[irdoz]

1h-1s-3c-3d
3h-4h-ap

---

This is a hand from the Vugraph tonight I have a couple of questions about.

I always have troubles with this hand not playing a strong club system. I have played around with putting 18-19 nt hands in a multi so you can free up 2nt for other purposes and even putting these hands in 2c and amending the usual 2c structure - but in usual 2/1 I manufacture a jump shift on a 3-card suit which has often ended up badly.

So my questions are:

1. Is there any common system for responder enquiring about hand type after 1M-1s/nt-3m?

2. After the 3d bid (4th suit) should opener bid 3nt or their 6 card heart suit? If they bid 3nt n/s might find 6d.

[Yogeshdg]

This auction for me and p goes 1♥-2♦-3♥-3♠-4♦-4nt-5♣(0314)-6♦.

[rogerclee]

Yogeshdg, on Mar 12 2008, 11:15 PM, said:

This auction for me and p goes 1♥-2♦-3♥-3♠-4♦-4nt-5♣(0314)-6♦.

3♠/4♦ = cuebids

[Yogeshdg]

rogerclee, on Mar 13 2008, 01:23 AM, said:

Yogeshdg, on Mar 12 2008, 11:15 PM, said:

This auction for me and p goes 1♥-2♦-3♥-3♠-4♦-4nt-5♣(0314)-6♦.

3♠/4♦ = cuebids

My regular p i meant (and we obviously know our bidding)

But whether we can make 6♦ is a different story.

[rogerclee]

Yogeshdg, on Mar 12 2008, 11:32 PM, said:

rogerclee, on Mar 13 2008, 01:23 AM, said:

Yogeshdg, on Mar 12 2008, 11:15 PM, said:

This auction for me and p goes 1♥-2♦-3♥-3♠-4♦-4nt-5♣(0314)-6♦.

3♠/4♦ = cuebids

My regular p i meant (and we obviously know our bidding)

But whether we can make 6♦ is a different story.

You sat down with your partner and decided that it was better for 3♠ to be natural and 6-5 rather than a cuebid after a jump-rebid in a GF auction, leaving yourself with only 4♥ as agreeing hearts as trumps?

Cool!

[awm]

1. I have seen a number of people play that a jump shift into clubs (1M-1X-3♣) can be an artificial game force with a one-suited hand. This makes the jump shift into diamonds always a real suit. In this case (or anyways over 1M-1X-3♣) it's common to use 3♦ as an asking bid, where opener rebids 3M on a one-suited game force and makes any other rebid (basically natural) to confirm real clubs.

A nice alternative method is to play Gazzilli (opener's 2♣ rebid is forcing and includes all very strong hands).

2. With a nice heart suit like this one, 3♥ is the right rebid. Partner can always bid 3♠ as a last-ditch attempt to reach 3NT, which opener will accept. Note that 3♣ is game forcing so a 3♠ rebid by responder would be natural and forcing (1♥-1♠-3♣-3♠ natural forcing). Thus a sequence like 1♥-1♠-3♣-3♦-3♥-3♠ is probably not a serious suggestion to play in spades opposite a non-fit (responder would bid 3♠ not 3♦ with that).

[mike777]

Non expert here, I would have bid it:
1h=1s!
3c=3d
3h=4d
5d?=p?


1s=walsh style, bid a 4 card major before long minor with invite or less.
5d?=sounds likepartner has 4 spades and long d, sort of stuck here. May miss slam.

[kenrexford]

Not sure about the "Opening 2♣" idea. The tweaking of Opener's calls after a forcing 1NT with a 2NT rebid and/or tweaking 2♣ helps a lot, though. Transfer, or "one under," rebids also might help.

BTW, and as an aside. Opening 2♥ and 2♠ to show 5-6M, 4-5♣, 11-15 or so (light opening), in standard or 2/1 loses weak two's but helps with opening up options in forcing 1NT sequences and in resolving the high-reverse problem.

[Codo]

1 ♥ 1 ♠ 3 ♥ 4 ♥

I am not made in America, so I am still no big fan of the fake jump and I am glad with my jump to 3 Heart which needs about 2 tricks from pd to make game.

If I would play the fake jump, the bidding would be

1♥ 1 ♠ 3 ♣ 3 ♦ 3 ♥ 4 ♥ no matter whether 3 Diamond was asking (what I would prefer) or showing a second suit.

[mikeh]

I think the north hand has a very tough call at round 2. There are arguments, of varying degrees of soundness, for:

2♣: obviously best if one plays a version of Gazilli or Cole, but some would advocate it even without these agreements: one of the commentators on vugraph said that Kokish would surely bid 2♣. It is not quite as silly as it may sound, because of the inadequacy of the alternatives

3♣: probably the consensus expert choice: this hand is a minimum, perhaps even a sub-minimum for a game force when the hearts are suspect, we don't have real clubs, and we have a stiff in partner's suit. Adam noted that some players (me amongst them) use 3♣ as artificial... after opening 1♥, the jumpshift shows either very good hearts or real clubs... the problem is that this hand isn't really either

2N: this distorts the major suit length, but is otherwise right on values... however, the distortion is probably unacceptable to most players.

3♥: this gets the heart suit into context and doesn't distort the shape, but could be bid with a full King less, so is a major strength distortion

Assuming no agreement that 2♣ is forcing, I'd rank the calls as 3♣ 100, 2N 80, 2♣ 60 and 3♥30.

As for what responder is to bid: 3♦ over 3♣ seems normal, even if it is probably futile... it's main benefit is to allow opener to suggest the denomination... and that will NOT include diamonds, since 3♦ would not, to most experts, promise a suit... it is a stall. Opener might, for example, be 3=5=1=4 or 3=6=1=3 etc and now we get to spades.

As for the 3♥ rebid by opener.. I'd prefer 3N with that hand.

Having seen the 3♥ rebid, I'd think that 3♠ would be the more popular choice compared to 4♥ (with 3N a distant 3rd choice), but I don't think that 4♥ is horrible.

As for the poster who claimed that they'd respond 2♦ and then, over 3♥, rebid 3♠ and find their way to 6♦...... if intended as a joke, well done.. if intended seriously... well, your methods are certainly a long, long way from mainstream

[kfay]

Jlall, on Mar 13 2008, 02:57 AM, said:

Don't really understand the 4H bid in this auction.

Wasn't this your partners' auction, Justin? I'd think you would be happy

oops, nm. I think your Ps were in 3NT.