ASkolnick

I know this may be unorthodox, but I don't see how you can stop below 4C anyway. Are you really passing 1S-1N-2S? The dangerous auction would be 1S-1N-2C-2D hand where you will be over bidding if partner does not have a fit, but no guarantee he does not. But it is still much easier to realize a misfit on the auction, 1S-2C-2D-2H, 2S-3H Uh -Oh. You have enough shape that I am not sure you shouldn't just bid your suits. This way you don't have to figure out what to do at the 4 level. Might you be slightly over aggressive, yes, but I think you will be in much better position to make a call. Over 1S-2C- 2X- Bid Hearts 3S- Tougher, but bid hearts to give the option of playing.

4C over 3N when no clear suit mentioned is what I call a "generic" slam try. Make the most appropriate bid you think cue-bid, rebid your suit etc and partner will clear up the actual suit he wants to play in later.

To me, it makes much more sense to call for the Break In Tempo immediately regardless of the skill set of the opponents. If not, it clearly looks like you are results merchanting, if you want to wait for the score. If you want to explain it to the opponents who are beginners and if they like baseball, give them that calling the director for a hesitation is equivalent to when the catcher asks the umpire if the batter swung at a pitch. The catcher appeals to the umpire (Director). The director can do nothing with the call. The director can look later (like appealing to the 1st or 3rd baseman). Just takes a little longer. Many times, even if the catcher requests the appeal, the umpire does not have to grant any sort of adjustment what so ever. Or even listen to the appeal. This is not an infraction of any kind, just if there might be a problem, it may need to be looked at.

I am actually one of those dumb people who play something which makes much more sense to me. I play Natural for the suits. Double is takeout, about 1NT+ level, 2NT for the minors. And, yes, the one time I have a 5 or 6 card suit, my opponent has the same 5 or 6 card suit and my partner can't move the contract, I lose. But my partner knows what I have first. But here are the advantages against multi, 1) It is less preemptive. I can now bid 2H over a theoretical 2S bid. 2) I can show both minors which I couldn't before. 3) If I have that weak a hand and essentially multi is forcing I can always double for takeout later.

A novel approach. We play 4th suit forcing and above as transfers. This allows you to get in your invitational hands quicker and find out if partner has support one level lower. The transfer does not have to be accepted though. So, 1D-1S-2C-2H shows a 5th spade. 2N Natural 3C shows diamonds support. 3D shows hearts. GF. This way with the one bid hands. you will be able to get out in 3 if appropriate. This also gets your minor suit slam tries in at a much cheaper level

1) I mentioned Mid-Chart, so obviously I am referring to the ACBL (Inquiry) 2) When I say drop dead, partner never has to accept the "puppet", but can deal with the consequence. No different than a transfer or lebensohl. I am not sure why this is any more than the same two-way transfers we play over 1N. 3) This is the reason I despise the ACBL since conventions would be much easier to deal with, if you let people actually play conventions. I will probably check with the powers that be. Thanks for everyone's contribution.

We are playing I guess a modified version of MOSCITO counted in ZAR Points. With 2/1 non-forcing. Our 1 of a major bid is limited to 4-5 cards since our 2 bids are more like 1.5 bids. But for Mid-Chart, would this be legal? Borrowed from 2 way xfers over 1N. All bids force next bid. X+Suit may mean NT or a 6+ of same suit. 1M- 1N 1) Drop dead in Clubs 2) Invitational single suiter. (3C is single suited clubs) 3) Invitational NT 1M-2C 1) Drop dead in Diamonds 2) Clubs + next suit Inv+. 1M-2D 1) Drop dead in Hearts 2) Good Raise to hearts if M is Hearts 3) Diamonds+Suit Inv+ 1M-2H 1) Good Raise to spades if 1M is spades 2) Hearts+suit Inv+ 1M-2M Simple Raise. This way you can get your weak hands in, your invitations in all at the two level. The tough hand will be the diamonds and hearts over 1S. Over 1H, with less strength, you can always bid spades first.

I also used Hans Van Staverens dealer program which is great with its shape function. However, some of the random number generator I questioned. Henk Uterwaal created an improved version of Hans Van Staverens dealer which includes functions such as suit quality, controls, and ability to create a PBN file. It runs off a C simulator: Here is the link: http://www.xs4all.nl/~henku/html/dealer/dealer.html I have used this dealer with conjunction of Bridge Analyzer and deep finesse to come up with some theories. I created my own Access program to capture some data. Whats nice about the dealer program is you create your own classes of information. You can also use other classes to build more classes, If you know C, it uses the basics of the language. So you can build a definition of 1ZPM (1 Major in our system shows 31-35 ZP which has been defined as Controls+HCP+2 longest suits+(Long-short suit)). Once the definition has been created, it can be used in sequences. The shape function is the most flexible I have seen of anything. You can: shape (south, 4531) Exact Shape shape (south, 45xx) 4 Spades, 5 Hearts shape (south, any 45xx) Any 4-5 and I believe in some PERL language he wrote an even more complex shape function.

I don't tend to like either, but I prefer Aces to kings. Here is why Leading Away from Ace 1) Occasionally loses to stiff King. 2) Gives up a tempo and half trick (The ace is not capturing an honor so the RHO honor wins and LHO has a stopper/trick. This is only relevant though if a pitch is actually needed. So although you may give up a winner, you did not eliminate a loser. Leading Away from King 1) Qx opposite A Length 2) Ax opposite Q Length In each of these cases, there is no loser by leading it. My experience indicates that the 2nd is more likely than the 1st. But if I were to lead away from a King (usually 3 cards), it should be in my shorter suit since if declarer has 3 opposite 3+ in suit, you rate to get it back Obviously, if the auction calls for an aggressive lead, one does not preclude me from taking a necessary action.