Edmunte1

2♣+3♦ seems normal for me.

I'm betting on defense too. East-West should attack continuously the comunications between NS hands, trying to break a possible ♥-♦ squeeze or an endplay against East. For that West should take first round of clubs and attack hearts. When East would take second round of clubs, he should break the comunication in diamonds. If he is allowed to win, he must continue breaking hearts (if decalrer won first round oh hearts in dummy).

1♦+2♥+diamonds, i don't consider 2♣ as an serious option.

Ok, we know the final 8: 1. Nickell vs. 8. O Rourke 5. Diamond vs. 4. China Open 2. Cayne vs. 7. SUtherlin 6. Katz 3. Pszczola What about the final 2?

For me it's an normal pass. We don't have the proper shape or strength for a reopening double (we need either a better shape or a better hand). The limit of trap passing at the colours is up to 2NT. Double may produce a jump response from partner and that may not work properly.

No screens????

I'll open 1♦ with North hand, and the bidding could go something like: 1♦ -(p) -1♠-(p) 2♣-(2♥)-dbl-(p) 3♣-(p)-3♠-(p) 4♣-(p)-4♦-(p)....

Easy pass for me. Just consider an average 7 hcp hand for partner with fit (let's consider for example ♠ fit) and see what happens. We simply usually don't have enough for making, double may work only in finding a sacrifice.

There' no middle way here (dbl or 2NT) because you cannot involve partner in a decision here, it's only high-way 3NT and low-way pass. My choice is the low-way pass because: - we do not have a source of tricks -A10x may be a illusory second stopper in ♥ -the spade length will provide maximum 2 tricks for us -there's a bigger probability that partner is in 1-3 hcp range rather than 4-6 hcp range -the win/loss raport is not in favour of bidding

3NT and 4♥ are both bad calls. West with good controls and source of tricks Kx fit in a usually 6+ card, and no stopper in ♠ makes a ridiculous bid. Now East with an 8 carder (lots of tricks) bids a modest mild slam try instead of another move.

The hand has some pluses and some minuses. The pluses are 6th spade and 6-4 shape, with reduces the number of losers in rounded suits. The big minus is the low number of controls and the low number of usefull hcp's. Even if you play 4♥ as LT, bidding 4♥ with that hand will more often lead to a negative score rather than to a positive one. Just remeber 4♦ doesn't promise ♦ shortage or tons of HCP's.

1. 5♦ 2. 4NT+5♥, i'm not so worried about partner leading ♣ against 5♠ X-ed as Andy sugests

♠8 my choice, though i think that majority will lead ♥

I prefer 2♣ and i don't like 1NT forcing + 4♠ sequence

Definitely bad, declarer knows where ♣A is after 2♠ for partner, who showed already ♠AK, and 1♠ by us. Also it seems that West didn't learn to count tricks and never heard about squeezes.

One of my favorites happened in National Pairs Championship, a few years ago. We just discussed that against 2♦ Multi to play: - x overcall in one major or strong -2♥ T/O vs. ♥ -2♠ T/O vs ♠ After a few boards, RHO oppened 2♦ MULTI, and I held ♠Axxx ♥--- ♦AKxx ♣AKxxx and bid 2♥. Partner had ♠Jxx ♥x ♦QJxxx ♣QJxx On his part of the screen he alerted that 2♥ should be T/O vs. ♥ but he thinks that i forgot the convention and i have hearts B) . So he passed, and i became declarer in 1-0 ♥ fit :) But the story didn't finish here. LHO led ♠K, i took with ace and played ♠ back. LHO won and played third round of spades, all following. Now i cashed ♦AK and ♣AK everyone following. Now i claimed zero tricks :D, and both opponents, pretty amazed :), showed their cards. They both remained after 7 tricks played with 6 trumps :P

I think rebidding 2C on this hand is really bad. You claim it worked well, what does that mean? Did you keep track of all the hands when you rebid 2C on a poor 5-card suit? And how about the hands where you had a good 6-card club suit and partner didn't trust your rebid? Yes of course it worked well when partner bid 2D next and allowed you to clarify your hand, but much more often you won't have this opportunity. I think on this hand a 1S rebid is better if you decide to open 1C. And in general I don't like rebidding rules for difficult hands that don't take suit quality into account. I haven't bid 1S on this hand type often enough to claim it works well, but I am fairly confident it is better than 2C. You're right Han, when i wrote 15+ i meant with a good source of tricks. Lying abouth 6th club is compensated by extraforce, but the source of tricks provided by the good long suit should remain, so you need good clubs for bidding 2♣ with 5 cards. On this board i would have rebid 1NT due to the lack of suit quality

You can add on this board: - opening 2NT - showing support over 1♠ - correcting 3NT to 4♠ with ruffing potential and fit

I disagree with that logic. Partner might need three or four tricks. For example opener could have KQJxxxx Ax Axx A. Two outside kings is not enough, but KQJx in a suit would be, so he bids 5NT just in case. I disagree. Holding the suggested hand (KQJxxxx Ax Axx A) North should have fake a queen of trump ask , followed by 5NT: 5♦-5♥-5♠ NO-5NT =partner we have all KC's but we need a lot of tricks (a source of tricks - 4 tricks) Bidding a direct 5NT should be looking only for 3 tricks (example: KJxxxxx Ax AKx A)

I'll sugest you some developments i played, that worked well: With 5♣+4♦ always open 1♣. Now: -if you hold 11-14(bad 15), and partner bids your singleton bid 1NT, if he bids your tripleton bid 2M; -if you hold 15+ 16, rebid 2♣, and over 2♦ relay use 2OM to show a 54 15-16 hcp ♣+other (♦ or♥), and if partner is intrested you can show your shape later; -with 17+ make a reverse.

Considering that 3♠ as an invitational hand, over 5NT (specific kings, looking for grand), responder holding 2 Kings, so a maximum hand (1kc+2kings) should have bid 7. So 5♦ should ask for 3rd round control in diamonds. By the way, the 4NT bidder, is starting a series of inquiries (askings), followed by a final decision. He never makes an informative (showing) bid to an uninformed partner, unable to take the proper decision.

One of the greatest boards involving a "stripe-tailed ape" double happened at the local club, in my junior years, over ten years ago. It was a board where NS, held 37 HCP combined force, all red. At one table NS were a novice junior pair, and after a long bidding sequence they reached the unbeatable 6♣ contract. East, one of the local "experts" ;) made a stripe-tailed ape double, considering that the beginners will missplay it one way or another. He got redoubled by one of the juniors, who held 21 HCP over partner's 1NT opening. The juniors got a complete top by the nearest margin making an overtrick in 6♣ scoring +2230 vs +2220 at all other tables :D

It seems i'm one of the chickens that would double only NV.

1. In our match, both players passed 3♠ for down one. 4♥ was down 2+, but i think it's an worthy try. Partner held ♠AQJ9xx ♥J ♦Kxx ♣AQx 2. Both 2Nt and 1♥ worked well, reaching 4♥. My bid was 1♥. 3. For passers, would you have overcalled if you were non-vulnerable vs. vulnerable?