[pclayton]

Free, on Jul 12 2006, 03:08 AM, said:

1. 3♠
2. 3♣ (or whatever shows 6-9 or 6-7)

I don't like to bid 4♠ on any of the hands, since I don't have a shortness...

ditto....

[neilkaz]

It's too easy for 4S to be doubled since the opps may have no reasonable alternatives. I'd like a stiff or void to bid 4S so 3S is enough with hand 1.

Hand two has the constructive 4 card raise available to see if 4S can make. OK you have 5 spades, but you only have 6 HCP. More interesting is whether to accept a game try after this bid (3C or 3D depending if Rev Berg) and also what to do if the opps compete to 4H.

[jeffmcgow]

I would apply the New Law (Wirgren/ Lawrence)

Assuming 13 working points for partner and (optimistically) a doubleton diamond this would suggest bidding 2♠ on 1. and 4♠ on 2.

If I was pessimistic (e.g. just conceded 800) I would bid 2♠ and 3♠ respectively

For those who have read the book "I Fought the Law of Total Tricks" I like to use the formula suggested by Louis Brickman on the newbrigelaw.com site (question 13.) Compared with the tables of WP and SST in Lawrence's book, this is so much easier and quicker to apply in the heat of battle.

(PS This is my first post so I hope I haven't done anything wrong. I see replies on some other Bridge forums and would be terrified to enter a reply )

[neilkaz]

I have to admit that there is no hand that I can hold at any vul or any scoring playing Bergen that doesn't bid more than 2S with 5 trumps.

Neither of these hands looks like 4S to me since the distibution is flat.

It is MUCH easier to be doubled in 4S than in 3S on these hand-types.

.. neilkaz ..

[inquiry]

jeffmcgow, on Jul 13 2006, 04:48 PM, said:

(PS This is my first post so I hope I haven't done anything wrong. I see replies on some other Bridge forums and would be terrified to enter a reply )

So far so good. Welcome to the Bridge Base Forum.

Unlike other sites, we have forum moderators. You will not see the sme type of exchanges here as you see on other bridge forum sites. At least five people routinely "police" the post, but by far and away, the users here are civil all the time so they (well we0, have actually little to do.

[benlessard]

judgement alone is sufficient to keep you away from bidding 4s. But if your tempted to bid 4s read

i Fought the law by Mike Lawrence.


Not that i agree entirely with the book.

But there is some interesting elelments in it.

[luke warm]

i play bergen and i'd bid 3♠ on the first hand, because of my shape, though i might be willing to compete to 4... on hand 2 i'd bid 3♣, bergen 4 card constructive...