[DavidKok]

A fun hand from last night. Matchpoints. How good are your agreements in competition?

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2♦ was natural forcing, starting at approximately a good 9+ points with no upper limit, and denies 3(+)-card heart support. Pretty accurate so far.
What did 2♠ show, and what is your plan from here?

[jillybean]

Assuming MP

I think 2S should be extras in this auction so I will bid 3S

[DavidKok]

Sorry, yes. Matchpoints. I've edited the main post to clarify.

[HardVector]

Depends upon your agreements. Old school says that 2s shows extras and is game forcing. New school says that 2s just shows spades. If old school, I bid 3d, if new, then I pass. I'd take 3d to be almost forcing and I don't think the hand is that good.

Fyi, I personally don't like the 2d bid. I'm not worried about 2c getting passed out and I should have an opportunity to show diamonds later.

[jillybean]

HardVector, on 2025-August-29, 15:54, said:

Depends upon your agreements. Old school says that 2s shows extras and is game forcing. New school says that 2s just shows spades. If old school, I bid 3d, if new, then I pass. I'd take 3d to be almost forcing and I don't think the hand is that good.

Fyi, I personally don't like the 2d bid. I'm not worried about 2c getting passed out and I should have an opportunity to show diamonds later.

Iif not 2D, what do you bid? xxxxxxxxx

[smerriman]

2♠ shows some extras for me, and I'm just bidding 3♦. Not necessarily forcing, but if partner can't act there's likely nowhere better to go.

[mike777]

smerriman, on 2025-August-29, 19:36, said:

2♠ shows some extras for me, and I'm just bidding 3♦. Not necessarily forcing, but if partner can't act there's likely nowhere better to go.

Agree

[DavidKok]

For me 2♠ shows extras here. With a minimum 4=5 in the majors I think 2♥ is completely fine. If the 2♦ bidder has 4♠ they will normally double, unless they're strong enough to bid again (i.e. control the auction). Meanwhile, on such misfit deals 2♥ might well be the best spot - it is much more common to find the 2♦ bidder with heart tolerance than to find them with spade support.
To me these are some of the downsides of using forcing but-not-game-forcing bids in general - we have to compress shape because we might not have enough safety to bid on. In competitive auctions like this one we don't have much of a choice though - I need the 2♦ bid to be available on a variety of hands, and it is simply a waste of space to reserve it for game forcing hands only.

Likewise, I think it is clear to bid 3♦ now even in the modern style. We need to get our shape in, 2♦ promised only five of them and diamonds may well be our best place to play. When 2♠ shows extras this is even more clear, but even if it doesn't I would rebid this hand.

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Whew, at least you managed to avoid 3NT.

West leads the ♣K-T-2-Q. West resumes with ♣5-J-A-9. East now returns the ♣8. Plan the play, and feel free to critique the auction.

[WasWinM]

I like the auction. With minimal values, I place RHO with 7 clubs.
The issue is the diamond 10. What is RHO’s shape?
Does Kx, xx, Kx, Axxxxxx look like a vul. overcall? Iffy.
But, as I haven’t found a solution for KJx, x, K10x, A8xxxx
I’ll play for a doubleton king by ruffing with J crossing in hearts to finesse.

[smerriman]

Agreed with above, except I wondered if it was better to cross in spades after ruffing with the J.. I'm giving East AKK to bid and rebid clubs vulnerable, so it's plausible they have a heart void but not a spade void. But I think this results in going down more if they have KTx, so probably not.

[WasWinM]

smerriman, on 2025-September-01, 20:36, said:

Agreed with above, except I wondered if it was better to cross in spades after ruffing with the J.. I'm giving East AKK to bid and rebid clubs vulnerable, so it's plausible they have a heart void but not a spade void. But I think this results in going down more if they have KTx, so probably not.

Also, there was no suit preference attempt made on opening lead.