[pescetom]

mikeh, on 2026-May-21, 07:31, said:

How about

1C (P) 1D (1H) P

Then, opps passing throughout:

West reopens with. 2H

2H 2N. 3C. Responder has shown long diamonds, long clubs, a game force hand and no help for notrump. Opener has shown a minimum with. A heart stopper and no support for diamonds. Weird how natural bidding can be so descriptive, lol. As David says, shape is important.

I’d be surprised if we’d reach slam. Make opener 3=3=2=5 and slam is down, and I don’t see how anyone could tell the difference…although maybe the opps would help out.

That's exactly how it would start in my current main partnership... I haven't even looked if we would reach slam then.
Only 6% did at national level and nobody at local level.

[pescetom]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-May-21, 06:40, said:

I think 2C is not a good bid, and this is putting it mildly, unless every other bid denies game forcing strength.
If a failure to bid 2C denies game going strength, you need artifical followups. to descripe the shape.
I tried to play such methods for short time, than my p got lost (he discovered dancing and in the process his future wife,
,they are still married after approx. 20y), it was hard to learn, and I have no idea, how well the method holds up, if
they interfere.

Every other bid except an unlimited 1/1 does deny game forcing strength.
I've played this way for ten years and do not recall a real problem except under duress from opponents, even with natural follow ups.
Many do play a 2D relay to sort out shape and strength, but even that is not a free lunch and the frequency is way too low for me to insist with my partners.

P_Marlowe, on 2026-May-21, 06:40, said:

In the end West has 2 suits he wants to show, after 2C, he will bid 3D and he still has not send the club suit across, and
this would have happened even without interference.

That is exactly why I thought 2C was his first misbid, he could have bid an unlimited 1D and then sorted things out comfortably even after 1H interference.

P_Marlowe, on 2026-May-21, 06:40, said:

I dont think that West should have taken out 3NT, you play MP ( and even at IMP it is dubious ), you have a min GF, facing
wastage in hearts, the delayed 2H more often than not may be based on a ragged suit. Which game contract you want to play
most of the time? 3NT. Hard to get back to 3NT, after it was taken out.

I thought that was his second (or third) misbid, although I can understand fears of infrequent partners and MP.
His is not a min GF in my book and he has a hand that has grown enormously in clubs after my pass suggesting real clubs and then 3NT over hearts.
But enough ATB.

More interesting question to you and others, how would it have gone with your usual partner and methods?

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-May-21, 09:28, said:

6♣

Certainly seeing the full diagram, I haven't had time to look at the possible auction with another partner.
The statistics suggest it was not obvious.

jillybean, on 2026-May-21, 09:28, said:

Congratulations on your finish and good luck with your Regional, how many tables?

28 tables so far and I hope it stops there, we don't have space for more and I'm on my own.
Murphy has been foiled so far, but is doing his best.
This morning I had to throw out the third set of 32 duplicated boards after discovering that North had the hands of South (some genius had mislabeled the new boards, how many of us check?).
I have to run the regional with my new PC, Tuesday I installed the scoring program and used it to direct a tournament without problems.
Tested the HDMI with the long cable, tested printer on USB to avoid reconfiguring wifi, all ok.
Just now I tried to create the Regional in advance, but there was a new version of the scoring program and Windows Defender blocked it.
Had I waited until the day?
Watch this space