Julian Pottage
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a weak 1NT is a bid not to open light in third seat because the chance of game is slim facing a passed hand and the chance that the player in fourth seat has enough to double is higher than usual. many players do not open 1NT with 12 points in third seat vulnerable, preferring instead to open one of a suit – you do not need to have a rebid if you have tolerance for the other suits.
You might open one of suit light in third seat if you have a good suit because this will help partner know what to lead. A 1NT opening, however, does not help partner know what to lead.
If you are escaping from 1NT into a minor, the shape rather than the suit quality is the main determinant. If you have a Yarborough, you cannot have a good suit.
The CRO overcalls create ambiguity for both sides. Partner has to guess to some extent what suit the overcaller has and bid accordingly. All bids are of a ‘pass or correct nature’. As someone else has pointed out, you would only be using these bids against a strong 1C.
In the not so distant past the terms artificial club and strong club were synonymous but not any more – an artificial club these days generally means a prepared club (2+ clubs) rather than a Precision or Blue Club style strong club.
If the singleton club is the king or queen, I would happily open 1NT. Otherwise I too would prefer to open 1D, though that still seems to be a minority view. If you do open 1H on these hands then after your side starts 1H-2C-2D responder has to remember that opener might be 4441 and not jump to 4H with opening values and 3-card heart support.
Opener’s high reverse creates a game force, so the 3S bid that you have annotated as invitational is forcing, not invitational. As it is fairly rubbish hand (in the context of having already made a two-over-one response). I would bid a fast arrival 4S rather than 3S. On your actual sequence, opener’s 4H does indeed rather sound like it is a cue bid with spades.
I play something similar
X = hearts
1D = spades
1H = 2 suits same colour
1S = 2 suits of same rank
1NT = 2 odd suits
The thinking behind the X and 1D as transfers as that if the opponents allow us to buy the contract the strong hand will often be on lead
Please note that asking a question in this forum will often generate a response only from myself. If you want to know what others do, you need to post on the BGB Facebook group
The diagram is not easy to read but I assume from your narrative that the South hand is at the top! The player at the top has no aces, short honours in the spade suit and an unsupported honour in the club suit, so I do not think there is anything wrong with the initial pass. The 2NT opener should super accept the transfer, which presumably 3NT was an intention to do but the other hand took it as a denial of hearts. If the 2NT opener jumps to 4H, there is no scope for misunderstanding. Knowing of the good heart fit and at least 31 HCP between the two hands, the hand at the top then bid 6H, possibly checking for key cards on the way.
As your question was about the bidding I did not comment on the play but declarer misplayed to make only 8 tricks. I guess West led a club and East continued clubs when in with the DA. If West led a spade or if East switched to hearts, it would be easy to make 9 tricks. Even without a helpful lead or switch, the normal play in spades is to finesse the S8 on the third round after two honours fall from the East seat. It is far more likely that East has two high spades doubleton than J-10-9 tripleton.
Few pairs would have an agreement about how to show 30 points because such such hands are so rare. You might open 2C and rebid 4NT and hope partner gets the message you are too strong for a 3NT rebid. If you want a peer answer, you need to post in the Facebook discussion.
Bernard has been talking about cue bids, which are another possible use for a 4C bid. Sometimes you would want to bid 4C naturally, so not an advanced use.
Your 4H overcall seems very reasonable to me, especially as you have indicated that East was dealer and passed. You do not want to give the opponents the chance to get together in spades (though on this layout partner would not mind that). I would bid 4H facing an unpassed hand but facing a passed hand (when missing a slam is unlikely) it is definitely right.
This is what you can find at the moment: http://blog.bernardmageebridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Convention-Card-Bernard-Magee.pdf
I agree it does not cover response to a 2NT opening. Bernard has indicated that he plans to make some additions, so perhaps the next version will cover that.
If the East-West methods were that 3S showed 5 spades and 4 hearts then neither player bid correctly. East had the length the wrong way round in the majors and was too weak. West with three good spades should have played in what should have been a 5-3 spade fit.
At the weekend one of my teammates had a 2NT-3NT-4H auction because they were playing 3NT as showing 5-4 in the majors. It is important to know your system.
There ought to be a link to Bernard’s standard system. I shall try looking under ‘Bidding System Help’ and see whether the answer is there.
You were rather unlucky to find 0 points in partner’s hand and 9 on your right. When you have 17 points and you know of 12-14 points on your left, on average your side will have 22 points to the opposing side’s 18.
If you overcall 2H rather than double, there is a danger of missing game and the danger of missing a penalty.
At any other vulnerability a 2H overcall with 17 points would be unthinkable but as it generally pays to declare when neither side is vulnerable it would not be a terrible choice here.
On this particular layout, I am not sure how partner is ever going to work out that the queen is a suit preference signal rather just a normal play from Q-x-x. You might think of trying it nonetheless because if partner thinks declarer has A-K-J then partner will be more likely to switch – but if declarer takes the queen with the ace, is there not a danger that partner things you have the king and queen and possibly even that declarer has A-J doubleton, making the suit ready to run?
The most common time for a suit preference signal on partner’s lead is when you are defending a suit contract and dummy has a singleton in the suit led – in that scenario it is unlikely that continuing the suit will help, so partner needs to know what other suit interests you.
