OleBerg

3♥ wtp? Raise partner to game if he declines, but hit the brakes a little, if he moves towards slam. What to do if partner will not understand 3♥? Well, 3♠ and a course in basic intermidiate bidding for partner.

I play it as slammy, setting thrumphs. Doesn't feel silly.

♣Q

Take-out, two suits. But in practice it will look a lot like "1 major" or "both majors". Reopener is expected to bypass diamonds to show a four-card major. (Maybe not in imps, when one or both hands are passed.) Consequenses: (1♣) - P - (P) - X (2♣) - X - (P) - 2♦ = Denies a four card major. (Will not happen often.) (1♣) - P - (P) - X (2♣) - X - (P) - 2♥ (P) - 2♠ = Spades and diamonds. Note that if reopener bids 2♠ in the last sequence, it is heavily with odds, that he has 4 diamonds.

+1

2nt = 4(+)cardsupport, invite+ 3♣ = 3-cardsupport, invite+ 3♦/3♥ = Mixed raise, bidding the suit that is most likely to cover deep loosers in partners hand. 3♠ = Preemptive.

My thoughts exactly.

If you have no iée what will work out, how are you going to go with the field?

Calling that expert consensus, is like saying I have an athletic body.

No, I'd have started with 2♦. Then my second double would have described my hand perfectly. As it is, I bid i reluctant 3♦. There's a limit to how long I suppress a good 6-cardsuit in a strong hand.

No. If I overcall on this hand, it will be because it is within our partnership agreements. Partner can handle that. (Or he'll have to learn.) Being MP's, it will often be right to compete more fiercely, especially when NV. At IMP's you gain nothing when you are -2, for -100 vs their 120/130/140, but at MP's the reward is much higher. Even though I'd never pass, I am well aware that it will often be the right action, just not as often as 1♥ or double.

Good interesting problems. 1) I'll end up with a pass, followed closely by X followed closely by 1♥. I simply do not want partner to miscompete, if this is a partscore battle. A pass seems the best start to that. If we have a game, I find it likely that a pass wont be very decremental. 2) 1♥ followed by X. I wouldn't pass. MP's is another game, here we have to "do the right thing". 1♥ will often allow partner to pressure the opponents, and is a good lead-director. (At MP's all the saved overtricks weighs a lot more than at IMP's.)

"Pass, it doesn't pay to go against the field at MP's." LOL

Not really. Frances' advice is very helpfull, it is just delivered in a scoffing fashion. You cannot expect the forum to write an entire book for you. Especially not, when such a book already excists.

Not really. Now OP is certain what is right. In the B/I forum somebody might have advocated 1♠.

If you play 1♠ as forcing for a round, you may still be quite strong. So you need a bid that is forcing (for a round), for hands where you are still not certain about the final denomination. You also need a bid for the hands Jlogic described. So I'd expect one of those two, if partner bid it. And in either case, I simply describe my hand. Patterning out? Thats taking a good thing way to far.

I can only echo other posters comments about the pass. I would definitely overcall 1♦ (and I'd rather bid 2♦ than pass). After partners negative double, I'd bid 2♦. And I'm not letting partner off the hook below 3NT. 2NT is a big misunderstanding.

Is it difficult to get laid by Lizzie?

It seems obvious to roll back to 4♠. As to whether the call is reasonable: I'm sure there are situations where I'd bid it. (Certain type of opponents, making the 4♠ bid with a certain demeanor.) Whether that makes it reasonable or not, is not for me to judge. As a TD I would be very hesitant to give a PP or the like. (But us Europeans don't go for the blood as much as I believe ACBL'ers do.)

You did fine, keeping many strains open all the way. Your partner should have bid 3♣ over 2♠, and had absolutely no buisness passing 4♥. He had already already shown a 6-card-suit, and the ♥Q single is more than he could expect. (I'd have expected 4♣ and 4♥ to be cuebids, but you seem to agree they are not.) With two aces and few intermidiates, the hand screams that your 6-1 fit, will be better than his. And you might have seven, he knows he only has six. Edit: Depending on agreements, partner maybe should have bid 3 clubs immidiately after 2 diamonds.

2♠ Somewhat conservative, but this is MP's, so it "just" has to be rigth. When we pull 2♥, partner will know this is our hand-type, and thus know we have ekstra values. Partner will often be 5-4-2-2, and no game will be possible. At IMP's I wouldn't have the cohones for it.

Bacon. All the others are retarded.

But do I really want to play "iSlam"???

Because it is so much more easy for LHO to bid 4♥ over XX, than it is over 4♣/4♦???

XX, wtp?