[Fluffy]

 wyman, on 2012-June-04, 09:14, said:

This is really interesting. I opened 1N holding AK109x / 98x / AKx / xx

After partner bid hearts and clubs, I thought AK AK -- even in side suits -- was too good for 4H, so I bid 3H.

2) Do you agree?

Certainly no. Zero honnors in partner´s suit, only 3 low trumps, and a king below maximum you gotta be kidding.

[MrAce]

 Zelandakh, on 2012-June-04, 07:46, said:

FYP. Not every general rule is generally played.

It would be a surprise to me, if 3 NT meant serious-nonserious, without prior agreement.

I agree with Phil.

[Codo]

Whether or not you use 3 NT as ser/non serious in these and analogous situations is not written down on CCs. So if you want to judge what is standard, you should talk about the guys you know. My experience with US Experts is non existence, but I know some bidding systems from guys who play here, where I live.

May someone share some (more) names of people who do not play ser/nonserious in situations like this one, but do so after other openings? After all, this could be the only way to decide if something is standard or not...

BTW: I would ask Italian experts, if I ever have a question about modern and effective bidding. With no Italians avaiable, I would ask the top polish pairs. But as much as we all agree that the top pairs from the US bid (and play) better then the top german pairs, there may be no consensus about this opinion.

[Codo]

 wyman, on 2012-June-04, 09:14, said:

This is really interesting. I opened 1N holding AK109x / 98x / AKx / xx

1) Do you agree? [(14)15-17]
----

After partner bid hearts and clubs, I thought AK AK -- even in side suits -- was too good for 4H, so I bid 3H.

2) Do you agree?
----

3) If we agree to play NS3S here, regardless of what's standard, what is your approach with my hand after 4C?

4) Suppose that we agree that NS3S is off here.
...4a) If we have no agreements about LTTC, is 4D clear?
...4b) If 4D is LTTC, would you still make the bid, though it's ambivalent about diamond controls?

----

I thought NS3S was on, so I assumed 4C was serious. I think 4D is clear (now) but I KC'd which I think is pretty terrible, since it takes captaincy from partner. ♥H10x was off, so we were -1 in 5H. Had I bid 4D over 4C, I would have bid over 4H anyway (again, thinking 4C was serious), so probably same result, but I really felt unsure about a lot of calls in this auction.

1. yes

2. no- this hand is a classic example why the "polish style" (at least I learned it from there...) to upgrade for honours in the long suits is superior.
3. 4 ♥
4 a No idea, if you must show a control, you must bid 4 ♦, but as I have no experience with this style, I do not know what you have to do here.
4 b no way.