VM1973

You know, this upgrading and downgrading business makes your real 2NT range from 19-22. That's just too wide considering you don't have an invite sequence. I suppose holding: AKQJ AKQ AKQ AKQ It's not 'really' worth 37 points because there are no 10s. Bidding 2♣ with that hand he deserves to have his partner bid 6NT holding: xxx QJ10x KQx QJx only to find themselves off 2 aces.

As has already been pointed out, outside of hearts there are only 19 missing HCPs. Partner must have at least 14 of those to have doubled (probably more like 15+). Partner might have ♠AKxx ♥xx ♦Axx ♣QJxx I don't want to try 6♣ because you might find K10xx (or Q10xx) offsides. I agree with those who have bid 6♦ directly.

Something must be wrong. It seems as though the guy opened 2♣ with 21 square. Shouldn't he have opened 2NT?

I'm assuming you mean you get a good lead (like a club) and so you play 4 clubs, and 3 spades getting the bad news on the 3rd spade. So then you finesse a diamond, play the ♦A and exit with a diamond forcing him to break the heart suit letting you make your ♥J. However, I'd be interested to see you make the contract against the lead of ♦6.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that one should follow the advice given by Kit Woolsey in his book "Matchpoints." He recommends that with 26 points you should look for the 4-4 fit in matchpoints because that +20 is important whereas in IMPs you shouldn't automatically do that because the chance of a 4-1 break can cause big IMP swings. He also pointed out that it's best to Stayman when your hand looks like: ♠AQJx ♥xx ♦Axxx ♣xxx because you figure if partner fits you with 4 spades, he's also likely to have a doubleton diamond so that makes for good ruffs, whereas if you reverse the diamond and spade holdings it's not as good. He also suggested that if you hold an extra K that it's best to just bid 3NT because there is greater likelihood that your partner has quacks in the way of profitable ruffs. He also touches on slam hands. It's a good book. I highly recommend it.

What do I know? I'll bid 3NT (matchpoints).

I'll bid 4♣ and if partner shows up with AK of diamonds, I'll bid 7NT. If he shows up with KQ of diamonds, I'll bid 6♦. Checking the spoiler, I see he's got AQ of diamonds. I'll try 6NT at matchpoints, 6♦ at IMPs. He could easily have ♠J, ♠xx with spades 3-3 or ♥Q It seems like 6NT doesn't make against a good defense, but hey... maybe I'll get a lucky lead or something.

I'm sorry... I take my advice back. I was bidding based on the idea that a sane person was at the helm in West. I really cannot believe that this type of hand would push to 5♠ at unfavorable vulnerability. All in all, assuming the auction went: P-P-1♥-DBL 1♠-?? I really don't think a sane person would double holding West's hand. As far as he can tell spades is the only contract he can beat and he must surely be thinking his partner has 17+ and a minor suit. He should pass, your partner will bid 2♣ and then I don't know what happens, but 4♥ will probably be the final contract.

I just think the auction would have gone very differently had it started: P-P-1H-DBL 1S-DBL-2H-?? Or P-P-1H-DBL 1S-2NT-3H-??

Why is no one considering a bid of 3♠? If partner holds: ♠Jxx ♥Ax ♦xxx ♣Kxxxx You should be able to score 4♠, 2♥ (including the ruff in dummy), 2♦ and 2♣ for 10 tricks.

Yeah like I'm assuming 3NT doesn't make. Duck the first heart, win the second, small club to the Ace, return the 10, cover with the Jack and RHO shows out. Now what?

This is what you get for not psyching a spade over the double. 6♦ is a good call, but I wouldn't make it. I would probably double. I assume partner's pass is forcing so he can't have ♠xx(x) or he'd have to double. He probably has ♠Ax(x) or Kx(x). Maybe we should have bid 5♥ instead of 4♥. Edit: Since I use the rule of 15 and I assume my partner does too, the only way he could have opened light would be with 4+ spades. He must have a full opener.

I figure the declarer to have ♠xx ♥AQJxxxx ♦xx ♣xx I figure the dummy to have: ♠KQJ ♥Kx ♦AQJ ♣AK10xx Matchpoints I play ♠A Imps I play ♦8

1. Someone's lying and it's probably the opener. He must have a shapely 10 count, unless your partner is known to double and bid as a preemptive tactic. It should be a forcing pass situation so you are required to double with two fast losers in hearts. Since you don't have that, you should pass and let your partner make the decision. 2. Unless you're playing negative free bids, your partner must be very shapely. Perhaps he's 6-4-0-3 and can't stand 3NT. I'll try 5♣

I don't understand playing a system that lets opponents bid any crazy old thing where you could have them for -800 or -1100 and you just let them walk away. If partner has trap passed then 2♠ will surely get hit. If partner hasn't trap passed, then he's broke. I hate 2♦ with this hand. If you're going to bid, you have to bid at least 3♦.

Well the defense was really no better as East should return the 5♣ suit preference calling for a heart back. Instead he led the low one for the ruff, which should have resulted in West returning a diamond but he didn't instead cashing the ♥A. Against competent defenders it should go ♣A, club ruff, ♥K, club ruff. 5♣ is cold.

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You could also find your partner holding: ♠AJ10 ♥QJxx ♦Ax ♣Axxx Two people playing 7C+7 You playing 6NT+6 cuz you guessed the finesse wrong, and Everyone else in 6H+7.

What action do you recommend the trap passer take over 2♦?

The hands must be reversed because the person with the singleton ♦ is unlikely to bid and rebid the diamonds and, if he did, his partner holding AKQ10xx of diamonds would certainly not pass it out at the 2 level. I blame the long diamond holder. He should hit 1NT. He's looking at 6♦ and a club at the very least and he must realize that his partner has a fair amount of spades. Matchpoints, everyone red, that's at least +200 and should be a top unless you have game.

I do not take 5♠ as a Queen ask because that's what 5♥ is. I believe the Blackwooder is indicating that they are missing 2 key cards and he wants to play 5NT. He cannot bid that directly as that would be asking for Kings and guaranteeing all 5 key cards. 6♣ must indicate a void in either hearts or diamonds. I might be wrong. :)

I agree and you should be in 6NT anyway. You've got enough HCPs to make the slam easily and since you're off an ace it's not like you're going to be in 6♥+7 to beat 6NT. I'm assuming it's matchpoints. Edit: Anyway, Cyberyeti, he can't have AK of spades because your partner has at least 15 HCP, you have 19, and the estimated 7 by opponent (AK) = 41. There aren't that many points in the deck.

Well, I didn't cue because I don't have any aces to cuebid. And I didn't bid 4NT because even if partner shows up with enough aces, I could be off ♦AK.

[hv=lin=pn|VM1973,svvt,botten,betsy9796|st||md|2S257QAH4KD25TQCQK,S489H359TD4678KC8,S3TJKH78ADJAC3456,|rh||ah|Board 4|sv|b|mb|p|mb|1C|mb|p|mb|1S|mb|p|mb|3S|mb|p|mb|6S|mb|p|mb|p|mb|p|pg||pc|C8|pc|C3|pc|CA|pc|CQ|pg||pc|C9|pc|CK|pc|S4|pc|C4|pg||pc|D4|pc|DJ|pc|D3|pc|D2|pg||pc|SK|pc|S6|pc|S2|pc|S8|pg||pc|S3|pc|H2|pc|SA|pc|S9|pg||pc|D5|pc|D6|pc|DA|pc|D9|pg||pc|H7|pc|H6|pc|HK|pc|H3|pg||pc|DQ|pc|D7|pc|C5|pc|C2|pg||pc|S5|pc|H5|pc|SJ|pc|C7|pg||pc|HA|pc|HJ|pc|H4|pc|H9|pg||pc|H8|pc|HQ|pc|S7|pc|HT|pg||pc|DT|pc|D8|pc|ST|pc|CT|pg||pc|C6|pc|CJ|pc|SQ|pc|DK|pg||]400|300[/hv] Although the contract isn't completely hopeless we didn't make it and probably shouldn't be there. What could I have done better?

I have little experience with robots... but if that spade he dropped was his lowest one... then his partner must have quite a few spades.