[hanp]

Suppose you hold

J10x
-
AQJ10x
K109xx

Partner opens 2C. You play that 2H is negative (2D is GF), 2C - 2D- 2H is Kokish and not much else is discussed. What's your call?

[MarkDean]

3♦ for me, thanks for the diamond ten.

[rbforster]

I normally play that bids other than the waiting bids of 2♦♥ show good 5+ suits with 2/3 top honors. As such, I think I'd bid 3♦.

Over the expected 3♥, I will not be embarrassed to bid 4♣.

[jdonn]

I'll go 3♦ and follow with 4♣. If all partner does in the meantime is bid and rebid hearts then I'll follow with 5NT and let him choose what slam to go down in.

[miguelm]

opps... got this all wrong...

[OleBerg]

2♦

If partner doesn't jump to 3♥, I'll be happy to introduce both of my suits.

If partner thinks that:

2♣ - 2♦
2♥ - 3♦
3♥ - 4♣

is a cuebid, it's back to the B/I.

[JLOL]

OleBerg, on Apr 24 2009, 02:42 PM, said:

2♦

If partner doesn't jump to 3♥, I'll be happy to introduce both of my suits.

If partner thinks that:

2♣ - 2♦
2♥ - 3♦
3♥ - 4♣

is a cuebid, it's back to the B/I.

In this auction you haven't shown anything. Why do you consider this auction to be superior to one where partner has bid hearts 1 less tiem but you have shown both good values and good diamonds.

A lot of people also play kokish which would be terrible for bidding 2D on this hand obviously.

[Phil]

Feels wrong to give a positive response with a good two suiter like this. I'll start with 2♦.

[OleBerg]

JLOL, on Apr 24 2009, 10:37 PM, said:

OleBerg, on Apr 24 2009, 02:42 PM, said:

2♦

If partner doesn't jump to 3♥, I'll be happy to introduce both of my suits.

If partner thinks that:

2♣ - 2♦
2♥ - 3♦
3♥ - 4♣

is a cuebid, it's back to the B/I.

In this auction you haven't shown anything. Why do you consider this auction to be superior to one where partner has bid hearts 1 less tiem but you have shown both good values and good diamonds.

A lot of people also play kokish which would be terrible for bidding 2D on this hand obviously.

Well first off, as a general principle I don't like to gobble up bidding space, when our correct strain is so uncertain. All denominations but spades is possible.

I might not be aware of all the implications of Kokish, but as I read OP's post, 2♣ - 2♦, 2♥ would show hearts or a balanced hand. Cannot see anything terrible in this, but I might be missing something.

It might be right, that I haven't shown anything but GF values, but I have shown a large part of my distribution. 4♣ will almost always be 5-5. Furthermore, partner has had the chance to show something, and by inference deny other things.

In my book, a jump to 3♥ on 2♦ would set thrumphs. I would really like to know whether partner can bid this or not. If he cannot, I will naturally go out of my way to find another strain.

And in the rare circumstances were partner doesn't have a heart-one-suiter, a 3♦ bid will really mess things up.

I would assume, that in the sequence:

2♣ - 2♦
2♥ - ???

2♠ would ask for clarification (even if undiscussed).
As I do not bid that, I would not find it unreasonable to assume that 3♦ shows something substantial in the suit, but also a hand with other possible strains, as I didn't bid 3♦ directly.

[gnasher]

After the first three responses I was starting to worry that the world had become horribly sane.

[mikeh]

I think this is a complex issue.

My thoughts: I have a complex hand, while most 2♣ opening bids are simple... most often a strong balanced hand or a strong 1 suiter. I have the values to (almost) insist upon slam, but no idea at all as to strain or exact level.

My tendency is to show positive suit responses only with simple hands... not with 2 suiters or other complex hand types. I have found this to be very effective.

Kokish, which I use, does pose a risk... we will be at 3 hearts before we have given any description of our hand type... if he has a heart one-suiter, I will probably regret 2♦.. altho the auction 3♦ 3♥ 4♣ doesn't fill me with warm fuzzy feelings either... we are very high and still looking for strain... what if he rebids 4♥? He often will when over kokish his rebid would be 3♥... altho I agree that he will often be able to prefer, even on a false basis, to 4♦, say on Kx... which would prove very useful...altho it is far from clear where we go from there.

If, otoh, he bids: any number of notrump...ie kokish first or directly... or spades or (and I know this won't happen) a minor, I am going to be happier after 2♦ than after 3♦.

On balance, however, there is something about this that hints, just a tad, that partner has the heart one suiter.

In that case, while I am not completely happy, I think I have to bid 3♦.

Put another way: I think that 2♦ opposite a heart one suiter has a bigger downside than does 3♦ opposite any other hand... for one thing, opposite any other hand, this hand drives to a slam so loss of bidding space is not a big deal.. opposite the heart one suiter, I had best start showing my shape now before it is too late.

[Fluffy]

I am not familiar with Kokish, as far as I though 2♦-2♥ obliged 2♠. This hand looks like a good exception to that rule, but I have no clue of what is partner expecting when we do this.

I like starting with 3♦ anyway. Unless 2♦+3♦ (or 2NT/3♣) shows something very specfic that we have.

[Fluffy]

jdonn, on Apr 24 2009, 04:15 PM, said:

I'll go 3♦ and follow with 4♣. If all partner does in the meantime is bid and rebid hearts then I'll follow with 5NT and let him choose what slam to go down in.

If partner is whereagles I think you better pass and go down in 4♥ undoubled

[skjaeran]

In most partnerships I play 2♣-2NT as showing a positive with 55m, and a direct 3m as a sound 6-card suit. Holding ♠JTx makes 2NT less obvious, but I think I'd respond 2NT anyway.

Without the agreemens above I'd most probably respond 2♦.