[Badmonster]

This has come up a couple of times in the last couple of days. Without agreements I've had the option of making the technically correct bid (as I understand it) or the bid that will lead to the least confusion. I chose the bid that seemed like it had the best chance of working out. 1nt x with a hand with long clubs and few points I chose 2nt (leb) figuring I wanted to get out in 3c. I was told that the correct bid was 2c (agreements will vary.) It didn't go so great.
21 points 6/4 in the minors. I could have opened 2c, but it was an indy, p played some system I didn't know. I had no idea if we'd have a comprehensible auction, so I decided on a js. This too went badly.

And yet...

They say the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I must be crazy. I still think that making the bid that is least likely to lead to confusion might be right sometimes.

Does your mileage vary?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

playing without agreements, I will make the bid,
that will make the least assumption.

#1 Bidding 2NT as Lebensohl is out, bid 2C followed
by 3C, the alternative being pass
#2 Avoid opening with 2C, this may lead to missing some
games / slams, but you will keep the bidding in known
waters

With kind regards
Marlowe

[ralph23]

I agree on making the bid that is least likely to lead to confusion. Never make a fancy bid when a simple one will do.

However there is no magic bullet and some confusion is inevitable. I would have gambled on 2♣ in both auctions but who knows what will work best when playing with an unknown partner ?

I played against one fellow on BBO not too long ago who claimed to be "advanced" .... he played some system in which he always (more or less) opened any opening hand with 1♣, even those containing 5 (or longer!) card majors. Of course, this totally flummoxed his partners and his side did just terrible.

I asked him "Who plays that system?" and he said "I do". So it was his own and he loved it I guess, but he kept using it and using it, even though his partners were completely bewildered. He just did not seem to get it.

Now that's crazy. You were just a bad guesser a couple of times