(1) Opener tries 3NT if there is a good chance of getting to nine tricks. Typically this means he'll need something in partner's minor (so that he will have an entry to the long minor) and reasonable stops in all other suits (so that you're not losing the first 5 tricks). Typically Kx is about the minimum you need in partner's suit.
(2) Again, this is more a matter of counting tricks. Length in the minor is not that important since responder already has plenty of that. It's more about having sufficient controls and a secondary source of tricks. 4 or 5 diamonds is actually a liability since it means there is no source for tricks unless you have a cross-ruff -- which isn't very likely given that opener is balanced.
So you just bid your hand with 3, painting the perfect picture of your hand (long near-solid diamonds, opening strength) and let partner either sign off in 3NT or let him start the cue-bidding ivestigation.


(BTW, I never knew SAYC had this structure, and I think many people won't know)

The only bids that are universally understood over 1NT are 2C, 2D, 2H and NT raises. If you're playing with a decent partner, they'll understand/guess what you mean by three of a minor though.

I know you've answered this well, Al, but I wanted to add something. While I've seen what you've mentioned a few times, and yes it IS annoying, I'm really working hard on my counting when I play. Sometimes, even on the last couple of (trivial) tricks, I'm going to play a bit slowly, make sure I know what's going on, and try to predict the final discards.

Beginners should, in general, play far more slowly than they do.

Let me throw in another wrench.

When playing pickup games on BBO, I always allow any undos that my opponents make, for any reason, at any time.

Al,why does it bother you to do that also?

I also play ACBL club games, and BBO tournaments where that is never allowed. Those games are competitive. Pickup games are just that.

Spotting people who abuse this easy. Pretty trivial to never play with them again.

I have slightly softened my attitude towards this as I have to put up with rude partners who inflict this sort of rudeness on my opponents.

And yes, there are lots of legitimate reasons why time delays may occur but my gripe was/is not with those players.

My policy on undos is to allow bidding undos if I am directly next to bid 100% of the time. To deny if my partner has bid and the player on his right has asked for an undo as he now has information he did not have when he made his original bid that he wants undone. In relation to card plays being requested as undo I use the rule from live play: if it touches the table it has been played. I would never ask for a card play undo.

If one is playing with friends rather than randoms then different ethics apply.

Card play misclicks happen online. I have done them and seen obvious card misclicks as well from great players. As long as they ask for an undo immediately, I will happily accept the undo. But if there is a 5 second delay in asking for the undo, I start to question it.

I hate when people do this, but you all love me and will give me a break

My wife and I decided that we're gonna pick up bridge as a hobby, but I know basically nothing, and she hasn't played in years. Can anyone recommend some online resources for us to learn? I'm sure there's something in the thread, but it's too long

This is what I started with

http://www.acbl.org/learn/ltpb.html

Do you both have computers? Could probably play a few hands on BBO with us - I know I'd be happy to go slowly and answer a bajillion questions.

Also, could kibitz some of us while we play. I know I'd have no problem answering questions while I played.

There are probably good resources out there, but my mind's drawing a blank.

out of curiosity, what kind of background to the two of you have? Euchre? Hearts? Spades? 500?

My wife played bridge with her dad when she was a kid. I used to be pretty good at euchre, but it's been years.

I think we'll go through the programs chuck linked, and then if she's still in to it, we'll hook up with poggers for online games. We're def limited to online games for the forseeable future, unless bridge clubs have daycares (lol)

No daycares, per se, but there are often quite a few diapers.

In the UK, the cost of live play would be prohibitive, when you could play online within the cost of your internet connection.

I have decided to go with DONT. And my understanding of it will derive from here.

Cappelletti is said to be flawed. Hello Convention was said to be best but it does not seem to be very popular. DONT seems to meet the criteria of popularity and effectiveness.

Wyman, why did you feel the need to modify it? It seems pretty much well worked out as a convention.

Probably a simple one--I'm rusty.

IMPs, all vul.

3C - P - 5C to you with:

AK876
AQ976
4
J8

After you finish vomiting, you...

Oh, and over 1NT, the wife and I like to play something very similar to HELLO:

2C = D or M+m.
2D = majors
2H = hearts
2S = spades
2NT = clubs
3C = minors.

I think the only difference between this and HELLO is that we've reversed the 2D and 2H bids. HELLO is probably technically superior but we're going our way for memory reasons. (We may also swap back 2NT and 3C for the same reason.)

One thing that we do that I quite strongly recommend is to play pass-or-correct bids by partner over the multiway 2C bid. It's a lot of fun to go 1NT - 2C - P (or X or something) - 3C (partner, please pass if you have clubs, else bid 3D and I'll either pass or bid for 3 of your major).

Pass. If I can be permitted to dust off a cliche, the 5 level belongs to the opponents. You're probably not being preempted too badly, partly because partner couldn't bid even though he must have short clubs, and partly because they're vul. Double is reasonable as well because 5C is probably down 1, but it's hard to be sure and if partner takes out you may well go down.

wow i just saw this thread

makes me happy to see so many bridge playing poker players

(i think i would be described as a poker playing bridge player but its prob. close)

gl to you guys

fyp

Thor, I msg'd you a few times on LP. I am friends from college with Ryan. I'm still hoping to run into you at a NABC. Maybe Reno...

Good to see you here, too. Please feel free to chime into the discussion anytime.

PS - Do you play:

1H-(1S)-2D-(P)
2H*

as F1 or NF?

Thor, do you play on BBO?

6

That is Michaels, right?
















LOL!!! Just kidding.

def. look me up at any nationals you go to im always there.

on that auction i play rebid of my suit raise of partner suit and 2nt all non forcing.

i play rarely there my name there is stevo i usually just use it to practice bidding with my partner

Understanding pass-or-correct responses is a fine advanced bidding concept that doesn't get the attention it deserves in North American bridge. (I have hopes that I will live long enough to play Wilkosz 2D in a live tournament. But so far I have only lived long enough to watch most of Poland quit playing it.)

If we're all going to share our favourite defences to 1NT, here is mine:
Double = + or +, at least 5-4
2 = + or +, at least 5-4
2 = both majors
2, 2:spade = natural, 6+ suit (most often about the strength of a vulnerable weak two-bid)
2NT = both minors.

We call it "Chasm", for colour-shape-majors, since the 2D response in CRASH isn't GCC legal, and since it makes sense for higher bids to be more precise. The advances over double and 2C are pass or correct of course.

HELLO is indeed a strong contender in theory that doesn't get much use because of its complexity.

Oh, on the simple rusty 3C-Pass-5C hand, I make a nice quiet penalty double, unless my opponents are notorious underbidders.

+1 on all opponents' requests for undos accepted. It's a game. If they say they misclicked, they misclicked, and if they're lying I don't acre enough to worry about it.