[xx1943]

I'M always confused about alerting in onlinebridge. In real life pd explains the partnership agreements. But online I must explain. What to do with tactical under- or overbids?

For example:

Scoring: MP

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In a BBO-Event the bidding went:

1♣ pass pass 1NT (me)

opponents wanted to know the meaning of my bid. He was not satisfied with my answer "normal NT".

I'm afraid to answer 15-17 as agreed and in my profile, but having 19 HCP.

[Cascade]

If you frequently upgrade or downgrade the you can say something like:

"around 15-17"

However:

Your obligation is to explain your partnership agreement and experience.

You have no obligation above that to explain what is in your hand.

[Free]

Just explain what your partner knows. If he knows you frequently up- or downgrade your hand in this situation, you have to let opps know as well. If however partner expects exactly 15-17 HCP, you explain it as 15-17... If partner knows it can be semi-balanced, you should also mention that.

Btw, you only have 18HCP and a semi-balanced hand, so is this a big lie?

[hrothgar]

Comment the first:

A balancing NT after a 1C opening "normally" promises ~10-13 HCP.

Comment the second:

If you genuninely believe that a balancing NT shows 15-17, then this 18 HCP hand isn't a horrible deviation. Its not a bid that I would chose, however, judgement is subjective.

Comment the third:

You are obligated to describe agreements, not the contents of your hand.
"No agreement" or "standard" are acceptable explanations.

[csdenmark]

I think I have something of the same feeling like xx1943 - occasionally. Even I quite well know Free and Wayne are right both - I have problems to provide a deliberately lie. Such is much more easy for partner to do - partner knows nothing about the lie - and he therefore dont lies.

Fx. opening 1♦ in pass systems I alert and explain as:0-7any or 0-9noMAJOR. Holding this Jxxx Jxxx KJx QJ but in fact I have 2 majors and ought to open 1♣ as 8-12, semi-balanced. In such cases, not so rare with pass systems, I prefer partner to do the 'dirty work.'

[xx1943]

Free, on May 12 2004, 05:47 AM, said:

Btw, you only have 18HCP and a semi-balanced hand, so is this a big lie?

sry I made a mistake. I held actually ♦K not ♦Q. i.e. 19 HCP

Albrecht

[inquiry]

xx1943, on May 12 2004, 09:14 AM, said:

Free, on May 12 2004, 05:47 AM, said:

Btw, you only have 18HCP and a semi-balanced hand, so is this a big lie?

sry I made a mistake. I held actually ♦K not ♦Q. i.e. 19 HCP

Albrecht

This doens't seem to be so much a tactile bid, but rather a huge gamble bid. If you are playing MP and need a swing to win, underbidding like this might work.

But be that as it may, you never alert what you hold, you alert what your agreement is. If you agreement is 15-17, then you alert that, regardless if you have 13 or 19. That is, you would never say, "15-17, but this time I have more" or something like that.

If your partner expects you can stretch this range, you might try alerting something like (14)15-17(18). Where you make it fairly clear the expect range is 15-17, but you upgrade some 14 and down grade some 18 to this range. If you alert this way (with the range), then always alert that way, EVEN WHEN you have a flat 16.

Ben

[luis]

You have to alert only bids that you have agreed with your pd either explicitely or implicitely due to partnership experience.

In this case the questions you have to ask yourself are:
a. Did I agree with pd the range of a 1NT reopening bid ?
b. If the answer of a) is no have we done this enough times so he knows what kind of hand to expect from me ?

If the answer to either a or b is Yes you have to self-alert and inform your agreement, even if implicit.

BTW: As hrothgar said 1NT in that position is usually 10-14 so your hand is a gross distorion of noramlity and will be labeled a psyche if you don't have an agreement or MI if you do have an agreement.