phoenix214

+1 to the above post - would treat 2S as inv with 5 spades, 3OM as ST setting the major. But it depends on the system.

Well I can agree that if you are going to play in spades - the right card to play is the King of spades - but this board has a small twist - is it 100% right that the playing spades here is the right choice?

Club bridge - match points. Most people play strong club in the event with a catchall 1D. Opening lead DJ - what line do you take? [hv=pc=n&s=skjt9542h8dakq75c&n=s63hq532dt62cqt92&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=p1d(10-15%200%2B!D)4sppp]266|200[/hv]

I am sorry if I posted in the wrong forum, this is the first time Im posting a problem that I feel is under my class of play - so it is hard for me to judge - atleast I hope people enjoyed it.

I figure I can post my personal solution to the problem. Well seems mostly everybody noticed the problem with the looming spade ruff - and found the play to cash three clubs to pitch a spade - I agree to that. But In my honest opinion after you do that - you are free to take the heart finesse. The reason for this is that you have all the spot cards - and you are going to lose one diamond anyway - my play at the table was - three rounds of clubs, diamond to ace, run heart jack. You still get the overtrick if HK is onside - and if HK is offside - well they cash their SA and if they go for a ruff, you will have the higher trump in dummy. This line of play is superior to playing HA and h because you will go down if the person with xx in spades had Kxx in H. Finessing vs playing HA H in the first line just gives a free chance for an over trick.

Came up with this play problem during a teams event , figure maybe somebody might appreciate it in this forum.[hv=pc=n&s=sq32haqt92d32cakj&n=skj4hj873daj54cq2&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1hp2np4hppp]266|200|Lead 6 of spades, you play jack, ducked around, best line to play - imps[/hv]

How about: 1M - normal: 1N - GF C or Bal 2C - C NF 2D - Normal raise 2M - whatever you like your 2M to be 2N - Inv+dia raise(implies that diamonds are trump) 3C - Nat inv 3D - Pre Higher Spl, games to play.

I think it can get akward if opponent preempts over your multi bid in clubs while you do not know which suit partner has - Like if you rotate it around so that - 2♦ - Hearts NFB or better 2♥ - Spades NFB or better 2♠ - GF takeout with no club stopper Then you will be better placed in when opp raises higher as there is less uncertainty.

[hv=pc=n&s=sq9642hajt7daqjc6&n=skj85h8653d9caj54]133|200[/hv] Lead CK - you win with A. Play a high spade from dummy - W drops T. Auction: p-p-1S-p-2N-p-4S Edit: Imps

THe bot bid 2H assuming partner has bid on a 5332 hand or similar and figured it had higher EV in 2H, than 2D, OTOH the other GIB assumed partner might bid like this with a 6 card, and decided to it is better than correcting to 2S. Bad luck

Somehow I think bridge is less challenging for AI than GO - although I (currently) do not have any expierance in the field. Maybe I should take that as a thesis for university :P

How about - 1C - 1D: 1H - Strong hand no H support 2D - Strong hand w H support - Odrwotka style maybe even: Other bids are natural whatever they make sense to be: Now you are left with the 4D-5C hand - I think you can try to squeeze that into the 1H bid, although a rebid is not that bad(t.i. you could play 1H as 5C-4D weak or strong, so you get your gazilli :P) Over 1C-1H, 1S:(Same idea, although here you have less space and more hands to show :P)

Over the 1♣ opening, im pretty happy with using 2♦ as a any strong bid hand - It keeps it mostly natural - and you do not lose that much out of it? Maybe also I like having 1C-1D, 1S as spades, because you can end up playing 1S sometimes..

Going to bandwagon - but there are more issues with the invisible feature on bbo, when you can tell that your friends are online although they log in as invisible

For me the usual rules in these situation follow as - Do I regret making my bid before, and how much I have promised before hand. I figure Most likely control rich hands will be max - Although im not sure AKQ is a max, in those situations.

That opening is bogus :P Why are you giving yourself a losing position on move 3?

@Wank - I honestly find the local regulations silly as they are, but the point is - if there is one, then we all are equal under the rule. @pran - As I side note I have been bumed in a similar situation as 1N bidder in a different situation with a similar idea, that I had a shape, I should not have, and it could have made a difference, that time it was in Europian Youth Championships - Figure the TD knows what he was doing at the time.

Question about missing alert: By local alert regulations players must alert 1N, if they have 5M. Playing the following hand:[hv=pc=n&s=sqj92h75dakqj76c9&w=sak654hkqtd53cat3&n=s8ha986432d42cqj6&e=st73hjdt98ck87542&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=1n3hp4hdppp&p=s3sjsks8cac6c2c9sah2s7s2cjc4h5c3s9s4h3stcqc5h7ctdad3d2d8dkd5d4]399|300[/hv] Arriving at the following situation, I have a choice to go to hand by diamond or spade - from the play it is likely that spades split 5-3, although from not having the alert I figure they are 4-4, and I do have small making chances if the H are 2-2, alternatively I can go for a diamond for down 1. What I am curious for is do I have protection from the law on the case spades are as they are(Taking into account that there has to be alert if 1N can contain 5M.

Interestingly enough I recall missing 2 slams similar to the auction like this during the last 2 weeks - lesson learned. When the auction goes 2♣-2♦, 3 of a minor, you raise your partner if you have support, if you go looking for a minor fit, later showing minor support gets partner confused(I was on both sides of this), so you will end up in some no-mans land.

[hv=pc=n&s=sahkt432dq32cj932&n=sk32ha5dakj54caq4]133|200[/hv] You are in 6NT - played by S, W overcalled 2S over your 2♣(Strong)-2♦ Action. Lead SQ. Dealer:W Colors:Non-vul vs Vul. Scoring - Teams, 8 board match. Plan the play

Zel's Transfer structure is pretty interesting to play. Have tried it and liked it. On the given methods you should have a meta rule although. On the auction 3♠ sets trumps unless responder bids 3N or 5C. That means that other bids have to be supporting for spades. In that case you just start a normal cuebidding sequence. Compare this to natural - 1♣-1♠, 2♣-3♠ for example- IMO here, it applies similarly.

[hv=pc=n&s=skha854dkt75cqjt4&w=sat985ht7d843c987&n=sj764hkqj3dq9ck53&e=sq32h962daj62ca62&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=p1d(unbal%20)p1hp2hp4hppp]399|300[/hv] How do you play in 4H on the following hand? Lead 6H, Scoring Cross-Imp, random opps.

Have a healthy sleeping schedule and have your team do some sports activities once a week - that is for non-bridge related stuff. For bridge related activities - discuss every hand you play, because the best way to learn is from your own mistakes, practise bidding your own system. For declaring - bm2000 first few levels, if perfect - to a level where they can play them automatically(replay them a lot) But most important part should be - make them have fun and enjoy the process so they push themselves to become better so IMO this is the highest priority!

Agree - I think N told his story, 3 looser hand with both minors, if he wanted to be in slam he would have choose to bid 5S/5N, so he has reconsidered his hand to be good enough to accept pds slam invite...

Have to agree with Jinksy, if you are not sure on kickback/ace - ask, a new suit is cuebid, for 3H, because normally 3H here tries to set trumps, although pd can reject with 3S/3N.