[jillybean]

I had my first game playing with the new gadgets, 10-13NT, Transfers over 1♣ and a resurrected Obvious Shift

We only had one easy board where I could transfer after partner opened 1♣, doing so certainly kept the strong hand hidden.

---

I think East let us off lightly, I don't pass with his cards.

[mikeh]

Did you mistype? 1C 2D? I suspect 1C 1D.

As to whether east ought to have overcalled, west is a passed hand and the spade suit is emaciated. Plus the vulnerability is the worst possible for competing….at best we’re hoping to buy the contract in 2S or so…..and probably higher…..and we run a serious risk of -200 v a partial, or worse. Matchpoints rightly makes us do things that are silly at imps, because of the main criterion at mps being freqyency of gain rather than size of gain. If I go for 1100 one quarter of the time, getting a zero, that’s ok provided that I get a good result, from my risky action, more frequently. I’d happily get a zero on 25% of the hands if I’m getting a top on 50% and breaking even otherwise.

So I don’t mind a pass as east. Give me say K108xx in spades and the overcall would be far more attractive. Some may think…what’s the difference? Give partner J9x and an entry (he won5 be competing without something) and K108xx may play for one loser and at most two. K6543 opposite J9x has two inescapable losers and could easily lose three. Plus an opp is more likely to apply the axe with say Q1087 than with Q543.

[jillybean]

mikeh, on 2023-December-09, 13:46, said:

Did you mistype? 1C 2D? I suspect 1C 1D.

yes

I'm playing MP, in a not so strong game. Our opponents don't like competing.
I have to be more disciplined. I think I can switch between this and playing in a strong field but I'm probably kidding myself.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2023-December-09, 12:32, said:

I had my first game playing with the new gadgets, 10-13NT, Transfers over 1♣ and a resurrected Obvious Shift

Jealous of your opportunity to play the new gadgets, I have no such possibility unless someone drops from Mars.
What was 3♥ (unalerted) and what would 2♥ have been?

[jillybean]

3H was alerted, 4c support 17-18
2H 4c 13-16

Simple accept 2-3 card support 13-16

Yes, I'm lucky to be playing with such a fun partner who is willing to endure my mistakes.

[akwoo]

I think even playing 10-13 NT (and even playing a 12-14 NT, where opener's raises of responder's major are shaded down quite a bit), the North hand is a 4C raise, not a 3H raise. Do you really want partner to pass you holding Kxxx of hearts and nothing else?

[Gilithin]

jillybean, on 2023-December-09, 17:48, said:

3H was alerted, 4c support 17-18

17-18TP is an underbid. That hand is worth at least 19, probably more.

[jillybean]

akwoo, on 2023-December-09, 19:36, said:

I think even playing 10-13 NT (and even playing a 12-14 NT, where opener's raises of responder's major are shaded down quite a bit), the North hand is a 4C raise, not a 3H raise. Do you really want partner to pass you holding Kxxx of hearts and nothing else?

What does 4C say about hearts?

[sfi]

jillybean, on 2023-December-10, 01:15, said:

What does 4C say about hearts?

It's fairly common in some places to play that 1m-1M; 4m shows a good hand with a good minor suit and four-card support for partner's major. This hand is a suitable minimum if you have that agreement.

[mw64ahw]

I''d play 3♥ here as balanced given 1♦ can be on nothing with 5♥ so you have some protection in the law
2NT then shows a range of hands including this shape. 3♣ is then a weak ask and 3♦ a GF one. This helps when it comes to slamming hands.
Not what I play, but this may give you some ideas https://www.bridgewe...20over%201C.pdf

[paulg]

You have reduced the chances of transfer responses coming up by playing a 10-13 NT. I'm not saying this is wrong, but you are opening 1NT with the vast majority of my 1♣ openers
One of the reasons that I do not play transfer responses to 1♣ with pickup partners, or even friends who started with my system notes, for occasional games is that there are too many follow-up sequences to discuss. In particular what you need to accept the transfer and whether 2NT is available for an artificial rebid.

The same questions often make it difficult to comment constructively on such auctions. For example, we play strong splinters with 4-6 hands which makes this hand easier, but it's only possible given a raft of other agreements.

[jillybean]

Hi Paul, unlike you I am not playing at the international level I agree, my transfer agreements are woefully incomplete, I'm working with the the first response to 1♣ and a brief description of openers rebid. The occasional club game and BBO bidding practice is all that is available, but I have to start somewhere.
While it is difficult to comment constructively on such an undefined system, it is useful for me to hear what others are playing as I start to understand build my system.

Your comment about 10-13nt is interesting. I am playing 1NT with 2 way satyman, no transfers. If you are opening 1C on your 10-13hcp hands the strong hand be transfering to the weak hand more often?

[akwoo]

jillybean, on 2023-December-10, 01:15, said:

What does 4C say about hearts?

I think it is becoming expert standard that 4C shows 6+ clubs, 4+ in partner's major, and enough for game (possibly based on distribution, not high cards) opposite a minimum responder.

If that's not available in your partnership, I hope a 3S splinter is.

[jillybean]

akwoo, on 2023-December-10, 14:39, said:

I think it is becoming expert standard that 4C shows 6+ clubs, 4+ in partner's major, and enough for game (possibly based on distribution, not high cards) opposite a minimum responder.

If that's not available in your partnership, I hope a 3S splinter is.

I will discuss the 4C bid with my p (North), thanks.
Splinters undiscussed in a transfer auction but I don't see why we wouldn't play them

[akwoo]

jillybean, on 2023-December-10, 20:47, said:

I will discuss the 4C bid with my p (North), thanks.
Splinters undiscussed in a transfer auction but I don't see why we wouldn't play them

You can think that the 4C bid is an impossible splinter, so it shows the same support as a splinter but length (and strength in the suit) instead of shortness.

[DavidKok]

There are two (in my opinion) interesting points here:

• With a 4cM and 6cm you logically also have a singleton or void. So what criteria make you choose the 4m rebid rather than a splinter? For me this is suit quality, I expect the 6cm to be a source of tricks in a possible major suit slam even if responder only has two small (or sometimes even one small) opposite. There are other ways to play this, and e.g. hands with a singleton king or ace can't very well splinter so they might need a different approach. But generally you'll have the splinter available on this shape, so either the splinters can be more specific (e.g. show exactly 5431 or 5440 distribution) or the 4m rebid can be more specific.
  
• It is quite common for transfers in T-Walsh to not have a minimum strength, so that these jump rebids are not all that safe. Personally I consider this the cost of doing business, but you may wish to discuss whether the requirements for these strong raises go up to match possibly lower requirements for responding at the 1-level.

[Gilithin]

akwoo, on 2023-December-10, 14:39, said:

I think it is becoming expert standard that 4C shows 6+ clubs, 4+ in partner's major, and enough for game (possibly based on distribution, not high cards) opposite a minimum responder.

You can also play that the cheapest splinter is a void splinter in any suit and 4C is a singleton splinter in the void splinter suit. At the highest levels, transfer splinters are also quite popular and this can also be done in combination with the void/singleton distinction rather than good clubs/shortage if a pair prefers that.

[jillybean]

DavidKok, on 2023-December-11, 01:47, said:

There are two (in my opinion) interesting points here:

• With a 4cM and 6cm you logically also have a singleton or void. So what criteria make you choose the 4m rebid rather than a splinter? For me this is suit quality, I expect the 6cm to be a source of tricks in a possible major suit slam even if responder only has two small (or sometimes even one small) opposite. There are other ways to play this, and e.g. hands with a singleton king or ace can't very well splinter so they might need a different approach. But generally you'll have the splinter available on this shape, so either the splinters can be more specific (e.g. show exactly 5431 or 5440 distribution) or the 4m rebid can be more specific.
  
• It is quite common for transfers in T-Walsh to not have a minimum strength, so that these jump rebids are not all that safe. Personally I consider this the cost of doing business, but you may wish to discuss whether the requirements for these strong raises go up to match possibly lower requirements for responding at the 1-level.

This makes sense. ♣AKQT93, ♥ AQ63 1C 1H 4C is a nice description. I wonder how long it will be until we get another hand like this.
This was what seemed to be a very straightforward auction, I transfer to hearts and accept game but as it often happens, there is a lot to discuss here.
Thanks

[mw64ahw]

jillybean, on 2023-December-11, 10:53, said:

This makes sense. ♣AKQT93, ♥ AQ63 1C 1H 4C is a nice description. I wonder how long it will be until we get another hand like this.
This was what seemed to be a very straightforward auction, I transfer to hearts and accept game but as it often happens, there is a lot to discuss here.
Thanks

I would use 4♣ for a weaker hand here. 17hcp and 5 modified losers is too strong so I take the slow route

[jillybean]

We are still off to a slow start playing these transfers.

1♣ 1♦ or 1♥ *
1M

What does your accept of the transfer promise?