VM1973

Since West is a robot it's unlikely that it's smart enough to falsecard. That high spade pitch looks like the beginning of an attitude signal. The best chance to make the hand is to concede a club to East knowing he can't return a heart, and start cashing. You can get ♥1, ♣4, ♦2 and ♠1 for sure. If the ♦Q drops you make it.

Not a very interesting hand, although I do thing my partner should have dropped the ♠10 on the first trick. Thanks for helping me out.

[hv=lin=pn|wareis,VM1973,karatas,fuzzee|st||md|1S8AH245AD6JKC46TA,S3JQKH367TJD4QC3K,S2456HQKD3TC579JQ,|rh||ah|Board 147|sv|e|mb|1N|mb|p|mb|2N|mb|p|mb|3N|mb|p|mb|p|mb|p|pg||pc|SK|pc|S2|pc|S7|pc|S8|pg||pc|H6|pc|HQ|pc|H8|pc|H2|pg||pc|S4|pc|S9|pc|SA|pc|S3|pg||pc|H4|pc|H3|pc|HK|pc|H9|pg||pc|C9|pc|C2|pc|C4|pc|CK|pg||pc|SQ|pc|S5|pc|ST|pc|D6|pg||pc|SJ|pc|S6|pc|D2|pc|C6|pg||pc|HJ|pc|D3|pc|C8|pc|HA|pg||pc|DK|pc|D4|pc|DT|pc|DA|pg||pc|D5|pc|DJ|pc|DQ|pc|C5|pg||pc|HT|pc|C7|pc|D7|pc|H5|pg||pc|H7|pc|CJ|pc|D8|pc|CT|pg||pc|C3|pc|CQ|pc|D9|pc|CA|pg||]400|300[/hv]

[hv=pn|wareis,VM1973,karatas,fuzzee|st||md|1S8AH245AD6JKC46TA,S3JQKH367TJD4QC3K,S2456HQKD3TC579JQ,|rh||ah|Board 147|sv|e|mb|1N|mb|p|mb|2N|mb|p|mb|3N|mb|p|mb|p|mb|p|pg||pc|SK|pc|S2|pc|S7|pc|S8|pg||pc|H6|pc|HQ|pc|H8|pc|H2|pg||pc|S4|pc|S9|pc|SA|pc|S3|pg||pc|H4|pc|H3|pc|HK|pc|H9|pg||pc|C9|pc|C2|pc|C4|pc|CK|pg||pc|SQ|pc|S5|pc|ST|pc|D6|pg||pc|SJ|pc|S6|pc|D2|pc|C6|pg||pc|HJ|pc|D3|pc|C8|pc|HA|pg||pc|DK|pc|D4|pc|DT|pc|DA|pg||pc|D5|pc|DJ|pc|DQ|pc|C5|pg||pc|HT|pc|C7|pc|D7|pc|H5|pg||pc|H7|pc|CJ|pc|D8|pc|CT|pg||pc|C3|pc|CQ|pc|D9|pc|CA|pg||]399|300[/hv]

I'm just trying to figure out how to post hand views. Put this down as my plea that a 'sandbox' of sorts gets installed. [hv=pn|wareis,VM1973,karatas,fuzzee|st||md|1S8AH245AD6JKC46TA,S3JQKH367TJD4QC3K,S2456HQKD3TC579JQ,|rh||ah|Board 147|sv|e|mb|1N|mb|p|mb|2N|mb|p|mb|3N|mb|p|mb|p|mb|p|pg||pc|SK|pc|S2|pc|S7|pc|S8|pg||pc|H6|pc|HQ|pc|H8|pc|H2|pg||pc|S4|pc|S9|pc|SA|pc|S3|pg||pc|H4|pc|H3|pc|HK|pc|H9|pg||pc|C9|pc|C2|pc|C4|pc|CK|pg||pc|SQ|pc|S5|pc|ST|pc|D6|pg||pc|SJ|pc|S6|pc|D2|pc|C6|pg||pc|HJ|pc|D3|pc|C8|pc|HA|pg||pc|DK|pc|D4|pc|DT|pc|DA|pg||pc|D5|pc|DJ|pc|DQ|pc|C5|pg||pc|HT|pc|C7|pc|D7|pc|H5|pg||pc|H7|pc|CJ|pc|D8|pc|CT|pg||pc|C3|pc|CQ|pc|D9|pc|CA|pg||]

I don't see why you'd be opposed to defending 1♠ considering you're bringing 3.5 Quick Tricks to the defense. If we evaluate the hand for an opening bid, we find that we have 14 HCP + 10 cards in two suits. Applying the rule of 20, this hand is an ace better than a minimum opening bid. Since we're in the balancing seat, we're entitled to 'borrow' a king from partner. As such, I would bid this hand as though it were a 19 count in direct seat. So no, I don't think doubling and bidding is a HUGE overbid. What if partner holds: ♠xxxx ♥Qxx ♦AJx ♣xxx You might easily be able to take 11 tricks in hearts assuming ♥K and ♦Q are with the opener. Yet even after the "HUGE overbid" you're not likely to find game.

Where, then, can it be read?

I was taught the rule of 15... that is, you should open light in 3rd seat if your HCPs plus spades add up to 15. I believe this hand only adds up to 13. I can sympathize with those who would open 2♠ on this hand, but I would not. I look forward to the downraves that will inevitably accompany this opinion.

Don't most people play systems on after NT overcalls? I would bid 3♥ to transfer to spades and then bid 4♥ for a choice of contracts. Sure, I might miss slam if partner has the perfect hand, or I might end up in a strange 5-2 fit if partner's no trump is strangely shaped. In the absence of prior discussion, what's 4♣ - Stayman, Gerber, or some undefined big hand? I don't know. I look forward to the personal attacks, flames, and downraves that are certain to follow this opinion.

Well, I'm not going to reply to anyone specifically since most posts were either rude or unhelpful. As Bbradley62 has documented some 13 percent of the people will double with the hand in question. As such the chances of that happening are rougly equal to getting a 4-1 break in a trump suit. I guess that's something that doesn't merit any discussion. Forgive me for bringing it up. As for the actual advice on how to play the hand, one person suggested pulling trumps and the other suggested that if the opponents pulled trumps I'd be dead. Could anyone tell me which of the two pieces of advice is more accurate? Feel free to reply privately since we've obviously wasted enough of the experts' time in this thread.

You all mean well with your hands and advice and all of that, but most hands that come up for us at the beginner or intermediate level are not of the type you are posting. Just the other day I had this auction: 1♥-DBL-pass-?? Holding: ♠5432 ♥x ♦AKJxx ♣Qxx I bid 2♠ and everyone passed. A small heart was led and my partner tabled the dummy: ♠x ♥AQxxx ♦xx ♣AJ10xx ...and asked if I had misclicked 2♠ when I meant to bid 2♦. I put in the ♥Q which held. Then I played small to the ♦Ace, ♣Q which held and then tried the ♠2 and in the end I was down 4 undoubled for -200. Maybe I should have tried to ruff a diamond on the board first? People end up in hopeless contracts all the time - and those who pair with people on BBO more often than not. Why not focus on those?

6NT is a good contract. I don't see the point of introducing a 3-card suit at the four level with a bid that might be misunderstood on the off chance that you're cold for 7... but you can play as you please.

Assuming you would open: ♠xx ♥xx ♦Axx ♣AQJxxx (rule of 20) and presumably rebid 2♣ then an extra King somewhere should make it worth a 3♣ bid. And if you hold... ♠x ♥Kxx ♦Axx ♣AKQJxx then the auction would probably go 1♣-P-1♠-P-3NT I've never played reserve to diamonds as a special uber-strong club suit so I can't speak for that.

Put me in the doubling camp. As mentioned, if partner passes, you're in good shape. 2♥ is too much of an underbid. Partner's likely to bid either 1NT or 2♣ and over that you can bid 2♥. The problem with 2♠ is that your handle is in the middle. With Michaels should you either be very weak or game forcing. Your hand has 5 losers and you won't know if you've found a fit when partner responds so you won't know if you should bid on or just pass.

Some people might think 4♣ is ace asking. I like Hanoi's auction. I tried to uprave it but it said I've reached my maximum quota of positive votes for today... but I haven't made any yet. The only way I see of to arrive in 7♣ would be: 1NT-2C 2D-3S (or 3H Smolen) 3NT-5NT 6C-7C Of course 5NT might land you in 7NT which isn't a terrible contract, although 7♣ is better. You probably take 5♠, 5♣, 2♥ and 1♦ assuming the J♠ falls or they go 3-3. Or you might do well with the opening lead... maybe 9♦ (top of nothing) to the queen and you have 12 tricks off the top. You could easily play AK♥, run the clubs, and cash the A♦ for an automatic squeeze in the major suits and you don't lose the possibility of 3-3♠ or the J falling.

Well on the monitor I can't tell the difference between the ♠ and the ♣ symbol. I think the person who commented 1NT as a possibility must have made me decide it was 1♣ because really I can't understand bidding 1NT holding Qx opposite partner who might have x or xx. 1NT makes much more sense over holding ♣KJxx

I would bid 3♥ expecting to hear 4♣ on my left. I would be very surprised to hear it go 3♥-P-P-P Since I have two suits, I plan on showing both of them.

I agree with the borrowed king principle. As such, I would consider 2♥ to be an overbid. Partner might have reopened with as little as: ♠Kxxx ♥Kxxx ♦QJTx ♣x Don't hang him out to dry. While 1NT is a possibility, I would prefer to bid 1♥

You should lead a spade because it's matchpoints. You cannot afford to give away tricks. Partner could easily have the A♠, A♥, or A♦ and switch to a club. Leading the A♣ caters only to the possibility that partner has K♣ and may well blow a trick. I figure leading a spade has 3 ways to win whereas leading a club only has one way to win. On a lucky day you might even find partner with A♥ and J♣ and you beat it. Leading a trump (or a diamond) is crazy. If partner has a trump winner he's always going to get it and with you holding Jxx♦ those diamonds could run at any second. You need to cash what you can before it all goes away.

You hold: ♠A9x ♥AQxx ♦Q9x ♣xxx First seat, not vulnerable. Do you open?

Well the way you state the problem seems to indicate that East is marked with the A♦ and the A♥ so he can't have the K♣, too, so you have to hope for stiff K♣ with LHO. In real life we can assume that you would let the heart ride to the J♥ and so you wouldn't necessarily know where the A♥ was (although the 8♥ is worrysome). In that case you have to hope that a good number of EW are bidding and making 3NT (5♦, 1♥, 2♠ or maybe more and a 1♣ assuming most Souths lead fourth-best ♣). That will give them +400 or +430 so you just need to hold your score to -200 so time to count losers. You're losing 2♠, 1♥, and 2♦ so you can allow 1 loser in ♣. It's hard for me to imagine a shape for RHO that includes a void in clubs so I guess the only real danger is that LHO will win the K♣ and play A♥ and another ♥ for RHO to ruff. So I guess I would play for 2-2 ♣ and/or hope that RHO has the A♥ and so I won't get any adverse ruffs. Cashing the A♣ will also expose an (unlikely) void with LHO (maybe he forgot their conventions and meant it as takeout? Unlikely considering his partner has already denied a 4CM). If that happens you need to hope for 3-3♥. I look forward to your criticisms and downraves.

I agree with those who recommended 2NT. Checkback Stayman might also work if you play it as a one-round force. Personally I prefer it as game forcing, especially when playing IMPs.

As I said, I finesse the 10♣. If you're worried about the (now) stiff J♣ with LHO you can always cash a high club first. Assuming that RHO does have the 4234 pattern you suggested as more likely, you make out. Additionally, I'd like to hear the auction that leads to 1NT. Are you suggesting many Souths would bid 1NT on the strength of the QJ♦ pseudo-stopper? Personally I think a far more likely auction is 1♣-1♦-Pass-1♠-Pass-2♣(or 2♥) than 1NT North.

Well if most tables are beating 2♦ then you have a 0 no matter what you do. If clubs go 3-3 then you're taking 3♣, 2♥ and a heart ruff on defense (+50). Most people are not going to bid 3♣ with the North hand. Since you're already down 1, you can expect to find yourself -50 (or -100) in a field of +50. Even if you are down more it will just make the zero a little bit rounder. You must envision an E-W hand that makes 2♦ (-110) and then keep your losses to at most down 2 (-100). Personally I think I'm going to take a deep breath after this hand to calm my anger and then tell partner that he needs to not bid this way. I know the law of total tricks is going out of fashion in some circles, but to me a partner better have a pretty good reason to bid 3 over 2 with 15 trumps and I don't see that in this hand.

Well if ♣ go 3-3 and the king♥ is in the pocket other tables are beating 3♦ and you're headed for a bad result. So I assume you have to play for ♣ to go 4-2 so you hook it.