[Cascade]

Hi

Anyone playing Negative Free Bids how do you play the following auction?

1♥ (2♣) X (3♣)
X

What is this double?

and if the auction continues

1♥ (2♣) X (3♣)
X (P) 3♠

What is 3♠ Now?

TIA

[Free]

I'm used to play neg freebids, and the Dbl would be responsive. When the auction continues, 3♠ should be at least a 4 card, to stay under 3NT when opener had only 3♠s...

[inquiry]

Don't listen to me, I never liked negative free bids, but here is how I use to play them.

The bid of a suit after their overcall showed something like 10HCP or less and the suit bid, not forcing. A double (like in your example) was either a real negative double, or a hand too good for a negative free bid.

So this brings us back to the questions on your auctions. I play the double of 3♣ here as optional. I expect partner to have ♠ and ♦ (a typical negative double), and opposite that, I think I can beat it. I DO NOT play this as "responsive or takeout", since I play partner for showing the unbid suits with his initial double, so I have no need to tell my partner I have those suits too. I expect with a negative double hand my partner will generally pass this double, or perhaps take me back to 3♥.

What is 3♠ after I double 3♣? It certainly is not 4♠s. I denied 4♠ when I went wacking 3♣. It shows a real ♠ suit, and a hand too good for a negative double. In addition, since he expects me to be defensive oriented for my optional double, I think partner will not be spades and minimum (like 11 or 12) becasue he could generally pass that.

But then again, I may never have played negative free bids right, so take this advice understanding that this is not somehting I bid anymore.

Ben

[the hog]

I play -ve free bids

The X by opener is a penalty suggestion

The 3S bid by responder is forcing with S. There is also a strong suggestion that the S are not that great, as with an excellent S suit responder would have jumped to 3S.

This appears to be a fairly standard way of playing it too Wayne, judging by Marek Wojcicki's notes.

Ron

[Cascade]

The_Hog, on May 14 2004, 02:22 AM, said:

This appears to be a fairly standard way of playing it too Wayne, judging by Marek Wojcicki's notes.

Where do I find Marek Wojcicki's notes?

TIA

[the hog]

Try looking in your email inbox. (I'll send them now.)
There is heaps more, but its all in Polish. Alex translated what I sent you.
Cheers

[mishovnbg]

Hi Wayne!
In bulgaria is very common to play negative free bids at 2/4 level and RF bids at 1/3 level - best way imo: 1 level good opponents will not allow you to play; 2 level is critical - with good 5 cards major suit can be too late to guess board if they continue to compete; 3 level of new suit rare can be exactly right contract, 3NT for example can be same; 4 level game is normal NF.

1) Most of bulgarian good players will bid dbl with hcp enough for game and without 4 cards in ♠ or stopper ♣ and hand for NT. This is actually Garozzo 2/3 double, despite bulgarians don't know name of this convention.

2) 3♠ is normally 5+♠ and GF, but can be also with 4♠ and strong hand without ♣ stopper, because lack of bidding space.

Misho

[Trpltrbl]

I would say that X would be Penalty oriented. With a 4 card ♠ he would just bid it, therefore also denying ♣ stopper, since he didn't bid 3 NT.

Mike