[pescetom]

You are dealt this once a year monster whilst mentoring in the N/B club game (the closest that emoticons come to "pulling my hair out")

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Your call now?

[Cyberyeti]

2♣ intending 2♣-2♦-2♥(kokish)-2♠-3♦

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-January-22, 14:39, said:

2♣ intending 2♣-2♦-2♥(kokish)-2♠-3♦

I too am happy with that opposite an Advanced partner.
Opposite a beginner ?

Spoiler

Not that it matters much.
Over 2♣ LHO will bid 3♣.

[jillybean]

1♥. ..some number of diamonds, you can't bid this without agreements over your 2C openings.

edit: even with agreements, this hand is horrid for a 2C auction.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

2C, hopefully they always respond with 2D.

After the intervention 3H, ..., if you survive this
round, you can bid 6D, if you bid 4H you wont get an
additional round.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mw64ahw]

I think the trick is to find the Ace♣ without a solid suit and you can almost bid 7N?

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2026-January-22, 16:01, said:

I too am happy with that opposite an Advanced partner.
Opposite a beginner ?

Spoiler

Not that it matters much.
Over 2♣ LHO will bid 3♣.

I start the same way opposite a beginner

Spoiler

Does partner double (0-4), pass (5-7) or do something else ?

[Douglas43]

We are at favourable vulnerability. 2(clubs) looks OK.

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-January-23, 05:21, said:

I start the same way opposite a beginner

Spoiler

Does partner double (0-4), pass (5-7) or do something else ?

Spoiler

After 3♣ interference, this beginner bid 3NT. She is quite smart, so I did hope she had a stopper. Although like any beginner, she has not discussed or studied this situation and is quite likely to bid 3♦ to replace 2♦ or whatever. I doubt any beginner would even think of double.

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-January-22, 14:39, said:

2♣ intending 2♣-2♦-2♥(kokish)-2♠-3♦

Me too with a decent partner.
With one we put a 5M4m through some level of 2NT and this would already show 5-5, which sets the ball rolling nicely here.
With the others, it is likely to continue 3♠-4♦ and now space is cramped even though partner has 3 card fit.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-January-22, 23:50, said:

1♥. ..some number of diamonds, you can't bid this without agreements over your 2C openings.

From a bidding point of view you are right of course, not much point torturing a beginner in 2C.
But I felt that after three passes it was strong enough to have a real chance of 1♥+5, which might well confuse and upset beginner too.
But maybe you are right all the same.

[jillybean]

pescetom, on 2026-January-23, 12:21, said:

From a bidding point of view you are right of course, not much point torturing a beginner in 2C.
But I felt that after three passes it was strong enough to have a real chance of 1♥+5, which might well confuse and upset beginner too.
But maybe you are right all the same.

Even with good agreements, this hand horrid for a 2C opening. I don't mind taking my chances with 1H. It's not "right", but what is here, how do you bid after 2C :2red?

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2026-January-23, 12:21, said:

From a bidding point of view you are right of course, not much point torturing a beginner in 2C.
But I felt that after three passes it was strong enough to have a real chance of 1♥+5, which might well confuse and upset beginner too.
But maybe you are right all the same.

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Only +5 ?

[jillybean]

Some folk are good at creating the best hand diagrams, let's see the actual hand.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-January-23, 12:47, said:

Even with good agreements, this hand horrid for a 2C opening. I don't mind taking my chances with 1H. It's not "right", but what is here, how do you bid after 2C :2red?

I think horrid with good agreements is an overbid, even a traditional 2♣-2♦-2♥-2X-3♦ start has decent chances of finding a 5-3 in hearts or 5-4 in diamonds with room to control-bid (or in this case, make an SSA in spades, if you play that).
With better agreements it works fine, such as my revised birthright showing 5-5, now partner can raise diamonds below game even with 3 cards.

But I agree that all of this is miles above a beginner's head, especially with a hand like the one they are likely to hold.
A promising beginner will recognize that stuff happens when strong hands arrive, be philosophical and try to learn.
A good mentor will follow the beginner's system and try not to be stressful when it runs out

[pescetom]

But this thread was not about bidding with beginners, or even about bidding come to that.
Tomorrow I will post the full hand and we can get our favourite auctions off our chest, and bitch about other methods.
Then the play

[mycroft]

I mean, even for me, even without Birthright, this is a 2♣ opener. Eventually the risk is too high. The 'Yeti's hand is one, I was thinking "both major suit Qs and a fit is a grand, no?"

And frankly, the beginner will not get this one wrong (as long as they know not to pass after 2♣, until suit agreement or game). Frankly, I'm more worried about hearing 2♣-3♣ Natural Positive than anything else.

[thepossum]

4 hearts. Keep it simple
Hopefully opps will not get into trouble and upset though - could be an awkward interrogation - I tried my best to pre-empt. Maybe 6 hearts was better. Maybe 6 diamonds. What does it make

TBH I would not have thought far enough ahead about problems with 2 clubs

If I bid 1 it is 1 diamond not 1 heart, and hoping

[pescetom]

Here is the other hand, sorry for the delay.

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How would the bidding have gone with your normal partner, with or without the clubs intervention?

[pescetom]

Wow, an avalanche of auctions

This pair of hands is not good publicity for the 2♥ Red Flag response.