bigbenvic

I reckon it's important to know what signal you are giving. Does partner need Attitude or count? I think count is more important, south is unlikely to have a spade stack here, I would play the 7 as count. Partner knows it's 1 or 3, if 3 then declarer has no reason to hold up the A, so East must have it. If Ax then he should overtake and return a spade so east must be Axx. West Knowing that should cash the QS and then play a club. The 3 means you shift to a club now, on this hand the ♠ trick doesn't go away as you have the A♦ but if south has the k♣ then you are gifting tricks which at imps is irrelevant but at not so at match points. Give south Jx AJT9xxx xx Kx and club switch and continuation after the A♦ is taken and 11 tricks might be a poor score for e/w.

4d. I want to bid 3d but don't think that I get my hand across well if they bid again. Hoping for Partner to raise in D rather than bid some number of Hearts as I want to be able to get 5nt in. The other danger is that the opps won't stay silent, so at least with 4d I can bid 5c over 4S or maybe even 4nt (pick one of my suits please) so that when he picks 5d I can try 5nt again :-)

I probably have 0 entries for partner to use in 3nt. I probably have 2 entries in 4s. My hand plays better in Spades, even if it's a 5-2 split. Yes I could be going for numbers but passing 3nt is not right with these cards.

Have a standard agreement with my old partner that all jumps (except to a Game or NT) are showing good suit with fit, in this sort of sequence after a t/o double it would only show a 3 card or Honour-Honour doubleton fit. So I'd use 6♣ here to show that, pards can decide if 6 ♠ is better.

If we have an agreement that we can open a little light, then I bid 2♥, if we have solid opening ideals I invite game. My queens aren't isolated, Q9 QT and AQ so could work well for partner. If 2 of them were Q8x or worse I'd downgrade my hand and just bid 2♥ regardless of partnership style.

Was about to post that as North I'd use 4th suit forcing after hearing 2♥, same as Hanoi5, you know the double fit, finding out more about shape before going slamming is important. When Partner bids 3♠ here I use b/w ask after the trump queen and after hearing yes but no kings bid 6nt.

My partner would bid 4nt if he was sure we should be playing it as a 'true' takeout, thus he is almost certainly balanced and better than a 1nt opening. I pass.

3♣ forcing, you know you're bidding 6♥, if you are worried about them bidding 6S, this seems the most likely way to stop them. West might put his parter with ♠ & ♦ instead of the blacks and not take the save.

Sure, but since he's bid the suit a I'd use 1nt to show a hand suited to NT with the bid suit stopped and no support for pards, simpler that way. Against a short ♣ system, 1♣ can be 2 (I've seen systems with 1 as a mimimum) but I still use 1nt in the bidding sequence given to show a club stopper esp as opener can have a club suit and often does. If partner has 1 ♣ then he isn't suited to NT, if he has xx KJxx AQJxx xx then I wouldn't bid 1nt. I'd bid 2d I don't believe 2 shortages is suited to NT. If he has 6♦ he shouldn't bid 1nt, So partner has either 3+ clubs or honour doubleton, still bidding 3♣.

This covers what I wanted to say pretty well. Don't like overcalling 1♥ and then bidding 2♠ this will look ugle if partner is 2254 or 1263 and bids 3♥. Also why is he passing 2♠ in the initial auction, partner has a good hand (playing trick wise) when he bids 2♠ here so I'm bidding 3s as a minimum but most likely bidding 4♠.

Call me a nutter, but if partner has a club stop (and he should for 1nt) then 3c is at least a trick better than 2d.

Most partners I play use a j/s to show 4 card support of ♥, so 2nt here is used as GF, catch all bid (denying 4♠, 4♥ & if 4♦ then not 5♣) partner bids 3c as an asks - with 1 partner 3♠ now shows 3316 and all other bids natural.

Cool, on the 3rd ♦ part pitches the 7♠, there are 3 ♠ missing lower, I'd love to know if Declarer bids 1♠ or 1nt with 4♠ however it's likely that pards has one of them, so he doesn't want a ♠ and hints at a ♥ maybe. The 8,9 or 10 would be better. If you exit a D to set up your fifth, declarer may run ♣, knock out your A♠ take 2 more ♠ and the A♥ you get 2♦ A♠ and a ♥ at the end. If you switch to a ♥, hoping for declarer to be Kxx Jxx KJ9x AKx or Kxxx Jx KJ9x AKx or even Kxxx Jxx KJ9x Ax, if declarer ducks a ♥ to partner, and he continues and declarer ducks again (I win q♥), I switch back to ♦ to set up my fifth one (while I have the A♠ that works, also works if partner has KJx♥ or Kxxx♥ Or I could have made a great lead, and partner wants a ♣ with AJ9x and a ♣ from me again (♠ from pards and a 3rd ♣ beats the contract) declarer being Kxxx Kxx KJ9x Kx Which is more likely? Why the 7♠ I think at the table I'm playing partner for hearts but I'm not confident.

He could have some kind of gambling 3nt eg 6+ good clubs and stoppers in spades and diamonds (but neither Ace) or "should have" 19-20 balanced (or a 16-19 point hand with great clubs but treating it as a balanced 19-20 count as the clubs are too good for a 3♣ rebid) 4♦ has merit, the 4-4 fit might make 7 if his trumps are KQxx or better as long as 1 rough sets up either hearts or clubs and he has both Aces. so 4♦ it is and if he bids hearts 4nt, if he bids clubs 6♥, if he raises ♦.... - hope that a 5♥ bid is taken as a cue, hoping to hear 5s, then bid 6d again hoping him to think about the hand and what I could possible be after with my bidding, having shown 5-4, cued the A♥ forcing to 6♦? That looks way to tough for partner to work out so maybe after he raises 4♦ to 5♦ I just bid 6♦. Sometimes you just miss a grand. I also hope he bids 4nt Natural with a 3136 hand, I'll bid 6♥ and if he choose 6nt it's his to play.

Commonly used as a pick a minor sacrifice bid (you haven't bit 2nt so not strong) you haven't supported spades so no fit, therefore only other likely hand is 6-5 or 6-6 in the other 2 suits, not wanting to pre-empt Partner's pre-empt. Once they've found 4h you have almost exactly the hand to do it with (no defensive card and 6511 shape)

I pass, happy to leave it in 2 hearts, I'd like to use x to show a better hand than this 11 count, with stiff Q in their suit! The law of total tricks is hard to apply here from this side, partner know knows I'm short in H (or they have a 9+ card fit) so i must have at least 4 clubs, if he has 4 (and 4 hearts) he'll bid 3c (to push them higher) if he has 3 then 16 trumps is the total of teh LAW and it's been a while but I think you don't bid 2 over 2 in that case.

On the first board he has 10 tricks if phil's defence happens. He makes 4 club ruffs, (kh on the 4th round) 5 tricks in hand and the spade K for 10. If he's 3613 with a red Ace he has 6 reds, a spade, and 3 ruffs of clubs (partner can't lead a 2nd trump when in) Will partner ever have 5♦ only? if yes then we may have A♣, A♠ and 2♦ to take? That seems unlikely so to beat this S has to have 5♥ 1♦ and 6 black cards, could he have 4♠ and 2♣? probably not, if he's 3/3 then trump lead, if partner win the ♦ - trump from him, cuts souths ruffs down, JS in partners hand would beat it. So either part has Jxx ♠ and A♦ or he has a stiff spade, I'm not playing south for 4513 as parter would have 1273 so I switch a trump. Second board I'm either leading a Heart or a Club, spades are breaking for declarer, who's prob 5233, need partner to have Q♣ or A♣ for it to be right, need KJ♥, KQ♥ or QJ♥ for them to be right. I lead a club, but it's close. Agree with phil on the third, I pitch a spade. The fourth one I lead a spade and hate myself. He could be 3433 in which case a club is prob right. he could be 2434 and a club may help him. Hmmm it's nothing he can't do anyway so maybe a passive club lead works better, yep changed my mind I lead a club (and hate myself) The last doesn't make sense as 10♦ is played on the third round of ♦ yet it is QT tight in dummy??