jerdonald

BBO forum, While playing in the recent Gatlinburg Regional a director was hovering over our table. The bidding went: N E S W 1C 1NT P 2D P 2H P P P After we played the board she said East's 1NT overcall had to be alerted for point count. West's 2D bid was alerted as a transfer to hearts. No one at the table had ever heard of this alert. Was she correct? Jerry D.

BBO forum, Very possible that south bid game based on looser count and not points. He may also have some distribution that yields dummy points. Certainly they have a 9+ card heart suit so partner has at most 3. I think the decision comes down to knowing how good the OPS are. Jerry D.

BBO forum, Thanks for the replies. I like 1M P 3C to show a LR but one of the reasons my partner doesn't want to play BR is because he has been burned too many times by the sequence 1M P 3M P. Bergen says to make the weak 3M bid with 2-6 points. I know it satisfies "THE LAW" but with 2-4 points the OPS can often take 5 of the side trick. Jerry D.

BBO forum, I have played Bergen Raises in the past but my current partner won't play it. I know there is some conflict among bridge players as to whether it is a useful convention or not. I would like some of your opinions. Jerry D

BBO forum, On the convention card under "NOTRUMP OPENING BIDS" we have: 3 clubs 5/5 minors weak 3 diamonds 5/5 minors game values 3 hearts 5/5 majors weak 3 spades 5/5 majors game values This would also apply to 5/6 or 6/6 in majors. With a 6 card minor we use a version of the "Four Suit Transfer". Jerry D

Vampyr, This would be under ACBL jurisdiction. Jerry D.

BBO forum, Thanks for the replies. I have one more question about this hand. Does my partner have to alert my 2 diamond bid over her 1 club opener? Jerry D.

BBO forum, We play a convention called "The Gap" to handle hands like this. 2 spades is a transfer to 6+ clubs and 2NT is a transfer to 6+ diamonds. With this hand I would bid 2NT which starts off as a transfer to diamomds but if the 1N opener has at least 3 diamonds including the Ace or King he bids 3 clubs instead of diamomds. Now I have the option of shutting off the bidding at 3 diamonds or go on to 3NT. Clubs work similar except 2S starts the transfer to clubs and if the 1N opener has at least 3 clubs including the Ace or King he bids 2N instead of clubs. Now I have the option of shutting off the bidding at 3 clubs or go on to 3NT. To get to 2NT over a 1NT opener responder bids 2 clubs(seems to be Stayman) and bids 2NT over whatever the opener bids and opener passes. At this point opener must alert that "responder may or may not have a 4 card major". Rarely comes up but works. Jerry D.

BBO forum, Playing 2/1 I had this hand when partner opened 1 Club. S. A5 H. 74 D. AJ982 C. AQ74 I bid 2 diamonds showing at least 15 points, 5 diamonds and no interest in majors. This is by partnership agreement. Partner bid 3 clubs. I want to know if partner has a heart stopper to see if we can get to 3NT. How do I do that? Jerry D

BBO forum, We play DONT but my partner had a hand recently that was 2,5,3,3. This distribution doesn't work with DONT but it turns out we can make 3 hearts. Now my partner wants to switch to Modified Cappalletti. I have played Cappalletti in the past but I don't see the advantage of Modified. Two clubs can show long diamonds, diamonds and hearts, diamonds and spades, clubs and hearts or clubs and spades. To find a fit we may have to go to the 3 level. What am I missing? Jerry D.

BBO forum, N-S Vul West holds the following hand: S. AKQJ7 H. A D. J6532 C. KT East is the dealer and the bidding goes. E S W N p 1H ? Should west bid 2 Hearts showing Spades and an undisclosed minor or double with the "Big Double"? Jerry D

BBO forum, Defending against a NT contract recently I led the spade ten. After the dummy came down declarer asked my partner if we were playing coded nines and tens. She said no but we do play it against NT and it's shown on our convention card. Am I obligated to correct this immediately? jerry D

BBO forum, I need some opinions here: We play 2/1 with 1NT by an unpassed responder as semi-forcing. When partner opens 1 of a minor and I hold an hand like: S. 94 H. Q87642 D. 6 C. AT83 She says I should bid the hearts but I prefer to bid 1NT to show point count and bid the hearts next to play. She also thinks I should bid the hearts even if she opens 1 spade. That means I have to bid 2 hearts which seems like too much of a lie playing 2/1. Any comments? Jerryd

BBO forum, Thanks for all the replies. Someone told me they play this to mean 6 spades and 16-18 HCP. Is there a way to calculate the percentages of getting 6 of a major in the passout with 8-12 HCP vs 16-18 HCP? Jerryd

BBO forum, The bidding goes: S W N E P P P 2S What does the 2S bid show in the passout seat? Jerryd

BBO forum, Playing in an open pairs game recently my partner opened 1 club and I bid 1 heart. Partner bid 2 hearts which was passed out. Dummy had 3 hearts and the contract was made. After the hand was played one of our opponents asked why the opener supported my suit with only 3 cards and I replied that is our agreement. He claimed that had to be alerted. Is that right? Jerry D

BBO forum, Thanks for all the replies. In my example how will the director determine how many tricks to award? Better defense will hold East to 9 tricks or even set the contract so there will be several outcomes recorded. jerdonald

BBO forum, If the revoke is resolved after the board is played the director will ask if the defenders took any tricks after the revoke and if so will award 2 tricks to declarer. In this situation it is advantageous for the defense to revoke. How can the director resolve this? jerdonald

BBO forum, East is playing 3NT and south leads A&K of clubs. On the third lead south again leads a club (he's got 6 of them) and declarer takes the trick with his queen. North revokes and doesn't play his final club, but sloughs off instead. North later takes a trick and leads the club he wouldn't have if he hadn't revoked at trick 3. South can take the trick and run his remaining clubs. East would be down 2 but can make 4NT without the revoke so it's a 3 trick swing. When the director is called should he forbid north from leading the club he wouldn't have if he had followed suit at the third trick? jerdonald

BBO forum, Yes the double of the weak 2 opener is just a standard takeout and if the responder bids 2NT it has to be alerted. But there is a specified list of bids that are made after the double of a weak 2 if the team is using Lebensohl so doesn't the double, by inference, start a Levensohl sequence? Jerry

BBO forum, Does a Lebensohl double over a weak 2 opener have to be alerted and if so what is the alert? jerry

mycroft, Thanks I'll go read the rules about declarer's card play. Jerry

sfi Declarer seems to have some leeway on penalty cards. For one example, if declarer leads out of hand when it's dummy's turn he/she is allowed to pick up the card and play another. Jerry

BBO forum, Declarer's LHO leads a non trump suit, dummy follows, RHO trumps and declarer mistakenly under trumps, there is no revoke. Can declarer take back the under trump card and play another? This may belong in the ruling forum. Jerry

Stevemoe, Thanks for the reply and opinion. I'm hoping there will be more pro and con replies. jerry