[32519]

PeterAlan, on 2014-February-05, 11:36, said:

Finally, a convention requires more than regulatory conformance to "shine brighter by the day". It also needs a cadre of people wanting to play it. I note your apt self-chosen Member Title - are there enough others?

The quickest and shortest route to recognition?
I am still waiting for one of you guys to get me an invitation to the next "Secret Bridge Olympics". After my convention has been given the thumbs up there, many more will start playing it.

Now about that invite!!!

[32519]

How about this hand from a club game.

---

Notes on the bidding:
1. With equal length in the majors, the idea is to bid the lower ranking one first in order to keep the bidding low.
2. East has a positive response to the big 4-4-4-1 hand but no 4-card major. With those types of hands, you raise 2NT to 3NT as it may be the last making game.

West with the singleton ♦10 was hoping for the magical fit in ♣ when 3NT was removed.

3. 4♥ confirmed ♣ as the longer minor. If the longer minor was ♦, East would bid 4♦ over 4♣. If East had showed his longer minor suit to be ♦ and not ♣ the auction would have ended in 4NT. With 4-4 in the minors, East will discourage the slam try by attempting to sign-off in 4NT.
4. East showed 1 keycard, either the ♣A or the ♦A. With a known 9-card trump fit, West bid the slam.

3/5 tables played in 3NT

[Zelandakh]

32519, on 2014-February-06, 21:51, said:

With a known 9-card trump fit, West bid the slam.

Is East not allowed to hold 3334 shape?

Incidentally, you can improve your structure over 2NT by using 3♣ as a relay for the shortage. That would allow East to look for slam with more security and more knowledge of the hand as a whole. A simple systems version is for Opener simply to bid the shortage, eg 2♦ - 2♥; 2NT - 3♣; 3♦ - 4♣; 4♦ - 4♥; 4♠ - 6♣

Better is to bid the suit below the shortage and then relay further but that has a lot more work to it. As an example:

3♦ = short hearts
... - 3♥ = relay
... - ... - 3♠ = 4144 min
... - ... - 3NT = 40(45) min
... - ... - 4♣ = 4144 extras
... - ... - 4♦ = 40(45) extras
3♥ = spade shortage
... - 3♠ = relay
... - ... - 3NT = min (4♣ relays for shape)
... - ... - 4♣ = 1444 extras
... - ... - 4♦ = 04(45) extras
3♠ = diamond shortage, min
... - 4♣ = relay
... - ... - 4♦ = 4414
... - ... - 4♥ = 4405
3NT = club shortage, min
... - 4♣ = relay
... - ... - 4♦ = 4441
... - ... - 4♥ = 4450
4♣ = diamond shortage, extras
... - 4♦ = relay
... - ... - 4♥ = 4414
... - ... - 4♠ = 4405
4♦ = 4441
4♥ = 4450

Chris Ryall's site is a good one to visit for this and Ben (inquiry) also uses a version of this.

I am not sure what the point on this hand is other than that club players are generally poor bidders. After a start like 1♣ - 2♣; 3♦, East is in a similar position to the auction above.

[gwnn]

Zelandakh, on 2014-February-07, 03:48, said:

Is East not allowed to hold 3334 shape?

If you check the hand diagram again, I think you will find that East is not 3334, so no.

Spoiler

[32519]

Zelandakh, on 2014-February-07, 03:48, said:

Incidentally, you can improve your structure over 2NT by using 3♣ as a relay for the shortage.

After 2NT, 3♣ would show a bust from East. Now the continuation bidding structure changes to Baron, with E/W bidding 4-card suits up the line. With a bust, East will often make a judgement call of playing in a 4-3 trump fit as soon as one is found, East with 3-cards in the suit shown be West.

Don't lose sight of the fact that the 2♦ bid can include 4 possible hand patterns.

[PhilKing]

32519, on 2014-February-06, 21:51, said:

How about this hand from a club game.

---

Notes on the bidding:
1. Oh no, my partner has opened 2♦ again. This is unlikely to end well.

2. I can't remember what to do, optherwise I would relay with 3♣. Anyway, I have a few points, so hopefully 3NT will roll home.

West, with exactly the same hand he showed on the previous round, continues in the hope that his partner has some extra values.

3. I have no idea what is going on, perhaps this is Gerber? I will show one ace and see what happens.

4. This is turning into a nightmare. I think we play sliding Gerber, so I will deny a king.

5. I should probably bid Seven now, but we have had too many disasters with this convention. Let's take the sure plus for once.

I spoke to East and this is what really happened (see above).

[Zelandakh]

32519, on 2014-February-07, 04:49, said:

Don't lose sight of the fact that the 2♦ bid can include 4 possible hand patterns.

I am not - the suggestion comes after 2NT, which is always a strong 3-suiter.

What I am saying is that instead of 3♣ negative and others positive you would be better served making 3♣ your positive and other bids negative. Many pairs playing this form of 3-suited 2NT rebid have the possibility of showing weakness earlier too but that is unavailable in your system. In my system I can not only show a bust before Opener's rebid but also switch down to the rebid being 2♦ in this case, allowing for an escae in 2M sometimes. It is also the case that my lower end for showing a 3-suited is higher so Responder has an even easier time advancing. In fact my auction on this hand begins 1♣ - 1♠; 3♣, where Opener has shown 15-17hcp and precisely 4414 shape while Responder has denied a 4 card major and established a GF. Having shown the hand it is up to East to decide what to do next and would be a breach of partnership trust for West to take another bite of the cherry if there was a sign off in 3NT.

[manudude03]

I think West deserves to catch East with xxx xxx AKQ xxxx where on a bad day where you might struggle to make 3C, let alone 6.

[32519]

Zelandakh, on 2014-February-07, 05:59, said:

What I am saying is that instead of 3♣ negative and others positive you would be better served making 3♣ your positive and other bids negative.

I am going to adopt this suggestion of yours, reversing my 3♣ and 3♦ meanings. Doing that the auction will change as follows:

---

[phil_20686]

Zelandakh, on 2014-February-05, 02:21, said:

Do you consider my post above flaming? I would be somewhat disappointed with myself if it came across that way.

Not really.

I just remember a lot of long and pointless arguments about conventions that were clearly absurd.

[32519]

How about this hand?
17/18 played in 4♠
1/18 played in 5♣

---

Finding out that the 5♣ bid after the 2♦ opening showed a minimum of 14 HCP, South was hesitant to bid on. As the cards lie, 5♠ makes.

[Antrax]

See Zel, that's trolling. You still have a way to go.

[johnu]

32519, on 2014-February-07, 11:42, said:

Finding out that the 5♣ bid after the 2♦ opening showed a minimum of 14 HCP, South was hesitant to bid on. As the cards lie, 5♠ makes.

I had my doubts about this convention, but amazing results like this makes me reconsider. This is the greatest advance in bidding theory since spiral transfer Gerber over raptor 1NT overcalls IMHO. And you can quote me on this.

[Lord Molyb]

32519, on 2014-February-07, 11:42, said:

How about this hand?
17/18 played in 4♠
1/18 played in 5♣

---

Finding out that the 5♣ bid after the 2♦ opening showed a minimum of 14 HCP, South was hesitant to bid on. As the cards lie, 5♠ makes.

4NT is a much better bid than 5 clubs anyway

[gwnn]

In which club are you playing and why haven't they taken their medicine that night? East passed over 4S 17 times? Alternatively, if east managed to introduce diamonds and clubs at some point, west failed to bid 5C?

[Vampyr]

Maybe the problem is that they have taken their medicine, but they have smoked it in a little pipe.

[whereagles]

The convention seems to be notoriously unsound, both on theoretical and practical grounds (as the final contract shows). 2C as the Lee opener would be fine, of course. 2D puts opps to a guess, but they only have to guess sometimes. Opener side, on the other hand, ALWAYS has to make some guess.

As to the play, there's sooooo many hcps possibilities for LHO that I would think it's a far cry NOT to finesse.

[32519]

Suggest a defence to this hand:

---

The opening bid promises one of the following hand patterns -
1. A natural weak 2 in diamonds, 6-11 HCP
2. 6-4 in the majors, 10-15 HCP
3. A big 4441 hand, 16+ HCP
4. A big 5-5 hand in the minors, 14+ HCP

West knows that South has opened one of the three strong hand patterns. But the West hand does not form part of your defensive agreements, which are these:
1. Double is for takeout of a natural weak-two in diamonds
2. Any new suit is natural and at least a 5-card suit
3. 2NT is natural, 15-17 HCP
4. 3♦ is Michaels, 5-5 in the majors

What would you suggest from West?
1. Gambling 3NT? This would probably need to be played from East's side of the table. What bidding sequence would get you there?
2. A jump to 4♦ to jam the auction?
3. A jump to 5♦ as an advance sacrifice?
4. Something else?

[manudude03]

With the agreements given, I would just pass, but I think it is crazy for 3D to be michaels there.

[the hog]

3D Natural. What's the problem? Why would you want 3D to be 5/5 Ms?