Jlall

In my experience with both worlds it's definitely bridge players.

Agree with everything kenberg said.

Why can't that shape just bid 2D? As far as I can tell there are 3 relevant hand types, natural 1N bids (3442, 2443, maybe 3433, 2434 if you would ever double with that shape), natural 2C bids (1444, 0(445)), and equal length 5-5 type hands. If you don't have equal length you can just bid a red suit once partner passes. I think you should bid 1N with both natural 1N type hands, and 5-5 red type hands. You can simply run if Xed in 1N with a 5-5 red type hand. You might still belong in clubs if partner has 5 clubs and you are 2443, so partner can still bid 2C expecting you to pass with a balanced hand or bid with 5-5 reds if he is something like 3235. He should not be worried you will pass that with 1552, if that was right partner would have bid 2C over the redouble to begin with. Running to 2C immediately can be 1444 or 0445. As usual you have too many sequences available here because after you run to 1N you can XX, bid 2C, or bid 2D. I wouldn't worry about blowing your mind with thinking about all the options and trying to define them. You could but it would be a waste for just 1 auction. General meta rules as "1N=natural unless you later XX to run, everything else=natural suit" are more useful since they cover a wider range of hands. Another more advanced general rule is that bidding 1N then running to the lower of 2 suits shows better suit quality there, bidding 1N then XXing shows better suit quality in the higher of the 2 suits. In this particular auction it's probably better to run to 2C with 5-5 reds just in case they are gonna pass out 1N and you land in a silly spot. This would mean bidding 1N with 3 suiters that include clubs, then running to 2C when doubled. But again I wouldn't really assume that switch lol.

I win the diamond lead in hand and lead a heart up. Also I will make these general assumptions: -If LHO drops the SJ under the ace it is stiff J. -LHO cannot have both heart honors on the lead. Therefore if he pops with a heart honor I will take a ruffing hook if necessary. Excluding 4-0 spades, I will be cold on 2-2 spades, or stiff jack of spades on left, or 4-3 hearts, or Hx of hearts on left, or H fifth of hearts on left with 4+ clubs (unlikely). Pretty much I will lose to AKxxx of hearts on right, or Hxxxx of hearts on left (without 4 clubs) when spades are 3-1 without stiff J on left.

Huh? Why does he need 2 keycards or are you counting the CK as a keycard?

Yeah KQJTxx is playable opposite a stiff, I think it will be hard for partner to know that. I also think we will be better placed if we open 1H than 3D, our hand is not so good that we can open 3D and handle competition effectively. Like I don't want to be forced to bid on 3D 3S p 4S for instance since our hand is not that good. After 3H since we are red/white it is possible that we should just go slowly and try to buy it as cheap as possible to deter a 6S save. We should have good defense against 6S though, especially if LHO bids it and we get 2 diamond ruffs. I would just play it straight and bid 5D exclusion, figuring slam will be odds on if partner has 1 ace.

Was gonna recommend the becker archives, but it looks like those are the deals on larry cohens site.

Just 1H

Yeah it would average well over 50 % and it's not even close.

No, because you can always ask what the contract is. You cannot always ask what suit was led.

2H no matter what, I have five of them!

Exactly, and if I know the suit they led at the notrump contract is the first in dummy , isn't this an aid and therefore cheating? Seems that way to me, but I am not a laws expert.

You're not allowed to use any memory aids, this includes looking at your convention card or writing things to help you on your score card.

A style where you open this 2H red/white is totally fine. For me personally it is close, I would open 3H, but if I was 7222 I would open 2H. I think this is a borderline hand where your judgment could go either way, and the most important factor is that your partner knows what to expect from your 2 and 3 bids so he can judge accurately. Some people will say any style is fine, but I think if you are opening 2h either too aggressively or too conservatively it will be a demonstrably losing style. However this hand fits into my concept of either approach could be fine. It should be noted that my preempting style is sounder than most at these colors, and I would expect most people to open 3H with this hand.

Yes, everyone who is thinking "vienna coup" is not thinking rationally about the hand once LHO shows up with 1 spade and 3 clubs, they are just regurgitating some vague concept they read in a book once.

Bid em up, when you play them for 2 cards it becomes less likely because of empty spaces.

Yes, I agree takeout would be a bad way to describe it. But it is definitely a hand that can handle a take out.

All, The problem with bidding 3D on this fairly unexceptional 7 count with no shortness is that you are also bidding 3D with a hand like a 1453 10 count (some of the other posters have suggested 1N has a range of 6-9, I do not accept that all 10 counts would bid something other than 1N!). Sure you could choose to bid 4D with this hand, but now you're bypassing 3N and getting to an uncomfortably high level for no reason. Anyways, if your range is that wide for bidding 3D it will be very hard for partner to judge when to go on. The "best" solution to this problem in my mind is to false preference with hands where you will only have a game if partner can bid again over this (something like 17/ bad 18 or a 5-5 or 6/4 16 or great 15). You keep the auction alive but do not offer too much encouragement. At imps 2S would certainly be my call as missing an occasional game is not really acceptable. However, I disagree with the 2S bidders on this hand with respect to how well spades will rate to play when partner has a typical hand. I think 2S will often go set when 2D can make. As I said though I find it very close between pass and 2S, wouldn't be surprised if 2S was the long run winner.

2N=4 card limit raise lower cue=3 card limit raise higher cue= mixed raise

You are right, the key is whether or not a pass is forcing. In forcing pass auctions, doubles say "please stop bidding" and tend to include defensive values and hands lacking a fit. If this was a forcing pass auction, we would have a perfect pass saying "it's up to you pard." In non forcing pass auctions, doubles just say "I have extra values. If you want to bid something please do so." This means you have to pass sometimes when you're loaded in their suit because you don't want partner to bid anything, a small price to pay. IMO 2D does not create a forcing pass at a high level.

If this is takeout does this make 2♠ by the opps nearly a risk free bid? No? Partner is allowed to reopen with a double which you will always pass with 4 good spades. Partner can also pass your takeout double if he has 4 good spades. If your opponents play penalty doubles on this auction you should preempt 2S more often, not less, as they will have a really hard time bidding in the far more frequent cases that they have a takeout X shape.

Obviously the person who made this 4D bid meant it as choice of games, seems like an ok auction to play that. Just bidding 4H with 2-5 is not perfect since you could also be something like 1-6 and want to get to the right game opposite both 6-2 and 5-3 type shapes for partner.

Meckwell also play a strong club system, so they never have any strong hands without 3 hearts that have to double. But yes starting at 2S+ they require extra values for their support doubles. OP I would recommend just playing this as a takeout double which contains extra values. Most of the time you will have 3 hearts (1345 15 count would be perfect), but sometimes you will have 18-19 balanced without a spade stopper, or a strong 1246 (too good/flexible to just bid 3C) or 2245 type hand.

This seems like a good time to violate the "don't put down an 8 card suit in dummy" rule; I would bid 4H. Am I scared partner will play me for more, and double 5D? No I'm really not, once opener is exposed as a strong 2 in diamonds I can't see partner doubling him very aggressively. I think he will work out we have a hand mainly based on shape (no cuebid, he has a good hand, and his RHO has a strong 2 in diamonds..)

The same hand with spades and clubs switched is infinitely less likely on this auction. I definitely would pass if I happened to have that hand without fears, partner must be a huge favorite to have a spade void in which case he will do something. To me this is the equivalent of saying "If I posted KQJT9 xxx xxx xx I'm sure everyone would X a 4S opener." That hand has yet to come up for me in my life when they open 4S, and I like my chances on partner reopening X when I get it anyways. Meanwhile a good hand with short spades comes up all the time, and being forced to make a committal 4N bid with that type of hand would really suck. It's a game of percentages. Penalty doubles when you don't have any other way to show a good hand and they have bid and raised to a high level are just not good.