bigbenvic

Pass and for me it's not close. wrong shape, not enough points, bad vunerability and I'm being sat over by the hand that likely has the most points in the deck. This auction isn't over and they could easily have game on and all I'm doing is highlighting where most of the missing points are and giving them a chance to bid game or double for blood! Too many risks not enough rewards.

Hmm I didn't really look at souths hand that hard. I went on the presumption of a 2c opening. I wouldn't open that 2c either.

I'm blaming North but it's only for about 25% with 75% being no-one's fault. AJxxxxx and not a 7222 shape, I'm showing a positive. 1 less spade or no J or a 7222 shape and I'll go via 2♦ negative. I'd bid 2c 2s 3c 3s 3NT 4s ? Holding 2 red Aces and AKQJxx and stiff King opposite a positive I think most souths would use RCKB as if AQxxxxx then 6 is where I want to be. If AQJxxxx then grand is on but I'm not finding it - though I'd expect a jump to 3♠ on that hand. After finding only the A♠ and no Q♠ I'm not sure if I'd bid 6 or pass 5? I'd prbably bid 6 and hope that he has enough.

North, his hand isn't in the 16-22 HCP range, it is way to good! a 22HCP 5-5 is just way too much for south to ever understand. South has a great hand given the auction, but north could have a stiff spade, no A (or K) of Hearts and slam isn't making.

Since when is 5NT a slam?

Ah I see, I did say I'm not great at these! I was on the right track but as usual just not quite there.

I would guess as to GF - positive 5+ diamonds Cue in ♠ (or natural) - min positive, to play Vs unsuitable hands (denying 4♠ if 3 was Nat) B/wood - either 1 if KC or 0 if normal last chance slam try, can you help in Hearts - Yes I can (would assume 5nt is the Negative) I like the treating of KJTxxx and KTxx as a positive and if I've got it right that's the auction I'd like (where 3♠ is natural)

I'm not great at these, but my first thought was to win the A and lead the J♦ as I don't have entries to finesse twice. that doesn't work as east isn't squeezed. What happens if you win play 4 rounds of clubs, hook a D, cash A♠ and exit a low heart? East has to win the K, give you an entry to the Spade K , or a free finesse in D or an entry to dummy via a heart.

I would bid 1♠ on Qxx xxx Txxx xxx but not on this hand. I have visions of defending 4♥ whacked and partner giving up tricks by leading ♠. He'll probably give up tricks anyway but at least I can win the post mortum when I bid 2♦.

My partners always have wasted values on these type of hands! I'll start with clubs, and when I bid 3♠ hopefully he can show a club card and a cueing we will go. If he just bids game over 3♠ then I will pass, but with a little sigh :-)

I'd splinter in spades (3♠) and the bid 5♥ to focus pards on those 2 things in his hand. Hey pards I have the minors covered and am missing a spade control and some heart cards. The implication is that with 2 of the 3 controls in trumps and spades he bids 6. With A♠ and AK♥ he would show extra's on the way to 6 as he could easily have a useful card in Spades or a minor. It is presumed that I have a decent source of tricks to be doing this eg a running minor or buckets of high cards worried about 2 top losers and may have opened light.

Playing four card majors your 2♥ bid shows 6! How can you have 5? If you are 5-4 then you bid the 2nd suit (or raise ♠ and if you are 5332 then you are balanced and can rebid 1NT. If you are 5332 and minimum opening hand, open 1NT, you're balanced, fit the range and all you need is to have a good scramble when the X comes! So I'd bid 1♠ and apologise to pards for my dummy when putting it down when he plays 2♥.

I'd double, partner will rebid 2nt, since he has a balanced hand better than a 1NT opener! Assuming the opps are done bidding then bidding naturally it would go 3♣ (nat) 3♥ (showing the 5th) 3♠ (4+) 3NT 4♠ showing the 5th♠ and therefore 6♣ and not slam interested. An agreement I like here is that 4♦ after 3NT shows the same as 4♠ but is slam interested, thus allowing opener to pass 4♠ in teh sequence I used.

I'd rather open an off shape 2nt as I don't like my options over pards 2♦ and playing in 1♣ doesn't appeal much either. I'm probably bidding 5♠ over 4nt, X and then 5♠ might be a better sequence, suggestion a slam try of sorts? I like to punt things so have sympathy for your bid. It's unlucky, swap the K♣ with the A♠ and you are home, and he could easily have that. 5♦ X would have been very nice, I wish I could find X more.

What's the range of 2nt 17-18 (19) 18-19 19-20 or something else. regardless I've a monster of a 10 count. 5 losers, 5 card trump support for partner, the only worry is clubs. I'm going to take a strange position and bid 6♣ (unless the min is 17) Slam (if it makes) might be good enough for most of the matchpoints Puts a lot of pressure on the opening lead, if I try to get cute I may give more away than I could find out. We may be off 2 top ♦ but they could be tempted to lead a trump to cut out my ruffs!

Pass. I'm not done yet but since X shows 3 spades (where I'd prefer it to show a 15+ type hand with no other good bid) and 2nt risks wrong siding the contract i'll wait and see what eventuates.

See this is a hand I want to play, KJxxxx Kxx Ax Ax no lead can be that bad for me, can it? If pards plays it we might be off the first 2 with AQ ♥ offside. I want to start 3♠ hear pards response, and then keycard. I'm bidding six spades and as long as pards has 2 keycards I'm in 6. yes it could be wrong but given the limited agreements I'm hapy to apologise to partner if wrong.

4nt doesn't help when pards responds showing 2 + Q trumps, 5s doesn't help if it's a how good are your trumps move. If 5c is a cue that's doable but pards could misunderstand it. Also will he cue 5♥ with a stiff? is 5♦ a cue showing both minor aces? If not then he might not get excited with a stiff H and no A♣ That leaves pass, 5♥ and 6♠ as viable options. I choose 5♥ hoping to focus on this suit. Can you hold it to 1 loser pards?

tough hand, I'd bid it a little differently than west. 1♠ 2♦ 2♥ 3♣* 4th suit GF 3nt - Do you show 6th ♠ or ♣ stop? It's not clearcut and should be partnership based. .....- 4♦ I'm interested in slam and have better ♦ that I've mentioned 5♠ I'm slam interested too and have 6 decent ♠ (stiff or void ♦) .....- 6♠ I wouldn't be brave enough to try for Grand, it's been tough enough as is.

In my neck of the woods (Australia) the common treatment of the X here is both the unbid suits 4+ and 4+ and when partner bids 2♦ it's not a reverse, but promises a minimum opening hand with 4♦ Or a good hand that wants to say more but doesn't have a 'good bid'. The jump to 4♠ would then be a slam try in one of pards suits, most likely ♦. Again not part of the system being used. I think the pass of 4♠ is horrible, I agree that partners action is unusual and I'm not sure what is going on but at the table I'm bidding, not passing (probably 5♣ cheapest get out). I don't like 4S that much without a clear understanding but if South was 3145 and K♠ the k♦ slam is a good place to be. The 2♦ bid is an overbid - especially with Qx ♥, so that makes 2 bad bids to 1 so I blame south. 80%

What would double of the 4♦ bid show? I'd like to double 4♦and then bid 4♠ over their 4♥ as I expect pards to stay quiet. I'd like to play X of the cue as I have a fit with you, an honour in your suit and 'some' reason not to bid on myself. Usually it's a lack of strength to kick further without co-operation (mildly lead directing too) but when I bid 4♠ it shows that I have extra's with a ♠ suit and a ♦ fit as without ♠'s partner 'has' to revert to 5♦. The other option is to do just bid 6♦ which has some play if Partner has his bid without ♥ honours. Maybe that's likely with a void so perhaps 4♠ and X 5♥ might be the go. Nah that never works :-)

I think you've misread my post (which is MY fault) I'm not suggesting a wk NT, just eliminating a strong one, so if 4243, he must be 14pts to bid 3S, anything else either opened 1nt or bids 2S. 5422 could be NT strength but didn't open 1NT, so maybe concentrated values not suited to NT or opener never opens 5422's with NT's.

West's hand is huge after the double and teh wimpy bid of 3S does it 0 justice. The ♦ suit is 4 gaurenteed tricks, most likely 5, it's worth so much more than 10 points. Singleton in their fit is great, 4 smallish trumps is even better as those ♥ ruffs don't waste any trump strength. i wouldn't be bidding 4S with west but a bid to show a great hand and a singleton ♥ (3h for eg) would be good, if partner just bid 3S or passed a 4H bid I'd still bid 4S. West from East's POV is probably Ballanced - either 4243 or 4252 and not strong enough to open 1NT. Having heard 3♠ East's flat ballanced hand of 8 points with xxx in ♥ opposite a non singleton (poor), xx opposite pards 3 or 4 card suit (not so great) and JTxx opposite 2 or 3 clubs (ok but not great) I'd probably pass too.

I voted double based on agreements I have, his pass of the X shows a mild interest (3S weak, XX strong pen orientated and 3H shape game try) my bid of 3s shows the lower end of my range and since he's not a minimum overcall I want to collect! If not a regularly partnership with these agreements I would pass.

Put me down for 4♦, west hasn't bid yet and when it goes 2♠ from me and 4♠from west partner has no way of working out where we should be. If I get 4♦ in then he is better placed to decide the right spot, yes I have 1 more ♦ and no ♣ but hey at least he now knows that at least 10 of my cards are red.