rogerclee

4♠ is cold on any lead. Sorry :(. Club is probably easiest for declarer to get right, but he is never going down on any halfway reasonable line.

1) I would x with the East hand. 2) I would pass with the West hand. 3) I prefer x here is responsive. I am not sure what is standard. I think your idea of abandoning a 2NT bid for transfers is fine, but I have never heard of it being used in this position. It is fairly common (but not even close to standard) to play 2NT is the "good raise" in situations like this though. This seems easier to remember than transfers.

If I am understanding it correctly, you are saying that I need to bid 6♦ occasionally with the intent to make, so that my 6♦ is not always purely sacrificing? I really disagree. First of all, whenever I have no intent to make, I am betting that it will be clear to at least one of my opponents that 6♦ is a sacrifice. Second of all, I don't think I play against any particular pair enough that I should be concerned about what they think my 6♦ is. I'm not too worried about developing a worldwide reputation for being a reckless 6m preempt bidder.

So your argument is that you can't stand it if your opponents bid, so you need to preempt them with a 2♣ opener? Ok. I disagree that this hand is "good enough" to open 2♣ because only very specific cards in partner's hand are useful to me.

Matchpoints, All White, Third Seat ♠void ♥KJx ♦AJ9x ♣AJT98x 3♦ - (4♠) - ? If you bid 5♦, RHO will back in with 5♠. Now what? Partner's preempting style is on the aggressive side of normal.

Things look too friendly to lead passive. I'd go with the diamond.

Actually, my favorite opponents are the ones, apparently like you and roger, who can't stand to bid a major after the opponents open 1 club. Come on. Do a sim, make some sample hands, use your imagination. What do you think the odds are that you'll be able to open one club with this and rebid 2 diamonds? I think that I will be able to rebid 2♦ whenever partner has a good hand?!?!?! With hearts?!?!?! Who will be VERY CONFUSED why slam has NO PLAY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Serious question: Would you open 2♣ on ♠x ♥x ♦x ♣AKQxxxxxxx too? For the record, it would upset me if you were actually vaporized by the sun.

I think we need to gather everyone who opens 2♣ on any "3-loser" hand and launch them directly into the Sun. Ok not really. But I don't understand why you guys think it is so easy to control this auction after the start 2♣, 3♣. Partner has no idea what values are useful, since you have given such a poor description of your hand. Slam bidding and finding the right strain are very difficult if you constantly open hands like this 2♣.

I think 4♥ is worse than double, but both are really ridiculous. I would bid 4♠, no huge arguments with 3♠.

If 4♥ is a splinter this is a very obvious 4♠.

I feel pretty good about myself. This is the only lead problem I've ever seen where the first four people all led four different suits.

Is this a splinter or preemptive? If you play splinters, this is a splinter. (It should not be a good hand with lots of hearts, since 2♥ is forcing.) Edit: Sorry, 2♥ is very NF.

IMPs, Red vs White ♠Qx ♥Kxxxxx ♦98 ♣Qxx The opponents, starting on your right, bid 1♠ - 2♠ ; 4♠ - P. Lead?

Easy pass. I am generally very conservative about bidding these power slams based on HCP with no 5-baggers.

I open 1♣ and reverse into diamonds? BTW I think Montreal Relay really does suck.

What about the other negative 4% of the time?

I can't help myself. 3♥.

double-post

Shows constructive values but is NF. I think transfers are a good idea here.

I would make an ambiguous whatever-double. Passing cannot be right, and any bid seems too unilateral and doesn't describe my hand well.

Wow, much more convincing the second time around.

Pass 5♥ for sure. I am not sure why I would double 4♠.

This is true in a 2/1 sequence, not here.

I would just pass.

3♦. This does not bar partner from bidding 3NT.