haka9

The problem is lack of information. You know that W hasn't opening hand and neither has N, who has on average 6 ♠. W can have next to nothing or 11-12 p. S has at least some ♠ and next to nothing or a real game try. I would lead ♦ nine times in nine deals.

Thanks again. I thought that "Explain" button must be clicked to show alert text to opponents. I fully agree with mjlichom: "I do not understand why the HTML version of BBO is so remarkably not user-friendly, this not merely being a consequence of being used to the older system."

Thanks for this information. I don't mind, if I can't see the contract during play. I want to see the contract, when I kibize. I also found undo button now. The remaining problem (or is it a feature?) with web version is alert. When I alert, a popup "Explain" pops up. When I klick "OK", another popup "Please explain" pops up. If I klick "OK", the "Explain" pops again up. If I klick "OK", the "Please explain" pops again up and so on. The latest popup is seen on my screen until end of the play. Does Alert act like that intentionally? I use Opera, if that matters.

Have You ever had bad trump breaks? I have had two times. The first was the classic bidding squence: 1 !S - pass - 4!H - passout. Three players in the table knew, what 4 !H was, unfortunately my partner didn't. Fortunenately we had no slam, only game, it was however a bit expensive all vulnerable with 5-5 trump break against and IMP counting. This was the worst. Another time with another partner I had for once in my life nine -I repeat nine- diamonds with AKJ and 9 downto 4, partner had !D10. We (I) reached 7 !D and Q third was on my left. This was the lousiest.

I have never seen my partner psyche, and I probably won't ever see. Another similar situation was in June. Partner opened with a suit, I bid 2 ♣ (once again) and partner passed. The lady on lead asked "2 ♣ wasn't a force?" I answered politely "It should be, but this time it wasn't." That was -8 IMPs for us.

I put this topic online, because I have two almost alike experiences. About 35 years ago I had a mighty hand with hearts and points. I opened 1 ♣, 12-37 points and partner answered 1 ♦, might be next to nothing. I bid 2 ♦, game force and partner passed! Every other players were playing 6 ♥ with ♥ Q on the right side third, no points for us. Then about 25 years later I played team match. I have always believed, that new suit at 3 level is a force, but then it wasn't. Partner passed 3 ♣ and I was able to play it home despite of the weakness in trumps and heart Q sitting 3:thd on the wrong side. When I looked at the protocols, every other teams were playing 6 ♥ one down. We won the match with 16-14 and the whole competition with a small marginal.

I had KJx, KTx, AQxx, Txx. Partner opened with 1 ♦ at least 3, what next? We had no inverted minors, so I invented 2 ♣. And partner passed, she had xx in ♣. In IMP I would bid 3 NT, this was unfortunately pair competition with 0. I was expecting 6 ♦, in vain. In NT they have five in ♣ and one more in ♥ ace.

I played a couple weeks ago in a tournament. One of the deals was not very successful for us. EW has 6 quick tricks in NT and NS has 8 quick tricks in NT. All but two pairs played 3 NT by N or S, always home. One pair played 4 ♥ with 4-3 ♥, home. I played 2 ♣ one down, because ♣ was split 5-3 by opponents. With a sane defence in other tables we would get next to top instead of pure bottom.

Is there a moral in this? I do tend to lead A from Ax - it's often a 'safe' lead. Except when it isn't.... No, absolutely no moral in bridge. I have seen (and played and defended) a lot of hands, where "the only right bid or lead" runs into a catastrophe.

Leading against 1 NT was the question. With my regular partner or with a "known" sound partner there is no doubt: ♣ K. With a nondistinguished partner ♣ Q might work. The problem with ♣ Q can be concealing ♣ K.

I played some years ago 1m-2m game forcing. New suit at two level was natural four cards, aiming to 3 NT or 4 M with 4-3. 1m-2m-3m was 16+. After this new suit at three level was minimum and denied anything in suit. 1m-2m-3m-4m was 15+ with slam interest. 1m-2m-3m-new suit at four level was short. 1m-2m-2NT denied 4 card major and 16+. After 2 NT new suit showed something for NT bidding suits from below. Opener's jump to three level in new suit was AK or KQJ in suit and slam invitation. Opener's jump to four level was void. Not perfect, but we played this system many years with varying success.

I think 3 ♥ is a slight underbid (partner has at most 3 points in hearts) and 4 ♥ is a slight overbid (2434 with minor queens doesn't seem very good).

I played with a new partner. System was quickly agreed as "almost SAYC". Third deal all nonvulnerable: 2 ♦ (weak) - p - 3 ♦ (non forcing) - D - p - p - p. I had a sound 13 HCP 4414 and thought I takeout-doubled. Partner passed with 4324 and 9 HCP. They had their 10 diamonds and a decent fit and took 9 tricks. That was not a very successful for us with IMP-counting. Blame me or partner?

If I have this hand after two pass, I would bid 4 ♠. May be 9 to 12 tricks, dunno.

Another (or third) time I played in BBO playing in Casual or Common bridge club this happened. I took a look at someone's profile. After this, when I started to play, the same profile pops up again and again. When I close the profile, I have a limited time to bid or send apologizing comment to table until the very same profile again pops up. The same has happened with Mozilla and Opera.

I had ♠ K73, ♥ A652, ♦ 10, ♣ J9873. Partner opened 4th hand 1 ♦ (5533) and RHO bid 1 ♠. I had two reasonable choises: 1 NT 6-10 and D: takeout. I chose D partner responding 2 ♦ with Qxxxx. That wasn't a success for us vulnerable. I didn't want to lose 8 card ♥ and found 6 card ♦. My fault?

Playing 13-15 NT partner opens 1 NT. 2♥ from right and you have K53 92 J1075 AQ53. What to bid or not? We have not talked about interference over NT. What would be the "standard" bid?

Partner opens 2♦ multi, either weak major or 20-22 flat. You have Q doubleton in ♠ J109 sixth in ♥, two ♦ and QJ10 in ♣.

Why does DBL show some values in both majors?

I tried to find out in BBO discussion, but I couldn't. We played teams competition: IMP count. Our system included not so precisely defined Lebensohl. My partner opened 1 NT. Bidding: 1 NT - 2♣ (=Multi-Landy=Majors) - 3♣ - pass - Is 3♣ forcing or invite or what?

> how to open? An old fashioned 1♣, a little less than 1 NT. haka9

OK to bid 4♠, but I would bid 3♠ any vulnerable MP's. haka9

I concider no action to be standard here. I try to describe my cards, I don't know who has the highest contract. So I bid 3♠.