[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     1♦    2NT
 Pass  4♠    Pass  6♠
 Pass  Pass  Pass  


just like to hear your thoughts on the use of unusual here please

[hrothgar]

fits requirements for a "good" hand
it worked...
whats not to like?

[the hog]

Well its a lot more acceptable than the last one you showed us Wayne. I can live with this bid, but I must admit that personally I would still overcall 1H.

[the hog]

Wayne, my current partner would probably bid 2NT on this; thats why I said I can live with the bid.

In the last one you showed us, the quality of the H suit was too poor for the bid. Here even though the suit qality is not brilliant, it is far better and your hand certainly has compensating strength.

The reason I would probably bid 1H on the hand is that you have 3 aces which means the opponents are unlikely to make game, so that you can bid this hand a little more slowly. My 2NT bids look more like
x
KJTxxx
x
AQxxx

or similar.

Incidentally, I like South's 6S bid.

Cheers
Ron

[coyot]

Some people play all 55 artifical bids as unlimited - I've found it helpful to use it on two types of hands only:
1) when willing to sacrifice against a modest hand (given vulnerability)
2) when strong enough to have slam interest against a modest hand

Add a queen to one of your 5cards and the hand qualifies as strong... you'd then something like A, K and a bit of length in support for the slam.

[pigpenz]

I do it all the time
Only wish some peepz would realize it doesnt have to be the minors only, in indis you tend to get hung alot for unusual notrumps that arent minors only, up thte point they will bid the minor that the oppz opened till the cows come home

[pigpenz]

sceptic, on Jul 17 2005, 06:15 PM, said:

Can you explain why pls Ron, I am struggling to understand these bids a bit

I think it gets down to what you expect partner to do after you make it...if you are there just to make noise and say you have 5-5 type hand then partner wont ever know what to do....the vulnerability has alot to do with it to...vulnerable the points should be concentrated in the your suits.

also the expectation of you not getting to play the hand. If you have a suit that maybe you want lead on defense then maybe your are better off bidding it first.

how many times have you seen an auction like
pass 1♥ pass 2♥
3♦ 4♥ your call

and you have 4♦'s to the king.
is partner just making noice, suggestion sacrifice, or defense?

[paulg]

It is popular, although by no means "standard", for an Unusual 2NT (or Michaels) to show either a weak hand or a strong one, but to overcall in one of the suits with intermediate hands.

The poor suit quality in this hand would suggest that it is minimum for a strong version.

One test on strength is to consider how happy you are to make further actions if the auction goes against you. In this auction your 6♠ bid is well judged (wd!), but if it was the opponents bidding 4♠ (e.g. 1♦-2NT!-3♠-P-4♠-?) would you continue bidding? If so, then 2NT is fine.

Paul