[pescetom]

Cthulhu D, on 2019-August-13, 07:04, said:

Yeah weak with diamonds. You're almost always going to want to bid 2D waiting anyway (we play kokish). You lose the ~0.05-0.1% of the time partner has a positive response to 2C, and you gain modestly when you preempt (2.5% ISH of the time for us). You also lose in the 1.5% of the time you have a weak 2as the field gets a 2D opener Vs your 2C.

You gain in the times you use the freed bid for a prempt (4.5ish % for us).
The other small advantage is that opponents are less likely to preempt straight away. As the 2C bid is about 75% likely to be a weak 2 diamonds

We played for a while that 2C could be weak diamonds or weak spades, but there where not enough attractive options for the freed up 2S bid to make it worth it.

Thanks.
I'd be worried that responder might have enough for game opposite my "weak" diamonds, yet as you say bid 2D waiting - do you have a percentage for that risk?

[Cthulhu D]

pescetom, on 2019-August-14, 06:30, said:

Thanks.
I'd be worried that responder might have enough for game opposite my "weak" diamonds, yet as you say bid 2D waiting - do you have a percentage for that risk?

We actually play artifical super negatives so there are six cases:

• Opener is weaker and responder has a less than two queens
  
• Opener is strong and responder has less than two queens.
  
• Opener is a weak and responder has a hand that wouldn't invite opposite a weak 2D
  
• Opener is weak and responder has a hand that would invite opposite a weak 2D
  
• Opener is strong and responder has a hand that wouldn't invite opposite a weak 2D
  
• Opener is strong and responder has a hand that would invite opposite a weak 2D

I don't think the super negatives are a particularly good idea, but I don't hate them and my regular partner and I play often play with two other guys who really like the super negatives so we play super negatives because partnership harmony. You can easily leave them out and play the traditional double negative approach.

The way we handle this:

1) This never actually happens as the opponents have a 27 count minimum and generally have hands that warrant exploring slam. 100% of the time that this has happened the opponents have bid something. Our plan is it goes 2C-2H and then you try and bail out of the auction undoubled anywhere. If you're looking at a weak 2D and it's Non vul just pass: they are 100% for game so if you are somehow allowed to play here undoubled it will be a great score. Our agreement is to pass even if vul here but its never actually happened. You generally get out because mass confusion reigns after like, 2C-(extremely long hesitation) P-2H-P-P-?? or 2C-P-2H - (Extremely long hesitation, lots of questions about if 2H is forcing)??

2) You just bid as you normally would opposite 2C-2H super negative.

3) It goes 2C-2D-All pass. You're playing the hand from the opposite side from the rest of the room, but that's fine generally.

4) Opener is weak and responder has a hand that would invite opposite a weak 2D.

Here we just play as though opener had opened a weak 2D. 2NT is an artificial inquiry, other bids (except 2H, because thats the negative) are natural.

5) This just goes like a normal kokish auction, 2C-2D-Opener makes a rebid, away you go.

6) It's theoretically possible that you'd have a 2C opener and I have a strong hand, and we have agreements for dealing with that but it's never happened and is very, very unlikely. You'll probably end up having a rather awkward slam auction based on some practice sessions, but yeah it's never happened at the table. You're going to want a 14 count to invite probably, partner probably has a balanced 22 count, just don't make bids that can be passed lol. You just don't get 36 HCP combined hands often enough for it to be a problem, and with a significant % of the problem situations you can just punt a grand and probably make it because you have a combined 37-38 HCP.