Trying Out the Modified Super Standard

A regular partner of mine and I have been trying out the Modified Super Standard 2D Opening.

The first "occasion" was my 2D opening with six diamonds and 8 HCP. I was mad as Hell to be the one to forget first. No bragging rights.

The second. I held AKJxxxx-Kxx-AQx-v. Partner held Qxxx-AQx-Kxx-xxx. Our auction was straight-forward. 2D opening (9 winners). 3♥ response (power spade raise -- I now like 2NT for this better). 3NT (one-suited spades). 4♣ (shortness ask). 4♠ (club shortness, 9 winners -- answer RKCB with 10+ winners). 4NT (RKCB). 5♣ (this partner is not a 1430 man). Now, we discussed afterwards whether Opener should show the void immediately (discarded because it takes up too much space) or whether Responder should bid the short suit (here 6♣) to ask (or Opener can cue the short suit to show). We had not yet implemented ask-or-answer. In practice, we were on different pages ad missed the grand. This was particularly irritating, when we heard from the opponents their stumble-bunny auction to the grand, and auction that gave no information upon which to base even a small slam decision. Work in progress.

The third occasion was humorous. I opened 2D with a 4414 pattern. Partner responded 2♥, general GF and artificial. I rebid 2♠, which we now play as possibly including this pattern. Partner relayed 2NT to ask more. I bid 3♣ to show 4414 pattern (or 4504/4405). Partner bid 3♥, setting trumps and asking more. I bid 3♠ to show a stiff (not 4504/4405) and a minimum (I had Axxx-Kxxx-A-AKQx). Great auction so far. We later discussed that at this point that partner probably should be able to bid 3NT as Serious 3NT or cuebid, with LTTC available. Instead. partner was a child at Christmas and wanted a story, so he blasted 6♥ with a true dog (King-empty in diamonds, amazingly actually worth something, and AJxx in hearts, out). The slam would have made if the heart hook works (it does), hearts split 3-2 (they do), clubs split 3-3 (oops), and someone revokes (well that's the kicker). He simply lost his mind in the excitement. However, it is nice to know that our great tool, on this hand, showed him to be a complete dunderhead and not simply aggressive. That helped when I botched the defense on the next hand.

Still working on it.