[yunling]

After playing the following hands in the regional last week, I think certain rules of treatment after a nebulous diamond is well worth some discussion...

If it matters, we play a 14-16 NT and 2♣ is 6+ card. All other 2 level openings are preempts.Support double always apply.

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Anyone has some good experience for these auctions?

[Kungsgeten]

I do not play a nebulous diamond, but I play a nebulous club (5542 in one partnership, Swedish Club in another).

In the first auction I would pass. I'm not sure what partner holds, and that's a downside of combining weak balanced hands with minimum unbalanced hands. Most likely partner is balanced with 4 hearts, perhaps he'd bid 3D otherwise? Some might take a shot at 4H, hoping for partner not being minimum, nice splits and getting a club ruff in the short hand.

On the second auction partner knows quite a lot. I'd probably bid 2S, and if partner insists on a minor he can bid 2NT. If I had a five card minor I would bid it, and if I had 4-4 minors I'd bid 2NT (scrambling).

On the third auction I'd double. If partner bids 3C I will correct to 3H. If he bids 2NT (scrambling) I'll bid 3D.

[ahydra]

1) sounds like partner has some horrible 3=4=3=3 or 3=4=2=4 with no club stop, passing well may be best.

2) pass! We have great defence to 2HX, no game our way, and it seems like a misfit. Not a fan of Kung's 2S as it suggests three cards (edit: ok, support doubles are in play but I think one would still prefer Hx). What to do if you have four small hearts and K of diamonds instead is trickier.

3) double. Whether to correct 3C is interesting, since for 3C partner should be 3=2=3=5 or similar - with 3=2=4=4 / 3=1=(4-5) he'd bid a scrambling 2NT and 3=3=x=x he'd bid 3H. Maybe scoring has an impact (at matchpoints you'd prefer to play 5-2 heart fit over 5-2 club fit).

ahydra

[Phil]

Kungsgeten, on 2018-May-29, 00:44, said:

that's a downside of combining weak balanced hands with minimum unbalanced hands.

bing bing bing

[awm]

1. Partner is certainly balanced. With real diamonds he surely bids them over 3C. He also has no club stopper. The choices are 4H and pass; it depends on partners balanced range and the form of scoring. Assuming 11-13 I’d pass at MP and try 4H at IMP.
2. While pass has some appeal, the colors and fact that partner is a passed hand suggest bidding. I’ll try 2nt, which is basically natural but can be corrected to a 5m (some call it a “nf scramble”).
3. Double seems clear. Partner will most often bid 2nt (which you can leave in) or 3m with five, or 3H with three of you don’t make support doubles on hands with 3S (which I don’t but I understand most people do).

[nullve]

1) P(!!) (even if 3♣ is GF)
2) P (clear at MPs, not so clear if opps are vul at IMPs)
3) X (takeout)

But:

On 1), did 2♥ promise 4(+) H? Would a raise of 2♥ to 3♥ have been PRE or INV? If PRE, how would South invite with heart support? If via 3♣, would 3♦ by North then promise extras, or would it still be possible to stop in 3♥ via 1♦-(2♣)-X; 2♥-3♣; 3♦-3♥; P?

On 2), South's P denied 3 S, right? Then it must be better to bid 2♠(= 2 S) instead of 2N now, whatever 2N shows.

On both 2) and 3), Responder's initial pass means he's limited to 10 hcp, so game (particularly, 3N) is already a rather small target opposite a limited opener. So I guess it makes sense to play 2N in competetion after P-1♦ as Scrambling rather than Good/bad. And if 2N over P-1♦; 1♥-(1♠)-P-(2♠); X is Scrambling, then South can double 2♠ and correct 2N/3♣ to 3♦, suggesting 5H4D. If Good/bad, South can also double first and then bid 3♦ (Equal Level Conversion) over 2N, but 3♠ (stopper ask) over 3♣.

[yunling]

Interesting treatments.

1. Opener has Jx AKxx Kxx xxxx but splits are horrible. My pard passed 3H for -100, probably the last undoubled contract.
2. Qxxxx xx KJxx Kx for responder. Nothing makes, but 2HX can be a bit risky. We ended up in 3D two down.
3. Partner is 3-2-4-4 13 count. I passed. Both 2S and 3D are makable.