[pescetom]

Some play 6D (or 5D) as slammish diamonds casting doubt upon 6NT.
If we don't, then as Opener I would probably punt 6NT rather than Pass, at least in later phases of moon.

[Catch up tomorrow, have a tournament and then England Norway coming up]

[pescetom]

Here are both hands: you might bid differently as South, there are a lot of system and style issues.

MP

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Now we can get back to the auction over a 2NT opening, if anyone is still here

[pescetom]

Now we can get back to the auction and agreements over a 2NT opening, if anyone is still here

MP

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[mike777]

 pescetom, on 2026-July-12, 08:49, said:

Now we can get back to the auction and agreements over a 2NT opening, if anyone is still here

MP

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2NT-4C
4D-7NT

[mikeh]

mike777, on 2026-July-12, 09:25, said:

2NT-4C
4D-7NT

Good luck with that plan when he has either AKQx AQJx xx Axx or Qxx AQJx AQx AQx. 3N 4C and he shows 3 aces. Your guess

Me: 2C 2D (forced unless holding some very tightly defined simple hands) 2N (22-23) 3S (forces 3N) 4D

4D shows slam interest with single suited diamonds, and is ‘optional keycard’

Opener loves his controls but that is why he upgraded to 2C and he has decidedly short diamonds in context so bids 4N to say he doesn’t like diamonds.

Responder bids 6D…it’s virtually impossible not to be a decent slam. Now over to north. Obviously partner has something like KQJxxx(x) and at least a side card. He didn’t bid 4C over 2N (though for us, we don’t play Gerber here, 4D is a spade-diamond two suited slam try). Since he bid slam opposite a hand that dislikes diamonds, his sequence showed some grand slam interest had I liked diamonds (my choices were 4H, I like diamonds but am not slam suitable, 4N I don’t like diamonds, or keycard responses starting with 4S and jumping over 4N.

I don’t think I’m resulting when I say that opener can….I’m unable to say ‘should’ because I’ve seen the hands…raise to 7D. I definitely wouldn’t much worry about missing 7N, although one could argue that north has to have 4 aces to bid 7D.

[Cyberyeti]

1♣-1♦
1♥-1♠ (not GF)
2♠(4414/4405 extras GF)-3♦(lots of them, suggesting interest in them despite partner's shape)
partner now has the absolute nuts, will ask aces and bid 6♦/N when the Q is missing.

[mike777]

3 aces will rebid 6D

[pescetom]

mike777, on 2026-July-12, 09:25, said:

2NT-4C
4D-7NT

Someone in NA escapes the tyranny of 4C as Gerber? I am impressed
Unfortunately we inherited that in the system and had more urgent problems to address.
On the positive side, we can handle a long single suited minor within 3♠.
In our dated agreements, now Opener will get to expose his own 5 card minor, or bid 3NT over which we can show our 6+ suit in the wrong minor to invoke control bids (or suit +2 as RKCB Kickback).

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2026-July-12, 08:49, said:

Now we can get back to the auction and agreements over a 2NT opening, if anyone is still here

MP

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We will start 2N-3♠-3N-4♦ (single suited) and may fall foul of what I describe below

If I decided to upgrade, (the boundary is 21/22 between 2N and 2♣ then 2N)

2♣-3♦(F4N)-3N-4♦ now it gets difficult I think you're snookered into 4♥(KB)-4N-5♣- and now it depends if you're going to show your extra length and declare the Q you don't have whether you end up in 6N or 7N.

[thepossum]

 pescetom, on 2026-July-09, 08:32, said:

Getting better, but still not quite right, in terms of methods at least.

MP

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Your bid?

Very late but I think I put that through 2 clubs. Upsetting to miss game

[P_Marlowe]

pescetom, on 2026-July-12, 08:43, said:

Here are both hands: you might bid differently as South, there are a lot of system and style issues.

MP

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Now we can get back to the auction over a 2NT opening, if anyone is still here

3C was what?

I got it, showed a club fit, 3+, but it basically also denies a suit of ones own.

[pescetom]

 P_Marlowe, on 2026-July-13, 04:53, said:

3C was what?

I got it, showed a club fit, 3+, but it basically also denies a suit of ones own.

3C is a pragmatic choice that I at least would make. Rebidding our long but skimpy diamonds opposite 5+ clubs and 4 hearts looks too unilateral and optimistic to me: I prefer to set suit now, which rightsides Declarer and gives us lots of room to investigate slam. Usually we only raise a 5 card minor with 4+, but I would make an exception here holding KJx. The diamonds are still there and can maybe be ruffed into shape playing in clubs. Or we might decide for 6NT or 7NT after slam investigation in clubs, which will also reveal the Q if we get that far.

Of course all that goes out of the window if we now hear 3NT.