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4♠

I can't imagine discussing this, but neither can I imagine it not being a fit jump opposite anyone I would be likely to partner. Beyond that I can't possibly decide what it might mean or what to do without knowing who this partner is, or indeed the form of scoring.

Obviously I can't argue with what you consider to be your perception, but I do wonder where you can possibly get the idea from that the EBU is 'anti-psyches'. The Orange Book states explicitly that psyches are legal. What isn't legal is a concealed partnership agreement, and that is what the whole 'recording psyches' thing is about. That's why the form asks how often you carry out that particular psyche in that particular partnership. Nowhere does any regulation state or suggest that psyches are a bad thing. I see all the psyche report forms submitted from EBU events and I can promise you that psyches are alive and well certainly in EBU tournaments. And certainly nothing like all psyches get reported (mine tend to because (i) I"m on the L&E and (ii) I play in a very experienced and regular partnership). In fact, the majority are perpetrated by weaker players (I think in general because the strong players tend to do them more against other strong players, who can't be bothered to record them) To be honest, maybe I'm missing something, but I also honestly don't understand why anyone would be concerned whether they are kept privately on on display. As it happens, the reports are kept confidential, but if you don't have a CPU, really, who cares? Many people think it is a badge of honour to have their first psyche report form sent in! Some (many?) clubs and club players don't like psyches. That's not the same as the EBU being anti-them.

I would have taken 4NT as quantitative and passed. Maybe north is wondering what you are doing ;) Anyway, don't really know what to do now (as long as it isn't pass).

I read about a guy that psyched so often his pard told him that every one of those will cost you 20 bucks in the future. Sat down against a pair he didn't like and he said "By the way, here's that 20 bucks I owe you. 1♠."

1. Is it forcing if opener rebids 3♣? No, just competitive with a 5-5. Don't listen to anyone who suggests Good-Bad 2NT here - play transfers instead. 2. What about 4♣? Forcing, because 3♣ isn't 1. Is it forcing if opener rebids 2♥? No, just competitive with a reasonable 4-5 or 4-6. You can't afford to have the hearts shut out by a diamond raise. 2. What about 3♥? Forcing, because 2♥ isn't 3. What about 4♦? Either a splinter or a high-card raise to 4♠, whichever you consider more useful. Often these two will overlap, of course. 4. and 4♥? A splinter, for want of a better meaning.

IMO 4♠ = 10, 4♣ = 9, Pass = 7. Possible explanations for partner's 3♠ are: Fit-jump e.g. ♠ K Q T 9 x ♥ K x ♦ Q x x x x ♣ x or ♠ Q x x x x x ♥ A x ♦ Q x x x ♣ JMistake e.g. ♠ A K T 9 x x x x ♥ x x x x ♦ K x ♣ - (Partner's ♣s transmogrified into ♠s)Splinter e.g. ♠ - ♥ A x x ♦ K x x x x ♣ Q x x x x (unlikely considering opponent's silence).

Fred Flintstone invented marriage when he whacked Wilma on the head and dragged her off to his cave. Next question! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Dbl is a poor call because I have 0 defense, but I'd probably do it anyway because of the good intermediates and almost perfect distribution. Now, when the auction is at 2♠, I think it's a 100% clear pass. You've told your hand and that's it. Btw I think Dbl by partner should be for penalties, since he can bid 2NT for takeout.

You do realize that Germans are, on average, much more concerned about loss of privacy than Americans, or other Nationalities? Right?

1=yes 2=3♦

these questions have nothing to do with 4th suit [colour] forcing. 4th suit forcing is when your side has bid the other 3 suits naturally, then bids the 4th suit. on hand 1 3c is normally played as not forcing. though it would be perfectly reasonable to play it as forcing. if you don't play support doubles, you can differentiate between the 2 types of 2c bid by doubling then bidding clubs later as opposed to bidding them directly. if so, it's normal to play doubling first as forcing and bidding them direct as non-forcing. if 3c is non-forcing for you, 4c is natural and forcing. on hand 2, 2h is forcing as it's a reverse (i.e. respnder must goto the 3 level to give preference to your first suit). as 2H is forcing, it can be used for all the natural heart hands. 3H can therefore be saved for something different. a common choice would be a splinter in support of spades (with short hearts). whatever else you play, 4d is a splinter in support of spades (with short diamonds). as for 4H, following the same logic as before, it shouldn't show hearts. a popular choice would be exclusion keycard blackwood for spades (heart void).

It would hurt my enjoyment of the game if I were not allowed to psych, or if opponents were not allowed to psych. One of the things I enjoy is creative problem solving, and balancing risk/reward. I rarely psych, but I always want the option to try something if the situation warrants it. I also consider it a nice compliment if an opponent psychs against me. One memory I will treasure is in the last board of a knockout where Geoff Hampson opened 1S on Qxx, desperate for a swing. If it had worked, I would be shaking my head in admiration, not anger, because its a beautiful game.

A huge problem (imo) with banning psyches, even *if* that were legal, is defining the line between judgement and a psyche. What is a gross misstatement of strength or shape to you might be a very mild misstatement of those to me, or vice versa. Everyone can say, "I know a psyche when I see one", but to ban them you have to substitute someone else's judgement for yours. For me, that would do far more damage to my enjoyment of the game than the occasional annoying psyche by an opp or by partner. A fair bit of the fun of bridge is trying to back my judgement where it differs from the fields' judgement, and that includes making an occasional tactical call with less than full values (or much more than full values). Brian Zaugg

I think there's more to it than this. In the UK and the US there are a number of naturally conservative older people who struggle to believe that being gay is "normal" and see it as a lifestyle choice. Some but not all of these people are religious. Add to this younger religious people and you have a substantial body of people who believe gay marriage is unnatural, and just haven't challenged the belief that many of them have had more or less since birth (reinforced at school) that marriage is between a man and a woman. I see the intelligent design argument as different. There is IMO so much hard scientific proof that it's simply wrong, that unless your faculties are swayed by religion, it's well nigh impossible to believe in it. The gay marriage debate is different, it is possible to be non religious and still believe gay marriage is wrong, I think it's terrifically unlikely that you can scientifically prove to an open minded anti gay marriage person that gay marriage should be permitted, I don't believe there are any open minded intelligent design advocates.

Renewing marriage contracts on a 5-year basis is a really bad idea when one stops to ponder on what happens to children/assets if the contract is not renewed, and then add on top of that the property divisions of second/third/fourth marriages. It is not practical to mandate prenuptial agreements.

I love BBF - we have one thread telling us that 25hcp and a 4-4 major fit gives a 45% chance of making game and another thread saying that (20)21hcp and a 4-4 heart fit is an autmatic game bid. Perhaps reality should lie between these two somewhere?

1 is taken as cuebid by most, although best is to show strains in need of complement or something else. 2 the most useful thing is to pattern out showing your shape (2NT=5422, 3m = 5431, etc)

Hello! I am looking for a very patient kind partner who will put up with hideous mistakes and give gentle guidance from time to time. Partner who will not mind frequently coming last and can laugh about it. I'm not sure such a partner exists, but just in case do please get in touch. My name is Eva and I am in London. Happy to play online however as I suspect such saintly partners are very rare. In return I promise to be kind, considerate, patient and thoughtful and will never criticize you or make you feel bad. And I don't mind if we come last. It's the playing that counts! Cheers!