spotlight7

Yes, Chris Ryall. I read this site several years ago. One of his suggestions was to use Multi vs Multi. He had some very nice ideas listed on his site. :)

After a strong 1C*, I tend to bid with shape. X to show HCP 'without shape' is an unwise move IMHO. Vs a multi Chris Ryran suggests X as @12-16 balanced or 20+HCP and 2N as 17-19. If they have a misfit, you may get a nice penalty. If they have a fit, you tend to find your own contract.

Virtually all good players use a 1N* 15+-18 overcall. Why not try a Raptor 1NT* overcall? If they open 1m, 1NT* shows 5+ of the other minor and a 4 card major. If they open 1M, 1NT* shows 4 of the other major and a 5+ minor. The range is @10-15, however, you may play a lower range 'for more fun.' Woolsey at Bridge Winners suggests a Raptor style 1N* overcall vs Precision 1D* and other 'might be short' minor openings.

Open 1D. Precision auctions starting with 1C*(when opener holds diamonds) are a problem area for Precision pairs. 1D-1S-3S-4S If you do open 1C*, Meckwell bids by step replies after a positive: 1) no fit, min. 2) no fit, max. 3) fit, min. 4) fit, max. You would find the D fit and opener can next find the spade fit. :)

1D-1H-2S-3D*(Lebensohl style so game force)-3H(3 card support)-3NT trying to slow things down-I tend to pass here Bidding every slam means you go down in too many over bid slams. Partner has a magic hand for you, xxx of spades suggests you are going down in slam.

The K & R site tends to give a numberic value that does not always meet reasonable bridge standards. The responding hand with 5S and 6C is rated 13.45 so I cannot understand stopping below slam after 2C-3C 2C-3C-3NT - pass is result bridge almost in its ultimate form. Partner opened 2C and I hold a K&R 13.45 hand so I pass after 2C-3C-3N? I tried some other examples on the K&R site: xx xx x AKxxxxxx is 15.2 Two quick tricks so open 1C and rebid 2Cs x xx xx AKJxxxxx 16.5 2+ quick tricks open 1C and jump rebid 3C x xx x AQ10xxxxx rated 15 with 1.5 quick tricks. Not quite worth a jump with 15 'this time.' x x x AQ10xxxxxxx 16.75 with 1.5 quick tricks. The example hand shown on the site is KQxxx QJ10x - AK10x rates 18.8 and it has 3 quick tricks. Is it worth a jump shift after partner replies? It is a 4 loser hand. If you find a fit, it is a very nice hand. Kaplan would not even come close to opening 2C with the example hand. The 8.5 trick hand that you mention for a 2C opening is taking a charitable view 'when holding a major suit.' A Kaplan 2C opening followed by a minor suit rebid would have a likely 10+ winners. In his KS system, 1 minor -1 something - a jump rebid of the minor 'shows a hand worth a 2C opening if the suit was a major. 1D - something - 2C* or 1C - something - 2D* is KS bidding defined as a KS 'reverse.' A hand worth 1m - something - 3 minor rebid in standard metods uses a KS reverse to show that hand type. 2C-2D-3N using Kokish style bidding tends to show a strong(solid?) suit without a great HCP holding. A hand with high hopes of running 9+ winners on the opening lead.

I use 2C-2D*-2S*-2S*-2N* to show 25-27 ...2NT*-4NT is a passable club slam invite with 6-7 clubs and no side shortage. ...2NT*-4S* is a club transfer with 6-7 clubs and an unbalanced hand. My research with balanced hands suggest 31+ with control hands are slam range. With 5332 or 5422 and needing IMPs or MPs 29+ with a 5-4 fit will serve. With a 6 card suit as in your example hand 29+(28?) is reasonable. Aces are under valued in slam auctions counting 4.3 (Reith count) or 4.5 in other systems is reasonable. A six card club suit headed by an ace opposite 25-27 puts you in slam range 'with control rich hands.'

He has published with Amazon and that title is one of five(?) that are next in line to be published

1S-2H shows 5+ suit in non canapé type bidding, I like 1S-2D-2S*(as a waiting type bid) to allow responder to bid 2N or 3m. 2/1 systems are 100% game forcing 'or' unless responder rebids his suit. Bridge World 2/1 is a 3 of responders suit rebid is invitational. Either the Max Hardy or the Lawrence 2/1 it is also passable. I prefer the 100% game force method. You should not miss club fits after 1S-2D-2S* because responder can now bid 3C, 3D or 2N. 1S-2D-3C is a 'high reverse' showing extras in standard methods. I still do promise extra HCP or shape with a 3C bid by opener. My 1S-2D-2S*-3H suggests a 5 card minor.

If you have strong trumps, feel free to double. Some(Zia) top players double with 0-1 trumps after 1N-2C-2M-3M-4M because they only have game values and a bad trump split will likely doom the contract. If you happen to hold 5 trumps or 4 goodish ones, doubling a contract that responder only invited game is a decent gamble. I saw Bob Hamman bid 4NT and make it after they bid had bid to 4M and a double appeared.

1N-2C-2S-4S is made with hands from game to near slam values. 1N-2C-2S-3S-4S limits them to game values without extras. They can also be in a nine card spade fit if either opener or responder holds 5 spades. IMPs suggests caution. At MPs a double gives you better odds to reward your score.

Try Bridgewinners

Reith(?) Count A=4.3 K=3.1 Q=1.7 J=.9 is useful for close decisions. If you want to avoid adding up 'numbers' Ace balances a Queen and King balanced a Jack.

1H--1S; 2C--- 2D = Hearts, weak or GF 2H = Spades preference, weak or GF 2S = Balanced INV+ 2NT = Clubs, INV+ 3C = Diamonds, INV+ (strance bid, could perhaps be a courtesy raise instead) 3D = Hearts, INV or slammish 3H = Spades, INV or slammish The main problem to me seems to be finding a stopper in the fourth suit. Has anyone of you tried this, or thought about it? Perhaps 2D* can be used for Hs, weak or GF "or" 3Ss weak or GF That would free up 2H* as 4th suit forcing so you can find a stopper. You might also exchange the meaning of 2S* and 2N* to avoid anti positional NT bidding.

You might want to read Natural Big Club by George Coffin. Weak NT and 4 card openers canapé style. 2C showed 5332 hearts or a strong hand without 4 Clubs. 2D showed 5332 spades. If you are worried about bidding in competition, Roman Club opened 1C* with 12-16 balanced hands or various 17+ hands. When partner is 12-16, they always have 2+ card support.

I use a Precision style with 14-16 1NT. 3rd and 4th seats 15-17. So 17+ bal. in 1st and 2nd seats for balanced hands to open 1C*. 18+ for 3rd and 4th seat for balanced hands. The odds change quite a bit when I play a Precision style of Two Down and Two Up with 1C* 14+ in 1st and 2nd seats. 3rd and 4th seats, 1C is 18+ balanced.

Churchill Natural did not use any strong forcing opening. He claimed that if you looked at your strong 2C openings, partner would reply to a one bid or the other pair should balance. G. Churchill did hold the record for winning percentage in the Blue Ribbon Pairs(Life Master Pairs?) for about a decade. His system did allow a reply to a one bid with hands that would reply to a 2NT opening. Big Club openings are only about 5% of hands so I would estimate that a strong 2C bid is something about 1 in 200 hands.

Most Flannery defences use 2D*-2S as natural. I suspect that you should play 2H*-3H as natural. 2M-3C* as a 'two way' meaning, asking for a club stopper or a very strong hand if the 3C bidder pulls a 3NT reply. X of a two suited opening is often played as takeout for the other two suits. 2M-4D might be Leaping Michaels if you already that convention. 2NT overcall shows a strong NT overcall. I would have a club stopper, however, hearts are less dangerous.

Transfers. XX shows hearts. 1H* shows spades. 1S* "is a transfer to NT." 1NT* shows clubs. 2C* shows Ds. This tends to end play the stronger defender fairly often on the opening lead.

A team loses IMPs if the other team bids and makes slam while they play game even with overtricks. Another possible cause of losing IMPs is making game at one table while their team at the other table loses a larger penalty than the game bid and made by their other pair.

Cash the minors and lead a spade and hook. Unless they have a sixth club or a fifth diamond that end plays them. If the diamonds are 5-0, I hope that the double spade hook gives me a 12th At teams I would likely end in 6D. 1D-2C-2D(waits)-3D-4H*(Ds agreed, keycard ask)...end in 6D.

Herbert negatives are played by some after TO doubles. Bidding the next higher suit shows weakness and not shape.

Transfers after competition offers a number of advantages. You tend to put the stronger defender on lead and sometimes end play them for the opening lead. Bidding space is often saved. Using 1S* as a transfer to NT solves a number of hand types.

A lot depends on your version of 2/1. Some play a 2/1 bid is only invitational 'if' the suit is rebid. #1 1S-2C-2S-3C all pass. Suit rebid so only invites. #2 1S-1NT*(forcing)-2D-3C-4C-5C or pass I like to use 1M-3m as 6+ suit invite. #1 1S-3C all pass #2 1S-2C-2D-3C-4C(5C if you are feeling lucky. Suit rebid so only invites.

Using Gazzilli you would rebid 1M-1N-2C* with a strong HCP hand. A jump to 3m would show 14-16 if 5-5 shape.