mr1303

AT matchpoints, double is 100% clear-cut. Otherwise you might as well just hold up the white flag, and say please bid as much as you like over us, you'll never get punished.

What would you do with a spade splinter after partner bids 2H?

This is how I'll bid it: 1NT 2C (Stayman) 2H 4D (splinter agreeing hearts) 4NT (RKCB) 5D (1 or 4) 6H

Because there's too much information gone round. On board 7, you know that: 1) You would have passed over an opening 1S 2) LHO has a raise to 2S 3) YOu have the A of hearts, and a natural heart lead. On board 8 1) RHO has an opening 1S bid (despite the fact that she wouldn't be dealer) 2) RHO has the A of hearts. This is too much to make the board still playable IMO.

I hope you appealed. Director's ruling is wrong. Both boards should now be deemed unplayable, with your score being assigned as Ave+ (you were no way at fault) and their score as Ave- (for being mostly at fault).

I'll bet Dave led a top diamond, and found dummy with K10x Mark

David graduated from the University of Cambridge in mathematics, and is now studying a PhD in Manchester (no doubt he can tell you this from himself). I must admit I agree with him. David is not trying to overrule the consensus in the scientific community. He he saying that one should not be unduly influenced by information that we hear in the media (and from other sources) due to a screening process, and that the only correct and accurate way to make a view on a topic is to go back and read the research carried out by the scientists themselves. Case in point: Deaths on British roads where speed was an factor per annum (I made these up, but I think are in the ballpark): 4000, 3985, 3952, 4025, 4037, 3936, 3742, 3817, 3546, 3275 Speed cameras were introduced in year 3 of these figures (lets say). At the end of the 10 year study, the scientist produces a report. The tabloid press has a headline: Speed Cameras Work!! 25% decrease in road traffic deaths due to speeding since speed cameras introduced. Of course, the real truth is that several years deaths have increased. And there may be many other factors involved such as the driver falling asleep at the wheel, the driver being drunk, or under the influence of drugs etc. Therefore, we don't get the complete picture.

In my experience, there's a problem with knowing what to do when the opponents make a (usually rubbish) overcall, and you have a penalty double. You pass, hoping for the X to come back from partner, but unfortunately he bids something else. E.g. 1H (1S) P P 2H or so on. Fairly frequently, this is met with a sigh and a leap to 3NT. But fairly frequently 3NT won't be the correct place to play. Case in point:[hv=d=n&v=e&n=sak109xh10daqjxxcax&s=sxxhak98xd10xxxxcx]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Partner opened a strong 1C, and had a 1H overcall. This was passed back round to partner who reopened with 1S. We did eventually find 6D, but I wasn't happy with the way that we got there. 1C (1H) P 1S 1NT 2D 3D 3H (X) XX 4D 6D At the other table, it went 1S (2H) P P 3D P 3NT and this went 2 off on a club lead. Any suggestions?

I think that to not raise to 4H is using the UI that partner's overcall is probably marginal given the hesitation. So I would bid 4H here.

I completely agree with Alan. The Bristol University bridge team briefly considered doing a Haka before our bridge matches in order to psyche out the opposition. Unfortunately at the committee meeting I was sadly out voted.

And thirdly, when the auction goes 2NT P 3NT P 4C when the 3NT bidder forgot the system.

Assuming that 2C shows around 9/10+ points (despite being a passed hand) here and that the 3C raise shows a full opening bid, partner is marked with the equivalent of b*gger all. So I pass. Of course I wouldn't be guessing in this position, having bid something the first time round.

John Holland and Clive Owen played as penalty, and Clive only had AJx in hearts. We scored about 80% of the matchpoints for 2HX-1 on this auction. They had the last laugh though, beating us 20-0 in VPs in the Swiss Pairs, and winning the event.

I don't play Ogust admittedly, but for me it would tend to make a big difference on what the Ogust response is. If you show a heap of cr*p (3C response) then there's a good case for a new suit to be not forcing (but still forward going). If opener shows a good hand, then a new suit should probably be a slam try. E.g. 2S 2NT 3C 3D NF, constructive. 2S 2NT 3S 4C Slam try.

After (1 minor) X (2/3/4 minor) I play that a second double shows both MAJORS. After (1 major) X (2/3 major) I play that a second double shows both MINORS. I think this is quite common.

The writers of South Park insult every group without any discrimination at all. Whether or not you're white, black, red, yellow, tall, short, fat, thin, clever, stupid, rich, poor (etc etc) at some point there's been a South Park episode insulting you. So why they should pull the plug just because it's Islam being insulted rather than another group?

I watched the interview on BBC1 and heard the phone-in on Radio 5live. I've never heard so much twaddle in my life! The problem with British Society these days is that there are an AWFUL lot of people who make a nusence (or however it's spelt) of themselves by trying to take offence on behalf of other people, most of whom don't see anything wrong with the initial comment in the first place.

Someone once made an overcall on a hand like that in a league match against myself and David Collier (david_c). It went for -1700 and found its way onto the poor bridge section of the Durham University website, found here

Send your articles to my magazine (unbiddable!, for England Juniors). I can guarantee you'll be published within 4 months. Unfortunately I can't pay anyone for it though :)

Well, I don't think the quality of the main forums has gone down at all since the introduction of the water cooler. And some of the posts here are somewhat interesting. Admittedly, a lot of them I don't pay attention to, such as anything about Iraq or the USA's position in the world. So I certainly see no reason to get rid of it.

Similar to my suggestion on 3/4 reverse Lebensohl. Which you rejected out of hand ;) (But yeah, that seems a perfectly logical suggestion.

I agree the the comment, a gold start should be given only to those who are truely great. And with all due respect to Mike, I would die of shame if he was given a gold star!

I would probably have bid 3C on a previous round. I initially bid 4C if the bidding had gone the way stated, but on reflection I think Free is right (shock horror!)

I might try 6C, just in case that helps partner at all.

GRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!