[Winstonm]

Scoring: IMP

1♥ 1♠
3♦ 3NT

This was our bidding. I hope you can do better. How does your bidding go?

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[Winstonm]

Jlall, on Sep 26 2005, 12:04 AM, said:

1H 1S
3D

is fine. hand is too strong for 3H. 3N is, mildly put, @)*Q%#)^. north has a MONSTER hand, JT, QTx in the reds with AK on the side. Also north has no club stopper. 3H is fine.

Over 3H, south will continue to pattern with 3S indicating short clubs (not yet indicating 6 hearts).

North will now know NT is out. He will try a 4D bid to show some kind of fit.

South will now bid 4H. He can't do more as north could have a much weaker hand just trying to find a fit.

Over 4H north can take control with keycard. opposite a hand that JSs and has short clubs, north has just a massive hand. So:

1H 1S
3D 3H
3S 4D
4H 4N
5D 6H

is my auction.

That's a nice auction, Justin. Thanks.

[mike777]

It may be worthwhile to have a discussion with partner on just how minimum/maximum partner thinks this auction can be?

On this hand hard to picture a 3d bid made on less but perhaps partner has another viewpoint?

With random BBO partners I am finding this bid is quite a bit weaker than I often expect. Today I had this simple auction, 1c=1h=1s with the opp passing, I had 18 hcp for my 1s bid 5-4..partner passed with his 6 hcp, stiff and 4 spades .

On the other hand I am expecting Partner to sometimes have some 21-22 hcp 3 loser hands when they j/s because I prefer not to open 2clubs with those hands BBO partners laugh and say those are impossible hands, oh well .

[whereagles]

Open 2C. Easier now.. lol.

[Winstonm]

whereagles, on Sep 26 2005, 02:46 AM, said:

Open 2C. Easier now.. lol.

Don't laugh. Partner suggested that - he is firmly of the belief that these jump shifts should be 2 suited and 6/4 patterns barely qualify. Problem with that is now a bunch of hands are dumped into the 2C opening or 2N rebid category that probably shouldn't be there, so you have a whole new set of problems with which to deal.

As for the described auction, I'm of the opinion that 3N should show cards in the unbid suit and not much interest at all in slam. I'd rebid my suit with 5, raise opener's second suit with 5 or a very good 4, or retreat to his first suit with a 2-card preference even with 4 cards in his minor.

Winston

[Fluffy]

Do I really have to say it?

[inquiry]

Winstonm, on Sep 26 2005, 12:43 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

1♥ 1♠
3♦ 3NT

This was our bidding.  I hope you can do better.  How does your bidding go?

---

1♥ 1♠
3♥ 3♠
4♣ 4♥
4♠ 4NT
5♣ 5♦
6♦ 6♥
Pass

• 1♥ = limited by the inability to open 2♣ with Acol 2 bid in major
  
• 1♠ = 0 to 4 ♠, less than 4 ♠ then not 11+ balanced
  
• 3♥ = hand just short of ACOL 2 opener (7 tricks, good suit, extra values) Riton 2♣ followed by 3♥ is also possible if you play that as strong than immediate jump to 3♥ (riton then 2♥ is stong hand but not strong suit).
  
• 3♠ = cue-bid, remember 1♠ denied 5+♠, this is clealy showing "support" of the two to three card variety
  
• 4♣ = still thinking slam, cue
  
• 4♥ = 4♦ would be last train. One slam try with 3♠ was enough.
  
• 4♠ = fitting ♠ card and a ♦ control.
  
• 4NT = Kantar kcb
  
• 5♣ = 0-3 (by opener)
  
• 5♦ = queen ask.. you should have it, lets make sure
  
• 6♦ = queen of hearts plus king of ♦
  
• 6♥

Clearly up to 4♣ is right. Over 4♣, north might try 4♦ last train, but I think his hand is not suited to encourage more than 3♠. Over 4♥, south might also pass, although he knows, his partner has only 4♠, and offerred a slam invite 3♥ was limited by failure to open 2♣...(to show how, if ♦K was ♦A, I would open 2♣). Since this is an absolute maximum, 4♠ seems right.

[whereagles]

Winstonm, on Sep 26 2005, 07:53 AM, said:

whereagles, on Sep 26 2005, 02:46 AM, said:

Open 2C. Easier now.. lol.

Don't laugh. Partner suggested that (...) Problem with that is now a bunch of hands are dumped into the 2C opening or 2N rebid category that probably shouldn't be there

I don't have a problem with dumping stuff into the strong 2C opening. It's such a rare opening anyway. I much prefer to have a well-defined lower end to 1x.

[inquiry]

whereagles, on Sep 26 2005, 10:31 AM, said:

Winstonm, on Sep 26 2005, 07:53 AM, said:

whereagles, on Sep 26 2005, 02:46 AM, said:

Open 2C. Easier now.. lol.

Don't laugh. Partner suggested that (...) Problem with that is now a bunch of hands are dumped into the 2C opening or 2N rebid category that probably shouldn't be there

I don't have a problem with dumping stuff into the strong 2C opening. It's such a rare opening anyway. I much prefer to have a well-defined lower end to 1x.

I rarely find myself in agreement with Whereagles. And in fact, I don't agree this hand is worth 2♣, but I will agree that it is close. However, I strongly agree that it is ok to dump lighter than usual hands inot the 2♣ opening bid. ESPECIALLY if you play 2♥ response as instant double negative (I actually play 2♥ and 2♠ as dual instant double negatives). Doing this, allows you to stick in 8/9 trick one suited hands with a major. This hand is just below that requirment.

I like very much removing a wide variety of "strong" hands from opening 1 bids. So you see I stick acol 2 in major into 2♣, acol two in a minor into multi 2♦, strong two suiters into misiry, and "strong" three suiters into 2♣ (you are unlikely to agree with my defiinition of "strong" when it comes to three suiters as it can be so few hcp it might shock you). These put limits on the opening of 1x... so much so that jump shifts by opener are non-forcing.

There is an earlier version of ROMEX flavor to my bidding choices, in that like romex, all my one bids are natural but limited. It turns out, not as limited as romex, primarily becasuse I don't have the mexican 2♦ crutch to lean on with the 18-20 hcp balananced hands. But I take the zaresque kind of approach that 18-20 balanced isn't all its cracked up to be anyway. Why, 4333 with 20 is hardly worth opening, just ask hannnie. :-)

[Al_U_Card]

Only thing to say is that, unless responder is on a respirator, his hand opposite a reasonable J/S is safe to the 5 level and chances for slam in H, NT or even S or D are more than reasonable. That being said, he must endeavor to get to the right strain and level and not make a bid (3NT) that he could with, say, half the hand that he held.....

[SoTired]

I don't see anything wrong with opening Q10x AKQxxx Kxx A with 2C. It is a 4-loser hand with a strong single suit. Responder with KJxx xxx xxx xxx or similar may pass 1H when 4H has good chances. If youplay Kokish or 2nd negative, you have a nice 3H bid after the auction 2C 2D 2H 2S 3H or 2C 2D 2H 3C 3H to show a less than game-force hand.

If u play 2C 2H = super-negative, how you can stop in 3H? I use to play that and don't know. Not knowing, I guess I would open 1H.

A 2C auction may be:
2C 2D
2H 2S
3H 3S
4C 4S
6H
2D = waiting
2H = Kokish, either a heart suit, bal 25+, or 9.5-10 trick gambling
2S = forced
3H = sets hearts
3S, 4C, 4S = q-bids
6H= hope I only lose 1 diam

[mikeh]

The actual auction reflects a lack of confidence by North, probably generated either by inexperience or by having seen too many random BBO partners overbid when jump-shifting.

I like Justin's auction, altho I am not entirely sure that I would keycard rather than cue-bid. In other words, bid 4♠ over 4♥ (for me, I use 4♠ as keycard, so would 'cue' 4N) and then South bids 5♣ and I would bid 5N: choice of slams.

Opener has not denied 3=5=5=0, and opposite QJx AKxxx AKJxx void, I would much prefer to be in 7♦ than 6♥. Having said that, I don't think I am getting there But I will get to 6♦, opposite that hand, which will be much better than 6♥: imagine Qxxx offside and ♣ leads.

Maybe the auction ought not to go the same through 4♥, but I suspect that it might.

As it is, on the given hand, after 5N, opener has an easy 6♥

As for 2♣ on this hand....... I know that I am on the very strong end of the 2♣ spectrum, but the idea of opening 2♣ here almost makes me physically ill

[han]

I remember reading the "hand of the week"'s that Fred used to write (or does he still?). There is one hand where he says that his partner feels very strongly that over the jump shift 1D-1S-3C, responder should almost always bid 3D, so that opener can show what he is up to.

This auction is similar. Over 3D responder should bid 3H to see what opener is up to. This does not promise 3-card support (in fact, responder usually does not have 3-card support). Responder should only bid 3NT with a hand that strongly suggest that 3NT is the right spot.