Walddk

You mean 4NT is natural over 1NT if you play Gerber? Right, it also is if you don't play Gerber! Do you think that you will ever get a hand where the only thing you are interested in after partner's 1NT opening is how many aces he has? Next time you get x KQJ KQJ10xxxx x After partner opened 1NT, please let me know. And if you get it, just set diamonds and use 4NT as ace asking afterwards. Roland

Why would I want to pre-empt if I have both majors and an opener? Besides, how often do you think you have specifically 4-5 in the majors and 11-15(16)? Not often, right. That's why you should use 2♦ for something that comes up more often, i.e. weak 2 in damonds, weak 2 in either major, weak weak 2 in either major, and even weak with both majors. It's all a question of frequency. Why waste a bid I don't need, because I can show my 4-5 opening hand by adopting natural methods? Roland

Those of you who follow our vugraph broadcasts regularly will know that I love to hate Gerber and Flannery. To be honest with you, the latter is a worse F-word than the one people mostly associate with that word. Those two conventions are definitely my pet peeves. I will even go as far as saying that they are the two most useless conventions ever invented (Capp is a close 3rd, by the way). Let me explain: Gerber In my 40 year career I have never come across just one auction where this convention would have been useful. Secondly, when someone intends 4♣ to be Gerber, it is often interpreted as natural. Result: disaster. Use 4♣ for something sensible. The most sensible is natural, and if it's obvious that it can't be natural, use it for South African Texas over 1NT and 2NT, or RKCB when clubs are set. Or anything other useful if you prefer. But dump Gerber rather sooner than later! Flannery I never understood why one would waste a 2♦ opening to show 4-5 in the majors and something like 11-15(16) hcp. What is the problem with opening 1♥ whether you play Standard, 2/1 or Acol? Standard and Acol: If responder is not strong enough to force to game, he will always bid 1♠, and you won't miss the spade fit. If he is game going with a longer minor, he will bid 2♣/♦, and after my 2♥ rebid, he will rebid 2♠ if he has 4. Again we won't have a problem with spades if we belong there. Two-over-One: Even simpler. Responder bids his longer minor (GF) and introduces his spade suit over my 2♥ if he has them. No, opener should not reverse into 2♠ with a minimum although we are already in a game forcing situation. Both conventions are such a waste of bids you should use for more purposeful matters. One can understand why both John Gerber and William Flannery stopped playing their own conventions after a while. Is there any reason why you don't follow suit? Well, fine, if you play Flannery, you (most of the time) deny 4 spades if you open 1♥. So what? Is it that bad if opener can have 4 spades on the side? The fit they will always find if they have it? Partner doesn't know about my spades yet, you may argue. True, but the opponents don't either, and I usually have two opponents and only one partner. Roland

1. A powerhouse (playing strength) with 5-6, not suitable for 2♣. 2. 4♦. My second choice would be 5♦. I will ignore hearts, because partner is likely to get tapped. x AKxxx AKJxxx x Now you need hearts 3-3 in order to make 4♥. If they are not, you will go for a phone number (the opponent with QJ9x will let you know). And with x AQJ10x AKJxxx x It gets even worse. Let's play where we have 8 cards between us. Roland

1. Yes. I can double later if LHO rebids 2♠. A premature double may bury the heart suit. 2. Partner has a great fit for hearts, but not strong enough to act over 1♠. 3. 4♦. I have much better cards than partner can expect for my balancing overcall. Roland

It's even worse than that. I have also decided to cancel all broadcasts we have planned from next week until the end of August. Vugraph is history as far as I am concerned. This may come as a surprise for you, but I hope you understand when I tell you that this will give me ... 1. Time to sleep. 2. Time to work. 3. Time to leave the house. 4. Time to be with a woman who wants me (unlikely). 5. Time to count the money I don't have. 6. Time to improve my slam bidding. 7. Time to drink the cokes I have won over the years. Roland Looflirpa Wald ex-Vugraph Coordinator

At IMPs you, as opener, hold ♠ 9 ♥ AQ85 ♦ J10875 ♣ AKJ 1♦ - 1♠ ?? What is your rebid and why? Would it have been an option for you to open a "naughty" 1NT? Roland

Unless it was clearly stated on the table note, we have another example of an incompetent TD. "I must pass with 7 points or less". This is not even a psyche. A light opening perhaps, but a psyche? Far from it! Roland

I don't think you should be seriously worried about that. You have a 7 count, and 2 players already passed. Well, the remaining hcp could be divided 11, 11, 11, but that is not even good enough. LHO must also be balanced if he is to pass. Roland

2♦ obviously. We make slam opposite as little as xxx xx Kxxxxx Ax And in order to avoid any questions about it: The hand is never a heart rebid at any level, and not good enough for a jump shift. Roland

Pass, I play that as non-forcing :rolleyes: Holding the majors, there is a good chance that I can come in later, unless the opps are sky high before my next turn. Roland

Yes, 2♦ shows around 12-18 hcp with at least 5-4 in the red suits. My 2♥ preference shows 6-9, often with a doubleton heart. Roland

And what about the 50,000 in Poland, 100,000 in the Netherlands, 30,000 in Denmark, 20,000 in Sweden, 22,000 in Norway etc. etc. etc. The Hog really should give all of them his phone number so that he can explain and convince them that they are all hopeless cases. The calls won't take long: "Beginners", is the only word the Hog needs to say. Roland P.S. Now I only need the Hog to wish me luck in the next beginner's tourney I am going to play in, on May 22 in Scotland. My team-mates are Mike Lawrence, Andrew McIntosh, David Bahkshi, John Armstrong and Iain Sime. It can't be easy for them to have a beginner like me in the team.

I think it's fine to bypass a major in order to show a balanced hand, and I do that with other partners. Not that this methods doesn't have a downside too: missing a major partscore when responder is weak. I don't have strong feelings towards either. I am happy to play whatever partners prefers. In other words: I am flexible. I am not sure that word exits in the Hog's vocabulary. There is only one thing that bothers me at this point. People who don't rebid 1NT with 4333 are beginners, except the Poles and French. Are you quite sure that you can't find quite capable players elsewhere who do exactly the same (1♠ rebid)? And if you don't think you can find any, does that necessarily mean that you are right and others are wrong, and that they don't exist? According to The Hog, people who don't bid a major before a minor in a 4-card major system are also wrong. How come that all the world's great players don't play the same methods as you then? Are they beginners, or could it be that they know a little more about bridge than you? Roland

With some partners (Peter Lund for instance) my 1♠ rebid can indeed be 4333, so I am a beginner after all. I do not put words in your mouth. You do label me as a beginner if I do. Excuse me, but that says a lot more about you than about me. You may disagree all you like, but I don't think it's fair to label me as a beginner. Roland

I do not agree, and I don't need you to tell me that I am beginner if I don't play it your way. With some partners, Peter Lund (senior European champion) is one of them, I bid 4-card suits up the line even if I play a strong NT (which we do vulnerable). Let me tell you this once and for all: Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. You are too, but that does not give you the right to say: "In fact I would go further and to say that to bid this way stamps you as a beginner", which you did in a previous post. Vote for 2♣ if you wish, but don't stamp the rest as beginners if they do not. It's contemptuous. As Arend (cherdano) pointed out: I don't like your tone. Does it really take that much to speak in a civilised manner? Roland

Ladies and gentlemen. The Hog has just shown that he has a monopoly of the truth, so the rest of us might just as well go packing. If we don't play it "The Hog way", we are beginners. The world's new oracle. The Hog has the only right answer to all aspects of bridge. In case The Hog didn't know, it is also perfectly legitimate, and even quite common, to bid 4-card suits up the line if you play 4-card majors. We do not have to play Acol anno 1957 if we think that there is something better at hand. I repeat: Your attitude is degrading and contemptuous. How pitiful. Roland

I think you have a know-all and degrading attitude (not for the first time I read in other threads). As far as I recall, you even apologised for being cocky. You are entitled to your opinion, but it's not acceptable to claim that "in any sensible partnership opener has shown 5C and 4S". It is perfectly legitimate to play this as showing no more than 3-4, or 4-4 if you play 4-card majors. That is also sensible whether you like it or not. "Well then sorry, I can't help you". That's ok, but what is your point of contributing to this thread I wonder. Say something constructive, or say nothing at all! Roland

If partner gets carried away bcause I make a simple preference, it is her problem, not mine. I show a weak hand (6-9) by giving preference as cheaply as possible, so if partner doesn't understand that, you can always ask her to read the complete textbook for beginners. The point is that I stay at the same level by rebidding 2♥. Passing with the purpose of stopping partner from bidding on is not bridge. Pass could indeed be the winning action on the hand, but if I pass, I do it because I think 2♦ is the right contract, not because I fear that partner goes bananas if I correct. Roland

I do now! I will thank myself for finding out. Gosh, I learned something today :) Roland

As responder you hold ♠ Q86 ♥ KJ853 ♦ 104 ♣ Q84 The bidding goes 1♣ - 1♥ 1♠ - ?? What is your bid now? Since I don't know how to get the vote option (maybe someone will enlighten me), I will give you 5 bids to choose from this way: 1: Pass 2. 1NT 3. 2♣ 4. 2♥ 5. 2♠ Which do you choose and why? Does it make a difference for you if opener has shown an unbalanced hand? Some bypass a major to show 12-14 balanced, so 1♠ should be unbalanced if that is your agreement. If you don't have that agreement, opener could be 4333 or the like. Roland

This is a common mistake among inexperienced players. The auction has nothing to do with NMF (New Minor Forcing). NMF applies to responder's rebid after: 1mi - 1MA 1NT Then 2 of the other minor is a one round force (NMF). 1♥ - 1NT 2♦ is just another suit, showing at least 5-4 in the red suits and around 12-18 hcp. This is not a NEW minor, so it can't be NMF :huh: Having said that, I'd like to emphasize that beginners/intermediates concentrate much too much on adding zillions of conventions they don't know how to use. May I suggest that they learn the basics first before they start adding conventions. It's like trying to walk before you can crawl. No offence intended! Roland

I have a feeling that your 13th card is a club, so the bidding went 1♥ - 1NT ; 2♦ - ? In standard the rebid would be 2♥ rather than pass; both bids show 6-9. Most likely you have 7 hearts and 7 diamonds between you. My experience tells me that it's better to play on a 5-2 than a 4-3 fit. This is also how I teach my students. What if opener is 5-5, you may argue. Well, in that case pass would have worked out better, but he might just as well be 6-4, and then 2♥ is a better spot. So assume that he is 5-4 and give preference to hearts. Most people play this as 6-9 with 2 or 3 hearts. With 3 hearts (playing 5-card majors) you have the option of supporting on your first turn. Many 2/1 players have this as a constructive raise (7-9), so if responder has 3 hearts and 5-6 points he would start by bidding 1NT (one round force), then give preference to hearts. That is either: 1. 5-6 with 3 hearts, or 2. 6-9(10) with a doubleton As is the case in all situations: it depends on your agreement. By the way, if your 13th card is a spade, my rebid will still be 2♥. The same applies if the 13th card is a heart (see 1. above). Finally, if your last card is a diamond, pass is my bid. I think I have covered all situations, no matter where the missing card belongs. If 2/1 is the system, it's definitely with the odds to correct 2♦ to 2♥ every time you are 2-3 in the reds, since 2♦ can be 3 cards. Not often, but it can be (3532 or 4531). Roland

The is no ideal bid available, so you must choose 1 of the following 3. 1. 1NT. Shows the range and a spade stopper. The latter is a lie. If NT is where we belong, the contract is wrong-sided. 2. PASS and hope partner can reopen if LHO passes too. Partner will do his utmost to keep the auction alive with as little as 8 hcp. If he passes, it is not entirely impossible that defending is right. If LHO bids, it is often a wise move to stay out of this completely. 3. DOUBLE. Not the ideal shape, but compensating values. I would double and pass any suit partner bids at the 2-level. I will raise 1NT to 2NT. I believe that it's right to come in now, and double is the least of evils in my opinion. Roland

The Laws of Bridge DO give kibitzers the right to kibitz. Well, it's correct that spectators are not disallowed according to the Laws of Duplicate Bridge, but whether that is the same as they have the right to spec is a matter of interpretation. You may argue, of course, that if it's not specifically stated that spectators are not allowed, it must mean that they have this right. Judge for yourselves: LAW 76 - SPECTATORS A. Conduct during Bidding or Play 1. One Hand Only A spectator should not look at the hand of more than one player, except by permission. 2. Personal Reaction A spectator must not display any reaction to the bidding or play while a deal is in progress. 3. Mannerisms or Remarks During the round, a spectator must refrain from mannerisms or remarks of any kind (including conversation with a player). 4. Consideration for Players A spectator must not in any way disturb a player. B. Spectator Participation A spectator may not call attention to any irregularity or mistake, nor speak on any question of fact or law except by request of the Director. .... Roland