gszes

ahhhh MP again. at IMPS where I risk (assuming no xx) I risk 4 imps to pick up 13 the x certainly seems reasonable. At MP everything looks terrible (for us) and even if p leads a top spade (other than the T) we can all too easily be turning a totally normal board into a zero. P might find a spade lead to hit us looking at their (presumably) close to zero power. I am not from the school that demands a lead of dummy's first bid suit for this x but I would certainly be prepared for it. MP pass IMPS X.

Starting with a low heart to the Q (won by the ace) allows east to clear the spade suit we have only 8 tricks for sure. The only way to make the contract now is to have some sort of squeeze operate. Playing low from dummy at trick 3 forces east to duck (else we have 2s 3h 2c 2d) and when we win in hand all we need is a 32 dia split for 9 tricks (2s 1h 4d 2c) OR some sort of squeeze to work. This is a vastly superior position than the one that is achieved by leading toward the HQ at trick 2. STAY WELL

If a player has a "problem" with action(s) taken by a TD where can they post/email/call to try and figure things out. The post gives me no clue what/when this game was played so there is no way of knowing who the TD was (maybe I am just a lazy detective). Seriously though, IF the 2s was recognized as OK by the TD that should have ended the director's participation in the hand. SOMEONE needs to inform the TD what are the official channels:))))))))))))))) STAY WELL

HAPPY HOLIDAYS If you want to use 2h/s in 4th seat do NOT use the bid if you want to bid game opposite a drury (you should add reverse drury to your card if not using it already) response. This does not mean 11/12/13/14 hcp hands are out but the more hcp you have the uglier they have to be. QJTxxx KJ QJ KJx is a good example of a 14 count 4th seat 2s bid. The main reason the lower limit is around 9 hcp is because there is little reason to enter the bidding when you KNOW you are outgunned ie if you have 7 hcp just how are the other 33 hcp spread out so noone has opened yet? 3c/d* I have rarely seen a natural hand that looks right for this bid. Why open 3m with a hand like xx xx AQJxxxx xx. We are almost always going negative when we could have passed the hand out for zero? If you want to play 3 c/d as natural, it should probably look something like a decent 6/7 card suit with a generally ugly collection of hcp outside the main suit QJx x KQJTxxx QJx. We might go negative but after 3 passes there should be some play and p will rarely have enough stuff for us to make 3n. 3 h/s? I do not worry much about HCP since the bids make life real uncomfortable for the opps anyway. I worry more about scoring something positive and allowing p to make rational decisions on how to proceed. I see little purpose to opening something like 3h with say xx AQJT9xx xx xx. What is the point? We are almost always going negative if we win the auction and we could have been at zero if we just passed the hand out. I do not worry much about HCP with 4th seat 3 h/s. I primarily want to have a decent 7 card suit and a side holding that allows p to bid game with a couple of aces. AQJTxxx x QJTx x is a fine 3s bid in 4th seat. 4c/4d prefer namyats *i prefer 4th seat 3 c/d to be a form of namyats for the minors and never using gambling 3n. 3c = a solid 7/8 card minor with one outside stop 3d asks for the stopper 3h = heart stop 3s = spade stop 3n = other minor stopped 3h 5 card heart suit and some hope for game (not 3n) asking p to raise or retreat to 4m 3s same as 3h but with a spade suit 3n to play probably right sided :) 3d = a solid 7/8 card minor with no outside stop 3h same as after 3c 3s same as after 3c 3n to play probably right sided :)

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I dont mind trying for a merrimac coupe when it seems logical to give it a try. I see no evidence (other than the opps name) that would suggest such a lead so if playing in wonderland I lead the heart K otherwise the spade J hits the table and my apologies to Alice are prepared for the post mortem. HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

it took me a while to figure out the purpose of this post sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I believe the purpose was to convince everyone that a dia to dummy at trick 2 followed by a LOW heart from dummy at trick 3 (forcing east to duck or we can claim 9) was the best way to get us 9 tricks anytime it was available. Not a 100% line merely the best chance.

if it walks like a duck... 3NT Anything else might easily lead to disaster when our most obvious contract (3NT) makes. An adventurous spirit might lead one to try 3d but do not even consider this if playing with a bot because you will never convince it you do not really have diamonds.

x should almost always (see MikeH). I feel pass here puts wayyyyy too much pressure on opener to make a reopening x especially when we have good reason to believe they have some dia length. I would opt for 3c here which has a very strong probability of at least 44. If opener does have extra values, we can still find our way to 3/4s. Once we bid 3c opener should have no trouble bidding: Pass by south 3d raising a major suit bid by east to the 4 level. 3d by south 4d asking east to bid a major 4d by south 4h (on the way to 5c just in case E has 4 hearts) E will then bid 4s just in case W also has 4 spades)

going through the different variations is good practice but a waste of time here. EAST overcalled 2h missing the A, IMHO it would seem to be a virtual certainty that east has the club K. I would put all of my marbles on low club to the A and a club back (unless the club K drops under the ace --- at which point I would start taking the dia finesse and be shocked when it loses.

sigh I hate these type of hands. IF you want to go for it all then LBengsston is the way to go. When I look at this hand I feel doomed. I realize there is a chance we can make it BUT is it worthwhile? If 3n makes we get + 600 if it goes down its pretty much - 400. I think it looks like a bad bet. My choice would most likely taking my 7 tricks and accepting - 200. If this is wrong it is - 13 imps if 3n is doomed then it is + 5 assuming the other table tries to make it. Against a computer opp, which will see little difference btn AJTxxxx x xx Axx and the proposed hand, trying to make 3n is probably a good bet. Against us inferior humans (we hate going for large numbers especially with defense) the odds seem to tilt way in favor of lho holding !S AKJxxx and out. In the long run this decision has to be right 75% of the time to be a long term strategy winner but unless the opps need a swing going down 2 seems the way to go.

MP and IMPS I would bid 3s since it will give partner the most accurate information possible (no 4 card heart support 4 spades and no desire to pass the x) BUT at MP I can see trying for the + 200 since there is no guarantee 3S by me is going to hit gold. Too much risk at IMPS to consider passing for a penalty.

probably. Bear in mind you cannot beat this game only play it. Watch how your methods play out over time and decide on the best course of action. If you are constantly being hammered by a weak nt and seeing little benefit to strong change if you must but, do not let one hand consume all of your learning.

we still do not know a ton about opener's hand aside from the fact they do NOT have 4 spades (no 2s bid over 2d when it was still possible for responder to have 4 spades). I see no reason to eat up space when there is no clear evidence as to direction. I will bid 3d to keep the bidding as low as possible. Who knows? that might be enough for opener to take control (unlikely). As long as we are NOT playing with a robot (where a 3n bid with KQJ Jxxx x AJTxx is possible ickkkkkk). A couple of sensible bids should greatly clarify where and how high we are going.

late as usual BUT I did not see anyone question what a 1s bid (vs 2d) would have meant by you. What p does NOT BID is just as important as what partner bids in developing a dialog. For EX: (when using XYZ) I have used 1s to be natural and unlimited and I have also used it to show 4 spades and 6+ diamonds and less than invitational and I have never used it as FSF. Knowing what kind of hands I have eliminated when bypassing 1s helps me determine what p is bidding and why. What would 1S have meant?

2n practical unless your system says it is not natural. Gives p a chance to bid 3d if all they have is something like KQxxxx diamonds and out. Would not hate 3n. Would prefer x here to be takeout with extra values (not using support x with diamonds).

sounds more like some sort of preemptive hand to me maybe an example would help clarify

I do not often disagree with MIKEH but IMHO playing xx to give the opps another chance seems to make little sense with virtually zero upside. xx played my way is not a run out of 1s so much as an opportunity to further clarify the type of 1s overcall I had. Utility alone would seem to make the weaker use of xx far more valuable than trying to belatedly show a powerhouse overcall.

what are the odds of us having a game or reasonable sac at this vul? quite slim IMHO. I can see no future here even if P shows some life I will most likely keep the bidding low. PASS

IMPS I would choose 1s under the theory that the suit is generally good enough to inhibit a penalty X. Another advantage of 1S is that if the bidding goes 1s p p X I am in good position to xx which would almost surely show 5413 of 5314 or a cruddy 5305/5503 hand (which happens to be what I have). Far less dangerous approach than any other bidding (though pass may work). MP Since all I am risking is one board I am going for it all with 2d. Yes YES I know it's icky but If we are going to win the bidding this seems the best way to do so. X with virtually zero defense just seems plain wrong to me. (PASS YOU SAY?) SIGH, I admit it can work but, it just feels so WIMPY at MP.

I would much rather force my opps to play world class or seeing eye defense rather than risk what can be an otherwise iron clad contract. IMHO I think a much better plan is to win trick 1 in hand and plunk down the spade Q. This gives the opps a miniscule chance to blunder by ducking. Assuming they win the lead and return their 2nd heart (ok it wasn't a singleton so shoot me). Win the King and take the dia finesse to the Q (pretty much forcing lho to take their K). If the dia finesse loses, I guess I have to fall back on a 33 heart break OR have the player with 2 hearts NOT have the spade T, I then exit with a heart. This LOP loses when lho began with 2 hearts and the AT of spades. What happens if lho started with a singleton heart (thank goodness I didn't duck trick 1 and LHO starting with 3 hearts is a non factor)? Same first 2 tricks and lho exits with? Let's assume it is a club since a dia makes it too easy. Win the A and lead a dia to the Q (virtually forcing lho to win the K or risk losing it).Now we know we need a heart ruff to make our contract and 33 hearts seems out of play. Say Lho wins the dia K and returns another club. We ruff that and lead a heart. LHO might be able to work this out but the urge to ruff the heart would seem overwhelming to most and fatal (even if they began with ATx). It just seems plain wrong to play LHO for a weak doubleton heart when their expectation for a ruff is so low. Even if their p had the heart ace they would have to guess correctly at trick one to duck. It is just too tiny a target.

too much value concentration and the spade stop to consider much else 2d. Axx x Qxxxxx KJx and I am willing to go quietly to my probable doom. Change me to AQx x xxxxxx KJx and double looks a lot better (I will have my apology card ready for display if it does not work). xxx x AKQJxx xxx looks an awful like a 3d bid to me. Amazing just how magical HCP can be. Their value seems to constantly shift.

There is no "regular" system I know of where 1s is not forcing, natural or not. I fail to see any benefit to taking up valuable bidding space by making a nebulous 2s "undiscussed" bid when there is so much I need to find out about this hand. I have some sympathy for the 2d soloway jump shifters but I personally hate to arbitrarily bypass a possible 44 fit in the majors early in the bidding.

3h (assuming strong means at least 1 round force). This will give me the scientific edge of 5s as exclusion. If 3h is not forcing then I will opt for x and hope we can sort things out later.