[han]

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What's your auction with these two hands? I'd prefer to see auctions where south opens 1D.

[rogerclee]

This is sort of reasonable:

1D - 2D
2S - 3C
3D - 3S
4S - P

With 2S stopper-showing but not promising extras, 3C asking for a stop.

[inquiry]

South  North
Pass    1♦
  1♠    2♠
  4♠  Pass

Sorry about starting with a pass by south. Life is full of disappointments. 11 hcp, 2 control points, 10 distibutional points, minus a point for Qx of hearts, comes to 22 ZAR points. I will open very light *with distribution*, but this is just a bit too light for me without it. Move the queen of hearts to diamonds, (♥xx ♦KQTx) and I would open. If you don't like the 4♠ bid, south could try something fancy like 2NT (if forcing) instead of 4♠, but double fit here gives 4♠ a reasonable chance and a 3♠ raise over 2♠ is a possibility. North with sound 2♠ raise will go on over 3♠ anyway.

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But, i don't want you to be too disappointed, so here is an auction where south is, er, aggressive and opens 1♦

South  North
Pass    1♦
  1♠    2♠
  4♠  Pass

Sorry about starting with a pass by south. Life is full of disappointments. 11 hcp, 2 control points, 10 distibutional points, minus a point for Qx of hearts, comes to 22 ZAR points. I will open very light *with distribution*, but this is just a bit too light for me without it. Move the queen of hearts to diamonds, (♥xx ♦KQTx) and I would open. If you don't like the 4♠ bid, south could try something fancy like 2NT (if forcing) instead of 4♠, but double fit here gives 4♠ a reasonable chance and a 3♠ raise over 2♠ is a possibility. North with sound 2♠ raise will go on over 3♠ anyway.

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[MFA]

1NT (11-14) - 3NT
Non-♣ lead, next board please.

[hrothgar]

Please note: I would pass the South hand

Here's my auction

1♦ - 2♦ (2♦ = inverted minor)
2♠ - 3♦ (2♠ = stopper. 3♦ = denies club stopper)
Pass

3♦ is non forcing and potentially a bit weak, however, I don't think that the hand is strong enough to force 5♦.

If I were willing to play 3N opposite no Club stop, I probably would have suppressed the Diamond suit from the get go and simply blasted 3N directly over 1♦.

[jdonn]

Sorry I don't really find any of the auctions that didn't reach 3NT reasonable. As far as I'm concerned south should not deny stoppers in any suit, since both his holdings combine with anything at all partner has to aid the stopper situation. Nor does he want to help his opponents who very likely will lead a spade, a heart from the ace, or a heart to the ace not being taken on the right. I guess they are reasonable as statements that "if we were to avoid 3NT, this would have to be the way" but they are not my idea of winning bridge by any means.

The closest is Inquiry's first auction, but 4♠ is a monster overbid. I mean you can't have it both ways, as "my Qx and J98 don't count as stoppers, but they add value to my hand for play in spades." South has an easy nonforcing 2NT bid if natural (or 2NT if an 'inquiry' haha) over which north has an easy 3NT bid on a super max with 3 card support. I have to admit I would upgrade as north so my auction is pass by south, 1NT by north, stayman 3NT.

[Echognome]

Gnomenclayture

1♣ (1) - 1♠(2)
1NT (3) - 2♣(4)
2♦(5) - 3NT(6)
Pass

(1) 2+ clubs
(2) Variety of hands, no 4cM unless reversing over diamonds
(3) 11-13 balanced
(4) Form of 2-way nmf
(5) Forced
(6) 5♦332 hand choice of games

In fact, North may just bid 3NT after 1NT

Gnome Club

South hand is a pass. North opens 1NT and after stayman, hands will be in 3NT.

So not great for either system.

[gnasher]

I wouldn't open 1D, but if I did:

1D   2NT (GF raise)
3NT        (11-14 balanced)

After an initial pass, I might manage:

pass 1D
1S    2S
3D         (invitational, 4-4)
       3H
3S   4S

but probably not - the North hand looks like a strong notrump to me.

[Roupoil]

I wouldn't open South hand either, but if I did :

1♦ 2♦ (GF)
2NT (balanced 12-14 or 18-19) 3NT

Maybe it could go something like that :

1♦ 2♦
2♠ (normally 5♦ and 4♠) 3♦ (no club stop)
3♠ (no club stop either, waiting bid) 4♠

but I am sure that, even after opening 1♦, I wouldn't bid like this at the table.

[kenrexford]

Using Golady:

1♦
2♣ (GF, artificial)
2♥ (four spades)
3♦ (diamond support)
3NT (nothing to say)
Pass

Another approach I use:

1♦
2♦ (Limit+ with diamonds, or balanced 13-15)
2♠ (natural, but not GF)
2NT (waiting)
3♦ (no club holding)
3♠ (delayed raise)
4♠

A third approach:

1♣ (not unbalanced with diamonds)
1♦
1NT
2♠
3♦
3♥
4♦
4♠
Pass

[whereagles]

My auction:

1♦ 2♦
2NT 3NT

2♦ = inverted raise
2NT = a very min balanced hand, 12-13 hcp (with good bal 13-14, opener bids 3♣ (artificial))
3NT = when both hands have no singleton, it's statistically favourable to skip stoppers and just bid 3NT

[Gerben42]

Quote

What's your auction with these two hands? I'd prefer to see auctions where south opens 1D.

That's borderline, but with Smirny I might stretch to an opening bid (playing 14-16 NT vuln.)

1♦ - 2♦
2NT - 3NT

Not vulnerable we HAVE an opening bid

1NT (good 10 - 13) - 3NT

If South sensibly passes either:

1NT - Stayman ... 3NT

or playing weak NT:

1♦ - 1♠
1NT - 3NT

[FrancesHinden]

I wouldn't open the South hand either, but suppose you fiddle with the layout slightly to give the same basic issue but South having an opening bid:

1♦ - 2♦
2♥ - 2♠
3NT - P

2♦ = inverted, INV+
2♥ = 12-14 or 18-19 balanced
2♠ = random game force, no singleton
3NT = minimum weak NT

North could bid 3NT over 2♥, but his hand looks better as dummy due to lack of tenaces.

As jdonn says I could invent an acution that plays in 4S, but I'd be lying.

[skjaeran]

I'd pass this south hand with partners where this distribution would systemically be a 1♦ opening, and open it 1♣ with all my regular partners.

Our bidding would be 1♣ - 2NT(13+ bal.) - 3NT.
Alternatively p - 1NT - Stayman - 3NT.

[mike777]

Bid this tough hand via email. I bid the opener's hand.

1d was automatic
3c=game force in D, unbalanced often (crisscross)
3s= showed a spade stopper.
4s= see partner's comments and his guess of my hand.

"The auction should go

1D 3C
3S 4S
pass

Once responder decides he shouldn't bid 3NT on two small (and he shouldn't), he is end-played into bidding past 3NT, so bid what you have...your strongest holding outside of trumps IS the KQx of spades, and since you've already denied 4 spades, partner will play you for a strong 3-card holding. If opener doesnt really have 4 spades OR if he has a much stronger hand, he can bid on.

But this auction is ideal, and simple (we like simple) if he has some hand as crummy as we like to open such as:

AJxx Qx KJxx xxx"

[Fluffy]

3NT whoever opens, south is not even close to an openig in my style.

[655321]

1♦      2♦
2NT    3NT