mfa1010

I don't think a club fit (or any side suit fit) would be announced in these situations. If we get to 6♥, the auction would continue: 5NT-6♥ or whatever bid instead of 5NT that announces a 3-suiter at once. From the opponents' perspective, opener could still have "anything". On the actual hand it is pretty big if opener chooses hearts after 5NT. On other hands (1 heart more, same texture) it would be obvious and we would be happy to get all three strains in play.

Sure. But it is close. If partner had a club less and a heart more, 6♥ would have been excellent, while we might go down in 5♣, if they take a heart ruff and we have another club to lose. Partner can see for himself where his queens, jacks and tens are placed. If we have solid agreements, he can generally make intelligent decisions. If we have bad agreements, he will hedge to avoid playing something completely silly. I don't think I agree with this one. The opponents had 11 spades, and it was as expected LHO who had 6. RHO would usually bid more than 1♠ with 6. True of course. But hardly a good reason not to discuss system. On any given hand one is always free to take a shot instead of being technical if it looks right to give less info. But getting to a bad slam contract (where some much better one is available) is a huge disaster.

The hand is not from my regular partnership, but I realized we don't have good definitions for the highlevel bids either. We would have been better off, since we have a bid over 1♠ for immediately showing a true 3-suiter with shortness in the overcalled suit. But that is beside the point. We want to have good meta-agreements. I think playing 5NT as offering all three suits is a good treatment. 5♠ could then be 1st round control with mainly or only diamonds and a try for grand slam. In a sequence where we have not yet shown a suit, I'm not sure how to play. Say: (4♠)-X-(pass): 4NT = takeout, 2 suits 4NT then 5♠ = 1st round control, grand slam try in partner's chosen strain 4NT then 5NT = choose again, maybe we belong somewhere else 5NT = 3-suited 5♠ = ? Any suggestions in this context?

Partner had ♠ Ax ♥ KJTx ♦ A9 ♣ A9xxx Slam is mediocre. 6♣ can make, if we guess who to play for the stiff ♣H. 6♥ go down on a club ruff but would roll if they don't find it, because the diamonds come in. I think shooting a slam is a fair bet, provided we know what we are doing in the bidding.

I agree. I think so both regarding the claim of misinformation, and the claim that N had a 4♠ bid. Bidding 1♠ then 3♠ then 4♠ with that hand deserves to hit 1-4-4-4 opposite.

I agree. This seems to me to be the normal way to play these 4NTs. It is a weakness in the cautious plan (4NT then pass) that hearts are hidden. We could easily belong in hearts, and partner will have a tough time bidding them over 4NT. Thanks. 4NT then 5♠: I agree. A high-level cuebid directly after partner bid a suit is usually forwardgoing in that suit. I would expect that to apply here as well. 4NT then 5NT: I agree with further choice of strains. Getting to the right strain is so important. I don't know about the last two. Your suggestion sounds good.

4NT is takeout. But does it show 3 suits or could it be 6-4 in the minors and misfit for hearts? What does the 4NT bidders expect? I wonder about these things too. If one is to bid slam, there are a huge number of sequences available: 4NT followed by a raise, 4NT followed by 5♠, 4NT followed by 5NT, 5♠, 5NT, and various sequences where we correct partner's choice of strain to some other strain. It annoys me that much of this is so ill-defined, not that every sequence needs a specific meaning, but it would be nice to have a rough idea.

Opener should be free to bid as he likes. Nothing exact can be deduced from the huddle with the necessary clarity. Apart from what is already mentioned, responder could be thinking about blackwooding or how to handle a hand with a void.

[hv=pc=n&s=shdc]133|100[/hv][hv=pc=n&s=shq852dkqt83ckt53&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=1c(16+)1s2d4spp]133|200[/hv] 1♣: Precision, any 16+. 2♦: No gadgets as responder, so we'll have to live with a natural GF 2♦. Pass over 4♠: Normal forcing pass-principles, so X would have been to play 4♠X, and if we double it is to play as well. What now? You are welcome to assume your favourite agreements for such situations.

To get unbiased answers it would be better to show only the west hand. Fwiw, I think west has a 5♥ bid.

3♥. All close. 3♠ is my second choice, but I don't quite have enough for that bid. If partner can raise 3♥ to 4 or 5 it would likely be right, so I want to bid, and 3♥ looks reasonably safe. X for the lead could be xxx, xxx, KQJT, xxx (or maybe worse) so partner will rarely compete after that, and I have no particular reason to want a diamond lead. If X is a takeout double (what I play myself when not a passed hand), it is tempting, but I still like 3♥ better.

Just about the average dummy, maybe slightly on the unlucky side.

No, I disagree with this. 1100 will happen. On point count alone partner has a good chance of having A or K of hearts. And whatever side suit trick the opponent is hoping for may well not be there. For instance KJx of either spades or diamonds will typically give him nothing. Etc. And double is still a takeout double. Partner is supposed to bid with heart shortage. So when defending is wrong partner may be bidding.

I don't see a good end position with a squeeze, so I'll try a combine the chances approach. Win ♥J and play small spade, hoping east flies ace. If not, cross to ♥T (I'm assuming trumps 2-1) and play top spade. If covered, ruff and play ♦A, ♦K and ♦ up for the best chance for a diamond trick. ♥7 is an entry. If not covered, throw diamond and play ♦K, ♦A, ♦ to ruff out the queen for the last trick. If west follows with ♦10 on the second round, I have a guess in the suit.

Players at WBF and EBL tournaments are allowed to agree on a mutual common language at the table.

3♦ the first time, at these colours a 6-carder is routine. Even 2nd seat. Pass now but don't hate 2D. The problem is that partner still could be strong and might not take the joke and bid more than the 3D raise, we would be rooting for.

Maybe north didn't blackwood because with 1KC opposite but only 5 spades and no extra useful honor, he would be dead in slam on a diamond lead. So it makes some sense for north to let south evaluate.

I would interpret 4♣ as a cuebid for spades. Maybe a delicate COG between the majors could be nice, but I don't play that in such situations. Presumably I could have bid 2♠ natural over 2♦ with a positive hand without showing a monster. So I would cuebid 4♦ surely after 4♣. I have 6 spades and an ace, nothing to be ashamed of, and we can still rest in 4♠. It follows that I think I have underbid as it is. I would try 6♦ now.

Double, if partner can pass this takeoutish double I like my chances for a good MP score in 4♥X.

2♣ for me. 3♣ at all other vulns.

I saw from the results from Phoenix that those two were partnering, so if the board is from there, it was very likely Peter Gill. After Sartaj's entertaining article on BW I would not ever dare not leading my longest against a grand slam, if I were Sartaj's partner. :)

Maybe Sartaj didn't play with Tony Nunn and forgot to tell his new partner, that he should always try go give a ruff against 7 of a suit, because there will be no lightner double coming.

Why would you make a lightner double with a king against 7N? To ensure that declarer will not finesse the suit but try something else? For the lead to matter, it has to remove an entry or kill a squeeze, kudos if that was visualized during the bidding, otherwise a lightner double is just plain stupidity, since it could only help declarer.

Well yes, 4♥ is no beauty, but I would have bid on myself (2♠) after which partner surely should bid game, so I would not call the director and argue that the player should have passed 2♥ or something. And I would never call the director just to educate on a weak opponent.

Landy is a very desireable bid. Getting in there competing to 2M over their 1N with an unbalanced hand is a big winner. We also have the 2♦ response to help us find the right strain. 2♣ should be bid aggressively.