mr1303

More annoying: having to go to a restaurant with your evil carnivorous friends when you're a vegan, and the only thing on the menu you can eat is something ULTRA dull like chips and salad, and they're all eating gormet food.

What was the bidding? It might be important.

Double on the second hand with a 7 card heart suit and a singleton spade is revolting. I can think of no nice words to say about it AT ALL. 4H looks a decent each-way bet. Might get hit and be expensive, but then it might not. 4H is a bit rich for me on a ten high suit, even at favourable vul I'm afraid.

My choice here was 3S. It might not be exactly text book, but: 1) If I open this 1S partner may end up making penalty doubles at too low a level, expecting more defence from me, and I'll be uncomfortable sitting for it. 2) Opening 2S with a 7 card suit is something I really dislike doing, when partner will play me for a 6 card suit. 3) Passing and then bidding 2S, or 3S or something similar doesn't appeal either, since then partner will play me to have a greater flaw than a bad suit quality, such as a 4 card heart suit.

Hi all Not being overly aware of copyright laws, what is the position regarding making copies of Bridge Base products such as Counting at Bridge? (just as an example) E.g. Can I install the program on both my home computer and my university computer despite only owning one copy of the software? And then related, on my (non bridge playing) girlfriend's computer for when I'm at her house for a weekend etc, and so on and so forth. Regards Mark

Incidentally, partner is a solid if unspectacular citizen who will have a reasonable hand at these colours. However, you haven't been playing together very long, and don't go in for much science in your bidding style, if any of that helps.

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=sat9hakqxdakjxxxc&s=sjxxxhjxxxdqxxcjx]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] Auction went as follows: 2C 2D 3D 3NT Pass With the obvious problem, which got us precisely 0% of the matchpoints. Who was most to blame?

Didn't JFK think something along those lines when he said "Ich bin ein Berliner". Which of course means "I am a doughnut"

Thanks all for your views. I agreed that some sort of action was clear-cut, although quite what I wasn't sure. Anyway, the reason I'm posting this one here is actually a UI case. Partner hesitated for significantly longer than the 10 seconds she was meant to pause for, before passing. I chose to double on the hand, and it went 1 off (it could have gone two off, but I think there was a slight misdefence). Director was called etc etc. How do you rule?

Sounds like some useful advice, duly noted. I'll be in Slovakia as well by the way. I'll be looking forward to playing you Justin. I'll be the one with a cute blonde bird (can I say that on here?) sitting opposite.

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=s107haqj965d3cqjt8]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] Bidding goes: 1S 2D 2S 3H 4S P P ? What do you bid here? For the record, 1S 2D P 2H would be constructive, but not forcing. You have no agreement about how forcing your 3H bid is here. Double of 2S would be responsive.

The song by Bob Marley that has the line "I don't like cricket, I love it!" in. Although given our pathetic defeat to the Indians this morning, maybe not!

I'm sooo jealous. Am I correct in believing that unless you're a member of the MCC (or some such organisation) you can't purchase tickets for test matches at Lords without entering some sort of ballot?

That most definitely sounds like a plan. I've just bought myself tickets for the England-Pakistan Twenty20 international. Unfortunately both the Lords test and the Oval test have sold out (grrr) but I might well go and see Middlesex play a few games there.

Well, that's assuming that North hasn't psyched his 1H opening. Also possible is that North/South play 4 card majors, in which case partner has something like AKJxxx and a good hand?

I finally finish my blasted chemistry degree on June 6th. Apart from the World Junior Pairs, which will put me in Slovakia for a week between 29th June-4th July or so, and Brighton, which is August 11th-21st or so, I have an entire summer during which I want to do something exciting. So suggestions as to what I could do would be very welcome. And work is NOT considered exciting. Mark

No, actually I don't. But I have to write an article on it. So those of you who do play it through choice, and have as a result fallen in love with it, would like to post some of the benefits of a 12-14 NT, preferably with some example hands, that would be most helpful.

Is there any chance it might be natural? I might be tempted to pass.

No, if ANY of my partners were sitting opposite they would not be putting down the dummy in 2C, they would be alerting it as showing a good heart raise. As a result I pass without even thinking about it.

This really is a perfect hand for a take-out double. There just isn't any alternative bid, unless I'm playing something daft like Fishbein defence to pre-empts.

3H is just a general "do something sensible" bid. When you pull partner's 3NT to 4S you show that you had a strong spade raise, after which partner might do something more interesting. Having said that, you need trumps 2-2 or a singleton Q and nothing else bad to happen, which is not exactly odds on. A club lead and diamond switch makes life tough as well. All in all, I wouldn't lose any sleep about missing this one.

Definitely cats. I'm scared of dogs, especially bid ones.

4H has just been hit by my RHO? In which case I pass and hope for +590

If I go on holiday somewhere and play bridge from an internet cafe or somewhere similar, I want people to know that I'm English, so therefore I still want to have my English flag up.

See this post by Jimmy http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=13060