the_clown

Surely X, correcting 2♥ to 2N

I have 4♥s and I dont want to make a penalty pass so I double

3♦. Partner should have some diamond support, cant imagine he can bid 2N with a stiff.

I think when the one hand opens and the other hand shows 13+ HCP it has to be forcing to game. I dont really believe in forcing to game or 4m, it is right one in 5 times and it creates a lot of confusion in your forcing auctions.

I don't understand 1♥ with 8 tricks in your hand. Even at MP there is a game bonus.......

I have found another pair, that would like to play: apocalipse +xana. None of them are posters, so obviously if a poster pair wishes to play, it will have priority.

I would like to be in 3N but I dont think I can avoid being in 6.

I cant imagine passing. Partner has at most 3 spades with no double stop or Kxx. I would start with 4♣ (forcing since 2♥ was already GF), hoping to reach 6 if partner cooperates.

I think X-3♣ is very reasonable. I would happily double with 3523 or similar, so I think that 3♦ should show something better than this garbage.

Yes the_clown + jfaria

Hi, I would like to play with jfaria.

I dont double, will not be surprised if they make 7.

As others pointed out 4♦ is quite obvious, after that it will probably go 4♠-5♠-5N-7♦-7♠-X-7N.

I am bidding stayman and then 3♦ over 2♦ and 3N over 2♠

I would bid 3♦ preemptive if available

I will get to 3N playing strong club. 1♥-2♣ 2♦(Natural or balanced)-3♦ 3N

People are not obliged to signal right. In some situation is perfectly clear that any information they give will be used by declarer and will not help partner at all (e.g. because partner is broke and never comes to trick or because partner knows the whole hand from the bidding and play). Of course when asked about the carding agreements one should just respond udca/ standard etc and maybe explain what a low/high/middle card would normally mean, even if one knows that partners card is meaningless because partner is obviosly broke. Thah knowledge is because the defender has some extra information from the bidding/play and not because of some partnership agreement. If on the next couple of hands the pair consistently signals udca and they inform their opponents they played standard carding, this really is a case for the TD to look at.

Hi, normally with a limit raise, you just bid game once partner shows he has 6 spades.(wiht a limit raise you were prepared to play opposite 5332 12 count, so the extra distribution partner has should be enough for game) Personally I prefer to play constructive raises, mainly for two reasons: 1.You are obviosly much better placed when you know partner has 7-10 and can make game tries more accurately. 2.When it goes 1M-1N-2x-2M they have no idea if you have a fit which makes it more difficult to balance when its right. Of course playing constructive raise loses when they preempt and you cant show your support, but all in all is a reasonable agreement. Constructive raises are usually off if you are passed hand, since you can bid Drury to show 8-11 HCP and 2M with less.

1.I think the point is that we with a balanced hand the likelyhood that we make something at the 5. level decreases. Partner doesnt always have the perfect shape for his X and even if we have a lot of cards, we may go down if we end up in a dumb fit. On the other hand, with strong balance hands we will usually do well in defence and will score a decent + on average. With distributional hands bidding is obviously more attractive since it is likely that we have a big fit somewhere and it is with the odds to go for offense. x KQxx AKxx xxxx is surely a raise, but missing the Queen of Hearts I may pass. With hands without a spade control I would practically never raise.

GIB can tell you right away how many tricks you will get on any lead.

Obvious 3N

I would lead a spade. Its a common agreement that double of 3NT asks for a spade lead, so maybe thats what partner wanted. Furthermore it is right to lead the longest suit if partner has an ace, (since if partner has the ace in our short suit it is likely they didnt have 13 tricks anyway.)

1.3D quite obvious for me. 2.I South 90%, he has a simple overcall. North could have passed 5H, but if South really had his bid, slam could well be on.

Unfornately those players are a bit random and leave very often after a bad board or if they dont like their partner. And if 3 people leave the match is canceled (if a team is losing big they sometimes all leave). Having a poll of pairs, as Gerben suggests will be quite an improvement, since you will have much better opopnents (people who at least play the same system) on average and they are not as likely to leave in the middle of the hand. Of course it will take longer to start a much, but for me at least would be worth it.

I would bid at this colours and its not close.