daveharty

http://tinyurl.com/b9zh299

[hv=d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1dp1h2n]133|100[/hv] What do you consider the standard meaning of West's 2NT bid here, given: NS play a standard 5cM system, 1D is 4+ unless 4=4=3=2; and EW do not play Sandwich NT, 1NT would have been a strong balanced hand.

Mike's example hand was pretty much it. I led a low spade and dummy hit with KQJ9x Ax xxx xxx, and when partner's ten fell dummy was worth four tricks rather than just one. A heart was the best lead, partner had QJxxx.

"No agreement."

I don't much care for the 3♦ bid either, but I don't really see what it has to do with what comes later. I also don't understand why the "double fit" is a sticking point. South made a free 4♥ bid. What does it mean? I know what it would mean for me, but who really cares what it means? It is clearly slam-positive; and that means South is interested in slam missing the AK of trumps. If 4♥ is a control bid for diamonds, great--North has a fitting king and both black suits under control. If 4♥ is a suit, again, great--North has two fitting honors. How much better could the North hand possibly be?

Modified your post.

[hv=pc=n&s=sakt862hkdtckt632&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=p1s2cpp]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. What now? What if partner had made a negative double rather than passing?

[hv=pc=n&s=sa7642hkt7da6cq53&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=pp1sp2s2nppp]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. The opponents are a pick-up partnership in a side game at the local sectional; East visibly grimaces when West passes 2NT. West, however, is a reasonable player; did he have a brain freeze, or is he crazy like a fox? What is your opening lead?

No. I have probably played 500 boards against this guy over many years, and this is the first time I can recall him psyching against me. He certainly doesn't make a habit of it.

It could be right to bid 4S as South, but I don't see why you should allow yourself to be goaded into bidding it. Take away North's ♦AQ and the auction would go the same way; now bidding 4S turns a plus score into a minus. Even if you assume ten hearts for EW, it could very easily be a 18 total trick hand where nobody is making anything at the four level. But regardless of whether you think South should bid, surely it can't be right for North to sell out to 4H when he is the one that knows there is an opening hand facing an opening hand.

I'm gratified that you don't share my opinion that I played it badly. :)

http://tinyurl.com/bl2vbqd Please don't pass, GIB.

Here's a place to post your stories of hands you've played really badly. I'll start: [hv=pc=n&w=sj643hqjt983d86cj&e=sk5hak4dakj72cak7&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=pp1sdp2hp2sp4hp4np5d(0/3)p6hppp]266|200[/hv] North led the ♠8. I stared at that lead for a good two minutes, trying to decide if North had out-and-out psyched, or was trying to put his partner in for a diamond ruff. Finally, catering to the slim possibility that he had underled from AT9872 (fourth best, right?), I put up the king. Wrong! North had opened on QT872 -- Q95 Q6542. I was handling this with equanimity until he spread his hand after play was over and said, "Eh, third seat." I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Come on," he said. "Tell me you wouldn't open that in third seat." "I wouldn't open that in third seat." He shrugged, and pushed his cards back in the board. "Gotta be aggressive." Sigh.

http://tinyurl.com/baebys8 Why would 4H show "6+ hearts; 25+ points"? Shouldn't it just show a really good Michaels hand that has a play for game opposite almost nothing?

Any chance of expanding it to U-45? I'm young at heart.

[hv=pc=n&s=st84hkj8d864cakq5]133|100[/hv] Matchpoints, both vulnerable. RHO opens 1D. I personally thought this was a settled question; apparently I was wrong.

[hv=pc=n&s=sjthk86dat84c9532&n=sakq5haq93dkq96c4]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints, North deals. The field in a recent club game couldn't handle the truth; nobody bid slam. What's your suggested route to 6♦?

Phil nominated RSClyde for Newcomer of the Year.

mgoetze nominated this for Individual Post of the Year: http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/57671-suction-over-1c2c/page__p__695279#entry695279

This thread is the place to make nominations throughout the year for the 2013 Posty Awards. Once again, when the end of the year approaches, I will organize the nominations and create voting polls. Feel free to voice your opinion here about how the voting should be done; up to this point I haven't used multiple rounds of voting, for example, but I am not opposed to the idea. The categories are: Poster of the Year (2012 winner: gnasher) Newcomer of the Year (2012 winner: PhilKing) Thread of the Year (2012 winner: Zelandakh's "Mandatory Falsecarding") Individual Post of the Year (2012 winner: han's memories of the "Secret Bridge Olympics") "Bridge in the Real World" Award (2012 winner: JLOGIC) Most Helpful Poster for N/B Players (2012 winner: helene_t) If a moderator could unpin last year's nomination thread and pin this one in its place, I would be grateful.

I have definitely considered this. I think following mgoetze's suggestion for "preference voting" was a step in the right direction, but if there is an unwieldy number of nominees next year, multiple rounds of voting might be called for.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2012 Posty Awards, as selected by their peers. Newcomer of the Year: PhilKing Though he didn't join the forums until June, PhilKing was the runaway winner of the Newcomer of the Year award. He was active in numerous subforums, but none more so than Expert-Class Bridge, and it's easy to see why; a top-shelf player, he has effortlessly slipped into the role of respected poster. Perhaps just as important as his obvious qualifications as a player is the easy, conversational tone of his posts; while some newcomers make their mark by ruffling feathers, he made his by creating a high volume of quality content. "Bridge in the Real World" Award: JLOGIC 2012 was another outstanding year for JLOGIC: he started off the year with a bang, winning the Platinum Pairs at the Spring NABC in Memphis, and finished with a workhorse performance in San Francisco, with high finishes in every event he entered. As his partnership with Bob Hamman matures, expect him to become even more dangerous in the biggest events. Thread of the Year: Zelandakh's "Mandatory Falsecarding" With this post, Zelandakh started a fascinating thread about a topic that has received comparatively little attention in the literature. It now includes dozens of at-the-table situations, and has been viewed over 3,100 times. As Zelandakh expressly hoped in his initial post, the thread has become a repository for information that is not readily available anywhere else, for the benefit of and use by all. Informative and entertaining, it is an evolving illustration of the true potential of these forums. Individual Post of the Year: han's memories of the "Secret Bridge Olympics" Those of us who know han personally know him to be an outstanding analyst, a fearsome opponent, a compassionate partner, a reliable teammate, and a truly nice guy. But regular readers of the forums also know him as a satirist with a sense of humor as dry as the Sahara. With this post, he brilliantly skewers the notion of an invitation-only "Secret Bridge Olympics". Most Helpful Poster for N/B Players: helene_t helene_t is a longtime, and prolific, member of the forums, and her posts can be found in a variety of subforums; but she is particularly noteworthy for her contributions to the Novice/Beginner (and formerly the Beginner/Intermediate) Forum. She consistently takes the time to answer questions that many other advanced players overlook or ignore, and to do so in a way that is approachable, succinct, and free of confusing jargon. She doesn't use the N/B Forum as a stage to display her own superior knowledge; rather, she strives to share her knowledge with others in a friendly, matter-of-fact style that encourages newer players to delve deeper into the game. Poster of the Year: gnasher It's no secret that gnasher has long been one of the most respected members of the BBO Forums community. He has one of the highest reputation totals on the forums, but the numbers don't adequately convey how much weight his words here carry. Quite simply, when gnasher posts, people listen. It's not just because he is an expert player, although he is; he's also a gifted writer, with an eloquence and clarity of thought that others would do well to emulate. He is unafraid to challenge others when their arguments don't hold water; at the same time, when he disagrees with other posters, he does so without rancor. He is a worthy recipient of the title, "2012 Poster of the Year." Thanks again to everyone who voted. I feel like the changes to the forum structure made it a little more difficult to find this thread, but I plan to do it again next year, hopefully with increased participation. I continue to feel that it's important to recognize those who contribute to the BBO Forums; it remains a unique online resource for those who wish to improve their game. I am also amazed by how cordial this community is, for the most part; those who have visited other online communities are probably aware of how much bile and vulgarity is sadly the norm for online discourse. Much of the credit goes to the BBOF moderators, who do a uniformly outstanding job of keeping things civil without being intrusive. But I think there is also something particular about bridge players; they like to argue, and will do so heatedly, but it's all in search of some "higher truth". When it comes down to it, we all love bridge, and we tend to appreciate that about each other, regardless of the level at which we play. As BBO continues to grow, so too will the forums; I know I'll be eagerly watching.

Voting is closed. Thanks all.

Voting is closed. Thanks all.

I don't know anything about the accomplishments of the European nominees; perhaps someone else could enlighten us. But here is a summary of what the two North American nominees did in 2012, at least in major events: Fred Gitelman Spring NABC: 2nd in Vanderbilt KO Teams; 16th most MP won Summer NABC: 1st in Roth Open Swiss Teams; T9th/16th in Spingold KO Teams Fall NABC: 9th in LM Pairs; T14/16 in Mitchell Open BAM USBC: 2nd in Open Trials Justin Lall Spring NABC: 1st in Norman Kay Platinum Pairs; 12th most MP won Summer NABC: 7th in Freeman Mixed BAM Fall NABC: 12th in LM Pairs; 4th in Mitchell Open BAM; 5th in Blue Ribbon Pairs; 3rd in Reisinger BAM; 2nd most MP won USBC: T3/4 in Open Trials This list isn't intended to be complete, it's just the result of a quick scan back through the NABC and USBC results of the past year.