[blackshoe]

"standard" in the US (according to Max Hardy, anyway):

12-14 open 1x, rebid 1NT
15-17 open 1NT
18-19 open 1x, rebid 2NT
20-21 open 2NT
22-24 open 2C, rebid 2NT
25-27 open 2C, rebid 3NT
28-30 open 2C, rebid 4NT

This is the structure my regular partner insists on playing. :-(

I much prefer:

12-15- open 1x, rebid 1NT
15+-18- open 1NT
18+-20 open 1x, rebid 2NT
21-22 open 2NT
23-24 open 2C, rebid 2NT
25-26 open 2C, rebid 2H (Kokish)
27-28 open 2C, rebid 3NT

or (playing Romex):

12-16 open 1x, rebid 1NT
17-18 open 1x, rebid 2NT
19-20 open 1NT, rebid 2NT
21-22 open 2D, rebid 2NT
23-24 open 2C, rebid 2NT
25-26 2NT (or use Kokish after opening 2C, and use the 2NT opening for something else)
27-28 open 2D, rebid 3NT
29-30 open 2C, rebid 3NT (F to 4NT)

[fromageGB]

 Phil, on 2010-December-24, 12:45, said:

I've never played the Kokish rebid -> 2N as 24+. I don't see how its playable TBH.

I am sure 24+ has something going for it, if you agree it is a GF regardless of partner's hand. Over 2NT there is no problem in finding the normally right contract.

I actually according to agreement play 2♣ 3NT as 26+ ( I have never had it that I can recall) but I don't like it. Very difficult to agree a suit, etc, unless you play your normal puppet etc and 4NT is to play. I suppose the advantage in having 26+ hived off to a different bid is that when you bid the 24/25 variety it is easy for partner decide the level.

As regards 2 point ranges, I play 1NT as 15/16 and like it like that. This means you can play Stayman and have a 2NT rebid from partner as categorically to play and not invitational.

We play transfer walsh with a transfer break as 17/18, and a special sequence for 19, so the only 3 point range we have to contend with is a 12-14.

[Phil]

 fromageGB, on 2010-December-25, 12:03, said:

I am sure 24+ has something going for it, if you agree it is a GF regardless of partner's hand. Over 2NT there is no problem in finding the normally right contract.

I pick up a 26 point hand and I start 2♣ - 2♦ - 2♥ - 2♠ - 2N.

Partner staymans (or puppet staymans, w/e). I show a major and he raises to game. Or is there some sort of checkback where pard can say, I'm raising you to game, but if you have extra values (north of 25), move on?

What happens if partner transfers and rebids 3N?

[cherdano]

 Phil, on 2010-December-25, 13:14, said:

I pick up a 26 point hand and I start 2♣ - 2♦ - 2♥ - 2♠ - 2N.

Partner staymans (or puppet staymans, w/e). I show a major and he raises to game. Or is there some sort of checkback where pard can say, I'm raising you to game, but if you have extra values (north of 25), move on?

What happens if partner transfers and rebids 3N?

Uh. Stayman, major reply, other major = slam interest. Also, if 2♦ or 2♠ promises a control or 4+hcp then opener can make a slam invitation with 27-28 and force to slam with a good 29. So it's really just like any other 3-point range, this time 24-26.

[stansllee]

 mgoetze, on 2010-December-23, 10:47, said:

I was just making sure I wouldn't be the only one to miss this 96% grand.

---

Using the natural methods start from:
2♣ - 2NT = natural, 10+ points, balanced
this will lead us to the good grand slam.

[Fluffy]

 stansllee, on 2010-December-26, 19:53, said:

Using the natural methods start from:
2♣ - 2NT = natural, 10+ points, balanced
this will lead us to the good grand slam.

And how do you plan on bidding it?

[gnasher]

 Fluffy, on 2010-December-27, 05:44, said:

And how do you plan on bidding it?

2♣-2NT
3♦-3♥
3NT-4♦
4♥

would do the job, if you had the agreement that 4♥ couldn't be a shortage - responder could just drive the grand slam now.

[Cyberyeti]

 gnasher, on 2010-December-27, 06:13, said:

2♣-2NT
3♦-3♥
3NT-4♦
4♥

would do the job, if you had the agreement that 4♥ couldn't be a shortage - responder could just drive the grand slam now.

Except that for a lot of people 3♦ shows an unbalanced hand, you have to rebid 3N with this and start from there.

[Phil]

 cherdano, on 2010-December-25, 15:01, said:

Uh. Stayman, major reply, other major = slam interest. Also, if 2♦ or 2♠ promises a control or 4+hcp then opener can make a slam invitation with 27-28 and force to slam with a good 29. So it's really just like any other 3-point range, this time 24-26.

Great that we have regressed to a 3 point range playing this way.

[fred]

 mgoetze, on 2010-December-23, 08:13, said:

(Matchpoints but please specify what you would do differently at IMPs)

In general I am a big believer in not using Stayman with 4333 hands, but IMO with this hand you should definitely use Stayman at IMPs (as opposed to just blasting 6NT). Even if partner is also 3433, your 12th trick might easily come from an elimination play that won't work in notrump.

Much harder to know if it is right to bid Stayman at matchpoints.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[pooltuna]

 stansllee, on 2010-December-26, 19:53, said:

Using the natural methods start from:
2♣ - 2NT = natural, 10+ points, balanced
this will lead us to the good grand slam.

How do you feel about being in a grand slam with
♠J75
♥K7
♦AKQ42
♣AKQ


♠AQ8
♥AJT2
♦J73
♣T86

[gnasher]

 Cyberyeti, on 2010-December-27, 06:28, said:

Except that for a lot of people 3♦ shows an unbalanced hand, you have to rebid 3N with this and start from there.

They should change their methods then. If your system allows you find out at the two-level that you're in the slam zone, you should make use of the extra space, not squander it.

[Cyberyeti]

 gnasher, on 2010-December-27, 15:43, said:

They should change their methods then. If your system allows you find out at the two-level that you're in the slam zone, you should make use of the extra space, not squander it.

I disagree with this, there are plenty of hands where you want partner to raise on Hx where you have the unbalanced hand, but not if you have the balanced hand with 5. Can make bidding quite awkward for partner if you bid 3 of a suit with both and even more so when that suit is a major rather than ♦.

[bridgehand]

 mgoetze, on 2010-December-23, 10:47, said:

I was just making sure I wouldn't be the only one to miss this 96% grand.

---

Hi Mgoetze,

Wow, North's hand really is a rock crusher for the points, wouldn't you agree? A fair number would rebid 3 Notrump with this holding, assuming:

1. The normal lead of a Heart (South's doubleton suit)

2. An eventual lead by opponents with an onside Heart Ace

3. Partner holds at least the Spade Queen and some length (with 22 HCP in hand and 18 HCP out, even a so-so partner will have a few points)

4. The Diamond suit runs (with 8 vacant spaces in 3 seats, it's unlikely an opponent holds Jack-fourth)

Regarding missing a 4-4 Heart fit and Heart contract, it's usually a moot point when holding 4-3-3-3 shape and partner opens 1 or 2 Notrump. However, with 22-24 HCP, things get a bit more interesting. Using a simulator like Dealmaster Pro, you'll find that even with a 4-4 major suit trump fit, the double dummy odds favor playing in a Notrump contract.

For instance, assigning declarer's hand as a balanced 22-24 HCP holding with 4 Hearts and entering responders hand, we get the following result (based on 100 random declarer hands - the simulator looked through several million to locate 100 that met the criteria after giving responder the given 13 HCP hand:

Tricks: 11 12 13
Hearts: 100% 90% 39%


Tricks: 11 12 13
Notrump: 100% 90% 27%

So once again, Fred's spider sense and flawless logic pays off.

But with the lower 25 to 33ish HCP hands, the simulator favors the Notrump bidders. And of course, body cards matter more in game contracts than bidding slam.

On one of our recent "Polling You" contests, responders hand was:
S: J 10 x
H: J 10 9 8
D: K 10 x
C: K 3 2

In that lesson, we provided our members a video demonstrating the simulator that showed that despite a 4-4 Heart fit and neglecting the 10 point Notrump premium, the odds were far better playing in a 3 Notrump contract (down less, makes game more often, makes an overtrick more often).

http://www.bridgehan...dgeblog/?p=1078

Videos here:
http://bridgehands-v...20/Poll_20.html
http://www.youtube.c...u/1/0TNGjOnlSyQ

Happy trails to you,

Michael
BridgeHands

[P_Marlowe]

3C - if we have a heart fit, we play 6H, if we dont have one we play 6NT.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[pooltuna]

you weren't alone in only bidding 6NT because I suspect you have no easy way to differentiate between

♠Jxx
♥Kx
♦AKQxx
♣AKQ

and

♠KJx
♥xx
♦AKQxx
♣AKQ

for partner's hand