[jillybean]

---

your options are;

2♦ waiting
2♠ 8hcp, 2 of the top 3 honors
2N 8+ balanced
a 6N or 7N response is not allowed.

Please explain your choice.

[frank0]

2♦

If your agreement is 2♠ promise 2 out of top 3 you had better not violate it. Though not very often, partner may jump to slam without checking key card in some slam try auction because he/she believes you have "two out of top three."

If I bid 2♦ I have lots of space to describe my hand later(partner usually bid 2NT, then I can use the 2NT system), there is no point to use 2NT to make a partial description of my hand now.

[CSGibson]

2D. I want partner to have maximum room to describe his hand; we aren't stopping short of small slam for sure, but I want to give max room to explore the grand.

[Cyberyeti]

CSGibson, on 2012-January-06, 02:08, said:

2D. I want partner to have maximum room to describe his hand; we aren't stopping short of small slam for sure, but I want to give max room to explore the grand.

If I play this system, I have little choice but to bid 2♦, I really prefer something that allows me to bid 2♠ on this.

[gwnn]

2♦, I will bid spades and force to slam somewhere.

[phil_20686]

gwnn, on 2012-January-06, 04:09, said:

2♦, I will bid spades and force to slam grand somewhere.

FYP

I strongly beleive that if this hand doesn't have enough for grand to be % partner had a one level opener........

[Vampyr]

jillybean, on 2012-January-06, 01:07, said:

2N 8+ balanced

Is this wise? How will partner know at what level to play notrumps? Better to let the strong hand define its range so that the 8+ will have a much clearer idea of what to do.

[Cthulhu D]

I can count 33 points, but there is no hurry to get my hand in the picture. I'll just bid 2D and drive to slam no matter what partner does.

Edit: doesn't it make more sense to play transfers over a 2C opening to rightside the final contract? Until I started playing a multi 2C and/or Myxo, we had a 2NT as spades and 2S as hearts, and 2H as a super negative. The only time I wouldn't consider 2D as a response is if 2D isn't GFing.

[phil_20686]

Cyberyeti, on 2012-January-06, 04:03, said:

If I play this system, I have little choice but to bid 2♦, I really prefer something that allows me to bid 2♠ on this.

If you bid 2S on this partner will not thank you with his strong hand with 7 solid hearts, as he has no suit setting bid below game in hearts available any more. Or were you planning to just raise hearts if he bids 3H, in which case not only will you not have bid your hand but partner will not thank you with KQ AKQT9 KQ AQJx.

Oh dear the hearts were 5-1 and you just went off in 7H with 7N a claimer. Shame.

Honestly, the odds that partner has hearts here are so high that straining to bid 2S is just silly. even with KQTxxx xx Axx xx it could easily turn out better to bid 2D first.

[jillybean]

For those who play 2N as a balanced, positive response - why not use that here?
And, what sort of hand would you have to use the 2N bid?

[Cthulhu D]

IMHO (as a decidely non expert player), it eats up to much space, you want to be able to explore whether a hearts, spades or no trumps contract is best, and as long as 2D is forcing to game you can do that safely. Starting with 2C - 2NT - 4H just ate all the room I might be able to use for cue bidding after 2C - 2D - 3H, or 2C - 2D - 2H - 2S - 3S. And joy of joys, partner might go 2C - 2D - 2S(!) in which case I start cue bidding immediately assuming that that will be read as a cue.

[gwnn]

jillybean, on 2012-January-06, 09:00, said:

For those who play 2N as a balanced, positive response - why not use that here?

Because I want to rebid 2♠ over 2♥

[hrothgar]

jillybean, on 2012-January-06, 09:00, said:

For those who play 2N as a balanced, positive response - why not use that here?
And, what sort of hand would you have to use the 2N bid?

Comment 1: Count me in with the 2♦ crowd

Comment 2: The primary problem with 2NT is that Spades and Clubs could both be viable strains. You'll never be able to convince your partner that you hold a two suited hand if you start by showing a balanced hand.

The big problem with the 2NT bid is that the following auction is VERY likely

2♣ - 2♦
2♥ - 2♠
2N

At this point in time, a 3♣ response would likely a second negative...

[blackshoe]

I start with 2♦. 2NT didn't even occur to me — this is not a balanced hand.

[ArtK78]

2♦ for many of the reasons already stated.

[ggwhiz]

I almost always respond 2♦, unlimited in our style.

The theory is that 2nt is pards likely rebid and the bidding space and tools come into play. This hand will also bid fine if pard bids something unlimited like 2♥ next and you have max room to fish for the grand. Especially if it is in clubs.

[neilkaz]

CSGibson, on 2012-January-06, 02:08, said:

2D. I want partner to have maximum room to describe his hand; we aren't stopping short of small slam for sure, but I want to give max room to explore the grand.

Exactly and if we look at likely auctions most seem to be more smooth and easy and descriptive after 2♦. Then we are well placed when pard rebids 2♥ or 2nt.

[jillybean]

blackshoe, on 2012-January-06, 09:35, said:

I start with 2♦. 2NT didn't even occur to me — this is not a balanced hand.

And I bet you dont open 1n with 5 card suits either?

Here's the full hand

---

2♣:2♦
2♥:2♠
3♦:3♥
4♣:4♦
4♠*:5♦
5♠:6♣
7N

I didn't use 2N for the reasons given above. Later I wondered if having not shown a positive response, could it cause problems for a partner who may be trying to sign off believing I did not have any extras and, is 2N a useful bid after 2C at all? Partner will usually hold 6 to bid 2M after 2C:2D and will bid 2N on `balanced` hands.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Edit: Duh...

South North seems to be putting a lot of faith in partner holding the ♠ Ace to be bidding the grand with no actual ♠ Ctrl-cue by North South .

But I see the asterisk now ( 4♠* ) was kickback RKC for Hts .

[Phil]

2♦ for reasons given by CSGibson, Cthulhu D (2nd post) and Hrothgar.

Things that are not appropriate for the BI follow:



--------------

Ah, a Kokish hand. Lets see if I can use the methods I'm trying out:

2♣ - 2♦
2♥* - 2♠**
3♣*** - 3♥****
3N# - 4♣#
RKC and kings follow

...7N

* - Kokish
** - 0-2 hearts
*** - Single suited hearts
**** - Doubleton support
# Serious Cue in ♠, Cue