mr1303

3S, but I'm not overly happy for it. I wouldn't be surprised to see partner make a 4th if he passes.

Yes, and partner shouldn't pass holding that hand. Like you did holding a similar hand, and picked up +100 instead of +600. I was not impressed...

THere are occasions when you have a good hand after 1M P 2M to you. I like to be able to distinguish between when you have something, and when you don't. This isn't a good enough hand. If the bidding procedes 1S P 2S P P partner should reopen with a suitable hand, and if he doesn't have a suitable hand I don't want to be bidding now anyway. And for what it's worth, should it go 1S P 2S P P X 3S I'll still bring out the green card

Yes I must admit I would double on this hand, as this time partner may well have a genuine penalty double. Compare with the other hand on a similar topic, when opener was in 3rd seat and may have a strong hand, here it's much less likely.

I agree, against 4S here there is no hand with flattish shape (4441, 5431 etc) that would consider reopening here. People open 4S in third seat with all manner of good hands, and bidding here is fairly suicidal. If partner leaves a double in he'll be very disappointed in your hand for defensive purposes, since you have very soft values, and you've way too many losers to have any level of safety at the 5 level.

I much prefer to do pairs tournaments. For some reason, people seem less likely to desert playing with the same partner for all the boards, rather than a different partner for each one. Anyway, if I've got a decent broadband connection on a relatively new computer and I'm feeling in a good mood, I can cope with up to 40 tables. I don't start off opening the tournament to this many, however, since I prefer not to do this many if I can help it.

2NT would be the same as 1C 1S 2NT ie. 18-19, or possibly 17-18 playing really old-fashioned Acol

Anyway, I decided to double, which was risky since partner decided to leave it in. He held: xxx Qxxx Kxxx xx and we duly wrote down -670 on the card. I pointed out that double was not 100% for penalty, and that with 4 trumps and a 5 count, he should pull. He disagreed, saying that doubles are for penalty once we've found a fit. Oh well.

I'm voting 7H, because given that partner has an ace, he's unlikely to be bidding a 3 card suit. If partner has: xxx xxxx xxxx Ax then I'll be unlucky, although it has pseudo squeeze chances if he leads a top spade, since LHO is marked with almost everything else. However, I've got no way to be sure how many diamonds partner has. I wasn't going to ask for kings, since that would mean LHO had opened on KQ of spades and J of diamonds QJ of clubs which seems unlikely in 1st seat.

How do people play this double? Is this a ) a command for partner to pass? b ) a request for partner to do the right thing?

Our university's bridge coach says you should always bid 4S over 4H. Having said that, last time he did it he went for -1100, vs their +450

Playing Acol, weak NT, 4 card majors. [hv=d=s&v=b&s=saqtxhatxxdqxxckx]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Bidding procedes: 1H (2C) 2H (3C) to you What do you bid now? Partner's 2H is fairly similar to a 2/1 or SAYC 2H bid in competition, as far as our agreements go.

Yeah, I agree, and it did occur to me at the time. Mind you, partner was someone who didn't bid the obvious 1NT holding: AJx Kx 98xxx xxx so no doubt he'd probably have left it in.....

Was it not the case that on This hand here everyone said that 3S was a FNJ? How has the fact that it was hearts opened and not diamonds change the meaning of 3S? And I don't think that passing 3H is correct, but I also think that you have no choice, since you don't have the support for partner that 3S shows. This is why I would have opened 2S in the first place.

Yes, having partner pull my penalty double is one of the things that winds me up more than anything. Especially as this looks like 2 off is the best score they can make on a diamond lead. Having said that, 1NT opening was ok.

It looks as though partner has a strong NTish sort of hand. I guess there are other possibilities, such as being 1435 or so, but in this case I think 2H should be not forcing. However, he should rarely pass. Having said that, you are minimum for your response in the first place, and you have a) a dreadful hand in support of partner's suit and :lol: the worst holding in opponents suit. I think that when vul, a pass is called for.

1) I don't think so. He would bid something over a strong NT, when you're likely to have even less strength, and they're more likely to find a penalty double? 2) I would do something with this hand at all positions and all vulnerabilities. What I would do would depend on my methods, e.g. a DONT 2C might be an option. 3) Yes, if double as a passed hand shows a maximum passed hand with some useful intermediates, I think this is a clear-cut action. 4) Anyone any good should be bidding with these cards, IMO. LOLs may be passing, but I won't be.

1NT would be more like 11-15 here, which is a bit of an underbid. Double might work out ok, but might not. It depends on whether partner will bid too many hearts. 2NT might be ok, but that's a bit of an overbid. There's something to be said for pass on this sort of hand. Declarer will usually struggle to make 1S here. All things considered, I think I'll pass

Yes, I also play that P 1M 2NT shows a good raise with 4 trumps and some shape. Thus I use drury on the balanced hands, whereby I don't want to get to the 3 level. Without drury, I have to bid 3S or something equally awful on: JTx KJxx Kx QJxx which is invariably a transfer to 1 off, if not more. With a hand like Kxxxx x AKxx xxx I'd bid 2NT here, and in all likelihood go on to 4S even if partner tried signing off in 4S. Bidding drury does not show the playing strength of the hand.

1) Definitely not. You can lead whatever you like unless you've been restricted by a previous infraction that forces you to lead/not lead a certain suit. 2) Assuming a weak 2 in spades, no I don't think it's a psyche. Not my choice of opening, but not the worst bid I've ever seen 3) Yes, the player is right, the director probably should be called. So he can make a correct ruling. I'm not sure what the correct ruling is, however. If partner made a switch on a hand where a switch would really not be prudent, an adjusted score may be required. 4) We don't know enough here. For one thing, the 2D bidder may have a truly terrible hand and be taking a view. I always alert a strong 2C opening, but I understand that isn't normal procedure in ACBL land. As Hrothgar says, it would be unlikely you'd get an adjustment here unless there was damage.

After P P 1H 2D 3H is 3S not a FNJ? Whilst you do have some diamond tolerance, it isn't enough to force to the 4 level on a 5-2 fit. Hence I think that after 1H 2D 3H North really has to pass, South may stick 4C in, corrected to 4D. And you'll probably play there.

Presumably I bid 3S because I think I'm playing weak jump overcalls over weak 2s. This is a pretty good one, but it's nothing approaching a strong jump overcall, and an intermediate jump overcall has defence, which this doesn't. In which case, no, I definitely don't bid again, at this or any vulnerability.

21 already? Here was me thinking you were just out of school. Happy birthday anyway Mark

I had the pleasure of vugraphing this match. The defender in this situation won a prize for the best defended hand for this hand.

No, whilst I'm quite happy to raise on 3, I try to avoid it on 3 small unless I really have no alternative. Here I have quite a straight forward alternative (2C) and besides which, I have actually quite a nice hand, a partial fit, a singleton in an unbid suit and AAKK