mtvesuvius

I'll do a bit of digging around my room later, I know I have both Bidding on Target, and the article on Mexican 2♦ from the ACBL bulletin.

It sounds like a variation of a Carousel (a.k.a. Mexican) 2D. There was an article about it in the first bridge bulletin I ever read, back before they switched to the "Magazine" format. I think it was sometime between July and December 2002, sorry I don't remember more. I would imagine it is legal, since the ACBL GCC says: EDIT: I see Elianna has beat me to it :)

Yeah, thanks. I was directionally challenged for a moment.

In 2N I'd play a diamond to the ten. In 3N I think I'd lead a club to my hand.

I'd have bid 4♠ over 2♣, this auction seems stronger and more slammish, which is certainly not what you want. I think 3♣ over 2♦ is good, planning to bid 4♥ next. As it was, the hand was quite unfortunate, I promise it won't be the last time someone goes down a few in a freely bid game.

Definition

I love Free's original solution. I'd watch partner's discards, from them, declarer's hand should be made clear. Partner should be able to figure out to pitch ALL their cards in both round suits.

You're allowed to ignore 3 card support with some significantly better reason, but for the most part, X is almost* mandatory.

1. 1♠ 2. 3♥, but I open aggressively in 1/2nd 3. 3N 4. I win and play another diamond.

There are 3 (maybe 4) honours in a suit. There are 52 cards in the deck (26 missing, on average 6 or 7 which are relevant to the suit being led). Which do you think it is easier to work out? High card placement or distribution around the table?

Partner simply rebids 2M with 4, 4-3 fits often play well, and are certainly not the end of the world. I usually would play support doubles as mandatory as long as partner can safely rebid two of his major. Otherwise support doubles are optional, and show an unbalanced non-Minimum or better (2♠ overcalls and higher).

To make 4 in 2♦ requires double-dummy play IMO. You cannot cash the ♠K early, and you need to ruff all the hearts in dummy, reading the hand perfectly to exit with a spade in the endgame. The hand played out: 2D

Partner is just competing, I would pass. Yes I agree with their bidding.

Oops, I instapass LOL Thought the OP said MPs for some reason.

This is more of an ATR (assign the responsibility) than ATB. North is responsible, South (if anyone) should Double (although not after North's pass).

Even if you duck a diamond, as long as you score one club ruff, LHO will eventually have to give you another trump trick. Without the club ruff I don't think it can be done, but I could be wrong. In any case, I think this is a win for a 1♠ overcall :)

I remember one of my partners once told me "Never play 5m at MPs, if you are going to play 5m, bid one more." ... So he opened 1m, I bid 2m, he splintered, I rebid 4m and he bid 5. I had some random unbalanced 11 or something, so I bid one more. ... Two hands later LHO opened 1♥, he bid 2♣, RHO bid 4♥, passed back to my partner who bid 5♣. I had a balanced six count, so I bid one more. I was like 9 at the time, and after that I asked him if he would like to rethink his statement :) Anyway, we have a total balanced minimum, with some wasted spade values. I don't think slam will be good, but in this case there isn't many bad things that can happen to 3N. Therefore I think we're forced into bidding 6♣.

Tough problem. 3♥ shows at least another heart, and 4♥ could easily be our best game, but I'd bid 2N. The people who play opposite sound partners might bid 3, but if partner passes, I'll be very happy to make two.

Penalty. I think the double should be based on my club holding as well... With a 10 count and short clubs I'd double, with a 9 count and Hx in clubs I'd probably double. Having Hx(x) in clubs in a huge plus though.

Lol Don, do you and Andy always have 14-card hands?

I have gotten rid of that, if my plan is to RKC in a major I have to start with Texas, or rebid something else to set the major, or even rebid 3m then Keycard. If I were to use one of them as RKC I think I'd use 4♦. Not sure what the point of that is though, since you almost never have a hand that can't safely invent some other bid... And even then, you can still bid texas then RKC.

After I missed that in the OP I deserve to pay up :)

Louisville? Toronto? Cavendish/Trials? :)

I'm not claiming 7♣ is clearly right, but I think 4♦ is going a bit too far. Anyway, this is a good problem Brian... I do agree that partner doesn't *have* to have the ♣A, but R/W I think they rate to have it extremely often. Even if we are off the ♣A, if opener doesn't have it they still have a guess. Perhaps with unforgiving partner(s), it may be best not to punt 7♣ and take the low road.

Don't worry, partner will just raise to six.