antonylee

MPs. [hv=pc=n&s=saqt92hq7daqcak63&n=sj84ha643d762cqt2&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=2c(!)p2d(waiting)p2sp3sp4cp4hp4n(!)p5c(!)p6sppp]266|200[/hv]

Please play this against me. I may resurrect my PC partnership just for that.

I took "a view" and bid 4H, expecting partner to correct to 4S at least some times. Got a pass with KQJTxxx Tx x Axx (looks silly to me, but what do I know), ran into a 6-0 break and lost 11 imps when our teammates were playing in 3H in the other direction...

20VP Swiss. [hv=pc=n&s=s85hqj632daj98c85&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=3cpp3sp?]133|200[/hv] Apparently my judgment is way off. If you'd pass, what's the weakest heart holding (if any) with which you'd bid 4H? What's the weakest diamond holding (if any) with which you'd bid 4S? Conversely, if you bid, what's the strongest heart or diamond holding with which you'd pass? (Clarification: Assume the rest of the hand stays the same.)

But that's exactly the question: can you at least partially combine the chances in spades and diamonds?

Spades break, so you make. My partner followed gszes's line but trumps were 4-2 and the DK offside.

1. loses to the jack, another diamond comes back. 2. the jack appears in South on the second round of diamonds, do you try a third round?

Loses on your right to the K (but the A appears on your left when you play a 2nd heart up).

Pairs, big field. [hv=pc=n&s=sq5hj865dk96caqt6&n=skj63hat4daqtc754&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1cp1sp1np3nppp]266|200[/hv] D5 (4th best) lead. [hv=pc=n&s=sj982hkq976da9c84&n=sqht85dkq83cak963&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=pp1cd1h1sd(support)2s3hp4hppp]266|200[/hv] C2 (3/low) lead.

20VP Swiss [hv=pc=n&s=sat752h63daqtcak5&n=s63hqj854dj52c732&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1np2dp2hppp]266|200[/hv] SQ lead, righty encourages.

Actually I don't teach 1NT as forcing even in a 2/1 context. I prefer semi-forcing myself, and for beginners you may as well remove the 3-card limit raise from 1NT and bundle it into 1M-3M.

5-level? :) But sounds simple and effective.

I actually knew (and have played) this convention, not from JLall but from Billy Miller who wrote about it in his Bridge Bulletin column some time ago. Never though about using it over reverses (I guess Lebensohl is just... automatic in my mind), but I see how it can make sense there too. OK, thanks.

All's in the title... What do you play over (3X)-3NT?

Clearly I didn't, I was confused and just thought it was some general principle that applied also to the 1NT-3C puppet (for which JLall also advertised a well-known structure).

Also very interesting. The loss of a bid to show the good club hand (which is the only cost, right?) is partially offset if you play 1x-3C as invitational, which I do. (This may mean that you can't use the same approach when responding to T/O X though?) I know what JLall puppet is but don't see how it applies there.

From the explanation, I guess opener is supposed to rebid 3C most of the time over 2N? What does responder's delayed 3D mean then?

I guess 2N-then-3D is GF then? With the idea being that if opener happens to have extras, supporting him at the 4-level is not an issue? (if your methods allow you to stop in 4N you should be safe with extras opposite extras.) Or am I missing the basic idea? This actually looks interesting (at least I'm intrigued by my own interpretation of your comment...), can you elaborate more?

When the auction suggests leading one of them, I do.

Quick looks at it suggests two top clubs, if 5-1 then diamond to the... 9? Then squeeze West in the minors on the run of hearts.

Pray tell, what is opener supposed to do with Ax AKxx AKJxxx x? Let partner, who holds xx xxx xx AJxxxx, go down in 3C when 5D is making?

Lefty was actually the one who spontaneously apologized to his partner after the hand -- "Eh, that's exactly what I was fearing when raising you..."

Neat. I knew I missed something at the table :/ (even though everything was going to work, spades being 3-3).

[hv=pc=n&s=sakq632hajt6dtc54&n=sthq7542dqckt8632&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1sp1n(semi-f)2d2s3dpp3hp4hppp]266|200[/hv] Team game, good opponents. The defense starts with a diamond to the king, a heart that you ducked to the king, ace of clubs cashed and another diamond. What now?

Lots of interesting comments here. Not sure how 3N can show doubt about ♣... what if you have Kxx xxx xxx Kxxx? Perhaps it would make sense to have 3♥ and 3♠ show resp. ♣ and ♠ stop, and doubt about the other? You can probably stuff some more hands into 3♥, perhaps some choice of games, so that a direct 4♣ can be used as some sort of ♦ raise? In reality you don't have any sophisticated agreements here and partner bids 4♦ over 3♥. What now? For the better or the worse, general partnership rules indicate that 4♥ would be to play and 4NT by either player would be a signoff too (so you don't have an ace-asking sequence available).