[Kalvan14]

Scoring: MP

1D-(1S)-??

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Surprise, surprise.
System is 2/1 (better minor)

[mike777]

5D

Game try.

[mikeh]

5♦, altho I admit that I would be leery of this if our style was to open 1♦ on 4=4=3=2 (mine is to open those 1♣ to enhance the integrity of the 1♦ bid, at the cost of further harming the already questionable integrity of the 1♣ bid). I'd do it anyway... make the opps guess.

[Winstonm]

If I'm going to bid 5D I might as well use maximum room and splinter with 4S along the way - who knows, partner may hold: xxxx, Ax, Axxxx, KQ. If we get too high because of the splinter it may well be a profitable sacrifice anyway.

Winston

[kenrexford]

These are often five-level decision bids, and perhapds 6-L. So, I throw the game off with a cue of 2S. Pard can handle misreading my HCP strength better than the opponents.

[Robert]

Hello everyone

Since you are prepared to bid to the 5D level, why not blow a little dirt into the other pairs eyes. Bid 2S as a limit+ raise. If partner had a spade stopper try 3NT.

The other pair might think that they have defense and defend 3NT. Axx of diamonds plus a spade stopper makes 3NT a fair contract. Opening bids often have more values than a spade stopper and the Ace of diamonds.

If your little plot fails, you can always bid 5Ds over their 4S bid.

This auction should cause the other pair to doubt your bids for a very long time.
Having the other pair wondering about your normal bids should be of some advantge in the future.

Regards,
Robert

[Kalvan14]

The only case in which you might find 3 diamonds in front of you is if he has 4-4-3-2 exactly. Reasonably you should assume a 4-card suit.

I am surprised by the number of 2♠. I would have expected that 3♠ (Western Q) would be more effective if you target a 3NT contract. 2♠ is a less interdictive bid, and might not convey the message. There is the non-irrelevant issues of who has the hearts.

In any case:

• over 2S, LHO bids 3H and CHO passes
  
• over 3S, LHO doubles and partner bids 3NT

[han]

5♦, no doubt in my mind.


I strongly dislike the methods. (I want 3S to be a splinter and 3D to be a preempt)

I also dislike the 2S and 3S choices given any method. Assuming that we are playing against decent opponents, I don't want to give them room to figure out what is going on. I don't think that my cuebid is going to fool them. I think that when the bidding comes back to me, they have bid 4S and partner may have doubled.

[mikeh]

kenrexford, on Nov 24 2005, 08:32 PM, said:

These are often five-level decision bids, and perhapds 6-L.  So, I throw the game off with a cue of 2S.  Pard can handle misreading my HCP strength better than the opponents.

Heaven protect me from partners who think like this. The opps bounce to 4♠ (perhaps they've heard that one about trusting partner) and my partner doubles. My call. Not in my lifetime, thank you

[Kalvan14]

Scoring: MP

1D-(1S)-??

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Well, 5♦ was also my choice.
It is quite unfortunate that CHO's hand was not exactly suited for a 5-level contract. You will note that 3NT is 99% a laydown (ok, there is always the chance of LHO playing a small heart for RHO, who returns the ♠T; after smothering the 1st small honor, LHO plays a small club ). In practical life, 3NT IS a laydown.
5♦ is one down, next hand.

Thinking about it afterwards, I almost became convinced that 3♠ (asking to bid 3N with a spade stopper) is the best bid. And please note that I am not spoofing: if pard bids 3N, I will be perfectly happy to play it.

[000002]

alter ♣ Ace to ♦, 3♠ for stopper is good

[Gerben42]

Tell me again what is the difference between a Western and Eastern cuebid? 3♠ just asks for a stopper for 3NT, right?

Please in the future just write "ask for stopper" or "splinter" or whatever

[000002]

3♣ leap almost shows a super-double-fit in minors,so 3♠ for stopper is possible . As you like, i wish this is a splinter show as you.

[Fluffy]

What is that western queen stuff?, Can't I splinter?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

3D inv.

Over 3NT from partner I bid 4D,
which should the message get
accross, that I want to invite 5D.

I am not sure, that 4D is preemptiv,
when 3D is inv.
I am willing to bid 5D, but I am not sure
it makes, and the opponents may not find
a bit over 3D / 4D.

Marlowe

[bridge2k]

3S, then back to D contract.

This is to show a distributional shape hand with a long D suit. 2S is more based on strength.

[Al_U_Card]

I liked 2S at MP. (Sorry MikeH) Your hand has lots of potential and they will find their Major suit anyway but might not bid it if they think you have a legit limit raise on hcp. Pard may also have 4432 so 3NT may be the only spot that plays.

[Robert]

Hello kalvan14

I count seven(7) diamonds in my hand. I am just guessing that the odds shift holding seven cards in partners suit, when you decide what partner might hold.

Towards the bottom of this post I cite part of the results from Mr. Frosts report on suit holdings from a five year period of World Championship play taken from his classic book(Bridge Odds Complete)

If you held a diamond void, I expect that partner will not nearly have(as often) that 4432 pattern.

My major concern is does partner hold the Diamond Ace? If he does, whether he holds Axx or Axxx I will fee better about the chances of 'running' the D suit.

I think I saw this type of bid by the Chip Martel/Lew Stansby partnership. If they use a 2S* bid here, it is a good reason for it to be my choice of bids.

My guess is that the top level players like to add a bit of bluff into their bidding.
After you make this kind of bid, the other pairs will regard your normal bidding with some distrust. I think that it is a good idea to create doubt in the other pairs minds.

I also like play a jump to 3S as a splinter 'showing a diamond raise' as another person suggested in their post.

Bridge Odds Complete, Frederick H. Frost, page 20, lists the odds of 7-3 and 7-4 suit holdings.

He also lists, "The Summary Tabulation of the Trump Distribution between partnerships wining the Auction at Suit Contracts in World Championship Play during the five years of 1955-1959, U.S.A. vs Europe.

The results listed show sixteen(16) total 7-3 suit fits and only one(1) suit divided
7-4 according to Mr. Frost's book.

My guess is that a 7-3 fit is somewhat more likely than a 7-4 even playing 2/1 methods that only open 1D holding 3 cards with 4432 pattern.

Regards,
Robert

[ArcLight]

I bid 3♠ asking for a stopper since that was the choice presented in the question.

1) Do we really have enough to take 11 tricks? The 4♠ splinter commits us to the 5 level.

2) I think 3NT has a shot, and if pard doesn't have a stopper he can still bid 4♦

[Robert]

Hello ArcLight

1. If you reread the first post, it says 1D-(1S)-?

He later said, after the hand, he considered the 3S bid to be the best bid.

1. a) A number of people(including myself) suggested that they want(or use) a 3S bid to be a splinter raise showing diamond support.

My partners rush to bid either 2NT or 3NT holding a spade stopper over my cuebid in this auction. This is a fairly normal reaction by many(most) bridge players above the novice level. Many novices would also bid 2NT because they had not idea what to bid over a '2S' cuebid.

2. I do not know if we can take 11 tricks in diamonds. I am interested in making nine tricks in 3NT. If partner bids 2NT I am bidding 3NT. If he bids 3NT, I will pass.

2. Wow! We agree that partner may make 3NT.

Regards,
Robert