[Phil]

South is Dealer

---

IMPs, short matches

[wyman]

1H - 2D
2H - 2N
3H - 4C
4D - 4N
5S - 6H

[mikeh]

The death hands for 2/1 GF: both players have extra values but not quite enough to allow either to safely make a quantitative try, while S has soft values and thus problems finding an encouraging move even if able to get a heart preference below game.

I am sure that I would end up in either 3N or 4♥: almost certainly the latter. I could post an auction that would get to slam....I am sure that we will see half a dozen or more posters describe auctions that they claim they and their partner would have, reaching slam without effort. I doubt that I will believe any but the artificial system guys. I wouldn't believe mine, for example.

This is the type of problem that strong club players love to show to the rest of us, since for them, this is almost trivial.....N knows he is in slam territory as soon as S opens.

[wank]

wyman, on 2010-October-28, 09:37, said:

1H - 2D
2H - 2N
3H - 4C
4D - 4N
5S - 6H

this looks fine, except for the 6h bid at the end obviously

[wyman]

wank, on 2010-October-28, 10:01, said:

this looks fine, except for the 6h bid at the end obviously

haha fine fine

5S - 5N
6H - pass

[Phil]

We bid:

1♥ - 2♦
2♥ - 3♣
3N - 4N
6N

I think he bid 3♣ to avoid wrong siding the NT. I could have bid 3♥, but w/e.

I felt like this was a slight plus position, but the other table (who are not great players) got to 7♥ which rolled on 4-2 diamonds + the spade finesse. I put it about 50%, although a spade lead makes you choose between 3-3 diamonds and the spade + 4-2 diamonds.

[Echognome]

Agree a strong club auction does make it trivial.

I don't understand how the grand could be only 50%. You also have a few squeeze chances on the spade lead (I would assume you wouldn't play the ♠K underlead against a grand, although of course you need to do that on occasion). On a non-spade lead, you can test diamonds and fall back on the spade or a squeeze.

[bucky]

What would:
1H - 2D
2H - 3N
show in your methods?

[Cascade]

What Mike said in a different way...

It is very easy if south can make a quantitative bid early in the auction.

1♥ 2♦
3♥ 3♠ GF/cue
4♦ 4♠ cue/kickback
5♥ 5♠ 2 with queen/anything else?
6♥

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Phil, on 2010-October-28, 09:32, said:

South is Dealer

---

IMPs, short matches

Another chance to show my system for a 1H open and a 2/1 GF Response.
Opener can show 4 cards Sp w/ or w/o "extras".... all by the 3-level.
In addition, extra Ht length can be explored at the 3-level:

1H         - 2D! = 2/1 GF
2NT!*     - 3C! =(3om)= asks if extra Ht length
3H(6+)    - 4C! = advance cue for Hts
4D!         - 4S! = RKC for Hts

5H( 4th step = 2 + hQ ) - 5S = specific K ask
6H ( no outside K's )     - pass
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* where 2NT! denies 4s but shows "extras";
whereas 2H! rebid shows a minimum opener and Responder's 2S! next would ask if 4s or not;
and a direct 2S! ( over 2D! ) would show 4s and "extras".

[bucky]

Cascade, on 2010-October-28, 12:16, said:

What Mike said in a different way...

It is very easy if south can make a quantitative bid early in the auction.

1♥ 2♦
3♥ 3♠ GF/cue
4♦ 4♠ cue/kickback
5♥ 5♠ 2 with queen/anything else?
6♥

If 3♠/4♠ agree hearts, then how would responder bid with 6 diamonds and 5 spades?

[Phil]

bucky, on 2010-October-28, 11:28, said:

What would:
1H - 2D
2H - 3N
show in your methods?

15-17 balanced.

[Phil]

Echognome, on 2010-October-28, 10:53, said:

Agree a strong club auction does make it trivial.

I don't understand how the grand could be only 50%. You also have a few squeeze chances on the spade lead (I would assume you wouldn't play the ♠K underlead against a grand, although of course you need to do that on occasion). On a non-spade lead, you can test diamonds and fall back on the spade or a squeeze.

I don't see any realistic squeeze chances because of the transportation issues. If my entries were more fluid, I could establish diamonds, cash the ♠A and try a vienna coup against RHO that also works vs LHO.

If they lead a trump, which is not at all unlikely. I can win, draw trump and try three high diamonds. If they split I'm home, but assuming they are 4-2, I ruff the 4th, cross to the club and cash my 5th. On the high diamond and the long diamond, I'll pitch both low black cards. To turn the screw I need to get back to by hand which means playing ♣A, ♣ ruff (eating my Q), so the only chance is a show-up against RHO who might hold ♣KJT8.

A non-trump lead is even worse.

Speaking of squeezes on the actual hand that we bid to 6N, I received a club lead and my Q won T1. How would you go after your squeeze now? By the way, the club lead was the 6, I had A72 in dummy and Q9 in my hand. RHO played the 10 at T1. Hmmm.

[kenrexford]

This is rather funny to me. All this talk of artificial bids and relays and strong clubs...

Opener: One Heart (I have hearts)
Responder: Two Diamonds (I have diamonds, GF)
Opener: Two Hearts (I have SIX hearts)
Responder: Three Hearts (I have a heart fit)
Opener: Four Diamonds (I have non-serious interest without a spade control or a club control but with one of the top three diamonds)
Responder: 4NT (RKCB)
Opener: 5♠ (two with the Queen)

Responder now starts to count. Six hearts, plus two Aces, plus three diamonds = 11 tricks. If the diamond Ace is stiff, we still have 12 tricks if diamonds split 4-3. So, the small slam is easy opposite a 10-count minimum.

That's about the easiest 2/1 auction I've ever seen, to get to slam.

Now, how about getting to 6NT?

Easy, if you want to! After 4♦ by Opener, Responder bids 4♠ as a cue (if using this method), asking Opener to ask or answer. If Opener does the right thing and asks, bidding 4NT, no problem. If he answers, Responder bids 6♠ to transfer 6NT to Opener. But, I think 6NT is wrong. People seem to be having problems getting to slam, and 6NT fails on the lead of whatever black King RHO has if diamonds don't split 3-3.

[bucky]

Phil, on 2010-October-28, 12:40, said:

bucky, on 2010-October-28, 11:28, said:

What would:
1H - 2D
2H - 3N
show in your methods?

15-17 balanced.

I thought so too, but now I have some doubts. 3NT seems to take too much room, 2NT would have worked better for this hand. Or maybe after 3NT, opener's 4♦ should be a cuebid implicitly setting hearts as trumps?

[helene_t]

With manudude03 we would bid it in KenRexford's way I think. In a more mainstream style I like 3NT at responder's second turn.

[inquiry]

Most realistic auction

---

Auction using inquiry2over1 (where a 2♣ bid includes ACOL 2 major opening) where the jump to 3♥ is limited to less than an acol 2 bid but shows a great suit and extra values (a hand like this).

---

[gnasher]

Why is this attractive play hand lurking in the SAYC and 2/1 forum?

On a spade lead in 7♥, if you go up with the ace, the best play is to cash ♣A and run all the trumps, playing for either diamonds 3-3 or the same hand having everything. You can't play for diamonds 4-2 and a simple squeeze, because of the entries.

[mtvesuvius]

1♥ - 2♦
2♥ - 2N
3♥ - 4♣
4N - 5♦
5N - 6♦
6♥ - Pass

Fairly straightforward IMO. North has enough to make a Cue on the way to 4♥, over partner's 3♥ call. If North were to bid 4♥, IMO, South would have to pass.

[Cascade]

kenrexford, on 2010-October-28, 14:20, said:

Opener: Four Diamonds (I have non-serious interest without a spade control or a club control but with one of the top three diamonds)

Do you have to bid 4♥ with a weaker hand? If not (10)11-16 seems a wide range for non-serious.