fromageGB

2♣ for me also (in a 2/1 structure). The problem with 2/1 being initially interpreted as natural is that it can lead to confusion when opener has a strong hand with clubs. Is it permitted in your regulations to have a relay 2♦ over 2♣? Then you could have : 3♣ = normal club GF; 3M = GF 3 card raise unlimited; 2M = 11/12 invitational 3 card support, this option being passable; 2otherM = GF 4 card suit; 2NT = other whatever. If playing forcing NT, then that can include 13-15 hcp "other" hands, so the 2♣ "other" hands are defined as 16+. The problem with the method of putting the given hand in the FNT is that it must have a restriction in the strength range, so what would you bid if stronger?

Sure, but my point was that I find alt tab happening without much thought or any finger direction, so a separate browser is easier for me than other methods.

Except that to switch tabs costs some action like a keyboard click. Instead of clicking a different tab it is any more difficult to click an icon on a launcher or task bar? Or if your fingers are on the keyboard, alt tab is quicker and an automatic reflex, probably more so than any keyboard action you have set up to switch tabs.

The fix seems obvious : use one browser just for BBO and have another with tabs for other uses.

Am I unusual in thinking that the USA is the problem not North Korea? Why can't countries just let other countries do what they themselves have already done - build and test nuclear weapons? Let NK have them. No problem. If they launch against anyone, then other nuclear countries will obliterate them, and therefore they won't. That's what a nuclear deterrent means. Peace of mind.

Do my methods have to include Lebensohl? X as transfer, weak or strong. If partner bids 3♦ over 2♥, I know of decent support so I'm happy to go 5♦ over 4♥. Without that support, I pass, and have excellent defence with the lead marked.

It's working for me in Firefox with flash, on Manjaro linux. I can't see that being any different from Fedora.

in your search engine, put site:bridgebase.com 2NT or you may limit it by site:bridgebase.com 2NT open if you want just the 2NT openings ("open" also gets "opening")

So with 13 hcp you bid a 2/1 in a 4 card suit? Playing FNT, you have the advantage that it is always 5.

So you actually play a forcing NT, but also use it as a psyche control? I don't think we allow that here.

Combine it with Kaplan inversion, and you bring back playing in 1NT over hearts, and played the right way round, too. I think the advantages or having double the precision of major raises outweighs disadvantages. For me 1M 2M is 7-10 hcp if 3-card, which makes game decisions easy. Without forcing NT things are too vague. Also included in 1NT are balanced hands up to 15 hcp (16+ included in the 2♣ response), which enables fit finding and discovery of better resting places. When 2♣ then 2NT shows 16+, there is better distinction between game and slam.

Certainly. Playing natural continuations and not strong, you rebid 1NT over 1♥, which shows a 3-suiter short in hearts, so responder can bid 2-anything to play. If responder bids 1NT (no 4 card suit other than clubs), you bid 2♣.

Well, there's me - post #42

Yes, I play the sequence 1♠ 2♦, 3♠ as 15+ 6 card suit, not necessarily semi-solid, but on this hand I would bid 3♦ as support with 15+. Swap the minors and it would be 2NT, 15+. I plan to bid 3♠ later. Where I do play jump 3♠ as strong and self sufficient is after a forcing 1NT.

I am strongly convinced that "balanced club, unbalanced diamond" is a much better approach. My definition of a 1♦ open is any hand that has 6 diamonds or a singleton or void outside diamonds. The definition of a 1♣ open is any hand that cannot open 1♦, or all hands with 6 clubs. This leads to the slightly unexpected result of a {42}52 shape opening 1♣, but it works well. Here in the EBU we now announce a 1♣ with "may be only 2 clubs, and can have 5 diamonds", even if this is a very rare hand type. If no major fit, this hand may choose to play in 2♦ rather than 1NT. To a 1♦ open with natural continuations, I do play a "natural" 1NT rebid over a major, meaning a 3-suiter short in that major. The 1♦ definition ensures that an opening will be of only 3 types: - single suited diamonds (6+ card) - both minors (10 + cards in both suits) - a 3-suiter. One of the suits in a 3-suiter may be only a 3 carder, but it is still good to raise a 1M response because even if partner does not have 5, you have 3 with almost immediate ruffs, and you are ruffing in the short trump hand. However, I do prefer a set of artificial continuations over 1♦ where you bid 1♥ up to 10hcp with either or both majors, and 1♠ with any 11+ (even with no major), as it gets more precise in subsequent hand description. The 1♣ open is brilliant if you are allowed to play transfer walsh. The opening definition guarantees that you have at least 2 cards in each major, which makes major fits so easy - responder can describe exactly whether a major is 4, 5, or 6 card, and also whether invitational or better, or worse than invitational. The way I play all major fits can be found this way, without the need for checkback or xyz. After 1♣ 1red 1NT, responder can bid 2♣ to play, or 2♦ to play. Look for a 4-4 major fit, and if not there, escape to a minor if weak. Responder without a 4+ card major starts with 1♠, and weak, invitational (can stop in 2NT), or strong minor hands are covered in that. A direct 3m is also a preempt. I have no need for Gazzilli after a minor opening, 1♣ then 2♣ being a passable not strong 6+ carder, 1♦ then 2♣ being a passable 2-suiter. I play 5 card majors 2/1, but there may be some merit in 4 card majors if you are not allowed to play transfer walsh.

Not related to BBO or flash, when using Firefox I too have many times had freezes and erratic behaviour with multiple tabs open. That's one of the reasons I switched to chromium (Chrome on windows) where I have never had a problem.

Perhaps you are missing the fact that opener's bids of 1♠ 2♠ 3♠ is limited to 14 hcp. No problem : 15+ would be 1♠ 3♠.

I give up on a natural 2NT when partner opens a major, preferring to distinguish between 3 and 4 card support. This is vital in a competitive sequence, eg when they bid 4m. In general, a 5 card major will tend to double for penalty if responder has 3, but bid on if responder has 4. I make no distinction between a responder passed hand or not. Transfers make it easy to show various hands, such as own suit weak or strong, own suit plus poor major support, etc, and transfers start with X and end with a transfer to 2M : 1♠ (2♦) ... X = transfer to hearts, suggests 5+. .. Opener completes transfer if he was prepared to pass a weak 5+ hearts hand, or bids on otherwise. If he completes, pass = to play, other bids suggest invitational or better depending on bid and context, eg bid spades to length of fit, raise hearts, 3♦ = GF cue with guard but needing help, and 2NT/3NT is natural, possibly only 4 cards in hearts. 2♥ = transfer to spades, so a full strength raise to 2♠, eg 7-10 hcp and 3 cards. 2♠ = 3 cards up to 6 hcp 2NT = 3 card support and 11+ hcp and forcing (unlimited) .. certainly inviting double if they bid 3♦ 3♣ = natural, forcing if not passed, passable if passed 3♦ = 4+ card support and 9+ hcp, forcing unlimited 3♥ = jump fit, 5 hearts and sufficient spades/strength for a 3♠ contract, insufficient for 4♠, which hand jumps to 4♥ 3♠ = 4 cards and less than 9 hcp (which cue bids) 3NT = natural, no more than 2 spades.

It also weakens the effectiveness of 2M+1 in exploring possible slam material.

In my view you need to split the bids between hands that are balanced (at least 2 cards in each suit) and hands that have a singleton or void. All need to have some distinction as to strength. The way I prefer is to define strength by hcp, which is simple, just upgrading aces or downgrading scattered quacks as seems appropriate. Notation: "3M-2" = two steps beneath 3M, ie 1♥ 3♣, or 1♠ 3♦ Balanced 3/4 hcp = 1NT(forcing) followed by 2M (this bid also shared with 3 card 5/6 hcp) 5-8 = 2M (this bid also shared with 3 card 7-10 hcp) 9-12 = 3M-2. This is a 4 point range which is clarified by opener bidding 3M-1 if he wishes to know; then .. 3M = 9/10 .. 4M = 11/12 Note that with some hands you will bid 4M yourself if partner doesn't 13+ = 2M+1 which is the "Jacoby 2NT" bid. Opener should bid 3♣ with a 12-14 hand. With shortage 3/4 hcp = 1NT followed by 2M 5/6 = 1NT followed by 2M or 3M if good 7/8 = 3M with any shortage. A GF opener can discover which suit by 3M+1 if the right suit may give slam. 9/10 = 3M-1 with a major shortage 9/10 = 2M+2 with a minor shortage : 2M+3 asks, then clubs = 3M-1, diamonds = 3M 11/12 = shortage suit > 3M : opener if considering slam bids next step to ask singleton or void, by the next 2 steps. 11/12 with void in the suit beneath M = 3NT, as there is no room to ask singleton/void in the M-1 suit. 13+ with decent 5 card own suit = 2/1 13+ without decent own suit = 2M+1 (the J2N) and over 3♣ bids the short suit. These bids in ranking sequence : f1NT then 2M = 3-5 (shared with 5/6 3-card support) f1NT then 3M = good 5/6 splinter 2/1 if have good 5 card own suit 2M = 5-8 balanced (shared with 7-10 3-card support) 2M+1 = 13+ (any shortage can be bid if opener shows no strong hand shortage) 2M+2 = 9/10 minor suit splinter 3M-2 = 9-12 balanced 3M-1 = 9/10 major suit splinter 3M = 7/8 unspecified splinter 1♥ 3♠ = 11/12 splinter in this suit 3NT = 11/12 void in M-1 4suit = 11/12 splinter in this suit, except 4M-1 = 11/12 singleton splinter this suit Yes, I think you should cover all ranges. This could be your final bid before opponents deprive you of any other, and while it may seem futile to have a 7/8 splinter, it can be important when opener is near a 2♣ open, or opponents bid and partner is game suitable. I think your invitational raises to 3M are OK as an alternative if you don't like a micro splinter, and then the 3M-2 would become 9/10 balanced.

I would have thought using Windows was a bigger security threat than using flash :P

Perhaps we could consider the hand if South passed in place of that double. If you reply 1♠ and next hand bids 2m, what is partner supposed to do with some 35(32) 11-12 count? If you have 5 spades, he wants to support, while if you have 4, you can be going seriously minus on any action. I think this seems to be making a case for a Kaplan inversion ...

2/1 doesn't apply to spades. The normal thing is to bid spades, always 1♠, then make a forcing bid of some sort over a non-forcing reply. Rebidding spades below game may be passed, so if you want to be in game you have to either rebid game, or bid a new - possibly invented - minor if you need to hear more from partner. And you hope that is not five of the minor.

For me, 1♥ (1♠) X would be a transfer to 1NT that could be the normal 6-9, or 10-12 if you rebid 2NT (adjust strength to suit your breakpoints). The important thing is that playing transfers allows you to show a minor (played by partner) with a weak hand or a strong hand, perhaps showing a minor that you could not have shown without the interference, and that you also get two ways to support to 2♥. 2♦ transfer to 2♥ is the full strength 3 card 7-10, while a direct 2♥ is weaker. Edit : of course you can also show a minor as well as (perhaps poor) support, for example transfer to 2♣ then bid 2♥ non-forcing.

In the context of no Kokish, and a 2♦ open that includes 3-suiters, 2♣ openings are single or two-suited, or 23 balanced. I like a positive 2♦ that shows at least an ace or a king, and a negative 2♥. Any higher bids are 6+card transfers. After a positive and opener has bid a suit, I like a method where next step denies 3 cards, to allow opener to show a second suit, while any other bid (that shows 3+ card fit) shows number of ace/kings in steps. Plenty of room to ask for strength, or cue beneath game. Knowing the number of ace/kings allows opener to check on aces then desist knowing of lack of kings, or check which, as the number is already known.