rasmuskold

No, but I was tempted to offer them a course in hand evaluation <_<

Ok, thanks for the feedback and sorry if this was trivial. I really just needed to make sure I wasn't going crazy. At the table, I bid 3♠ and it went p - 4♥ - dbl - all pass. After pard made 10, the opponents (who are way more experienced than I am) thought I was lucky. Still not sure if they were trying to intimidate me or what. Or maybe they just felt robbed because my partner had overcalled on J9x, QJTxx, K, Kxxx (not a two-level overcall even favorable in my book anyway). But they still specifically pointed their fingers at my bidding. Re: Opening the bidding: The position, lack of good rebids, and the fact that you don't want diamonds led anyway persuaded me not to open. Re: 4♥ vs. 3♠: This is probably the more interesting discussion. I am pretty sure I would hit 4♠ at MP, so in retrospect, bidding 4♥ and later doubling should convey this hand type to partner, whereas 3♠ and then double would sound a bit more defensive (probably just 3♥). Fit bid in clubs could also work.

[hv=pc=n&s=s5ha876d87654caq2&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=pp1s2h2s]133|200[/hv] My opponents thought I was lucky that my bid worked out well. Matchpoints btw, second hand of the evening. Edit: 2nt as artificial raise was not available, but feel free to make that case that it would be the right bid for this hand.

This was one of a few bad slam decisions last night. IMPS, 30 point victory scale, round robin. [hv=pc=n&w=sak753hq843daktc9&e=sj2hak9752d743c43&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1sp1n(6-9)3cd(take-out%2C%20extras)p4hppp]266|200[/hv]

Thanks - Hanoi's line is probably best in isolation. However, today it would fail because the minor suits were divided as follows; W: ♦Jxx ♣ Qxx E: ♦ 9x ♣ xx So it turns out that the grand could have been made by cashing KA of diamonds, ruff a diamond, ruff a spade back and claim (works whenever the hand with double clubs also has double diamonds, or whenever either opponent have exactly ♦J9). This line seems inferior, but what about the inference that west didn't lead a trump - does this make it more likely that he has the jack, and if so, how much does it change the odds in favour of the winning line? Say against a strong opponent.

'Winning the lead' kinda implies just making 12 tricks, doesn't it?

After some frisky bidding, you arrive in the not very good contract of 7 diamonds. LHO leads a small spade (3.,5.), and now you have to weigh your options. Obviously, you need clubs 3-2 (although lucky splits may see you through when the club queen is singleton), but how do you go about establishing the club suit? [hv=pc=n&s=sah2daqt74cak5432&n=sk432haqt3dk82cj6]133|200[/hv]

Matchpoints, red/red, partner deals and passes, RHO opens 2♠ (weak). What is your call? Is it close? ♠A53 ♥A52 ♦AQ72 ♣AQ2

When I read Steven Weinstein's praise of Flannery on Bridgewinners.com, I jumped on the bandwagon and began to play it in my regular partnership (5-card majors, 15-17 nt). We've been careful to incorporate the negative inferences into our system, such as 1♥ - 1♠ showing five etc. One thing still eludes me though: The consequences of playing Flannery on the negative double. When partner opens a heart, and RHO overcall 2 of a minor, having a negative double available to show 4 ♠ is less important if opener rates not to have 4 ♠. So, are there any better uses available of the negative double? I think that there are three ways that one may choose to play the negative double when playing Flannery also: 1) Business as usual: The negative double still shows 4 ♠, or 5+ and a not too strong hand. Opener may then buy the hand in 2♠ on a 4-3 or a 5-3 fit, or push the opponents to the three level. But isn't it much more frequent that opener has short spades, in which case the double doesn't achieve much? And if 2♠ from opener should be merely a preference bid with 3 ♠, the a bid of 3♠ would show the Flannery shape with 16+. That might get the partnership overboard if responder was light for his negative double, and it consumes bidding space as well. 2) Extra length: Double shows 5 ♠, bidding 2 ♠ 6+ and some high cards. I don't like this approach, because it's probably too inflexible and infrequent. Perhaps it shouldn't even make this list, but I included it for completeness. 3) 'Card-showing' double: Double shows some high cards (like 8+ hp), with no good bid to make (usually 7+ cards in the minor suits). May or may not have 4 spades. Responder can get his hand of his chest immediately, and the partnership is well placed to up the ante with a (matchpoints) double should the opponents compete further. However, this approach makes it harder to find 2♠ when this is the best part score. So, what is the expert approach to this? Please post if you have improvements on the any of the approaches sketched out here, of if you have a different approach which is better and more coherent than mine (likely).

In a pairs game, we played against a couple which are pretty clueless. They had reached some hopeless contract, which we doubled -3 for 500. I don't think that our side could even make a part score. The wife was declarer, and to console her the husband commented: 'It's okay to go down 3, since we are green vs red'

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt543hdaj643ck76&n=sakj72haj963dca95]133|200[/hv] In an IMP-pairs tournament, you reach 7♠ (vulnerable) on south's hand, after a bidding sequence best forgotten (but where south's distribution was concealed, but had shown a club and heart control after opening one spade). What is the best line of play after a trump lead of the 6? (east follows with the 8)

It was at an intermediate club game, and while the opponents were not experts, they are by no means beginners either. I doubt that they had any defensive agreement over 2di opening. They lead fourth best.

Hi all, Had this south hand the other day, and I'd like some thoughts on how to play it. I assumed (somewhat problematically) that not everyone would reach the contract, so I think I missed an overtrick. [hv=pc=n&s=sq9864h74dat62ca5&n=skt52hkj652dq95cq&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=2d(flannery%20%5Byeah%2C%20a%20bit%20light%5D)p2n(asking)p3c(single%20club)p4sppp]266|200[/hv] In a matchpoints game, how do you plan the play on the lead of the diamond 3? At trick one...

Hello there Butler tournament, red vs white, you hold the following hand: ♠ AJ743 ♥ K ♦ DT987 ♣ T9 It goes pass from RHO, you pass as well, LHO opens 1♥ (5 c.maj), partner overcalls 2♣ (limited to 16hp), RHO bids 3♥ (invitational)... Now what? thx