hi Thomas Andrews have a lot of material about various point counts here:bridge.thomasoandrews.com/valuations/ I think he finds this to be quite good: A: 4.2 K: 2.8 Q: 1.8 J: 1.0 T: 0.4 Another good alternative is probably this: A: 4.4 K: 2.8 Q: 1.6 J: 0.8 T: 0.4 I have actually seen the last one on the convention card of a bunch of players in Oslo, but as 11-7-4-2-1. Most of us are probably best of using 4321 plus a little judgement, including appreciating aces and tens. Regards Stegenborg

Hi You could also try Valby Bridgecenter: Henrik Lahrmann, +45 36 45 03 00 Danish homepage: http://www.bridge.dk/1110/ Valby Bridgecenter and Blaksets Bridgecenter are the 2 biggest clubs in Copenhagen. Regards Kristian

Hi Can anybody tell me if "Slam Bidding Made Easier" by Marty Bergen is good? Thanks Stegenborg

I think Granovetter makes quite a good case against puppet stayman here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/7375162/Bridge-Today-november-2006 Stegenborg

Hi Have anybody read "The Power System" by Ron Klinger. Is it any good? Stegenborg

Hi I think the book is a good introduction to 2/1. It concentrates on the forcing NT and the 2/1 bids. On top of that there is a slam chapter using italian cuebids. The general approach is for opener to bid out shape after 2/1. So reverses and minor raises do not show extra. Openers major suit rebid after 2/1 shows a 6 card suit. The emphasis is on examples of straight forward actions that fit reasonably well with the system. There is not much discussion on hands that is problematic in the system. For example the dreaded 4-5-2-2 hand after 1♥ - 1NT is only mentioned in an appendix. If you view the book as an introduction to 2/1 I think that is a reasonable approach. If you are looking for a full system or exhaustive treatise of 2/1 you will not find it here. But the book is well written and there are many well discussed examples of the system in use. Kristian Stegenborg

I bid 3NT to show a strong single suited hand with the two last suits stopped. I think this is the standard way to use this bid, but it does not pop up that often. Kristian

Hi I think they play at Blaksets Bridgecenter Gladsaxevej 382 - 2860 Søborg Tlf.: +45 39 29 01 26 Kristian

Hi I just read "Modern Constructive Bidding" by Marshall Miles. He propose these answers to 2♣ : 2♦ weak 2♥ positive, reasonably balanced or only bad suits 2NT positive with ♥ 2♠, 3♣, 3♦ natural positive The idea is that you can use Kokish over after 2♣ - 2♦. So is this sequence opener shows 25-27 balanced: 2♣-2♦ 2♥-2♠ 2NT Here 2♥ is either ♥ or strong balanced and 2♠ is a forced relay. If responder have a positive hand you can just bid 2NT with a balanced hand and clarify you strength later (hopefully). Miles define a positive response to 2♣ as a hand with at least A+Q or K+K or 8 HCP without A or K (if my memory is correct). I think this scheme sound better than 2♦ = GF and 2♥ = weak. I think this might be a slight improvement, but have not played it: 2♦ weak 2♥ positive, reasonably balanced or only bad suits 2♠ positive with ♥ 2NT positive with ♠ Then the strong hand can be declarer when responder have a major suit. Kristian