Better Two Suiter

[MarkDean]

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=sakq974hakj63d4c6]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

Three passes to you, what do you open?

 

I opened 1♠, and with the opponents silent:

 

P 1♠

1NT 3♥

3♠ ?

 

What now?

[mtvesuvius]

1♠ then 4NT... I don't know of any scientific way to find out about the Q♥.

[gnasher]

I'd open 2♣. After

  2♣-2♦

  2♠-3m

  3♥

partner should be able to appreciate the value of an ace and ♥Q.

[kenrexford]

1♠ then 4NT... I don't know of any scientific way to find out about the Q♥.

If you cue 4♣ and partner is allowed to cue the Ace, King, or Queen of hearts, which is how I play, this is easy. He bids 4♥. If he cues 4♦, you bid 4♥.

[Fluffy]

1♠, 3♥ and 4♣ are my bids, I am probably bidding 4NT later.

[inquiry]

Well, now for some "science" (it has been a while since I have talked about MisIry).... most of you should skip this reply as this is not going to solve problems for anyone not playing this esoteric method taught to me by Mishovnbg, and which I modified extensively.

 

I would open this hand with 2NT, which shows either a club preempt or a strong two suiter with hearts and a touching suit (♦ or ♠) and I would rebid 3♠ over partner's almost certain 3♣ response (after three passes originally). This shows at least 5-5 in the majors, and 3 "losers". Partner will count only the heart Queen as a cover card at this point, but can investigate.

 

2N - 3C

3S -

• Partner passes, I hope I make
  
• Partner bids 4M, he will have only one possible cover card, or no cover cards with a fit, since i claim to have only three losers.
  
• Partner bids 4♣ - he denies a club control but has possibly two or more cover cards (he can not be sure a minor suit is a cover card),
  
• Partner bids 4♦, he has a club control (it might be the king or ace) and at least two possible cover cards.
  
• Partner bids 4NT he has the diamond KING (not the ace) and a club ACE (with two minor suit kings, he would at first deny a club control despite having one, since both minor suit kings can not be useful as cover cards.
  
• Partner bids 5♣ he shows both minor aces and no minor king. If partner jumpt to 5 of major, he shows fit for that major and AK A in either minor. .
  

Let's ignore the signoffs (unlikely pass and 4M, because the auction is over), and the 4NT and higher responses. So partner bids 4C or 4D, here is the follow up...

 

Over both 4♣ and 4♦ opener will rebid as cheaply as possible without bidding a major. (4♦ or 4NT). The MisIry method here is to have opener signs off in the cheapest anchor suit with two losers in the denied minor (the one bid) or if a control in the non-denied suit is useless (responder with sure cover doesn't have to listen to this signoff based on uselessness of covers in the other side suit). If the control (if one exist) in the unbid minor has to be the ACE (king not useful) opener must make the cheapest bid in that is not in one of his suits. If either first or second round control in the undenied suit is working, opener rebids either: the most expensive of his two suits if he holds both queens, there are a variety of other bids to show one missing queen (and which one), two missing queens, or two missing queens with or without a first round control in the denied suit partner bid.

 

But here, opener bids either 4♦ or 4NT depending upon responders minor suit bid. Responder can now ask about missing queens by bidding 4NT (over 4♦ or 5♣ over 4Nt. Over 4NT, opener rebids 5♣ (cheapest non-signoff = missing lower queen, here heart queen), over 5♣ opener rebids 5♦ (cheapest non-signoff = missing lower queen, here heart queen).

 

At this point responder will know: that his minor suit ACE is working and that opener is missing the heart queen. He can bid slam with long spades and short hearts or with the heart queen.

 

A final little note. If responder jumps to 5♣ over 3♠ to show both minor suit aces (but not AK A or A AK), opener could rebid 5♦ to show one ace is not working, but that a queen is missing. He could bid 5♥ to show one of the aces are not working, and both neither queen is missing, he could rebid 5♠ or 5NT to show both aces are working, and the heart queen (5♠) or teh spade queen (5NT) is missing. Finally, openeer could rebid 6♣ or 6♦ to see if responder has a "virtual" second round control in that suit (remember 5♣ denied AK in iether minor), and shows that openers minor suits would be xx x, so he must have AKQxx AKQxx in the majors. If responder can throw away all his minor cards on openers second suit, and still ahve a trump after trumps are pulled to ruff openers small card in that minor, a grand can be bid.... but on this hand, after a 5♣ bid, opener would show both aces are working and he is missing the heart queen. Responder will know what to do over that based on his heart hold (and if not holding the queen, the number of spades he holds if he as short hearts).

 

Anyway, that is the way it would work in theory... Lets see a few possible hands for responder.

 

xxxxx xx Axx Axx 2N-3C-3S-5C-5s-7H

xxxxx xx Axx xxx 2N-3C-3S-4C-4D-4N-5H-6S

xxxx Qx Axx xxxx 2N-3C-3S-4C-4D-4N-6S

 

etc

[mr1303]

Yay MisIry

 

We have not heard about this in a long while. Funny how conventions come in and go out of fashion.

 

I think I bid 4C here, not overly liking it.