We play the positive/negative 2C opening, having 2D as the negative response with 0-7 points. The main reason to play this is that it is by far the easiest to remember and bid since all other bids are natural. If you play relay to 2D you want other ways (like Herbert negatives) to show a weak hand.
Question. Let's say 4 hearts is the contract. 8 cards are left. The lead is in my hand. I have let's say the 10 of trumps in my hand including a spade. The 2 remaining trumps in dummy are let's say Ace and Queen. If one my opponents has the Jack and King of hearts, and I decide to lead a spade, the other opponent follows suit and I play smart and trump in with the queen, is the over trump legal for the opponent by playing the King?
Hi Brendan, In this situation you have described it would only be legal for the opponent holding the King and Jack of trumps to over-trump you if they had also ran out of spades. If they have any spades in their hand, they must follow suit first. I agree with trumping in with the Queen in this instance though, as you should try to make your Queen if you can. Your Ace will always make a trick! Thanks for your comment, Dom
Gotta say, I have had a hand like hand 3, no card Ten or higher. But I did not pass it. My partner opens 1 club, I am not allowed to pass that since we play transfer. (could be as short as 1club) I transferred to spades by bidding 1H, opponent interfered by bidding 2D.. My partner Negative Doubled.. and I had an very awkward scenario were my partner is basically forcing me to bid again with 0 points.. I was afraid and with my 4 diamonds I hoped the correct thing was to pass down and pray opponent would bid again since it got doubled. he did not and we got a massive minus score. and my partner was upset I did not bid 2 spades. Which would be the correct thing as he was actually quite strong. We would probably even made 2 spades as my partner had a 3 card fit and like 17-18hp I believe. 0 points hands are hard to bid.. I have also preempted with a hand like this. Opponent opens 1club, my partner bid 1diamond, hand 3 bids .. I don't remember which major. I preempt to 3diamonds. We very not vulnerable against vulnerable. and we did actually get a good score that game because our opponents did not find their small slam. which other tables found. It's awesome to have 0 points in good vulnerability and a 9card fit with partner. opponents had 13 tricks their way but most other tables only bid at 6th level
Our 2Club strategy is different from yours here. We play 2spades as a negative. with Good/Bad responses. and everything else is mostly Transfers.. 2d = 5card hearts and 6p+. 2h=5+spades 2NT=5+c and so on. :)
Yep you definitely should have bid! The double of 2D was for takeout and therefore forcing after all! A slight downside to playing short club with transfers unfortunately. Dom
Love this content. And finally a Grand slam :D Does not happen that often but it"s nice to know the system all the way up til grand!
We play the positive/negative 2C opening, having 2D as the negative response with 0-7 points.
The main reason to play this is that it is by far the easiest to remember and bid since all other bids are natural. If you play relay to 2D you want other ways (like Herbert negatives) to show a weak hand.
Question. Let's say 4 hearts is the contract. 8 cards are left. The lead is in my hand. I have let's say the 10 of trumps in my hand including a spade. The 2 remaining trumps in dummy are let's say Ace and Queen. If one my opponents has the Jack and King of hearts, and I decide to lead a spade, the other opponent follows suit and I play smart and trump in with the queen, is the over trump legal for the opponent by playing the King?
Hi Brendan,
In this situation you have described it would only be legal for the opponent holding the King and Jack of trumps to over-trump you if they had also ran out of spades. If they have any spades in their hand, they must follow suit first. I agree with trumping in with the Queen in this instance though, as you should try to make your Queen if you can. Your Ace will always make a trick!
Thanks for your comment,
Dom
Could you show an example just to make sure if the opponents can over trump or not?
Gotta say, I have had a hand like hand 3, no card Ten or higher. But I did not pass it.
My partner opens 1 club, I am not allowed to pass that since we play transfer. (could be as short as 1club)
I transferred to spades by bidding 1H, opponent interfered by bidding 2D.. My partner Negative Doubled.. and I had an very awkward scenario were my partner is basically forcing me to bid again with 0 points.. I was afraid and with my 4 diamonds I hoped the correct thing was to pass down and pray opponent would bid again since it got doubled. he did not and we got a massive minus score. and my partner was upset I did not bid 2 spades. Which would be the correct thing as he was actually quite strong. We would probably even made 2 spades as my partner had a 3 card fit and like 17-18hp I believe.
0 points hands are hard to bid.. I have also preempted with a hand like this. Opponent opens 1club, my partner bid 1diamond, hand 3 bids .. I don't remember which major.
I preempt to 3diamonds. We very not vulnerable against vulnerable. and we did actually get a good score that game because our opponents did not find their small slam. which other tables found. It's awesome to have 0 points in good vulnerability and a 9card fit with partner. opponents had 13 tricks their way but most other tables only bid at 6th level
Our 2Club strategy is different from yours here. We play 2spades as a negative. with Good/Bad responses. and everything else is mostly Transfers.. 2d = 5card hearts and 6p+. 2h=5+spades 2NT=5+c and so on. :)
Yep you definitely should have bid! The double of 2D was for takeout and therefore forcing after all! A slight downside to playing short club with transfers unfortunately.
Dom
This sounds like a reasonable response method to 2C. Better than a negative 2D bid anyway!