[jillybean]

I agree I need a forcing minor raise and I don’t care what it is. My pard plays 6 days a week, has done so for many years, likes her system and it seems to suit her fine. The last thing she wants to do is look over our mistakes and listen to me! We are finishing up the matches of an imp league and after that, I’ll go back to playing club games with a couple of the good players who occasionally need a p. Finding a flight A partner who wants to play with a rookie is proving difficult, it is so much easier to get good partners on BBO.

[Cascade]

han, on Apr 5 2008, 10:46 AM, said:

jillybean2, on Apr 4 2008, 12:20 PM, said:

hrothgar, on Apr 4 2008, 09:15 AM, said:

jillybean2, on Apr 4 2008, 10:37 AM, said:

I bid 5♣ 
We went -1 and my pard couldnt understand why I didnt bid 3♣ and isnt interested in a forcing minor raise. I'm the rookie here!

Hi Kathryn:

Given the constraint (no forcing minor raise), 5♣ seems reasonable.

I think that the 3♣ suggestion is ridiculous. The only other bid that I find remotely appealing is 1♦. With luck, partner will rebid either 1N or 1♠ and you can bid 3N.

Hey Richard,

Im learning you cant teach old dogs with a few MP's new tricks

My p is a wonderful person and is easy to play with but I dont think we'll be
at any BBowl anytime soon. We seem to have a few large holes in our bidding.

I like this attitude but also agree with the others that having a forcing raise really is a must in competitive bridge. I'm not a big fan of criss cross but it's surely better than nothing.

Agree that 5♣ was the best bid under these conditions.

What are you a fan of?

Criss-cross is simple and takes away relatively useless natural bids - maybe 2/1 needs 3♣ natural over 1♦.

I haven't ever played Criss-cross in a regular partnership but I do play it reasonably often in casual games.

Our methods are probably overkill but I like them - we have four forcing minor raises 1m 2M (counted as two for each minor) - a fit jump showing both suits; 1m 2NT a forcing raise with no singleton and no four-card major; 1m 2m forcing and invitational or GF with a shortage. Actually we have more since we can show a void splinter directly.

[han]

Yeah exactly Wayne, I usually play 2/1 with 1D-2C gameforcing and then I really prefer to have 3C available for the invitational hands with 6+ clubs. I never play "standard".

[Cascade]

han, on Apr 5 2008, 02:01 PM, said:

Yeah exactly Wayne, I usually play 2/1 with 1D-2C gameforcing and then I really prefer to have 3C available for the invitational hands with 6+ clubs. I never play "standard".

I wish I never played 2/1 but when I have done so I have play criss-cross rather than 3♣ natural and invitational.

Han you didn't answer what you do play for your forcing minor raise.

[cherdano]

Cascade, on Apr 4 2008, 07:31 PM, said:

han, on Apr 5 2008, 02:01 PM, said:

Yeah exactly Wayne, I usually play 2/1 with 1D-2C gameforcing and then I really prefer to have 3C available for the invitational hands with 6+ clubs. I never play "standard".

I wish I never played 2/1 but when I have done so I have play criss-cross rather than 3♣ natural and invitational.

Han you didn't answer what you do play for your forcing minor raise.

We didn't want to let it out since we don't want to lose our competitive advantage from superior methods, but we play 1m - 2m as natural and forcing, showing at least an invitational hand.

[jdonn]

Cascade, on Apr 4 2008, 07:57 PM, said:

Criss-cross is simple and takes away relatively useless natural bids - maybe 2/1 needs 3♣ natural over 1♦.

I haven't ever played Criss-cross in a regular partnership but I do play it reasonably often in casual games.

Our methods are probably overkill but I like them - we have four forcing minor raises 1m 2M (counted as two for each minor) - a fit jump showing both suits; 1m 2NT a forcing raise with no singleton and no four-card major; 1m 2m forcing and invitational or GF with a shortage. Actually we have more since we can show a void splinter directly.

It's not only that I like 3♣ as something natural there, it's that I think that is very space consuming for a limit raise in a minor, since unlike when a major is raised you are very interested in investigating other strains.

[han]

Yeah we play inverted minors and it is forcing.

[neilkaz]

han, on Apr 4 2008, 07:01 PM, said:

Yeah exactly Wayne, I usually play 2/1 with 1D-2C gameforcing and then I really prefer to have 3C available for the invitational hands with 6+ clubs. I never play "standard".

Also my preferred method. I don't see the need for criss-cross as I don't find it hard to untangle the GF responding hands after invm from the invitational non GF vs a random min opening hands.

It's true that 1♣-2♦ as GF criss cross doesn't take up much extra room and can be handy if the opps butt into your auction in a major and have a fit, but 1♦-3♣ takes up more room than I want to use to GF, and I need that, like you in 2/1 for the ♣ invite.

[vuroth]

jillybean2, on Apr 4 2008, 06:09 PM, said:

Finding a flight A partner who wants to play with a rookie is proving difficult, it is so much easier to get good partners on BBO.

Ouch. What a crushing thought.

[vuroth]

Jlall, on Apr 4 2008, 01:43 AM, said:

You can't play bridge without a forcing raise in a minor.

I'll take that under consideration.

That said, I'd rather play in a system with no forcing minor raise than play with a partner who thinks the OP's hand is only worth an invite.

[vuroth]

Deleted. Board is acting very funny for me today.

This post has been edited by vuroth: 2008-April-07, 08:14