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Unless partner's takeout doubles are a complete joke, 2S is mandatory on the 1st one, IMO. They have 9 or 10 Hearts and we have probably 9 in the suit above that. Partner will not expect more. On the second one, I see no need to advance unless partner makes a second double.

There are a bunch of (I think) important exceptions to a double of an artificial bid being penalty: 1. Pass/correct bids. If double isn't takeout of the bid suit, it becomes hard to compete in a lot of auctions. 2. Bids which show a particular suit without a lot of values (i.e. transfer preempts, various artificial raises, some defenses to 1NT, michaels cuebids); here it is often better for double to be takeout of the shown suit and/or general values. 3. Openings which are either natural or balanced (while technically artificial, often it's best for double to be takeout of the suit).

There were two noticable bugs in version 1. The main one was that file names containing either '#' or multiple periods were getting truncate and causing the download to fail. The second one was that the converted file could only be downloaded once. Both these have now been fixed. If anyone finds any more bugs please let me know.

You realize making 1NT requires 7 tricks, right?

In order to psyche a spade, one would already have to have psyched a double.

Let's assume for the sake of the argument that 1♦ was a 3rd seat weak opening and made by an actual 8 hcp. And his pd is also weak and around 6 hcp, which makes their combination 14 hcp + my 22 hcp. Pd will usually hold anything between 0-4 hcp. But this is if, a very big IF, they are as minimum as they can be, so probably pd will hold 0-1-2 hcp much more than 3-4 hcp. And he won't have much of shape either as he passed 1♠. I am with Helene that 1 NT is good enough on this particular hand.

I think 1NT is pretty clear. 22 HCPs is maybe a bit much for this bid which shows more than a direct 1NT bid but not much more - if 1NT directly is 15-18 then this should be 19-21 or maybe 19-22. Anyway, my only long suit (diamonds) is probably not going to work as W often has ♦JTxx or J9xx, and ♠J doesn't look like a trick after the 1♠ bid behind me. Partner needs quite a lot for game to make - give partner xxx-Qxx-xxx-QTxx with which he might just make a game try after my 1NT bid. We probably are't going to make 3NT opposite this. But partner could have a better hand if he has length in diamonds so we have to do something.

3C

Once again I am amazed at what some people claim to experience when playing bridge. For most of us, hearing some remarks at other tables is a reality several times a session. Fortunately it is indeed seldom a problem, because, like jallerton, we use common sense in deciding whether or not to report it. Knowing that there is a hand somewhere in the set of boards in play in which one of the players has 12-14 points, or on which a heart is led from dummy at some point, probably isn't going to help you very much when you have no idea which hand it is. Perhaps partly because you know it won't help, it is also easy to forget this particular piece of information. Knowing that a grand slam makes on a finesse on a hand somewhere in the set of boards in play may be more of a problem and more difficult to forget when a hand comes around on which it might be relevant.

I once worked for a company that put out an internal manual with the title "Qualty Assurance Procedures."

I use a wrinkle that you might call Transfer Support Doubles. You can use this method through levels higher than 2♥. You begin a transfer ladder with double. The transfers continue through the suit below partner's. Auction proceeds 1♦ (P) 1♠ (2♣); then X = diamond rebid 2♦ = heart reverse 2♥ = "good" spade raise 2♠ = "lesser" raise This is a simple reorganizing of the traditional Support Double responses, but it creates transfer suit(s). In this sequence, you might make "good" raise = 4-trumps and "lesser" raise = 3 trumps. For sequences that force the raise to the 3+ level, you use the same structure but redefine "good" and "lesser". Auction proceeds, say, 1♣ (1♥) 1♠ (3♥); then X = "good" raise 3♠ = minimum raise You might defined "good" here as, say, 14+ with 4 trumps, so partner knows you are stronger than a courtesy raise. You might even define "good" = unlimited, and continue to describe your hand after partner "rejects" your transfer invitation with a simple return to 3♠. Another example 1♣ (2♦) 2♠ (3♦); then X = heart reverse 3♥ = good raise 3♠ = minimum raise Compared to standard Support X, you sometimes gain a transfer into a suit or two (depends on the suits involved, see the 2nd example). That transfer opportunity is fabulous. And you can use the same structure at higher levels. You can use the structure even if you don't like Support X ... in the 1st example "good" = 14+ (even unlimited) with 4 trumps, and "lesser" raise = minimum 4 trumps support. There is a disadvantage. In the 1st example, the 3-trump raise is 2♠. Using standard Support Double, the 3-trump raise is X, which gives the partnership more bidding space to investigate a better contract.

For anyone who wishes to use BBO for teaching and can only get access to .pbn files there is now an online converter page here: http://johnfromarran.org.uk/Bridge/PbnToLin.html Enjoy.