[Winstonm]

Scoring: IMP

N E S W
P P 1N P
2♣2♦2♥ p
3♦ P 4♣ P
5♣P 5♥ P P
P

---

Here's some controversy for us to chew on. What are the best methods to handle interference after a Stayman call. In this auction, 2C could have been garbage stayman but only if at least 4 diamonds were held - otherwise it shows an invitational or better hand. How many have real solid agreements in this auction?

My views are these: The nt bidder has limited his hand nicely with his opening bid, hence has no compelling reason to do anything other than pass unless trying to show specific information. A double here should either be responsive with little to nothing in diamonds or penalty with good diamonds. Not sure which is better. Other bids are determined by this first definition.

For a bonus question, try to guess responder's hand.

Winston

[mike777]

Winstonm, on Dec 25 2005, 07:26 PM, said:

Scoring: IMP

N   E   S   W
P   P   1N   P
2♣2♦2♥ p
3♦ P 4♣   P
5♣P 5♥ P P
P

---

Here's some controversy for us to chew on.  What are the best methods to handle interference after a Stayman call.  In this auction, 2C could have been garbage stayman but only if at least 4 diamonds were held - otherwise it shows an invitational or better hand.  How many have real solid agreements in this auction?

My views are these: The nt bidder has limited his hand nicely with his opening bid, hence has no compelling reason to do anything other than pass unless trying to show specific information.  A double here should either be responsive with little to nothing in diamonds or penalty with good diamonds. Not sure which is better.  Other bids are determined by this first definition.

For a bonus question, try to guess responder's hand. 

Winston

If playing 15-17 nt then object to opening 1nt. Prefer 1club. Second choice 1H.

"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours."

Yogi Berra

[000002]

I notice that northern had shut up at the first time,so his 3♦ ensure an intense invitation+ based on ♥ fit. Hence, southern 4♣ look like forgotten this information.
On my assumption,south held :
Jx
Qxxx
xx
KQJxx

Jingle belling now, affray please!

[Free]

I have a simple rule: if the NT bidder responds, he has a stopper in opps suit, otherwise he should pass and wait for a Dbl from partner to respond. So here the auction would start:

pass - pass - 1NT - pass
2♣ - 2♦ - pass - pass
Dbl - pass - 2♥

denying a ♦ stopper and showing 4+♥.

[Fluffy]

I thinnk 3♦ is a strong balanced hand with 4♠

[pclayton]

3♦ should be a raise to 3N without a ♦ stopper - obviously with 4♠.

Winston - I don't see what the problem is here, maybe I'm missing something. The fact that you play garbage stayman (vs 1N-2♣-2♦-2♥ as invitational)doesn't make any difference.

♠AKxx, ♥x, ♦xxx, ♣QJxxx sounds like responder's hand. With a 4=2=2=5, I think its too much to try to take 11 tricks by a passed hand.

[Winstonm]

pclayton, on Dec 26 2005, 12:30 PM, said:

3♦ should be a raise to 3N without a ♦ stopper - obviously with 4♠.

Winston - I don't see what the problem is here, maybe I'm missing something. The fact that you play garbage stayman (vs 1N-2♣-2♦-2♥ as invitational)doesn't make any difference.

♠AKxx, ♥x, ♦xxx, ♣QJxxx sounds like responder's hand. With a 4=2=2=5, I think its too much to try to take 11 tricks by a passed hand.

I'm giving you the bronze cigar award!

My hand: AQJ9, 54, 1032, KJ83.

We had not discussed this sequence - at least not in ages - so we were scrambling to understand meanings. You can rule out a weak garbage Stayman hand, as that hand would have diamonds. You are left with either an invitational raise with no 4-card major, with a 4-card major, or a forcing raise with a 4-card major or both.

I felt that if I had a stopper, over 2H I could have bid either 2N or 3N. 2S should have been invitational with 4 spades. That leaves what I had: presumably game forcing with spades.

I thought it reasonable that 3D should be a furtherance of the auction without a diamond stop - obviously, partner took this for some kind of heart cue bid (later agreed a strange view opposite a passed hand, but habit is sometimes hard to overcome).

We later came to the agreement that in the future bidding directly would deny a stopper; pass shows a stopper and is forcing.

But it made me wonder how many have solid agreements in this auction.

Winston

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I dont mind 2H, fighting for the part score,
but the wasted diamond honours would make
me Pass.
3D has to be a stopper ask, with enough high
card power, i.e. 10-11 and a 4 card spade suit,
and no 4 card heart suit.
If he had one, he would have showed .the suit via
raising.
4C is ok, you dont have a stpper, you dont have
a 4 card spade suit, ... and you dont want to play 4S
in a 4-3 fit.

Pass 5C.

Marlowe

[000002]

ok let's assume 3♦ is 4cards♠ and 10pts upholding, but what is it now if you use transfering?

p==p== 1nt== p
2♣=2♦=2♥=p
2♠

[Fluffy]

pclayton, on Dec 26 2005, 05:30 PM, said:

3♦ should be a raise to 3N without a ♦ stopper - obviously with 4♠.

Winston - I don't see what the problem is here, maybe I'm missing something. The fact that you play garbage stayman (vs 1N-2♣-2♦-2♥ as invitational)doesn't make any difference.

♠AKxx, ♥x, ♦xxx, ♣QJxxx sounds like responder's hand. With a 4=2=2=5, I think its too much to try to take 11 tricks by a passed hand.

with 5♣ bidding 3♣ seems more descriptive than 3♦

[000002]

Fluffy, on Dec 27 2005, 10:02 AM, said:

pclayton, on Dec 26 2005, 05:30 PM, said:

3♦ should be a raise to 3N without a ♦ stopper - obviously with 4♠.

Winston - I don't see what the problem is here, maybe I'm missing something. The fact that you play garbage stayman (vs 1N-2♣-2♦-2♥ as invitational)doesn't make any difference.

♠AKxx, ♥x, ♦xxx, ♣QJxxx sounds like responder's hand. With a 4=2=2=5, I think its too much to try to take 11 tricks by a passed hand.

with 5♣ bidding 3♣ seems more descriptive than 3♦

I vote u