[awm]

What's the best use for a new suit bid after ogust? We play direct new suit bids forcing (raise only non-force) which may effect the choice. An example auction would be something like:

2♥ (1) - 2NT (2) - 3♥ (3) - 4♣ (4)

(1) Natural and weak
(2) Ogust
(3) Maximum values but a poor heart suit
(4) What does this mean?

[hrothgar]

awm, on Feb 26 2006, 07:58 PM, said:

What's the best use for a new suit bid after ogust? We play direct new suit bids forcing (raise only non-force) which may effect the choice. An example auction would be something like:

2♥ (1) - 2NT (2) - 3♥ (3) - 4♣ (4)

(1) Natural and weak
(2) Ogust
(3) Maximum values but a poor heart suit
(4) What does this mean?

It all depends whether you're interested in simplicity or efficiency:

Case in point: Assume an Ogust auction like

2♥ - 2N
3♦ - 4♦

where 3♦ shows Bad hand / good suit...

Can 4♦ be natural and to play? No... the 4♦ bidder could have passed 4♦.

Can 4♦ be a cue bid in support of Hearts? Once again, the answer is no... How can opener be interested in Slam missing Spade and Club controls... Fit showing doesn't really seem reasonable. Offering a choice of strain at the 4 level when partner's ONLY redeeming quality is his Heart suit seems dubious as well. The most logical treatment is some kind of asking bid focusing on a distribution control.

Lets change the auction slightly

2♥ - 2N
3♠ - 4♣


Where 3♠ shows a good hand and a good suit... Here, 4♣ could be reasonable treated as a cue bid in support of Hearts.

My question to you is just how much work do you want to do? Adopting a blanket treatment will minimize your memory load at the expense of having a large number of nonesensical bids. Customizing the meaning of different bids based on the previous sequence will increase efficiency at the expense of memory load.

I'll note in passing that this dynamic is what leads many people to play relay system. Relay permits us to combine a "dense" bidding tree in which a large number of bids hold specific/customized definitions with a simple mnemonic structure.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

NF makes no sense, how often do you want
to play just 4m?
It has to be a move towards slam, I dont
think, that there is much difference to play
it as an asking bid instead of an cue bid,
natural with fit is also a cue.

Also a slam try in the suit bid makes no sense,
unless you play, that a change of suit is non
forcing.

With kind regards
Marlowe