[nullve]

barmar, on 2016-March-25, 08:38, said:

Responding 2minor shows 3+ in the suit, not 4+ (responder shouldn't consider raising with less than 5). Sometimes you have to lie and bid 2♣ with only 2, because you have a weak 4=5=2=2 hand.

So

1♥(5+ H)-1N(F1); ?

2♣: shows, but does not promise, 3+ C

I think we could do without the show/promise distinction by describing bids more carefully, though.

[barmar]

nullve, on 2016-March-25, 09:25, said:

I think we could do without the show/promise distinction by describing bids more carefully, though.

Sure, but that might not be as useful if the exceptions are rare.

[nullve]

barmar, on 2016-March-25, 10:15, said:

Sure, but that might not be as useful if the exceptions are rare.

Agree.

[TheoKole]

oryctolagi, on 2016-March-18, 08:45, said:

I'm baffled. Perhaps I just don't know enough. This was in the BBO Acol club and I thought my partner was reversing:

---

Anyway, liking partner's (presumed) diamonds and (presumed) lots of points, a lot, I thought "slam" but eventually landed us in 5♦.

After the fiasco (3 down), I was about to ask partner what 2♦ was all about, but he/she scarpered before I got a chance.

Perhaps it's me. Not the first time something like this has happened. Perhaps I'm not up to this game, and others are taking it out on me... Should I quit?

No, you should not quit the game if you enjoy it.

As others have said previously it is very difficult to manufacture a 1 suit forcing bid in ACOL, especially when the suit is in a minor. That being said your partner has nowhere near the requirements for a forcing bid and had a 3 ♣ rebid at the time that he bid 2 ♦. My feeling is that he had spent very little or no time thinking about these types of hands and the problem they can create in the bidding and rebidding. In any case in the second round of bidding he had no idea how strong you were and should have rebid his hand and not projected specific cards into your hand that would complement his own. At the time of his rebid you had promised at least 6 points in playing strength and that is it. If he had rebid 3 ♣ you could reevaluate your hand with the strength you actually had and compare it to what you had promised in your first bid.

You would also have known that your partner didn't have a second suit or else he would have had a different rebid, another suit or NT or even opening NT with a bit offshape. He basically lied to you in his playing strength and in his shape so it is understandable that you insisted on ♦ as the trump suit with your hand shape.

I would have much more sympathy with your partner if the K ♥ and J ♠ points where in ♦, even with the same card points and hand shape as in AQJ ♦. Notice that the playing strength of his hand goes up astronomically in this case.

Good luck