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Average+ 5 card suit or 6+ that thinks game would be a nice contract, if partner has a maximum hand with fit. Fits are very important here, therefore it is constructive NF. Sometimes you don't want to force game with 5♠ and random 12 count, fearing misfit. But if partner has a fit and fitting hand, you might need very little for game. IMO constructive NF is by far the best approach here as it is the most flexible. No, 2 card support is certainly ok, if 3 then it probably depends on your hand. I would advertise 2♣-3M fit jumps. You need 2♠ as NF. Clubs or whatever isn't close to this. If you bid this way, you will lose part score swings and good games frequently. Please do not play 2N as nat inv. It is not problem hand at all, you have many options that are usually better than 2N. 1) Show support+inv - 3m will often be safer contract than 2N. And when partners goes for game, 3NT will be rightsided. 2)Pass - typically if you don't have fit or 3m isn't appealing. If we have game partner will reopen. Or you will penalize. 3) Ask partner to bid 3N - rightisiding contract might as well be worth that one trick so if you were up to bidding 2N, you may as well try this.

I would first find a way how to bid INV hands with support as 2NT is not really an option. e.g. 2♣-[2♠]-? .. not many options here and 3♣ as INV is probably best, so 2NT must be a puppet to 3♣. After 2♦ it is probably wise to use 3♣ as puppet. It is somewhat complicated to assign meaning for 2NT as contract rightsiding is very important here. Ax(xx) stopper is interesting, and one might use 2NT-sth-3NT to show this.

I don't agree with this at all. If partner opens a normal 3♦ pre-empt and the next hand overcalls 3♠, do you play double for penalties or some fatuous take-out showing 4♥s? The choice between penalties and take-out should depend on how well-defined partner's hand is and the prospect of finding a fit in another suit. Why are random preempts getting involved in discussion about straube's 2m openings? However i agree, if only double you know is ''take out'' - better play penalty double in this spesific situation.

Please no penalty doubles, it is better to focus on your own bidding, plus you can make penalty pass anyway. 2N needs to be artifical and forcing. Split ranges. e.g. I would definetly chose 2♦-[2♥]-X=5♠ INV+(possibly with other meaning) and 2♠=competitive 2♦-[X]-XX please try to penalize

It is not better. Stayman>>Keri.

Pass. Not close.

OP gives you a ''fish'', but it is way better to learn ''fishing'' to get many more.

Ducking heart at trick one is best. And it is not that close or difficult.

IMO should duck 1st trick at IMPs. If RHO returns big ♥, i win, then ...Edit: Better plan - ♦5 to T

[hv=d=w&v=e&s=skh8xxdqjxxxckj8x]133|100|Scoring: IMP [3♠]-4♥-[4♠]-???[/hv]

Sometimes you are willing to show majors with less shape than minors. Therefore you want more safety. But i suspect you already knew that... 1♣-[X(majors)]-[?]-2M 1♣-[X(minors)]-[?]-3m Also IMO this method isn't anything special vs. big clubbers.

Immediate (+1 step) over wide ranged openings isn't worth it. Really. 1♦(various precision styles)>> 1N > 1♥(limited) > 1♠(limited) IMO these are only openings (there are some other exceptions) where immediate +1 relay is theoretically sound. Also if you chose to go with +1 relay over say 1♥, opener should still have a low response that says his shape is too wild to be useful for relays. Over that responder should chose which way to go - some optimized relays(most probably with fit) or natural. But main advantage is that common shapes will be described a bit lower (optimally 3♣ or 3♦ being highest).

On what hands do people actually try to sign off in 2♦? On what hands do they expect to get reasonable advantage comparing to standard methods? 1N-2♣-[2♥]- ? (When) Is opener allowed to bid something?

Playing 4-3M fit in 2nd level is absolutely normal. There are other problems with this method. 2M shows 4+ and opener isn't in a good position to evaluate his hand, because he doesn't really know how many ♠ partner has. If opener has 4 card support, he still typically wants to keep bidding even with most minimums (at least i would), this game is about fits and not about if you have 24 to bid game. If he has 3-card support and average+ hand, he wants to bid, but he will need to go past 2N(?! I am not familiar with responses, seems to me like there is quite small place left after 2N with many problematic hands.) And 4-3 in 3rd level isn't all that comfortable. And yes, you cannot play 5-2 2M. This method is too HCP based, like if you have points bid, if you don't have points, don't.

*1N-2N GF;,responses: 3♣=no 5M(stayman type rebids); 3♦;3♥ transfers When 1N opener has to declarer NT, he will have given much less information to opponents about his hand. Compare 1N-2♣-2N-3N vs. 1N-2N-3♣-3sth-3N 1N-2♣-3♣-eventually3N vs. 1N-2N-3♣-3♠-3N 1N-2♣-3♦-3N vs. 1N-2N-3♣-3♥-3N But responder will be allowed to declare 4M, (relatively unknown hand) IMO It is easy, frequent and very powerful method. This forcing bid should also include some shapish GF++ hands, because there is a free space after 3N+. *Add 5♠+ INV to your 2♣, and use 1N-2♣-2N+ to show both majors, rest go slowly.

Pass in all cases

RHO has ♠K and i need him to have ♦K too. Seems to me like we should assume EW has something similar to. [hv=w=sqjxhkjxxdxxcaqxx&e=skxxxxhxdkxxcxxxx]266|100|[/hv] My plan is to endplay LHO, forcing him to lead from ♣AQ So i must duck 1st trick, else they will eventually have communication for ♣ switch from RHO. (If you win ♠A and return ♠, RHO can win ♠ return, switch to ♣ (getting 2 ♣tricks) and force trump trick by leading ♠ afterward.) 1.♠Q-x-x-x 2.♠J-T-x-A Now we need to play trumps. ♥9 feels like best option, because i don't want LHO to cover. Assume he doesn't cover. 3.♥9-x-x-x 4.♥x-x-8-x Now we need to play ♦ for no losers. ♦Tx-Kxx is as likely as xx-KTx so it is a pure guess. If you manage to guess right, ruff ♠, cash ♥A and endplay RHO. If LHO covers ♥9 then it is harder. I think then you have to play RHO for ♦KTx.(♦ to 9 finessing T, trump finesse etc.) If ♦ are Tx-KTx you will also probably succeed if you play ♦J from dummy and RHO covers. However i don't see how you can make if he ducks! You need 2 fast entries in dummy which you cannot get if he ducks. ♦ to Q also doesn't work for the same reason (RHO ducks ♦ 2 tricks later).

3NT Partner doesn't have many spades, so he might have had choice which suit to rebid. He took 2♦ and RHO bid 3♠ seeing that, so why shouldn't i hope partner has some really nice stuff in ♦? Plus RHO might as well save in 4♠. Good problem.

Wow. Now you make game try with that hand? You are the man! But 4♥ sounds more fun, especially after your assessment that in a punch contract is odds-on. I bet it would be one of these ton of marginally bid games you are talking about. :P All i understand from this is that you haven't understood what i wanted to say. I tried to explain you that major suits in bridge auctions(especially competitive) are way more important than minor suits. It is really nice that you have found an easy call of 3♣ (after 1♥-[1♠] it would surely be slightly harder), but opponents have enough information to judge which way to go. They are likely to win auction just by bidding more ♠, and all your efforts are pretty useless. If not, then you would end up in 3♣ also after 1♥-[1♠] start. I am not arguing that you would score bad when this bid comes up (1%?!), it is actually quite impossible with so restricted bid. But rather that in nowadays there are many way more logical and lucrative methods. What? If i compared your 2♥ with any other sane natural 2♥ opening i could use same argument, and my argument would be stronger because of frequency reasons. I don't see where i said that someone has4 to bid ♣. But i don't get what you are saying in first sentence anyway. It sounds to me like you mean 4♣ as opener, because "partner with info" is obviously responder. I don't get. Yes 3♦ will occur slightly less than 2♦, but it is again general advantage for opening 2♥ rather than 1♥. But not advantage for playing 2♥ opening bid as 5♥4♣, e.g. i choose weak 2 in ♥ and use same argument. My argument is stronger in frequency reasons and also that my 2 ♥ bid is weaker, so more points around the table and more chance that opponents own hand and need to bid. Would be interesting for me to go through these ton of boards and also your w2's boards or whatever which boards you sacrificed to play these outstanding openings. :P

3♠ ...seems like adequate playing strength and defenses

Wow. You bid 2♥ (♥♣) - 4♥ with ♠xxxx ♥Kxx ♦xxxx ♣Kx? You are the man! Partner surely has ♠Ax ♥AQJxx ♦x ♣QJTxx! Hmm... but what if he has ♠AJ ♥AQJxx ♦Qx ♣QJTx where there is no way to make because they surely won't lead clubs as opener have showed it as side suit? Hmm, Yes, now you can say that it is 17 count and it should be opened 1♥, you are right, sorry. Why would you want to introduce your weak hand with some clubs? Opponents will just bid more ♠, and while 3 ♣ is an easy call, auction will help opponents more to play their 3/4♠ then for you to defend. Btw, I fail to see why in one example opponent preempts, but in other overcalls. It seems to me like you have chosen very restricted hand type for opponents. It seems like a general advantage for opening 2♥, true. But i fail to see what this advantage has do with playing such a rare 2♥ opening like 5♥4♣+ 11/15. Yes, ♣ fits nowadays tend to come up more than ♥ fit in this auction. Yes, it is a problem. Opponents are likely to win auction because their fit suit is higher than yours (♦>♣). Yet i again fail to see what this has to do with other example and what story you are referring to. Auction will normally go 2♥-[3♦]- and you will again face the same problem that (♦>♣). You cannot bid 4♣ and play 3♣. Again declarer will just have easy time getting his tricks with info he has. Again It seems like a general advantage for opening 2♥, true. But i fail to see what this advantage has do with playing such a rare 2♥ opening like 5♥4♣+ 11/15. You were joking, right?

Having a bid that shows exact 5M4m is just a waste of call. It helps opponents too much. They can evaluate their hand better whether to overcall or not. If they win auction it is easier to declare. And if they defend they again have extra information. For partner knowledge of exact side minor suit is not so important. Most of the time partner will just raise you or you will be happy with playing 3NT. 3m 4-4 fit isn't big improvement over 2M 5-2 fit. And in competitive auctions if you want to support partner's minor suit you will typically need to bid one level higher, because his side suit is minor. 2♥ (♥+♣) - [3♦] - even if you have found your ♣ fit, you will probably need to bid at 4th level, which won't give you game bonus. I would rather suggest F******* and weak 2s.

I would pass at most scorings/vul

4♥

Once i opened 4♥ in 3rd seat with singleton♥, scored -500....