nekthen

This is why the TD should always look up the rulebook before making a ruling, it is too easy to misremember the rule and compound the error. The other lesson to take from this is that, at Pairs, you often have to double if you think that you have bid to your last making contract, especially in a part score where opps are vulnerable. If you judge that 3 spades is going to be unusually high then you have to wield the axe. If the make, you may have turned 20% to zero, but if they go down you have converted 20% to 100% At imp scoring obviously the situation is reversed.

My 2 cents. I believe this works with humans too. Given the choice I would bid 4♦ because we can then discover if partner holds the Q. We can’t do that if they are not trumps

I can't find my source for 27, but did find 26 quoted or 25 plus spade suit. I guess I had a senior moment! So this hand is well qualified to open

If my partner chooses to bid 3N over my 1C I expect him to have 3334 honours in every suit and 13-15 and I would expect 3N to be our best shot for game

It may be better to look for major fit first 1♣ 1♦ transfer ♥ 2♥ 2♠ Natural Forcing 3♣ 3♦ Art GF 4♣ 4♦ Q 4♥ 4N 5♦ 5♠ 6♥ Now we know 6+♣ 4♥ A♥ no Q♥ must have K♠ and K♣ otherwise he does not have an opening bid. I think now he bids 7N because it is 68% if partner does not hold J♣ and 100% if he does

Using ZAR points East is a clear opener 10 hcp 15 distribution point (2 longest suits = 10 plus longest minus shortest = 5) 4 controls You need 27 to open 1♣ 1N Art GF 2♥ 3♥ 3♠ 4♣ 4♥ 4N 5♦ 5♠ 6♥ pass At this point West knows 5+♣, 4♥ K♠ A♥ no Q♥ almost certain K♣ otherwise he does not have an opening bid and 0 or 1♦ Otherwise he would open 1N or pass. 7♥ depends on picking up the Q and 7N depends on 6 club tricks so he passes

Develop a thicker skin. Yes some people on here are very rude. I just put them on ignore and leave the table. Ask your partner if 2N was OK. If he goes into a tirade ignore him and move on. Hopefully, most people will say something like "Well pass would have been better but npp" If you are prepared to learn from mistakes most people are kind. The people I avoid are the rude ones and those who try to pin the blame on partner, when really they are at fault.

They have 4 cards in the suit opened and the rebid of 1N will cover the balanced hands 12-17. It is no worse than a 1 minor opening in sayc imo

A thought flashed through my head when I saw an opp get away with using Stayman on a completely inappropriate hand (weak 4414). Suppose when we open 1N we guarantee a 4/5 card major and 12-14 hcp, those hands that no longer qualify get opened 1♣ or 1♦ We can use 2♣ as 5 card stayman with a 2♦ response denying a 5 card major and the rest of the 1N responses can be as normal 1m 1M 1N would have to be 12-17 with 2♣ as checkback Obviously we lose some preemptive value, but I think that some of the additional inferences that can be drawn from the bidding might be interesting. I do not know if there would be any value in doing something similar in strong NT systems Thoughts?

Would you rather be in 2♥? or 2♣? I'd rather take my chances on finding a 5-3 fit But the main thing is that partner understands me!

I cannot see the value in it being a cue bid. I would go with the natural solution of a 5 5 hand, the interesting question is whether it is weak or GF. As you could rebid the 4th suit to show the GF version I vote for a weak hand at least 55 how else can you bid this [hv=pc=n&n=sa8532h2dqt853c32]133|100[/hv]

With only 10 8 ♥ does it matter? I have discussed a lot of situations with my partner and this is not one of them As I did not compete myself, partner should bid accordingly and I would much rather have 3♦ available as a natural bid and 3♥ as competitive and double for Penalty

Optimum contract is 5♣. I think this makes double dummy, while 5♦ is unlucky. What happens at the table is something else entirely. I foresee everything from 3♠ = to 5♠x -2 NS and 3♦ +2 to 5♥ -x EW

Partner only has one available bid after passing and that is double. He has no idea how the missing points are divided. If he doubles and I bid 4♣, he can bid 4♦. Partner's 4♦ bid is suicidal (cos I will kill him myself afterwards!) I will now go out on a limb and bid 4N and hope that he understands that I want him to pass!

It seems partner has shown his sixth spade in his mind, so 5N is not going to get a positive response. I like the idea that the impossible 3♥ is the default bid. Fortunately, I play xyz, as suggested before, so the bidding goes [hv=d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp1dp1sp2dp3cp4cp4sp4np5sp7cppp]133|100[/hv] 2♦ is GF and 2♥ would be “nothing to say”, so 3♣ is definitely 6 cards

It is an interesting hand. 3 losers but not enough Quick Tricks to open 2C. I do not think a human would pass 1D, but they would pass the 2C or 3C rebid. The KH is golden, had it been the KS, 5C would not have a prayer, even KC not enough. So open 1D and be grateful for a plus score!

I too chose to “walk the dog” with 2♠ We really do not know what is going down here. Both W and N chose not to open so we expect both to have a 5 card suit. The support dbl indicates 3 cards so partner has 4 hearts. I want to be pushed into bidding 3spades and hope that partner can double 4 hearts or at least it goes down. 3 spades is a close second. Anything else might propel partner into an impossible game. I could have a hand, which was planning to open and got stymied by the diamond bid Eg AKxx Qx Qxx Kxxx That looks like a 2d bid to me

To my mind that is an even more horrible compromise! Still if bidding were easy, it would be a much duller game.

As an Acol player, I actually think that it helps you define your shape quicker than a 5 card Major system. Take the sequence 1♥ 1[N] 2♥. An Acol player knows that 2♥ shows 6 cards, if 1N is forcing it could still be a weak NT hand with 5♥. Ilike the fact that in Acol your rebid tells partner more about your hand and how your hand is better than a 1N opening. I am assuming that you play the modern style of regarding 5332 hands as balanced I also believe that opening 44 hands with the lowest ranked suit is superior in Acol, the preemptive value of a 4 card M is small and it is still easy to find your major fit. Having a Gazilli style 2C rebid available is useful in Acol and many other systems. It means that jump rebids are unequivocally GF, as all the strong but not good enough to commit to game hands are bid via a 2♣ rebid.

One of those hands where you are happiest playing some sort of almost GF bid. Like 2C where 2D is the GF or the dreaded multi 2D. This looks like 1C 1 any 2N given the system declared. What is partner supposed to do after 2N 3c 3N?

These days, I operate on feel. My question is what will the room do? Big swings come at pairs when you bid against the room, good and bad. The biggest mistake I see time and again is opening 4 on a hand without 8 cards and strong enough to open at the one level, a sure way to miss slams! Always assess first if your hand is good enough to open with a regular one bid before considering a preempt. Next consider your table position first to bid you are preempting two opps and partner, second to bid you are more conservative because you are preempting one opp and one partner finally third go wild! Ignore rules about having a second suit and even have one less card than normal, especially with spades, but be wary with 9 or 10 hcp, consider that the hand may be getting passed out. The weaker you are outside your suit the more effective your preempt will be.

You all too clever for me Only one more bid in my auction 4♥

Even with 4 card majors partner is likely to be a 5 carder, if not he is 3433 or 4432 or 4423 As mentioned a lot depends on your 1N opening strength If strong then a raise to 2 is safe as partner will have an 18 count to bid 2N If weak there is a danger of wrong siding any NT contract As a weak NT player I would bid 1N, take away a K and I bid 2H, my partner needs a very good hand to remove to NT!

A valid point have to agree that, with a 3 card major the bidding should start with some form of 5 card stayman When you have a new toy you tend to over use it! In my version of Puppet 3d shows at least one 4 card major and 4c would show 44 in majors and slam going has this been superceded? What on Earth do I bid now?

I know my partner has K♠