[jillybean]

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Teams, you need a swing. 15-17 nt
Do you make a toronto-transfer and leave it partner or do you have another plan?

[pescetom]

At MP I follow the system: a Tallinn-transfer to 2♠ and then jump to 4♠, showing mild slam interest.

But yes, at teams needing the swing I would probably jump to 4♣ instead, control-bid (not necessarily splinter) in our system. If she can find 4♦ and continue after my 4♠ then I start to hope.

[jillybean]

Is it mild?

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2026-September-18, 08:53, said:

Is it mild?

At MP yes, here no.

[pescetom]

Thanks for kicking me back into teams thinking, I'm playing far too much MP and have the regional teams finals looming next weekend (top 3 and a half teams qualify for nationals: almost a mission impossibile for us, we already struggled to make the cut for the finals).

We had a slam/grand decision yesterday that would have been different at teams, will post it tomorrow.

[thepossum]

I would just take it easy via 2 hearts transfer and take it from there. I could consider Texas but they take up too much space and are often just game going

[mike777]

If I need a swing then tfr to 2spades and pass, if we need a full game swing then just bid 3NT, don't mention spades

[Cyberyeti]

Any hints what the no-trump is? I thought you played weak

[jillybean]

Sorry , strong nt here

pescetom. I don't find it easy swapping between MP and IMP

[WasWinM]

Why does everyone think he or she has to wear the tights and the cape and the big chest S. Maybe partner opened a 13 pt. strong NT to alter the course of history. I'm a big believer in the Herb Brooks 1980 admonition to his hockey players: Play your game. The only adjustments I ever made were slight, bidding the slam needed Q onside or the like, but never trying to fool partner or mastermind the auction.

On this hand I'll transfer and if partner can't super fit jump I'll settle for game.

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2026-September-18, 10:23, said:

Sorry , strong nt here

I assumed 15-17, with upgrades. Still don't need to be Cyberyeti to construct hands that will barely make game here.

 jillybean, on 2026-September-18, 10:23, said:

pescetom. I don't find it easy swapping between MP and IMP

I don't think anyone does. But at least you are getting regular practice at IMPs, I've been if full immersion of MP all summer and it becomes automatic.

[akwoo]

I bid 2H. Over 2S, I bid 4H; over any superaccept, I control bid clubs.

Form of scoring doesn't matter, nor does needing a swing. Over the mild slam try, partner should know that we're looking for controls.

[mw64ahw]

pescetom, on 2026-September-18, 08:51, said:

At MP I follow the system: a Tallinn-transfer to 2♠ and then jump to 4♠, showing mild slam interest.

But yes, at teams needing the swing I would probably jump to 4♣ instead, control-bid (not necessarily splinter) in our system. If she can find 4♦ and continue after my 4♠ then I start to hope.

Roughly my approach too, but maybe its better for the straight 4♠ to be the stronger slam try and cue-bidding to be the mild try.
Playing Kickbo/Turbo you can still identify 2 quick losers and stronger try will be safer in 5♠?

[jillybean]

WasWinM, on 2026-September-18, 11:09, said:

Why does everyone think he or she has to wear the tights and the cape and the big chest S. Maybe partner opened a 13 pt. strong NT to alter the course of history. I'm a big believer in the Herb Brooks 1980 admonition to his hockey players: Play your game. The only adjustments I ever made were slight, bidding the slam needed Q onside or the like, but never trying to fool partner or mastermind the auction.

On this hand I'll transfer and if partner can't super fit jump I'll settle for game.

I can trust my partner to have their 1nt bid.

[DavidKok]

To generate a swing, go back a few rounds and play better. More seriously, I'm not making a slam try with this unless partner can cooperate at a cheap level. Please don't hang me just because of the state of the match, partner.

[pescetom]

--

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2026-September-18, 11:09, said:

I assumed 15-17, with upgrades. Still don't need to be Cyberyeti to construct hands that will barely make game here.

Partner can be anywhere from a hand where game needs the trumps to behave and you really wouldn't want to be in 5 to Qxx, Axx, Ax, KQJxx where 7 is excellent

If partner can have a hand with a stiff spade, it's even worse

[Kaitlyn S]

jillybean, on 2026-September-18, 08:42, said:

---

Teams, you need a swing. 15-17 nt
Do you make a toronto-transfer and leave it partner or do you have another plan?

I'd like to plan that I am wrong about needing a swing - stuff happens at the other table.

I played in a 7 board round where we were so badly off after the first four boards that our opponents switched away from a strong club and played standard to avoid a swing. We thought we made reasonable decisions but nothing worked. At the other table, the opponents made all the same decisions we did, but they also thought that they were getting killed and doubled a cold contract and we won the match with the doubled contract.

I wasn't in this match but I had heard of a 7 board match where a team thought they were down by 60. It turns out that one of their teammates had successfully manipulated several boards and they won by about 30! An example: they played a grand slam that depended on a working trump finesse in game. At the other table, the opponents bid the grand slam, but their teammate correctly divined that the A K of trump would be on his left and led low from the queen third of trump. Declarer clearly misguessed and the pair that missed any slam gained 13 IMPs as a result!

[akwoo]

Kaitlyn S, on 2026-September-18, 14:27, said:

I played in a 7 board round where we were so badly off after the first four boards that our opponents switched away from a strong club and played standard to avoid a swing.

Just FYI, this is illegal in the ACBL (and probably most jurisdictions). You must play the same system throughout a session. (Switching by vulnerability and seat is allowed.)

[WasWinM]

jillybean, on 2026-September-18, 11:32, said:

I can trust my partner to have their 1nt bid.

Then I bid my hand normally. I'm not getting excited unless partner super accepts.