[kgr]

Scoring: IMP

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East opens 1♣
You play on BBO with an unknown expert. What is your bidding plan?
(1♣)-1♠-(DBL)-Pass
(2♣)-2♦-(2♥)-Pass
(Pass)-??

OR:

(1♣)-1♦-(1♥)-Pass
(2♥)-??
But this could also go:
(1♣)-1♦-(2♥)-Pass
(3♥)-??

[Al_U_Card]

Should you play the q-bid version that promises D and S (I would bid 2C over 1C to do so) this hand is problematic as it is almost too strong but yet not quite strong enough to take another bid after pard shows a simple preference. Nice having longer diamonds tho.

[han]

I have most often played that the cuebid shows spades and diamonds but I don't like it anymore. I think that this hand is good enough to bid diamonds now and introduce spades later.

Anybody thinking MisIry overcalls yet? 3D=preeemptive heart overcall or diamonds and a black suit, at most 4 losers.

[mikeh]

Problem hands, especially when posted as a problem, can sometimes cause us to overly complicate matters. Hence, we may shy away from the 'obvious' 1♦ because of a fear that the opps are about to get together in ♥.

But there are two answers to that:

1) it may not happen: partner may be the one long in ♥

2) we don't care (if they have a big ♥ fit) anyway, because we are bidding ♠ at the appropriate level next, even if that means bidding 4♠. In fact, an auction that sees the opps bounce in ♥ and us bid 4♠ will describe our hand pretty well and enable partner to do the right thing if needed/possible (of course, that may lead to his laying down a hideous dummy and we going for -800 or so, but both bridge and life are dangerous)

As Justin noted, on this hand type, bridge is simple. Save the complexities for the auctions in which bidding space prevents you from describing your hand: those situations arise with sufficient frequency that you ought not create distortions when there is no need.

[Al_U_Card]

A common (for me at least) fear is that pard will pass my 1D as they bid to 4H by the time it gets back to me. Under those circumstances (as small a subset as they might be) is this hand worth a 4S call?

[Fluffy]

Being worth a 4♠ call you cannot bid 4♠ after 5♣

I would bid 1♠ then 2♦ then shut up

[kgr]

Scoring: IMP

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This is the full hand. Seeing the replies so far I errored by bidding 1♠ first.
Bidding at our table:
(1♣)-1♠-(Pass)-Pass
(2♣)-2♦-(2♥)-Pass
(Pass)-3♦- All Pass
...Can you reach 7?
Maybe it should go?:
(1♣)-1♦-(2♥)-pass
(3♥)-3♠-(Pass)-4♠
???

[luke warm]

does anyone play top/bottom cue anymore? if not, why not? (1c) 3c shows 2 suits, top unbid and bottom unbid

[Robert]

hello Luke warm

I played the Blue Team Club 'book' methods several decades ago.

It is probably a superior method(in some ways) to Michaels, which most everyone above the rank of novice plays in America. From my next example 1H-3C* you will note the main problem.

You sometimes force partner to the three level and lose any gadjets like
1S-2S-2NT* possible to show a sign off bid or to invite in hearts. I invite with a direct 3m or 3H bid and sign off with a 2NT*-3 minor-3D/3H auction. Hopefully the other pair will save me before I get to bid my 'xx' heart suit at the three level 'if' I am trying to sign off.

You can also use 2NT* to ask partner to 'define' his range, 3C* shows min. lower, 3D* shows 'the' higher suits min., 3H* shows max. lower and 3S* shows max. higher.

If you are still interested, you can allow higher bids(3NT+) to show max. hand types plus extra shape(5-6 or 6-5) If game is the goal, partners 6 card major might become trump opposite your doubleton major rather than bid 5m in a 5-3 or 5-4 fit.

Since my Michaels range is fairly wide, I use both methods.

It has been a while for regular Blue Team play, I do remember that a jump to 3C shows the two unbid suits.

1H-3C*=Diamonds and spades. One exception was that 1C-2D* showed majors.

Knowing the two suits allowed you to judge the fit 'before' you had to take a view.

I am quessing that most people do not play bids that show two specific suits because they learn Michaels. They have a bid to show two suiters, why change?

Two suits are not that common 'with the correct range', however, I would agree that 'knowing' the two suits 'in advance' is an advantage.

The 3C jump overcall is not a huge lost, however, if you forget that you are showing the two other suits rather than making a WJO... My Blue Team group had a number of accidents while learning to play Blue Team Club.

Regards,
Robert

[mikeh]

kgr, on Nov 5 2005, 06:00 AM, said:

Maybe it should go?:
(1♣)-1♦-(2♥)-pass
(3♥)-3♠-(Pass)-4♠
???

Two points:

1) North has a clear 3♦ raise over 2♥: this is not a stretch: it is a full value bid.

Given that, South has an enormous hand and will have an easy 4♥ cue over E's 3♥. Now north should bid 4♠ and South will bid slam. Not grand: give North 2=3=4=4 for example, and we can see that grand is against the odds.

2) If north somehow forgets to bid 3♦, he cannot bid 4♠ next. He has twice as many ♦ as ♠ and this is imps. I think that slam is unreachable after a pass by north over 2♥: there is no way for S to picture such wonderful values over there.

[Fluffy]

MYpartner will have a nightmare to pass 1♠ with 8 HCP. If he passes my 2♦ with 4 card support he won't be my partner for long

[kgr]

Fluffy, on Nov 6 2005, 03:13 PM, said:

MYpartner will have a nightmare to pass 1♠ with 8 HCP. If he passes my 2♦ with 4 card support he won't be my partner for long

The way I did bid, my partner thought I had 5-5 S/D and not too strong. I can understand his pass on 3D (although 4D with good D support and an honnour in S and in D would be better) and agree that it is better to bid first D with this hand and S later. This would better show the hand.

[pclayton]

I haven't plugged Overcall Structure for awhile, but this hand is nicely suited for a 2♣ cue - ♦ + ♠; generally longer ♦'s, 0-7 losers (the cue has a wide range unfortunately unlike the jump overcalls).

Over pard's preference, make a raise to show a distributional hand with 4-5 losers.

Not playing OS, I overcall ♦'s and make a 2♠ call over the expected club or heart call on my right.