Quartic

It was a weak field (no one else bid it) playing matchpoints. Unfortunately partner didn't think of any of the lines here, and took the club finesse immediately for one off when the K was offside. The full hand: [hv=p&b=27&s=st3hk86542djt65cj&w=skq84hatd97caqt75&n=sj952hq93d8432ck8&e=sa76hj7dakqc96432&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=p1cp1dp1sp2hp2np3cp4cp4dp4hp4np5sp6cppp&p=h3h7hkhad7d2dad5c2cjcqckhqhjh2ht&c=11]399|300[/hv] As you see, any of the lines work as the cards lie.

Interesting, I hadn't thought of the possibility of Michaels. I'll have to discuss this with my regular partner.

[hv=p&b=27&w=skq84hatd97caqt75&n=h3&e=sa76hj7dakqc96432&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=p1cp1dp1sp2h(4th%20suit%20GF)p2np3cp4cp4dp4hp4np5sp6cppp&p=h3h7hk&k=w]399|300[/hv] You arrive in 6♣ and get the 3♥ lead to South's King. Which is the best line? Win the Ace, play 3 rounds of Diamonds, throwing a Heart. Then finesse the Club Ten. Win the Ace, play 3 rounds of Diamonds, throwing a Heart. Then finesse the Club Queen. Win the Ace, cash the Club Ace (drawing a 2nd round if the King drops), then cash the Diamonds throwing a Heart. Some other line.

[hv=d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1np2h2sp]133|100[/hv] What should West's 2♠ bid show? I think it should show any (10+ ish) 3 suiter, but another player at my local club thinks it should be a lot stronger than this. (I think he likes to play it as nearly game in hand.)

We didn't have a way to show the ♠Ace. There has been discussion here that West could have used redouble here (instead of 3NT) to show first round control in spades. Now East knows not to show the void. Whether West can still stop in time isn't clear.

2♣ is forcing for 1 round (not GF), usually 10+ points and 5+♣.

I used to open 1♣ with hands like this, but a lot of the good players at my club play it the other way, and I'm following their advice (I wasn't South here, but I would have opened it 1♠). I think the main advantage is it gets our major into the picture quickly when we have a fit. Unfortunately, as here, it can lead to difficulties when we don't have a fit in the major. I'm not yet completely convinced that 1♠ is better than 1♣, but I don't think it's clear-cut. I'm still not sure what my best bid as North is after partner doubles.

Pretty much. I would certainly have redoubled with 4 hearts (maybe with only 3), but here I thought it more important to show my club suit. I did double because I wanted to bring diamonds into the picture. I can't remember where we dropped a trick.

I see there's a bit of food for thought for us here - we haven't discussed redouble at all in this auction. I was East, and I would have cued 4♣ with x...kxxx...akxx...kxxx over 3NT. I see there's a fair bit of disagreement about whether I was good enough for the splinter - at the table I thought the ♠ shortage was the most important feature of my hand (the only other bid I had available was 2♠ - we don't play fit-jumps).

Finally, we managed to play in a 4-2 fit after some interference: [hv=pc=n&s=sak95hj93dk8cakj4&w=sqhaq8764da7c9752&n=sj3ht2dqj52cqt863&e=st87642hk5dt9643c&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=p1s3hppdp3sppp]399|300[/hv] 3♠ was duly down 3. We play 4 card majors (Acol), so 1♠ was systemic. Should North bid 4♣, or should South pull 3♠? Can we defend for +200?

This hand, we had a misunderstanding of a double: [hv=pc=n&s=skj9654hk6dq32ckt&w=sahaq52dk754c9872&n=s2hj3daj98caqj653&e=sqt873ht9874dt6c4&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=p1sd2c2h2s3hdppp]399|300[/hv] North thought the double was showing a good hand with no clear direction, whereas South thought it was penalties. 3♥ made 9 tricks on our defence.

Our next bad hand we overbid to a slam: [hv=pc=n&s=s985432h76da94c72&w=saqhaqt92dqt76ca5&n=skjt76h43dj8ckt63&e=shkj85dk532cqj984&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=1h1s3s(Splinter)d3np4h4s4np6hppp]399|300[/hv] 4NT was rckb, and 6♥ showed 1 keycard and a higher ranked (ie ♠) void. Should East still show his ♠ void after partner shows a stop with 3NT, or is West not good enough for 4NT? (or did we mess up somewhere else?)

Playing at our local club with my regular partner we struggled on a number of boards: [hv=pc=n&n=st63hj87dkt3ck654&e=sqj85hk64dj962cj2&s=sak9h=aqt9532d=87c=9&w=s742hdaq54caqt873&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=pp4hdp4sp5cpp5hppdppp&p=s4]399|300[/hv] Unfortunately 5♥ made (down 1 double dummy) for a bottom. ATB?

In my methods, I would bid 2NT transfer to ♦, and partner would bid 3♦ showing Hxx or better. I would probably leave this. If partner bid 3♣ denying Hxx in ♦, I would let partner play 3♣.

I play halmic: 1NT - (X) - XX = any 5+ suit 1NT - (X) - 2 suit = 4+ that suit, and 4+ higher ranking suit 1NT - (X) - 2♠ = 5+ spades, pre-emptive 1NT - (X) - 3 suit = nat, pre-emptive (6+ suit, usually reasonable quality) These also apply after a 4th seat X. I also play: 1NT - (X) - P - (P) - XX as showing a 5+ suit, giving responder the option to run (bid 2♣) or pass for penalties. With responder's 4333 opposite opener's 4333 or 4432, we just sit for the double. This doesn't apply after a 4th seat X though.

I would hope that the number of people who wish to "game" the system are minimal, and that most players are like me in wanting their rating to be an accurate representation of their bridge skill. It seems to me that the ratings as implemented should do a good job at providing accurate ratings, especially since the occasional bad match will only reduce a rating by a small amount which should be easily recoverable if a player deserves their rating.

Why do you say you didn't have your bid? In this sequence 2♥ shows a weak distributional hand that wants to play in hearts, which is what you have.

At the table, I didn't think of the legitimate line of playing for either opponent to have KQ or Kx of ♦ and hence be forced to concede a ruff & sluff (assuming they don't unblock with Kx). I was just playing for a mis-defence. Happily I got one.

The 1NT response generally shows 6-9. So the idea is you only really want to invite with 17-18. Of course you can always use your judgement as to whether you're worth an invite.

Playing online, I pick up a nice hand in 4th seat. After an odd (to say the least!) auction, I had to declare 4♥: [hv=b=38&s=s864ht7653d8762c5&w=sj93hadq43cak8643&n=sakqhkqj82da95ct7&e=st752h94dkjtcqj92&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=pp1c1h1s1n2c3cdpp3nppdpp4cd4hppdppp&p=cqc5ckc7sjsas2s4hkh4h3has9sks5s6hqh9h5c3sqs7s8s3ctcjh6c4d2d3d9dtc9&c=10&k=n]399|300[/hv] Making 10 doubled was worth 9.47 imps.

I lead the ♥A, then I decide how to continue when I can see dummy. The ♠A could also be right.

I don't know what the double on the first hand should be. On the second hand, with some partners I have the agreement that double of a natural overcall of our 1NT is takeout; with other partners it is penalties. It shouldn't matter whether it was 2nd or 4th seat who overcalled. I don't know what a 2♥ bid should mean in either case - I would always have transferred with a 5 card ♥ suit (or bid garbage stayman with a 5-4 hand). I would not want to introduce a 4 card suit now, except perhaps via a takeout double.

Is the finesse still anti-percentage now South has shown up with 4 spades?

Complete the transfer of course - partner doesn't have to be weak with 5 spades - we could miss 4♠ or 3NT if I pass. (And yes, I realise the question was probably rhetorical.)

This is how the contract made 11 tricks. :P