[pclayton]

We rocked in our IMP League match last night.

A few interesting hands (you play a 12-14 NT, 2/1 and a lot of gadgets):

1. ♠AKT8x, ♥Qxxx, ♦Jxxx, ♣void.

I (as your partner) open 1♣, 1♠ by you (apparently valuing this hand to be slightly too good for a reverse flannery call of 2♥).

For some reason you decide to raise to 3♦ instead of the systemic rebid of 2♠.

Pard now bids 5♣. What does he have and what is your call? If you strongly disagree with 3♦, what would your rebid be over 5♣ (after 1♣-1♠-2♦-2♠ - 4♣ - 4♦ - 5♣?).

2. ♠Qx, ♥KT98, ♦ATxxx, ♣AQ. You open 1♦. 2♥ by pard - Reverse Flannery - 5+♠, 4+♥, 5-9 points. Your systemic options are: 2N - asks shape, 3♥ - invitational.

3. ♠KTxxxx, ♥, xx, ♦Q, ♣AQxx. Pard opens 1N (12-14); penalty double by RHO. What is your strategy? (2♠ is natural and non-forcing (but better than direct xx), xx shows a single suiter, pass forces redouble (to play or to show ♠ + another).

[whereagles]

1. I think pard's jump to 5♣ means he doesn't have a heart stop (and was afraid to bid 3♠ because of a possible misunderstanding). He should have something like this, or thereabouts

--
xx
AKxx
AKJTxxx

2. 3♥ wtp?

3. 4♠.

[inquiry]

1. 5♦ = or minus 1

2. 4♥

3. Abstain... since I am uncertain of the methods. Can partner have a four card major? Is 2♠ remotely invitational? What is 3♠ or XX then 3♠? Or pass then 3♠. Are we vul? Why can't I transfer to ♠ then raise?

[pclayton]

inquiry, on Feb 8 2007, 11:51 AM, said:

3. Abstain... since I am uncertain of the methods. Can partner have a four card major? Is 2♠ remotely invitational? What is 3♠ or XX then 3♠? Or pass then 3♠. Are we vul? Why can't I transfer to ♠ then raise?

Everybody is vul.

Partner can have a four card major, or even a 5 bagger if 5332. Our agreement on 2♠ is that its not invitational, but shows some values, in case opener needs to take a call at the 3 level.

We don't play transfers over doubles.

Believe it or not, we don't have firm agreements on xx (or pass) followed by 3♠. A direct 3♠, while undiscussed, would be preemptive.

[Apollo81]

1. 5♦ (the auction was 1♣-1♠-2♦-3♦-5♣, right?)
2. 4♥
3. invite in spades if I can, otherwise transfer and raise to 4♠ or Texas if that's an option

[han]

1. Pass, partner does not have 4 diamonds on this auction.

2. I think that 3H is enough. If we were playing strong notrumps we would play at the 2-level opposite a minimal partner. I don't think we should force to game now.

3. Invite in spades. If this is not available then Texas.

[Echognome]

1. Pass. Partner has 4♦, but his clubs are much better. He sounds like he is 4-7 in the minors with good clubs. It's possible we have slam, but tough to know if he's 2-0, 1-1, or 0-2 in the majors.

2. 3♥ INV

3. Pass forcing XX and passing that. (The gamble is that RHO hasn't doubled on a long running suit. If LHO bails, I can bid ♠ next. We have the boss suit, why do we need to preempt?

[pclayton]

1. I held: ♠Q, ♥J, ♦AKx, ♣KQJ98xxx. Think my sequence is too muddled? I thought 4♣ would confirm 2♦ was a fragment, but 5♣ showed the extra club(s), as well as the fragment. He corrected to 5♦, which played pretty awkward and I ended up -2. Lose 2. Other table bid a more straightforward 1♣ - 1♠ - 3♣ - 3♥ - 5♣....6♣.

2. I just blasted game. I love this hand! Even opposite a dead minimum Kxxxx, Qxxx, xx, xx, game has a play, and with a little more, game is cold. Pard held: K9xxxx, QJxx, K, xx. He would have accepted a game invite anyway.

3. Harv bid 2♠. I put down AJ, xxx, AKJx, JT9x. They missed the heart lead and he scored up 10 tricks. The discussion continues about how to invite with a distributional hand that doesn't want to sit for 1N cracked.

[Echognome]

pclayton, on Feb 8 2007, 04:45 PM, said:

3. Harv bid 2♠. I put down AJ, xxx, AKJx, JT9x. They missed the heart lead and he scored up 10 tricks. The discussion continues about how to invite with a distributional hand that doesn't want to sit for 1N cracked.

But you are going to make 1NXX probably with an over. That should be compensation enough. If opponents find their ♥ fit, your 2♠ bid should show INV values. Isn't that the start of a better sequence?

[Apollo81]

pclayton, on Feb 8 2007, 08:45 PM, said:

Think my sequence is too muddled?

yes

[FrancesHinden]

pclayton, on Feb 9 2007, 12:45 AM, said:

1. I held: ♠Q, ♥J, ♦AKx, ♣KQJ98xxx. Think my sequence is too muddled? I thought 4♣ would confirm 2♦ was a fragment, but 5♣ showed the extra club(s), as well as the fragment. He corrected to 5♦, which played pretty awkward and I ended up -2. Lose 2. Other table bid a more straightforward 1♣ - 1♠ - 3♣ - 3♥ - 5♣....6♣.

I didn't have a chance to reply earlier, but I was pretty certain that the 2D bid was a fragment by the time you had jumped to 5C.

however, I wouldn't have done it on your hand, I would just have rebid 3C. The time to invent a reverse is when you are too strong (or unsuitable in some other way) for the simple jump rebid. Add an extra ace somewhere, and I would agree with 2D.

[mikeh]

FrancesHinden, on Feb 9 2007, 10:43 AM, said:

pclayton, on Feb 9 2007, 12:45 AM, said:

1. I held: ♠Q, ♥J, ♦AKx, ♣KQJ98xxx. Think my sequence is too muddled? I thought 4♣ would confirm 2♦ was a fragment, but 5♣ showed the extra club(s), as well as the fragment. He corrected to 5♦, which played pretty awkward and I ended up -2. Lose 2. Other table bid a more straightforward 1♣ - 1♠ - 3♣ - 3♥ - 5♣....6♣.

I didn't have a chance to reply earlier, but I was pretty certain that the 2D bid was a fragment by the time you had jumped to 5C.

however, I wouldn't have done it on your hand, I would just have rebid 3C. The time to invent a reverse is when you are too strong (or unsuitable in some other way) for the simple jump rebid. Add an extra ace somewhere, and I would agree with 2D.

agree

[inquiry]

pclayton, on Feb 8 2007, 07:45 PM, said:

1. I held: ♠Q, ♥J, ♦AKx, ♣KQJ98xxx. Think my sequence is too muddled? (SNIP)

Yes. Now, I happen to play 2♦ as an artificial force and have some artificial responder rebids, but that is highly specialized. So 3♣ rebid seems clear to me.

Quote

2. I just blasted game. I love this hand! Even opposite a dead minimum Kxxxx, Qxxx, xx, xx, game has a play, and with a little more, game is cold. Pard held: K9xxxx, QJxx, K, xx. He would have accepted a game invite anyway.

I agree, 3♥ invitational is an undbid, this hand is golden.

Quote

3. Harv bid 2♠. I put down AJ, xxx, AKJx, JT9x. They missed the heart lead and he scored up 10 tricks. The discussion continues about how to invite with a distributional hand that doesn't want to sit for 1N cracked.

Your method is flawed. which is why I abstained, and most others gave auctions that you do not play.