PhilKing

It's a common question. I double, not because it is too strong to overcall - I just prefer it. But the vote tends to be about 2 to 1 in favour of the overcall.

Best movie I have seen. This is the kind of hand the format was designed for.

I do?

For me, once we "agree a minor" all bids below 3NT are exploring alternative strains. When partner bids 3♠, he could have something like: QJx ♥Axxx ♦AKxx ♣xx where 4♠ is somewhat better than 3NT. As for slam, I very much doubt we have enough. If partner bids 5♣ over 4♠ I will sign off.

You can't kill a zombie. They are undead. And this is doubtful.

5♠ is FORCING. Had partner held the ♠Q and no king, we were slam forced (pard had to bid 5NT or 6♠), so we can't stop when he shows the heart king as well! How does partner continue? He bids a minor king if he has one, else 5NT to show good hand in context and 6♠ with a dog. In other words, standard Kantar. 5NT would ask for queens. B-)

I go for the finesse. Either it's 50/50, or the ever-dwindling band of restricted choice fluffers are right. Alternatively, op will crack and tell us which spot card West played on the first round ...

Plankton. Noboby really cares if they take offence, so they are fair game - for now.

1. 4♠, whatever it means. 2. 3NT, in a fit of rage for not having a "good" 3♣ available.

I think he understood that partner opened 3♣. The point was that you can't play for partner to be that strong (ie a 1♣ opening. 6NT is a massive overbid that will probably come off about one time in 20 but be laydown almost never. It costs nothing to start with a 3♥ response.

Name a hand suitable for 2/3♦ that can't double for take-out or bid 3♣. It sounds like a bizarre convention. And who said anything about transferring to 4-card suits? I just double for take-out with (shock) possibly only one four-card major. Over 1NT-(2♣) you have available 3♣, 2NT (puppet to 3♣) then 3NT, and double followed by 3♣ all as exploratory maoeuvres. Why would you need 2♦ as yet another cue bid?

Why not just double for take-out? And if you've got something against diamonds, you can always play transfers.

50 Shades of Trey.

I've never heard of that, but it sounds terrible.

Pass is encouraging. I think you are being way too specific in trying to dot the i's by specifying two stoppers. If partner has a long suit it is clubs, so pass is encouraging him to bid on when he does. And if he is balanced he will just double.

I would much rather give someone half a dozen play problems on this theme that they could practice against the computer than use the Bridge Movie format. Let them try and probably fail, then read a concise explanation. I think Bridge Movies have the tendency to become laboured and overly verbose at times, and this one is no exception. They are well suited to meaty multi-stage expert problems - not intermediate problems with one theme dragged out over 97 pages. And Mike's prose is usually on point with rarely a wasted word - I'm generally a big fan. What happened here?

I don't think one should be allowed to vote in one's own poll.

Clear 4♥ bid.

It's pretty common to do it the other way round (ie natural, lol). Over 2♦, 2♠ would show values in spades, nothing in hearts and a good raise to 3♦.

I back North/South in 4♦. I guess South had seen his partner make too many ludicrous overcalls to bother showing any signs of life.

First two auctions start: 2♣-2♦(promising 5+) 2♥-2NT 3♥(sets hearts but non-solid) I'm not even sure responder is worth 3♠ here (no ace, some interest - 3NT would show spade ace). But that is predicated on a loose 2♣ opening style, so we don't point-count our way to five. Sure, the third hand gets to five (maybe even six, lol), but that is fine. I had a match on Wednesday where opponents bid to 6♥ after opening 2♣ on ♠Kx ♥AKQJxxx ♦AQx ♣x which was huge opposite ♠Jxxx ♥xx ♦xx ♣AKQxx. Team mates languished in game via 1♥-1♠-4♥. Apparently, they should have got there via a 3♦ rebid, blah blah blah, but I don't see that kind of thing work very often. I just think that if the rebid has to be a jump in a three-card suit with no great fit for partner, then you are better off overbidding in the first place and then bidding more naturally.

This - apart from word six.

As the overcalling side, I think these sequences are best played as descriptive rather than a general try, since we rarely make slam on power alone - we need a perfect fit.

Would not consider bidding slam unless 50 imps down with 8 to go. Why should we even make game? We could easily have 3 losers in clubs.

Bid 4NT just in case. It may help attract a club lead if we defend and may gain in other ways. If partner bids 5♣ I can bid 5♦, for instance. The knowledge that we have a diamond raise with clubs as well may be the key to the hand.