Posted 2019-August-07, 13:50
It seems, from this thread, that a lot of players lack confidence in their bidding methods, so come up with space-consuming jumps in order to be sure that partner won't pass. This is understandable but short-sighted. Make the correct bid, and if partner passes, have a discussion (preferably polite) about why you bid as you did and, hopefully, persuade partner that in future he will respect the force.
Perhaps a useful concept is the reverse by responder. Thus 1C 1D 2C 2M is a reverse, showing 4+ in the major (usually 4 simply on frequency grounds) and longer diamonds and game-force values. Note that there is no need for responder to bid 2M with less than game-going values, since opener has denied a 4 card major by rebidding 2N (indeed, this allows responder to be creative with 2M, and can use it with concentrated values, rather than length, so as to force and get opener, if possible, to bid notrump with the other major stopped, or to support diamonds...thus I'd bid 2M with say, KQx Jx AJ10xxx Qx: I'd bid 2S, paving the way for 3N from his side or a minor suit game.
1C 1D 1H creates a different scenario and much depends on how one plays 4SF here. I know some who use 1S and 2S for different purposes. While I have seen some attempts to justify this, none seem persuasive to me and I (much) prefer to play 1S as game-forcing, but neither promising nor denying spades. Opener will raise to 2S with 4, and otherwise make a descriptive bid. If I hold 4S myself, I can bid 4S over 2S with a minimum game force and otherwise set trump with 3S. If opener denies spades, by failing to raise, then my rebid of spades (say 1C 1D 1H 1S 2C....2S) shows that my 1S bid was based in part on 4 spades and now I am showing my 5th spade, and hence my 6th (or more) diamonds, and game-force.
Admittedly this is made trivial for me in that I have played a walsh style 2/1 for 30 years (moving the transfer-walsh in my serious partnerships about 6 years ago).
However, I think even basic Acol or 2/1 would use 1C 1D 1H 1S as natural and forcing for 1 round, and now over a non 2S bid by opener, a nonjump spade rebid by responder sends the same 5-6 gf message.
Yes, these hands are infrequent and, yes, your partners (if non-expert) may get confused and pass, but most of the time they will take another call even if they don't understand your bid...and in any event you should treat this as a learning experience for both of you. In the long terms both your bidding and partner's will improve if you learn discipline in bidding.
Note that as HV says, playing 1C 1D 1H 1S 1N 2S as only a one-round force (which frankly makes little sense to me, but probably because of my walsh experience), is just fine: responder is not going to pass next turn! Meanwhile jumping to 3S over 1N makes zero sense for reasons I set out in an earlier post. When one has potential slam or choice of games decisions, and the opponents are silent, it is criminal to preempt the auction when unsure of strain and level.
In what I expect to be my final post on this thread: here is my suggested t-walsh auction
1C 1S 1S is either a 1N bid with 5-8 hcp or any hand with diamonds...if with diamonds, will have no 4 card major unless gf with 5+D
2C 2S 2C shows an unbalanced hand with 5+ clubs. 2S is natural, and because 1S denied a major unless gf, it is by definition gf.
3D 4H we play kickback and this is one of those rare hands where responder doesn't need to hear any cuebids and can place the contract on hearing the response. However, if you disagree, we could bid 3S, ambiguous but forcing. Opener cues 4C and now responder uses whatever keycard ask the partnership has.
Over 4H opener admits to 3 keycards. Responder, in my view, should bid 7D. It will always have play and will often be cold on any non 4-0 trump break.
Note by the way that opener is declarer, though that would matter only on an unlikely club lead.
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari
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