[helene_t]

IMPs, all red:

xxx-AJTxxxx-Kx-A

(3♣)-x-(p)-?

I decided that 4♣ wouldn't enlighten anyone and 5♥ would just be a blame transfer, so I decided just to punt 6♥.

On this particular hand there may be no methods that would work much better than standard methods. Maybe it would be nice to play a slow 5♥ as a general slam invite while a fast 5♥ asks specifically for a club control, or something like that. Selling this hand as a general slam invite, not asking for anything specifically, would not be bad. Getting the contract in partner's hand in case ♠K needs protection would be nice but probably only possible with adjective bridge.

But it made me think more generally about this auction: The standard meaning of 4♣ (GF, ostensibly two places to play) and 4♦ (invitational with diamonds) probably isn't the most efficient use of bidding space.

What about:
4♣: spades OR spades+diamonds
4♦: hearts only
4♥: two places to play including four hearts

Any thoughts? It would be ideal for this hand so maybe it is adjective bridge after all.

[nige1]

Helene_T "IMPs, all red: I decided that 4♣ wouldn't enlighten anyone and 5♥ would just be a blame transfer, so I decided just to punt 6♥. On this particular hand there may be no methods that would work much better than standard methods. Maybe it would be nice to play a slow 5♥ as a general slam invite while a fast 5♥ asks specifically for a club control, or something like that. Selling this hand as a general slam invite, not asking for anything specifically, would not be bad. Getting the contract in partner's hand in case ♠K needs protection would be nice but probably only possible with adjective bridge. But it made me think more generally about this auction: The standard meaning of 4♣ (GF, ostensibly two places to play) and 4♦ (invitational with diamonds) probably isn't the most efficient use of bidding space.What about:
4♣: spades OR spades+diamonds
4♦: hearts only
4♥: two places to play including four hearts
Any thoughts? It would be ideal for this hand so maybe it is adjective bridge after all."

---

Helene_T's suggestions seem fine. And 5♥/6♥ seem reasonable punts. I don't think I've discussed this with any partner.. Without discussion, I guess:

• 3♦/3♥/3♠3NT/4♥/4♠/5♦ = NAT N/F.
• 5♥/5♠ = NAT S/T. General -- not the usual meaning of 2 ♣ losers.
• 4♣ = UCB Often 2 or 3 places to play.
• 4♦ = NAT G/F 5+ ♦.
• 4NT = ART Old-fashioned Blackwood?
• 5♣ = No idea

Hand corrected as GordonTD suggested.

This post has been edited by nige1: 2020-July-02, 11:12

[gordontd]

helene_t, on 2020-July-01, 17:17, said:

Any thoughts? It would be ideal for this hand so maybe it is adjective bridge after all.

I would have expected 5H to be asking for a club control which, given my stiff ace, partner may well not have. I think I need too much from partner to punt six so I would just wimp out in four. If partner does have what is needed, the auction isn't over yet: a raise to 5H asking me if I've got a club control would get us there.

PS I've just noticed that Nigel has changed the hand and made it a full trick worse!

[nullve]

It makes sense that

(3♣)-X-(P)-4♦ = NAT INV,

but if we decide that all 4-level advances should be GF here, then this becomes an example of the type of situation that I wanted to discuss in this thread. There I suggested replacing "natural" (or ♣,♦,♥,♠ referring to C,D,H,S, respecitvely) with e.g. Lissabon (♣,♦,♥,♠ referring to H,S,C,D, respectively), which in cases where clubs is no longer a possible trump suit might be realised as

4♣ = "hearts"
4♦ = "spades"
4♥ = "two or three places to play including (3+ ) hearts"*, NF
4♠ = "diamonds".

* inspired by Helene's use of the 4♥ advance

[Zelandakh]

How about:-

4♣ = ♦, INV+ (♦ INV; or ♦+M cog+; or ♦ SI)
4♦ = "pick a major" (slam try in 1 major without a ♣ control; or both majors cog+)
4M = nat, to play
4N = SI with a ♣ control (switch this with the no control hand type in 4♦ if preferred, but that only works for ♣)
5♣ = SI with a ♣ void (ParadoX advances)
5♦ = to play
5M = "bid slam with a ♣ control"
5N = "pick a slam"
--

[helene_t]

nullve, on 2020-July-02, 04:38, said:

4♥ = "two or three places to play including (3+ ) hearts"*, NF

Your structure makes a lot of sense, but 3+ hearts is not so great I think. Quite often, opener will have 4-4 in the majors (or maybe four hearts and six diamonds) and it's difficult then to decide whether to sit for 4♥. So I would like the scrambling 4♥ bid to promise four. With 4324 we just have to bid anchor to spades.