I think 3D is a joke, 17 of full working pts a 7th diamond and a void ! Even vs xxx,KT9xx,xx,xxx you want to be in slam vs a C, D or H lead and on a S lead you still have 20% of a Kx onside.

2Nt is out because it lead to pretty bad games vs many bal min openings. JTxxx,xx,AQx,Axx etc.

3D isnt so crazy because partner looking at (J)xxxx will seriously upgrade after hearing the 9th trump bid.

However I do prefer 3C because AKQ is just too good for me. 1Nt is a 3rd valid option but I prefer to show the fit.

Im really surprised that 3S has a lot more votes than double. Double allow for 3Cx,3D,3H,4H that all can easily be better than 3S. If Advancer got 3S and 4 in a red its still likely possible that 3 Red will play as well as 3S because im ruffing with the short trumps.

IMO pass is clear cut. Your not likely to get a plus score anyway so why risk -500 ?

Agree 100% the pass of 3Hx is either a counter game try or a slam try. East is going to be really convincing if I want us to believe that he was making a slam try and had no intention to stop below game.

Clearly East pass of 3Hx meant that he was thinking of another contract than 4S. Since 3H guaranted a fit its either 4S/6S, 3S/4S or remotly possible 4S/5C. It doesnt really matter if you think 4S is the only reasonnable contract because he didnt bid it so you have to assume that from EAST POV he had an alternative contract in mind.

IMO if he really tought of 6S he would probably XX to show a first round control therefore Im assuming that he was thinking in the lines of 3S/4S. Like many Im really surprised that 5/8 tought that passing 3S is reasonnable but in the end because of the weird pass and lack of XX of 3Hx it does seem that for east 3S was a possible target all along. East must have good arguments & be convincing for me to believe that he was trying for slam or 5C and had no intention to stop at 3S.

Its remote but possible that East didnt want to show his H void or that XX wasnt available for showing a void. But hes still need some slam aspiration for the pass and need a good explanation here.

I didnt have time to read all comments so sorry if I repeat things.

Showing wich suit is longest is IMO the key to compete both in direct and in balancing seat passed hand or not. As a passed hand I would play

X = 5M+ 4or5 elsewhere
2C = 5C+4M or both m
2D = 5or6D+4M
2H = 6H+4S
2S = 5S+6m or flawed preempt

responses after a X
2C = I have at least 3C and a stiff in a M or (32)44
2D = I have 5D, 2C or less and a stiff in a M (15)52 / (41)62
2H = I have a tol for both M pick you best one.

Im losing the minor one suiter but I have 4m+5H and 4m+5S wich are a lot more frequent.

100% south, 4H is wrong,5S is wrong and pass is wrong. Partner bid 5H followed by 6S it clearly mean that he was looking for 7 all along. Can south hand be any better than this ?

IMO partner would instead of 3C …double with 3H and bid 3S with a strong 1255 or 1264. So i play him for a good 2254 or anyhand that he think 3Sx might be ok if I hold 3S.

Since both W or E could make a cost nothing game try (2D instead of 2H and 3D instead of X), I think either north hand has extras or D are likely 2-2.

East wouldnt make a marginal X with 4C and stiff D and West would probably double 3D with 3 trumps and extras.

So it look to me like D will be 2-2 very often. If E or W has a D shortness I expect North hand to have an extra K or A at least.

With a likely wasted Q or J of clubs in east I dont think 4H is going to bid and made that often.

The problem here is that the overcall give more space to the opponents (opener can pass or X) and that you almost have very little hope of buying the contract. So the only upside of the overcall is lead directing. So even if the risk of 1Sx is extremely small all the downside make it a poor overcall.

Advancing with a new suit at the 2 level cannot be forcing, the 6-14 pts range is just so much more frequent than the 15+ plus hands. The chance that 2S is your last plus is quite high. Even playing 2 over 2 as forcing is questionnable.

It should be defender prerogative to

1-Ask for alerts or ask that they dont say anything.

2-Ask for explanation all the time instead of alerts.

3- Ask for explanation under a specific level and alert over a certain level or vice-versa.

4- Ask for quick and sure alerts only (opps should alert only when hes 99% sure its an artificial bid)

5- ask for alerts and the meaning of cuebids even if its higher than 3NT to be able to make lead directing double in unclear cases.

For example if I play vs a good pair that play a complicated system i tell them please explain all bid under 2NT (where im pretty sure they know their system well) but say nothing and dont alert anything at the 3 level or higher.

I would play 4H as 5H or bad 6 with 2S (obvious IMO), 4D as 6D+4H (if you have a weak 2 in D). So 4C is 5-5 in the reds and 4C-4D-4S is 2551.

Very interesting subject to fight after a weak NT.This is for the hand where it was openend a weak NT.

1-I play that double of 2H is takeout of S and passing and double 2S is a strong NT, im wondering what the others players play here and why ? If you have the takeout hand opps are more likely to preempt so thats why I want to show this hand faster than the strong NT.

2- if you had no way to show a H overcall by doubling 2H,should the double of 3H be a H overcall rather than a lead directing ?

3- If you play that stayman followed by 2S is a spades invite, then with a S-acceptance hand is it just better to bid 3S rather than to make a shape showing bid ?

Thanks

I also led J of D but with no conviction. I did open 3rd seat but im vul so my stiff K might be exposed pretty quickly after a S lead.

Very impressed by seeing the squeeze in the bidding and by the confidence needed to bid 6D, much less impressed by the 3H bid wich I agree with Rainer is clearly a “thank you” bid.

Passing the double make no sense, its a penalty double but partner doesnt play you for a stiff. You have a lot of extras but maybe not enough for game, once you almost nail them you have to play the odds and be agressive for the next doubles. I would double 1H with any opening hand holding four hearts and suome subminimum hand hold spots in hearts.

Its possible south has a weak hand with very long diamonds but most of the time its pts+diamonds.

So over 1Hx I bid 2S implying extras, 4S and 5D. I dont feel my hand is strong enough for a 2H cue(wich is the only other alternative for me)

I would bid 3H since for me 3S implies half a stopper.