peachy

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You are mistaken, sorry. The Alert regs give three examples (among many others) that are alertable. EXAMPLE: 4M openings which are natural but are weaker than might be expected because the partnership has some other method (an example is the Namyats convention) for showing a good 4, opening. EXAMPLE: 1H-P-4h when playing a forcing club where the 4H call may have, by agreement, values for game but not slam. EXAMPLE: A natural 3C opening which is stronger than expected since the partnership has agreed to open 2S (a Mid-Chart agreement so the Mid-Chart has to be in effect) with weak minor-suit preempts. These examples are not exclusive, the principle applies. Edit: Discussing ACBL regs.

From the ACBL Alert regs: In general, when the use of conventions leads to unexpected understandings about suit length by negative inference, a natural call becomes Alertable. Some such agreements have become expected and are fairly common, therefore no Alert is required. EXAMPLES: 1H-P-1S If 1 promises a five-card suit (when playing an opening 2D bid as five hearts and four spades), no Alert is required. This (to me, at least) says that Flannery is common enough that no alerts are needed. Bu t then we go to the next round - if it does not promise five spades, is it alertable when we play Flannery. I would think not, but do not know for sure, just reading the regulation. However, it is common enough (LOL) to have 4 spades in auction 1H (P) 1S, so why should there be alert?

I have been using the old version consistently, but went to the web version today to hear the test drive for the voice commentary (was nice, btw!). I saw Hedy chatting to kibs at the table but she did not show in my friends list so I had to mark her as Friend again. Is this a common problem or a rare glitch?

It is equally important to make sure you have actions defined when they Dbl or interfere with your weak NT opening. Don't switch until you have adequately discussed the possible, and quite common, sequences with partner. This includes runouts, whether to run out immediately or via forced Rdbl by opener; what later round doubles mean, etc. Adopting weak NT also affects other auctions, for example 1m-1H-2H tends to show stronger hand than when playing strong NT, and many other situations. However, if you adopt it, agree to open all balanced/ish hands that fit the range, in 1NT, including those with 5-card major. Otherwise your auctions become a guessing game.

If anyone "deserves" a PP in this case, it is EW who gave an incomplete explanation.I still don't like NS question but it is legal, and therefore cannot be unethical. Had the situation been different, and the missing piece of information caused damage to declaring side, EW would have been ruled against because of MI they gave. EW started the mess by not giving a full explanation.

MrAce aced it IMO.

Why is 2C a distortion on shape? In SAYC it is standard/in the book, and in other systems at least in US, it is just a hair short of standard to open 1D with 4-4 minors where the hand is out of range for a NT opening.

Agree on all. And any coffeehouser who did it without legitimate bridge reason AND opponents are misled, will not get away with it by saying he was daydreaming (or whatever) if the situation was tempo-sensitive.

The doubletons are soft but the alternative of 1C and then 2C is not appealing. Nor is rebidding 1NT. I certainly would not rebid 3C, a place where soft doubletons are much worse than they usually are in NT.

There are no splinters in SAYC. One can, of course, modify SAYC and add splinters (or other stuff)

2D is the least of evils. Some folks bid a 3-card major but that just often ends up in 3-3 fit...no good. The negative doubler may not have both majors and has no idea to correct to spades; besides, he might have diamond support.

Good question. The table host has the right to decide No Undos, or allow undos for anything, or only in bidding, or whatever. If you do not like the table host's prefences, then play elsewhere. But if undos are allowed at the table, then don't refuse :)

It is possible to use 4C as Stayman, both when they opened 3C and when they opened whatever suit on the 3-level. Having to use cuebid as the only force becomes space consuming when they opened 3H or 3S.

Counting HCP is not very helpful for the type of hand that bids 3C. It is better than average hand with a long, good club suit. Since 3C is non-forcing, your poll choice of 18-19 cannot apply.

Pass over 3H was no-good, assuming that 2H was a natural overcall. Difficult to figure out the rest when an error happened in the first round of bidding.

The only "problem" with 3C over partner's 2D is that it is "too good", but I would still bid it.

2H is the only rebid I would even consider. With GF already established, I would never splinter in the given auction, even if I did not have a 4-card heart suit. Sometimes it is 3NT that we should play, sometimes partner does not have 5-card diamonds, sometimes partner will show spade support next. To jam the uncontested auction too high and at the same time set trump prematurely would be not in our best interest.

For beginner/intermediate, Dorothy Truscott's "Winning Declarer Play" is a jewel to read. Can be read several times, and includes instruction as well as problems, plus its style of writing makes things easy to absorb.

The answers to your poll depend on at what level the player currently is. Good advice so far from other posters, particularly BM2000. For improving defense, once the basics of counting EVERY hand as an automatic reflex has been mastered, is to analyze played hands with a regular partner who is an expert. I understand not everyone has this last luxury, but if you have the means, I am sure this is where hiring a pro really comes in handy. Or sweet talk some expert to do it with you for free :) There are generous people who are willing to do it for a serious learner.

I did not vote, but instead of "hey, I have diamonds", 3D should say "hey, I don't have 3-card hearts, 5-card spades or 5-card clubs, let's hear more from the opener". We can still get to hearts, since we are in GF auction. 3C could well be on 2-6-2-3 shape but too strong to make a strong (but nonforcing) 3H call so even if we had club support, there is no need to rush even with 4 of them to show it. Second choice 3H and with a tad weaker hand and doubleton heart, I would always bid 3H on a doubleton.

I Pass. Dbling again should show perfect shape and/or no wastage in hearts. Sometimes one just has to let them play in their known 8-card fit on the two level, even MPs.

For me (and I've seen others) 2D by advancer would show equal length majors 2-2, 3-3, even 4-4

I accidentally upvoted instead of clicking "Reply" to one of jillybean's comments here. No biggie of course but I usually wait for something I wholeheartedly agree. Anyway, it is a good thing to agree on follow-ups after it starts 1D-2C in a 2/1 system where 2C is a natural GF call. One that I like is that opener's first responsibility is to confirm whether he/she has 5 or more diamonds; If "no" on that, then show 4-card majors up the line, and this does not promise extras/reverse; If "no" on majors, then bid 2NT with both majors stopped, unless also have 4-card support for clubs in which case usually support clubs first before NT. Agree on what is the most important and under which conditions but the key IMO is to rebid 2D if opener has more than four of them.

The formal legal approach that you give at the end of your post serves well. It can be delivered in a friendly manner and there is no need to even bring out any question of ethics. it is all from the book and from the TD's determination of what the UI could suggest (pretty clear hear: action) and what the LAs are. L73 is broad, start from there. Then go into the details. Edit: Just noticed Cascade said it already.