[kgr]

Your partner opens the bidding with 1H or 1S. You play 5-card Majors and not 2/1.
How do you show support for the M (3+ or exactly 3) and good 5-card suit at the side?

1H-1S
1NT-3H/4H ??

1H-2C
1D-3H/4H ??

When do you show this? Do you need a specific point range?

How dou you investigate slem after this start? Should opener have an honnour in responders 5-card or is it more important to have controls (1st control?) in the side suits?

[temp3600]

Quote

Your partner opens the bidding with 1H or 1S. You play 5-card Majors and not 2/1.
How do you show support for the M (3+ or exactly 3) and good 5-card suit at the side?

You bid the good 5-card suit first and then show support. This is a very sound principle with strong hands. The only time you might hide the good 5-card suit and show support immediately is with a weak hand.

For example, with KQ10xx Qxx Ax Kxx everyone would bid spades and then show heart support, but with KQ10xx Qxx xx xxx it is less clear-cut.

Quote

1H-1S
1NT-3H/4H ??

In Sayc, the following three sequences all show 4+ spades and 3+ hearts with different strength :
1♥ 1♠ 1NT 2♥ : weak hand ; the second hand above would qualify.

1♥ 1♠ 1NT 3♥ : intermediate (10-12) hand
1♥ 1♠ 1NT 4♥ : game forcing hand, but not extremely strong (something like 13-16) ; the first hand above could be bid this way.

There are more efficient bidding structures after 1x - 1y - 1NT though. New minor forcing, two-way checkback are widely used.

Quote

1H-2C
2D-3H/4H ??

In Sayc :
1♥ 2♣ 2♦ 4♥ shows a game forcing hand with a club suit(*) and 3+ hearts, but not extremely strong (13-15)
1♥ 2♣ 2♦ 3♥ shows a game forcing hand with a club suit(*) and 3+ hearts, interested in slam (15+).
(*) : sometimes responder has to fake a club suit with a game forcing balanced hand with heart support.

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When do you show this? Do you need a specific point range?

You should show the side-suit whenever you can. It is a very sound principle to show a good side-suit first and then support. The only time you might hide such a suit is with a weak hand, where showing support immediately can be better.

Quote

How dou you investigate slem after this start? Should opener have an honnour in responders 5-card or is it more important to have controls (1st control?) in the side suits?

Opener's holding in responder's side-suit matters a lot. That part of his hand can vary greatly in value. Let's take the 1♥ 2♣ start. If opener has Axx in spades, it is nice, since it's an ace, a first-round control, but probably won't move much in value as the bidding progresses. But a holding such as Kx or Qx in clubs, which was neutral (Kx) or slightly minus (Qx) has just increased tremendously. On the contrary, if opener had a singleton or a void in clubs, which would have been attractive holdings for a suit contract, they are now big minuses.

To sum up, controls in other suits are good, but they were already good, whereas opener's holding in partner's side suit can often go from around neutral to excellent or terrible.

[P_Marlowe]

kgr, on Dec 6 2006, 05:40 PM, said:

Your partner opens the bidding with 1H or 1S. You play 5-card Majors and not 2/1.
How do you show support for the M (3+ or exactly 3) and good 5-card suit at the side?

1H-1S
1NT-3H/4H ??

1H-2C
1D-3H/4H ??

When do you show this? Do you need a specific point range?

How dou you investigate slem after this start? Should opener have an honnour in responders 5-card or is it more important to have controls (1st control?) in the side suits?

1) bid you 5 card suit, show your support later

1H - 1S
1NT- ...

2H - the bid could be made on a 2 card suit
3H - limit raise (10-12)
4H - delayed game raise (13-15)

If depends on partnership agreement, if 3H / 4H promises
a 5 card spade suit, in standard I would think it does not

If you want to start a slam auction, use NMF, bid 2C
support hearts later

2) I dont understand the given seq. in the context of your question.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[whereagles]

kgr, on Dec 6 2006, 10:40 PM, said:

Your partner opens the bidding with 1H or 1S. You play 5-card Majors and not 2/1.
How do you show support for the M (3+ or exactly 3) and good 5-card suit at the side?

1H-1S
1NT-3H/4H ??

1H-2C
1D-3H/4H ??

When do you show this? Do you need a specific point range?

How dou you investigate slem after this start? Should opener have an honnour in responders 5-card or is it more important to have controls (1st control?) in the side suits?

Here's my opinion on this.

1♥ 1♠
1NT

to show good 5 spades and 3 hearts now, you need a gadget like new minor forcing or checkback. Playing without gadgets you can use the following trick: bid a 3-card minor and follow-up with 4♥. This is a slam try because you would have bid a straight 4♥ if you wanted to a game only.

Now,

1♥ 2♣
2♦

here responder can bid:

2♥ = in Europe this tends to show good clubs and honest 3-card heart support, NF. In the US this bid tends to show 2 hearts only and about 10-11 hcp.

3♥ = in Europs: game-forcing raise, slam try. Shows good clubs and heart suport, asks for cue (opener can bid a serious/frivolous 3NT now if you play that). In the US think this bid is invitational (not sure, though).

4♥ = picture bid: good clubs, honest raise to 4♥, little else on the side.

[the hog]

This is very easy using transfer checkback. Furthermore you don't have to use crutches like bidding a non existent 3 card suit.

[Tola18]

kgr, on Dec 6 2006, 05:40 PM, said:

Your partner opens the bidding with 1H or 1S. You play 5-card Majors and not 2/1.


1H-2C
2D-3H/4H ??

When do you show this? Do you need a specific point range?

How dou you investigate slem after this start? Should opener have an honnour in responders 5-card or is it more important to have controls (1st control?) in the side suits?

It is important not to misuse "Jacoby" "Stenberg" 2NT - or whatewer you use to show fit and game-going values. Especielly if it is allowed with 3-cards supports.
You will often play a bad Mayor-slam, down 1, while 6m is selfplaying. You will also probably get two throws on the spades.

Do show your good-sidesuit, even if you do have enough for the positive 2NT.
You can even consider this when the trumph support is four-cards!

2 over 1 isnt gameforcing in Sayc, but it is still a strong bid not to be taken lightly.
If in doubt - bid rather 1NT, which may contain up to 11 bad points.

thus:

1H-2C
2D- 2H - weak, not gameforcing, although many wants at least one bid more.

2D - 4H - weak, but we should make game. Do pass if you arent extraordinaly strong or have good hand and good fit with my minor - and "a pretty hand".
But if you do - this way we may find slams on 25 combined highcard points.

2D - 3H - slamseeker. NOT gameinviting!