[Liversidge]

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We play Benji weak 2's with Strong 2C (8-9 playing tricks or 23-24 balanced) and 2D (24+)
I opened 2C. How should the bidding have gone? Was it just a bad break in spades?

[Cascade]

Anything that gets you to 5d is good. Its not guaranteed to make but is close to cold if you don't get a spade lead or the diamond finesse works.

2c 2d
3d 4d
5d p

Looks ok. Assuming 2d is some sort of negative.

3nt is not the worst contact in the world. It needs a finesse on the non spade lead. We have all been in worse games.

[Cyberyeti]

I'm not sure which contract I want to be in even seeing the two hands, so it's not easy. Form of scoring and vulnerability ?

I would open an Acol 2♦ with the S hand but don't like having to rebid 3♦ on this particular hand as we're going to be guessing what to do, so playing your system would probably open 1♦. There are not too many hands partner can hold where he will pass and we were making game. This will mean we probably play 4♥ on this hand which seems to be not too bad (3-3 hearts or 4-2 and the diamond finesse working and not 4-0 although you have to be awake when they play 3 rounds of spades, ruff on table and play Q♣ to K, Q trumps, run diamond 9).

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

if you reached 6D, ..., it wont be the last time, although both sides
will have pressed hard, if you reached 3NT and they cached 5spades, it
wont be the last time either.

Bidding with me on both sides of the table could go

2C - 2D (1)
3D - 3NT (2)
pass (3)

(1) waiting
(2) 7 HCP, honors in the unbid suits, enough for game
(3) given the semi bal. shape, also distributed honors

With kind regards
Marlowe