[mikeh]

1♠ for me, but I suspect that was predictable.

I am far too simple a soul to adopt Roland's plan: besides, I have never played a method in which a 1♥ opening set trump!

1♠ followed by sufficently forcing noises in ♥s, provided I have room.

For those planning to open 2♣ and then describe their hand, please let me have the names and contact info for the favourable vulnerable opps who, when you are missing 25 minor suit cards, promise never to preempt!

One of the advantages of playing a natural system, compared to a big club method, is on freak hands. Normally, on strong hands, big club methods have a significant advantage, but on freaks the converse is true, because big club hands (and strong 2♣ hands) invite heavy favourable preempting, and deprive complex hands of the needed bidding space. A natural bid of 1♠ positions us very well.

And please don't tell me 1♠ is being passed out.... that isn't happening in the real universe.

[the hog]

helene_t, on Mar 29 2007, 12:33 AM, said:

The_Hog, on Mar 28 2007, 04:17 PM, said:

Playing rdk's favourite structure -
3NT specific A ask, followed by 4NT specific King ask. What! You still play the gambling 3NT????! Well you'd better change then, hadn't you?

Too primitive. I'd open 4♠, specific kickback for hearts

roflmao. Love it, Helene.
Whereagles, I don't know about you, but every time I open a gambling 3NT I seem to get a bad result. It doesn't arise that often anyway. Mind you 3NT as a specific Ace ask doesn't either.....

[Walddk]

To Phil and Mike:

In an uncontested auction the chance of getting preference or support for ♠/♥ is fifty-fifty. However, I have a slight advantage if I pretend that I have longer hearts (♥, ♠, ♠).

Now, if I get the heart preference I am hoping for, I am better positioned with exclusion because ♥K is a key card.

Roland

[DWM]

---

At the table it went

1S 1NT
4H 4NT
5S

Down 1 with KJx ♥ being behind the strong hand.

We use a second negative to deny more than one trick after a 2♣ opener so the bidding after 2C would be

2C 2D
2S 3D
???

The 2D being more of a waiting bid and 3D showing Diamonds and 1.5+ tricks.

Any sensible way of keeping at the 4 level now?

[Edmunte1]

1. I'm 100% percent for 1♠.
2. Where dissapeared my Jack of hearts?
3. Why 4♥? Do i have another forcing bid after 1NT (3♥ or 2nt GF or 2♣ playing Gazilli)?

[inquiry]

I agree. Where did the heart jack go? At your talbe, north could have solved the problem by passing the leap to 4♥. 4NT was unnecssary, a fit had been found. The problem is, 4♥ is an underbid. I think most people will be in at least 5♥ here, me included.

[helene_t]

The_Hog, on Mar 29 2007, 06:01 AM, said:

Whereagles, I don't know about you, but every time I open a gambling 3NT I seem to get a bad result. It doesn't arise that often anyway. Mind you 3NT as a specific Ace ask doesn't either.....

That's funny, I think I generally get good results from opening 3NT which I cannot say about the rest of my preempt structure which I probably apply with too little discipline.

My last 3NT was a mixed experience. LHO fooled me by underleading an ace (what a joke) leading to 7 down in a makeable contract. We won 0.2 IMPs (X-IMPs) because opps were cold for 4♠.

[mikeh]

Walddk, on Mar 29 2007, 12:37 AM, said:

To Phil and Mike:

In an uncontested auction the chance of getting preference or support for ♠/♥ is fifty-fifty. However, I have a slight advantage if I pretend that I have longer hearts (♥, ♠, ♠).

Now, if I get the heart preference I am hoping for, I am better positioned with exclusion because ♥K is a key card.

Roland

My gut instinct was that there was likely to be a lot of interference that would or might derail this nice plan: so I did a simulation of 50 hands, using the posted hand, not the apparent actual hand (so it held the ♥J). It seemed to me, on a quck scan, that there would be significant disruption of the auction on about 17 hands. On many of them, the auction would likely be at the 5 level by the time it got back to opener: without partner having been able to raise whichever major opener bid.


Again, a rough estimate has it at about 20% that, if opener bids 1♥, he cannot show ♠s below the 5-level, which makes it pretty dangerous to open 1♥, it seems to me.

These simulations are imperfect in that I am making subjective decisions about the extent to which the opps will compete, but there are a lot of 10-11 card minor fits in these 50 deals (altho some of them are between an opp and partner ) and I am assuming that EW will bounce anytime LHO can overcall, preemptively or otherwise, and rho has a big fit.

[the hog]

Just a comment on the bidding. Firstly as has been pointed out, 4H is an underbid, particularly when you give me back my knave of hearts.
Isn't 3H forcing in your system? 4H says pass or give me preference tio 4S.
Secondly, the 4NT bidder was clearly smoking something very strong and very noxious. He has a clear cut pass on THIS auction. 4NT is a beginner's bid!

[whereagles]

Hum.. well, 3NT as specific ace ask sure must be far rarer than gambling. Even 3NT as bal 25-27 must come out more often

[DWM]

Oops should check my records a bit closer before posting a hand it was AQTxxx for the hearts

[zimzam]

Open 1♠ and rebid 5♥. Partner would lift with a keycard then I hope

[whereagles]

Careful, zimzam... if you bid

1♠ 2♣
5♥

pard might think 5♥ is some kind of voidwood or grand slam try and bid 7♣

[Fluffy]

I can almost hear an old lady telling me: you need 18 HCP for jump shift, this hand is obvious 1♠+2♥, then accept partner invitation into 4♥, bridge is easy.