[Cyberyeti]

2♦ is a good idea if not playing Kokish or similar, 2♣-2♦-2♥-2♠-3♠ is an ugly start for your hand.

[Zelandakh]

Cyberyeti, on 2015-August-19, 02:45, said:

2♦ is a good idea if not playing Kokish or similar, 2♣-2♦-2♥-2♠-3♠ is an ugly start for your hand.

Is it so much worse than having bid 2♣ - 2♦; 2♥ - 3♣; 3♠? It is surely better than starting 3♣. In your auction why not 4NT now, assuming you are not playing that as RKCB?

Out of interest, do Kokish players use 4♥ over 3♠ to show 4 spades and slam interest? That seems logical to me if we cannot hold heart support for the 2♠ relay. I also seem to recall that the full Kokish method excludes quite a lot of awkward hands at this point as they would not have made the relay but perhaps I am misremembering that.

[sfi]

Cyberyeti, on 2015-August-18, 15:01, said:

So it needs more than 7♠ ?

Whether or not 7S is better than 6NT is basically irrelevant in practice. Getting to a bad 6NT is defensible bidding on these hands, but getting to 7S is a clear sign of poor bidding judgement and/or system.

Which one would you prefer to try and explain to teammates?

[Cyberyeti]

Zelandakh, on 2015-August-19, 02:53, said:

Is it so much worse than having bid 2♣ - 2♦; 2♥ - 3♣; 3♠? It is surely better than starting 3♣. In your auction why not 4NT now, assuming you are not playing that as RKCB?

Out of interest, do Kokish players use 4♥ over 3♠ to show 4 spades and slam interest? That seems logical to me if we cannot hold heart support for the 2♠ relay. I also seem to recall that the full Kokish method excludes quite a lot of awkward hands at this point as they would not have made the relay but perhaps I am misremembering that.

We certainly don't deny heart support with 2♠ because partner's most common hand is 24 balanced so will bid 2N.

4N would be blackwood in spades for me.

2♣-3♣(F4N unless suit known open)-3♥-3N(natural forcing) is an OK start, opener has no need to bid spades.

[BillPatch]

sfi, on 2015-August-20, 08:41, said:

Whether or not 7S is better than 6NT is basically irrelevant in practice. Getting to a bad 6NT is defensible bidding on these hands, but getting to 7S is a clear sign of poor bidding judgement and/or system.

Which one would you prefer to try and explain to teammates?

To teammates? If you bid like this and you were to win you will need to explain to the disciplinary authorities that you were not using a wire. Were you?

[sfi]

BillPatch, on 2015-August-20, 11:30, said:

To teammates? If you bid like this and you were to win you will need to explain to the disciplinary authorities that you were not using a wire. Were you?

That's rather an overreaction. Everybody has stories about dreadful making slams - mine involves QJ tight of trumps, a 3-3 break, a finesse, and a squeeze. It happens, but getting to it does not instil confidence in partner, teammates, or your captain.

Because the next 50 times you will be losing 13 imps rather than gaining them.

[Cyberyeti]

sfi, on 2015-August-20, 15:31, said:

That's rather an overreaction. Everybody has stories about dreadful making slams - mine involves QJ tight of trumps, a 3-3 break, a finesse, and a squeeze. It happens, but getting to it does not instil confidence in partner, teammates, or your captain.

Because the next 50 times you will be losing 13 imps rather than gaining them.

My story I was on the wrong end of was dummy decked with a flat 10 count having bid 6N opposite a 20-21 2N - "sorry partner miscounted my points". 2 3-3 breaks and 3 finesses later we got no matchpoints.