What did I do to deserve this?

[Phil]

Amuses me how spite bidding is always overbidding instead of underbidding. If you really want to tee someone off, pass their 1N opening cold for slam and watch them get unhinged as they chalk up +240. Way more effective in the spite category.

 

As far as the actual bidding goes 2D is, well odd. 2H in a practiced partnership makes some sense - how does partner escape from 1N with the red suits - except it's really not sound for opener to be the one running, so this isn't the correct answer.

 

2D should be six pieces. I'd happily sit and watch your partner enjoy the 4-2 fit.

[Vampyr]

steve2005, embedding your comments in someone else's post makes it difficult to respond... But I suppose you knew that LOL.

 

I guess your method of NT escapes is common in your area. Here in weak NT land there is no method that enjoys particular popularity, and this is probably even more true on BBO. Why you insist that everyone will automatically play the way you do is beyond me. Oh, wait, are you in the ACBL?

[Zelandakh]

Amuses me how spite bidding is always overbidding instead of underbidding. If you really want to tee someone off, pass their 1N opening cold for slam and watch them get unhinged as they chalk up +240. Way more effective in the spite category.

Except that then the other 2 players at the table might think you are simply a bad player rather than obviously "punishing" partner. As spite goes, passing a cue bid or transfer probably works quite well too. :P

[Zelandakh]

steve2005, embedding your comments in someone else's post makes it difficult to respond... But I suppose you knew that LOL.

 

I guess your method of NT escapes is common in your area. Here in weak NT land there is no method that enjoys particular popularity, and this is probably even more true on BBO. Why you insist that everyone will automatically play the way you do is beyond me. Oh, wait, are you in the ACBL?

I would think the most popular methods are natural, then exit transfers, wrinkle and helvic. It is geunuinely unclear what the "best" escape mechanism is and it is a common BBF subject that has provoked the same answers and positions for years already.

[barmar]

Amuses me how spite bidding is always overbidding instead of underbidding. If you really want to tee someone off, pass their 1N opening cold for slam

The opportunities to do that don't come up as often. Overbidding is possible on almost all hands. If you bid 7NT, you'll be overbidding more than 99% of the time.

[Phil]

Except that then the other 2 players at the table might think you are simply a bad player

 

...goes without saying :)

[kenberg]

Several points that seem obvious to me:

 

A. The two of you will not be developing a partnership.

 

B. Your partner is not an expert.

 

C. You could report the 6D bid to the BBO folks. I doubt they will shoot him at sunrise but they might either monitor his behavior on other hands or send him a note. I imagine he will express some frustration with you as well. But he should not have bid 6D. It screws up the scores for others. Btw, if the option is availabe (not a tourney), as an opponent I would offer to cancel the deal. And then move on to other hands with other opponents. Bridge is for pleasure and setting a ridiculous contract a zillion tricks is not my idea of fun.

 

D. You mention "senior moments". Being 77, I know about senior moments, but 2D just seem like a mistake. I don't see any need to remember a rule that you should not bid here, with some hands you might, rather the issue is why on Earth you would bid 2D with the hand that you hold. Rules have nothing to do with it. Being a senior is irrelevant.

 

E. You appear to be unhappy with your partner, unhappy with BBO, unhappy with responses you are getting, and just generally unhappy. I can't fix that for you.

[y66]

You did not deserve this.

 

p.s. Mantras aside, what were you thinking when you bid 2D and do you understand why it's so important to figure out why this is insane with that hand unless you're playing with kenrexford? Not to flog yourself, but to improve your thought process?

[jogs]

Sorry esteemed one 2♦ is insane. For all you know it's our hand, 1NX makes and we can punish the opponents in all suits.

OK maybe I'm dreaming but my point is let partner decide that's what they are there for.

2♦ is insane. 2♥ is insane. 3♣ is criminally insane.

[mgoetze]

Bridge is for pleasure and setting a ridiculous contract a zillion tricks is not my idea of fun.

I beg to differ. After the auction

 

[hv=d=w&v=n&b=4&a=1c(Standardish, could be short)1s(2-4 spades, 0-11 points, usually balanced)dppp]200|100[/hv]

 

extracting 1700 from my opponents for playing this ridiculous convention was the most fun I had at the bridge table all November, even though it was soon tainted by the realization that we could have scored the full 2000.

[kenberg]

I beg to differ. After the auction

 

[hv=d=w&v=n&b=4&a=1c(Standardish, could be short)1s(2-4 spades, 0-11 points, usually balanced)dppp]200|100[/hv]

 

extracting 1700 from my opponents for playing this ridiculous convention was the most fun I had at the bridge table all November, even though it was soon tainted by the realization that we could have scored the full 2000.

 

I grant that there could be exceptions to my assertion!

[barmar]

If the opponents bid reasonably normally, but you find a good defense to extract the maximum penalty, that's an intellectual pleasure.

 

But if the opponents make a joke bid, there's no pleasure from taking the tricks they're throwing at you.

[mgoetze]

If the opponents bid reasonably normally, but you find a good defense to extract the maximum penalty, that's an intellectual pleasure.

 

But if the opponents make a joke bid, there's no pleasure from taking the tricks they're throwing at you.

OK but is a 1♠ overcall showing 0-11 points, 2-4 spades, usually balanced "reasonably normal" or is it a "joke bid"?

 

(The opps were adamant that this convention works well at their local club.)

[kenberg]

OK but is a 1♠ overcall showing 0-11 points, 2-4 spades, usually balanced "reasonably normal" or is it a "joke bid"?

 

(The opps were adamant that this convention works well at their local club.)

 

It lies somewhere in between. They intend it as serious, as opposed to the 6D bid which was intended as an obscene gesture before leaving the table.

I once played a round against a pair who pre-alerted that they do not play new suits by responder as forcing. So (1H)-pass-(2C)-pass-(pass) was a typical auction for them They were quite sure they were on to something. Or maybe just on something.

For some reason I have not encountered this approach since then.

[mgoetze]

I once played a round against a pair who pre-alerted that they do not play new suits by responder as forcing. So (1H)-pass-(2C)-pass-(pass) was a typical auction for them They were quite sure they were on to something. Or maybe just on something.

For some reason I have not encountered this approach since then.

The reason is surely that you live in ACBL country, where all the other bits needed to actually make such a system good (transfer openings, artificial INV+ relays, etc.) are proscribed. ;)

 

(Actually I haven't come across such a system in Germany either, even though it would be allowed here. But I'm sure it can be workable.)

[Zelandakh]

I once played a round against a pair who pre-alerted that they do not play new suits by responder as forcing. So (1H)-pass-(2C)-pass-(pass) was a typical auction for them They were quite sure they were on to something. Or maybe just on something.

For some reason I have not encountered this approach since then.

It is part of my system Ken, so you have come across it if you have been reading my posts at all... :unsure:

[kenberg]

It is part of my system Ken, so you have come across it if you have been reading my posts at all... :unsure:

 

I read a lot of your posts, and with interest. I somehow have missed this.

[kenberg]

The reason is surely that you live in ACBL country, where all the other bits needed to actually make such a system good (transfer openings, artificial INV+ relays, etc.) are proscribed. ;)

 

(Actually I haven't come across such a system in Germany either, even though it would be allowed here. But I'm sure it can be workable.)

 

When I encountered it, their set of agreements definitely needed work. I'll take your word for it that this can be done. For all I know, a system where a spade overcall shows 2 to 4 spades can be made to work, although it is hard to see just how.

 

 

 

As I recall with my encounter: Rho opened 1S, I overcalled 2C, and they were not clear on whether, after my overcall, 2H was still non-forcing. One thought it was, the other thought it wasn't. Sort of a reverse negative free bid agreement. If I pass over 1S, their 2H is non-forcing. If I overcall, their 2H is forcing, or so one of them thought.

 

I have played against unusual systems that seem to have merit. This, as they played it, wasn't one of them. I never saw them again.

 

But still, it wasn't like the 6D bid. That was not any sort of system, however ill-advised.