fuburules3

I frequently find it very hard to untangle whether or not 3NT can be bid when playing with GIB. For instance: http://tinyurl.com/7fda4q7 Over 3C I would like to bid 3S asking partner to bid 3NT if he can stop the suit. However, 3S shows a big club raise (I'm no expert, so maybe this is better, but it doesn't feel better). GIB's 3S now shows a stopper instead of denying one and we end up wrong siding 3NT. It seems like there are a lot of sequences like this with GIB (where opps bid one suit and bidding the suit shows a stopper). On a side note, why is 2H game forcing? I didn't realize free bids at the two level were game forcing in GIB.

I can understand GIB not having slam interest, but if I choose to bid a slam anyway I think I should be able to play 6♣ when we have an established 5-4 fit (and have established that we don't have a heart fit). I don't think we lose all that much giving up 6♣ as a cue . . . If GIB is 6-4 in a major and a minor, it will never pursue a 4-4 minor suit fit? That is good to know I guess (is this the "standard" way to bid?). I think it is reasonable to bid 3♣ here as it easily could be right to play 5♣ or 4♥ on the 5-2 fit instead of 3NT (well maybe not given how GIB defends 3NT . . .). Despite initial objections, I think I'm fine with 4♥ as suggesting a place to play with no slam interest.

http://tinyurl.com/7a7565a I think 3S in this auction should establish clubs as trump. If GIB is going to rebid hearts, I think it should have six (or at least pass six clubs). In any event, how am I supposed to bid this in GIB over 4H to get to 6C?

If 2 diamonds is a forcing bid with diamonds, why can't 3 diamonds or 4 diamonds be a splinter?

It seems much more reasonable (especially when GIB is a passed hand) to play a jump cue here as stopper asking, than showing 25+ points. http://tinyurl.com/7yjdtqj

I would probably bid 2C then 2NT. If I do this, I can't later decide to change my mind when partner transfers. We won't play in spades over NT unless partner has six spades in which case it can't be horrible.

http://tinyurl.com/83xfveb What is my bid over 2♣ in GIB? It seems both 2,3, and 4 ♦ are natural bids and if I bid 2♠ it thinks I have 5♥ and insists that hearts are trumps.

I would probably bid 3NT and apologize if it works out badly.

Is this a recent development? This never happened when I played in it (and pretty sure didn't happen last year)

I was wondering what 2♠ on round two would show (perhaps a stronger takeout than X).

I was on E and didn't much care for my 4S bid. I thought that 3S should be forcing here (agree?), but didn't know if 4D was and was worried that we might miss a game. If E bids 4D, then W will bid 4S with xx (or maybe honor singleton) to give a choice of games if he is going to raise?

A hand from the #1 versus #2 match where we didn't end up in the best spot. How should the bidding go? We have no discussion about what is/isn't forcing in these sequences. [hv=pc=n&w=shj32dkq9632caq65&e=saqt843hkdj54ckj4&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=2h3d3h3sp4cp4sppp]266|200[/hv]

Yes, for better or worse, my intention was to bid slam if we had enough keycards (subtracting one from response due to A of clubs). Perhaps if their were a forum to discuss bad/weird bids I make, my partners would post in it <_<

http://tinyurl.com/8xoy5tv I was a little confused by what 4C was supposed to be.

Yes, playing 3D as 8-12 in that sequence doesn't seem optimal.

I know GIB doesn't think like this, but I think if GIB makes a preemptive bid, he should not be able to pull my (I think?) penalty double later. http://tinyurl.com/6m8xpu7 Edit: Nevermind, I just realized that 3D is not weak--my mistake.

http://tinyurl.com/7nc7mfc It seems most of the time I make a help suit game try that GIB ignores its cards in my help suit and just bids based its overall (perceived) strength. It would be helpful to know how GIB evaluates its hand over such bids. That is, here I send the message "I'm interested in slam if you have fitting club cards" and GIB bids on with xx in clubs--why?

If you play Walsh relays over 1NT, responder bids 2♦ with this hand and over 2♥ bids 2♠ as a relay to 2NT. Responder then bids 3NT to show a completely solid suit and seven winner hand (3C/3D would be minor suit slam tries with broken suits, 3H/3S would be minor slam tries with one missing honor, 4C/4D would be major suit slam tries with broken suits and so on). Playing this way, opener can only super accept by bidding 2♠

What is partner has a strong hand with a not so great heart suit, say S: AK H: Axxxxx D: AKx C: Qx What will he bid over 4D (or will he not open 1H?)?

Thanks for the replies. This is basically what I thought. At the table I bid 4♦ and partner responds 4♥. What do you do now? At least one poster suggested pass--is this the consensus? I can see where having a system where 3♦ guarantees four would be nice here.

I would pass. Do most people play X of 5 of a minor to be straight penalty, takeout, or optional? I would assume without discussion that I'd need way more distribution to bid here.

I agree that it is over 50%. My point was partner has about the best possible hand he could have for this auction and slam still is on picking up the diamonds. If you give partner the Q♦ instead of the Q♣ it has very little chance. I know it's easy to construct hands where it does/doesn't make, but it felt -EV to me. If I held the E hand, I don't think I would have really even considered slam. I'm in the minority here, so maybe I need to be a bit more optimistic with my hand evaluation. Edit: I sort of lost you with the Zar points :unsure:

It seems to me that the hands fit reasonably well and slam is still only about 50%.

I would play that XX is only forcing through 2S, but something to discuss.

[hv=pc=n&s=sjt743hdt875ca754&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=pp1hp1sp3dp]133|200[/hv] IMPS. You're playing 2/1 without too much discussion. I'm always a little lost on what are slam going actions versus just trying to find the best game. What do you bid? In theory, partner could be 2632 and bid like this. In such cases, how do you avoid playing a bad 4-3 diamond fit? What should 3S show here? How do you find the 5-3 (or on a different hand the 6-2) spade fit when it is there?