Release 2.19r
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September 19, 2026
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Board 5

2♣ ?  2 ? 2♠ ? 3 ? 4 ? and why?

2♣ : standout choice: Right on values, Forcing, can show  support later, may smoke out double fit which could bring slam into play.  negatives are providing unnecessary info to Defense and primary (3 card)  support may be unclear

2 : wimpy, just wimpy

2♠ : : another good choice if in your tool kit . This cue bid is most often used by agreement to show invitational+ values and primary support. A very useful bidding tool, but cuebids are confusing! They are all forcing have many different meanings

3 : good alternative to cue bid if thats not yet in your toolkit.

4 :Could be right, but there are better alternatives, and it takes partner who has yet to limit her hand completely out of the auction

Board 16

Here is a reasonable auction. At this point partner has shown 10 of her 15-17 HCP. You also know there are 7-9 HCP missing. 7 of those 9 could be the A and K of ♣. You would like to be sure partner has one of those cards before bidding slam but you aren't.  here are the honors the opponents could hold A♠ or A or A♣  but only 1. K♣ Q♣ Q J .Its not likely the opponents hold exactly the A and K of♣ .   In bidding Slam. Math looks like this 1/3 (A♣ )*1/3(K♣)= 1/9 or 11%. Then the opponents have to lead a club. Likely to happen if opening leader holds A or AK .Probabilty 50% Now we are at 5%. I'll take that risk!. 

Board 12

We let the opponents play in 3 down 1 and and we should be in 4♠ .  Where did we go wrong?

Responding to partners doubles is structurally different from responding to an opening bid. Lets assume partners double is similar in values to an opening bid, or sound overcall. you would pass with less than 6 1 level responses 6-10 forcing responses with more... Over a double partner is forced to bid with 0HCP, there is no pass option. So we dont want our 1 level responses to a double to be 0-10.  Thats too big a range for the doubler to cope with.  Therefore we lower the response ranges by 2-3 hcp. So 1 level responses 0 to 8- jump 8+ to 11 GF 12+.   Doesnt solve all the issues but helps.  In this case W might bid 2♠  even, 2 GF after the double.  Now at least NS wont be playing in 3 undoubled.

 

Board 7

After offering the suggested bidding you see......How would you bid this? 

I love the simplicity of this auction. Two partners bidding what they have, and what they should be able to make. The risks are, and what makes this hand somewhat interesting is 1. that 1♣ gets passed out and 2. you might be missing a ♣ or NT slam. And that's where people like me try solve those anticipated problems by creative bidding. One solution open 2NT (does that look like a 2NT opener to you) still doesnt insure partner will bid, but partner will stretch. And you will get to the right contract. The other 2♣ will certainly force partner to bid, but this partner has a pretty nice 9 count and may navigate to slam or a minor suit game, neither of which is ideal.