JLOL

Umm your diamonds are KQ9xxxx. Has the world gone mad?

3C planning to bid 3N next is obvious.

I think that negative doubles these days should just be treated as a 1H bid. "Everyone" would see 1m p 1H 3S 5S as exclusion right?

lol...Phil he said he is passing not doubling... I don't blame you for being so shocked that anyone would pass that you assumed he doubled though :)

obv 3C, hoping to get to the right game more than anything. He could be 3343 with weak spades.

What was the other hand?

Why would partner be trying for slam with this hand opposite a limited hand with club shortness? This hand seems like a yarborough.

I would never sign off. I think 6D is right. edit: wow lots of signoffs. We have good trumps and aces what is the problem?

The biggest reason not to bid exclusion in my mind is that you might belong in diamonds.

A team who wins every match by a large margin except losing a couple small is clearly better than a team who wins every match small imo.

I wouldnt open the 4th seat hand.

Hamman does (really). Justin told me that a while ago. I can't remember whether it was bidding showed 5(+) and passing showed 4, or bidding simply showed more shape than passing, but it was one of those. Yes I play these bids to distinguish between offensive mins and other mins mainly to help with the 3 level decision. I think this is a much better way to play. I know Bart Bramley also plays this way.

4S

Extra values and takeout. 18 to 19 bal with no stopper, maybe 3154 3163, 2164 etc. I think "standard" is penalty, but that expert standard is what I said.

pass

lol, you realize that I play about 1 "junior game" every 2 years, as opposed to say 6 nationals and 2 trials every year, and infinite regionals against either old ladies/men or pros. my bridge experience is from the real world, and that experience shows that "usually sound" people still account for shape and will almost always open with 55 11 counts, and will not hesitate to raise with 4 points and a stiff. Those are not even borderline cases (as they shouldn't be). my experience also suggests the average junior field in a world championship to be of similar agression than the average open field.

lol at no downside. Losing the ability to bid 2D in your gf auctions is completely brutal.

mike what about when partner has scrambled with 44 in the reds? or 2344. I don't know what else to add.

If you were one of my opps, I would double and bid hearts, as I would with virtually all the frequent posters, but that wasn't the condition of contest. You're a professional player... don't you pay attention to your opps' tendencies? I don't care what their tendencies on super easy hands like this when the DK + 3 hearts makes game fine. I will never play my partner to have 0 points because it is very unlikely to begin with, and I never play my opps to have great hands because they have bid and raised a suit. maybe if they had opened 2N I would. I have a way to describe a strong hand with hearts. I have 21 HCP and hearts. Hearts may be our best partial or game. It is mp. Even "usually sound players" understand shape and fits and bid accordingly. There are so many reasons to double and bid hearts.

BTW I think it is pretty close between 4C and 3N. I think 3N will probably make a little more often than 5C, but partner will bid 4S over 3N some of those times ending us up in 5C anyways. If we have a slam I think 4C will be better (partner bidding 4D over that when he would pass 3N), and if we can't make game I think 4C will work better, and if LHO is going to bid 4S I think I'll be happier if I've bid 4C.

I'd overcall 4C. 5C seems like a big overbid, we need partner to cover THREE losers. If he can do that he'll probably bid slam over a 5C bid.

if only we could find out about the jack of hearts...

I wish my opps rolled over and died every time i opened and responded. We need so little for game here, not to mention we are going to miss the wrong partial when partner is 3334 and scrambles over our double.

I hate it when I have another bid then you. Certainly if it is clear cut. Agree that 4C is preempt, but I would raise it to 5C. Prefer to do it now iso over 4S. ....maybe I should not expect 4S? I agree with saving if they bid 4S, but they haven't bid it yet and I think there is enough of a chance that they won't. I retract my "clearcut", I really meant that 4C being preemptive was clearcut, but bidding 5C is def reasonable.

4C is a cuebid for hearts just like 1H p 1S p 3H p 4C. A later 4N bid will be keycard for hearts. 3N shows long hearts.