daveharty

Doron, please be more careful, you almost caused me to spit my orange juice all over my keyboard.

:D Actually it was pretty straightforward, twin #1 was born at 11:15 p.m. on May 31, his reluctant brother made his first appearance 90 minutes later. Their family chose to preserve the distinction.

Hand 1, I confess I probably would have opened the East hand 1NT. Hard to know how it would have gone from there. Agree that 4S is a better bid than 3S on #2.

Wouldn't want to leave anyone in suspense: [hv=pc=n&s=sk64hkjtda3caj632&w=s8hq8754d654c9875&n=sq52h9632dt82cqt4&e=sajt973hadkqj97ck&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=pp1s1npp3dppp]399|300[/hv] +130 was a poor matchpoint score, as +140 (even a couple of +170s) was available in spades, and apparently most Easts simply dialed it in with 2S after the overcall. It wasn't a total disaster though; those who opted to defend 1NT were disappointed since South was forced to make the desperation play of laying down the club ace.

It probably does skew the probabilities to have identical twins in the class, but not as absolutely as it might seem. I once met a pair of identical twins that not only had different birthdays, but were born in different months.

http://tinyurl.com/82u3l2s 2H seems a bit conservative.

[hv=pc=n&w=st984ht83d753ca64&e=s2hkq96dajt6ckjt8&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=1d1sp2sdp3dppp]266|200[/hv] T1: ♠K, 4, 7, 2. T2: ♠5, 8, A, ? Whatever you think of the bidding, you might have bitten off more than you can chew here. What's you plan to limit the damage? Matchpoints BTW.

[hv=pc=n&e=sajt973hadkqj97ck&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=pp1s1npp]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. Your call?

Agreed, it's totally my fault. It's just hard for me to imagine passing 4C with the North hand, when south has ostensibly shown an invitational hand with 6+ spades and enough of a club fit to warrant pulling 3NT. Heck, it's hard for me to imagine passing ANY invitation with the North hand.

[hv=pc=n&s=sajt8543htd2cqj82&n=skhaj874dat9cat75&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1hp1sp2cp3sp3np4cppp]266|200[/hv] I decided to get cute, never a very good idea when playing with bots. I wanted to have my cake and eat it too, and thought I could two-step my way to a pretty good description of my hand. Maybe not the best course but I think North's pass of 4C is pretty bizarre, the hand has become a moose. On the bright side, GIB proceeded to misplay it, so we were high enough. +130 was predictably rotten.

http://tinyurl.com/6u8qt3o Normal spot but hardly a normal auction to get there...what's up with 3H?

[hv=pc=n&s=sajt8543htd2cqj82&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1hp1sp2cp]133|200[/hv] Several options came to mind...what would you choose?

EDIT: never mind

Surely it can't be right to sell out to the opponents' 1NT contract when your partner opens the bidding and you hold an opening hand: http://tinyurl.com/82x59f7

http://tinyurl.com/7gzyvdo Trick 2...???

In the context of a standardish 5cM system with a 20-21(22) 2NT, which hand/s would you open with 2NT?

The full hand: [hv=pc=n&s=st8h7652d854c8642&w=saq75h3dq762cqj97&n=s964haj4dakjtcak5&e=skj32hkqt98d93ct3&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=2nppp]399|300[/hv] Continuing hearts leads to +50 and a poor matchpoint score, any switch (except a low diamond probably) leads to +100 and a good score.

The full hand: [hv=pc=n&s=saj95h6532dk2ckj6&w=sqha874dj8cqt8752&n=s8hkqjt9dq9753ca3&e=skt76432hdat64c94&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp1h3s4hppp]399|300[/hv] Yes, that's how it went. Declarer managed to set herself a trick, so we did all right, but if South is going to bid 4H directly over 3S with that garbage, I have a strong suspicion that one of them would have bid taken the push if I'd bid four. I just couldn't bring myself to do it with that horrible suit, I must be getting old.

I blame the 4H bid. North looks like a 3H rebid at best.

I understand that; the way I read Quartic's reply made me think that he thought five tricks was sufficient. My mistake if that's not what he meant.

2 spades + 3 hearts = 2NT making, not one off. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but maybe you thought you were defending 3NT?

[hv=pc=n&w=s63haq97daj986cj4&e=sakq94h53dkqt5ca5&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=p1d3c3sp4sp5cp5dp5sp6sppp]266|200[/hv] Matchpoints. 6S failed by a trick, 6D would have made. West's 4S bid seems a little silly, but he felt stuck; how could EW have done better?

[hv=pc=n&s=st8h7652d854c8642&e=skj32hkqt98d93ct3&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=2nppp]266|200[/hv] Matchpoints. You lead the ♥Q, asking for unblock; 2, 3, 4. Now what? If you don't think this is a pure guess, what factors into your decision? Sorry about the diagram, I should switch it around so the green is in the center, but these were the actual table positions.

[hv=pc=n&e=skt76432hdat64c94&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp1h]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints.