The Constested Auction

[benlessard]

Three of my friends have recommended me this book and im in the middle of it and I have a lot of mixed feelings. The topics are of great importance and there so much ideas that its impossible to agree with everything. However i do find that the examples are pretty weirds and some thing i just dont understand.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=shat96djt973c8542&w=sq975hk82dkq8ckjt&n=sakt6hq753d2ca763&e=sj8432hj4da654cq9&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=pp1cd1s2h2s3c3s4dp4hppp]399|300[/hv]

Hes offering this example as a offshape take-out (with the style of showing majors only) and he says that as north he would pass twice and south double 2S in the balancing seat ?!?

 

In most sequence hes rather conservative (not opening 11 pts bal, not overcalling on 4 cards, 1NT overcall as 16-19) yet he describe void,Kx,AT98xxx,9xxx as a 1st seat 1D opener.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=skjt872hk6dj7c982&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1d2c]133|200[/hv]

 

...but it is an attractive thing to double with a limited hands with a long major.. (then he goes on how it may backfire) and end with his rules to make a neg double after 1D--(2C)

 

1- at least 4-4 in the majors

2- one majors and GF values

3- at least a 4card limit raise in D.

?!?

 

 

[hv=pc=n&s=saj532hkq6dq82c93&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1s2cdp2h]133|200[/hv]

 

Here he is suggesting to bid 2H and not 2D. Honestly ive would have bid 2D without even thinking (wich is pretty bad) , I do see some logic in that partner is more likely to have 5H/4D than 5D/4H or 5H/2S than 5D/2S but with a minimum hand bidding 2H seem just too encouraging. I have no strong opinion on 2H VS 2D but i do find it a bit offbeat.

 

The corollary is that with

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sk6hj953dak76cj92&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1s2cdp2hp]133|200[/hv]

hes bidding 2S wich I really dislike.

 

There is a lot a good ideas so its a good read its just that so far im a bit perplexed.

[sfi]

The first couple of hands are at least partly a matter of style and it's unclear whether there is one "best" method. However, the last two examples seem to arise from differing agreements about the negative double over 1S-2C. If you simply show 4 cards in the unbid major and say nothing about diamonds then the actions make a lot of sense.

 

When you are 5332, 2H is supporting partner's suit, while 2D is showing a 4 card suit. And in the last auction responder is showing four hearts (with the double), two spades (because they did not support the previous round) and an invitational hand (because they bid again) without a good club stopper (no 2nt bid). Which is pretty spot on - not surprising given that the author got to pick the hand.