[Mbodell]

The field is very strong if that effects your decisions.

Scoring: MP

A - 1♠ - B - 4♠
C

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For A you can choose:

1: 1♣ - Forcing and artificial and promising 16+ points and any shape.
2: 1♦ - Could be short and either 10-15 unbalanced with 3+ diamonds or 15-17 balanced.

If you choose 1 then partner's B is:

Spoiler

X - showing any 5-8 points

If you choose 2 then partner's B is:

Spoiler

Pass - relatively normal, X would have been negative, rest natural

For C you can choose and rate:

1: pass
2: X
3: 4nt
4: 5♣

[TylerE]

A: 1 C: 2

[gnasher]

The thought of opening a strong club on this terrifies me. We don't have enough high cards, we have three suits to describe, and we can expect to have to cope with several spade bids from somebody. 1♦ seems clear.

On the next round, I'd double, which is not without risk, but I can't bring myself to pass.

[Fluffy]

I never played strong club, but ain't 2♣ an option as well?

[Codo]

a2 horrible hand for the system. Luckily most systems have a bid for these hands.

C2 X this is not penalty, or is it? If it is, I choose 4 NT as a three suited take out.

[Mbodell]

Fluffy, on Sep 8 2009, 01:47 AM, said:

I never played strong club, but ain't 2♣ an option as well?

It is, and maybe I should have included it in the list (or bid it at the table). By agreement it is 10-15 and always 6+ clubs and no 5 card Major (4 is ok) so it would be a distortion, but maybe it is the more effective lie on this hand.

[Fluffy]

sorry if this is a bit off topic, but I am curious, what do you open with 4405 or 4315?

[gwnn]

1♦ and double, should be canonical.

[655321]

Agree with gwnn, with the caveat that I don't know what a balanced 15-17 is supposed to do in OP methods over interference. But yes, playing a system where I have denied 16HCP by opening 1♦ I would be delighted to open 1♦ and double 4♠.

[Mbodell]

Fluffy, on Sep 8 2009, 02:23 AM, said:

sorry if this is a bit off topic, but I am curious, what do you open with 4405 or 4315?

2♦ shows (43)15, 4405, and 4414 and 10-15 points.

655321, on Sep 8 2009, 03:38 AM, said:

Agree with gwnn, with the caveat that I don't know what a balanced 15-17 is supposed to do in OP methods over interference.

Over normal low level interference 15-17 is supposed to rebid nt or else double to show the nt hand with no stop (or pass with a really bad nt hand) and with the unbalanced hands you are supposed to pass or bid a suit. But this is all below 1nt or 2nt. Once you get over 2nt and partner is silent then it is into do something reasonable partner type territory.

[Stephen Tu]

Mild thread hijack:

Same hand, playing natural system; 1♣-1♠-x-4♠; ??

If you bid 5♥, 5♠ -p-p; ?

[gnasher]

Stephen Tu, on Sep 9 2009, 02:45 AM, said:

Mild thread hijack:

Same hand, playing natural system; 1♣-1♠-x-4♠; ??

I might bid 4NT, 2 places to play. It may be matchpoints, but my heart holding looks a bit vulnerable to forces, so if there's a 9-card minor-suit fit I'd rather play there than in a 4-4 heart fit.

Against that, 4NT means playing 5♣ opposite 3433 or 4423, which may be worse than 5♥. Perhaps I should bid 4NT and then convert 5♣ to 5♦, catering for a 5-4 diamond fit but giving up on clubs.

Quote

If you bid 5♥, 5♠ -p-p; ?

I'd really like this to be a forcing pass situation, and if it were I'd bid 5NT to offer a choice of slams.

I don't, however, think it is a forcing pass. We might well have been making 5♥, and 5♠ is probably going down, so I suppose I double.

[Fluffy]

non expert in the methods, but I would probably open 1♣, and then regret it when opponents preempt and make a take out 4NT or pass or double, wichever it is.

[Mbodell]

Stephen Tu, on Sep 8 2009, 05:45 PM, said:

Mild thread hijack:

Same hand, playing natural system; 1♣-1♠-x-4♠; ??

If you bid 5♥, 5♠ -p-p; ?

I obviously know the hand in questions but in your system I choose 5♥ then X.

[Mbodell]

FWIW I picked 2 and 2 at the table. This was the fullhand:

Scoring: MP

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And 4♠X making 6 (I won the opening lead with the ♦K and that was all we got) was good for 14% on the board.

[Jlall]

Teach your partner negative Xs