PhilKing

Pass-Pass-3NT-All Pass I know that Jon Cooke was one of those going for a large penalty in 3NT after opening 1♦, getting a Two Spade overcall and punting 3NT. Now West had an easy double. It seems to me it is better to just open 3NT, which may stop EW getting to a making game - put the spade king in East and they may make 4♠. It's not impossible that 3NT and 4M are both making.

I think Fred nailed it.

Given that West attracted a higher approval rating than Vladimir Putin on Dancing with the Tsars, one wonders why this thread is still going strong.

I ended up transferring to hearts and bidding 2♠ (forcing). After 3♥ I couldn't stomach another disaster after board 1, so I didn't bid 3♠ as I think I should have, but just bid 4♥. Just in when partner's cards were unfortunate. I like the idea of Smolen, but it just won't show the power of the 5=6 vs. the shown 4=5. But why didn't you bid 4♣ over 3♥? Then partner will bid slam with the right cards. And there is no danger, since you are a passed hand. ♠KQ ♥KQ ♦A is cold and ♠AQ ♥QJ ♦A is very good

It's natural, showing a desire to play in 2♦, so clearly it should be alerted.

I play the ♥K at trick two. I'm not ashamed to settle for nine tricks.

This is clearly the correct action opposite 13-15 bal. Can't imagine why I did not think of it.

Any number of "b" should be forcing in any sequence, otherwise what we won't know what trumps are.

This hand looks like an advert for the benefits of overcalling rather than doubling. It's not as if we are going to be scared we have missed game if 2♦ is passed out. Having bid 2♦, I will try a Gnasheresque 3NT on the next round. (Missed Aguahombres post, to which I have added more or less nothing.)

It's a bit of a poker position, but in my view, if you bid 2♠ on a four-bagger, you have blinked first. Multi players are familiar with the position - partner opens 2♦, the next hand doubles, and you hold: ♠- ♥Qxxx ♦QTxxx ♣Qxxx or some such pile. You pass, allegedly showing decent diamonds, and the next hand bids 2♠! My view is that the next hand should not panic. Yes, they will concede the occasional 180 when cold for game, but in the long run they gain much more - increased definition when bidding, and penalties against a potential misfit, often in a scenario where a natural weak two would not have been clipped. Bidding 2♠ on a four bagger will often lead to a silly result when we were destined for much better things had we held our nerve.

North's Two Spade bid shows FIVE - he passes with any balanced hand, even a yarborough - -180 or -280 may be your best spot in the circustances. I don't see that it is in any way an underbid playing standard multi defence - partner only passes with the 13-15 balanced type in which case two is often the limit. South should bid 3♥ now, then 4♦ by North should lead to a straightforward auction.

I quite like 5♦ here. This should allow us to bid 5NT pick a slam over the likely sign-off. Partner should act under the assumption that we are probably, but not definitely agreeing spades, so if he wants to bid slam, he bids 5NT unless his spades are very good. In other words, he has to cater to the huge minor suit hand. An immediate 4NT, 5H or 5NT all agree spades for sure, so we have to have something we can bid on other hands.

I've played it a bit and it's not too bad. I think you can handle the spade club hands by playing 2♣ as two-way - diamonds or max with clubs. Then Two Spades is cleaned up.

Why ever would we need a diamond stopper? I don't see how this a suit-oriented hand. It's not as if we are ruffing anything, and no trumps will often make the same number of tricks as hearts. We need very little from partner to make 3NT, but 4♥ is a different matter. If partner is 6322 no trumps is highly likely to be our best chance for game, and if partner is more distribution, he should insist on hearts anyway unless he has the AK of hearts. Sure, partner can bid 3NT over 3♥, but they are never doing so with Kxx AKJxxx Qxx x - they will bid Four Hearts and probably go one off, and they will often pass when we have nine on top.

It's not clear how declarer should play it on a club lead to the jack and queen. Obviously cashing clubs from the top followed by spades works, but that is not crystal clear.

I doubt any of the passers are assuming that RHO is making a lead directing spade raise. I know I'm not. I am assuming RHO has just shown hearts, but clearly this need clarifying. Hopefully West's Three Spade bid was a mistake ...

Easy pass. I could even sell this one to my bank manager.

At a rough guess, for every 10 times you hold a decent heart raise, you will hold an intermediate minor one-suiter once. After 1H-2S-2NT (hearts, 9+ if 4+ 10+ if 3), you have more room to deal with your game and slam tries. These are you bread and butter hands. It's not just about handling you invitational heart raises more effectively, it helps the whole spectrum of raises. Name one occasion ever where anyone has won imps by bidding 2NT as a transfer to clubs, stopped in 3C and gained imps. I have never seen it. Don't get me wrong - I hope to see it happen, because I play a lot of weird transfers, but transfer to minors are simply less frequent or important than raising the major.

Yes.

Great question. In options 1 and 3, there is a significant chance they are having a monumental screw up. I think the way of maximising the chance that they hang themselves is to pass. It comes down to table feel. Passing is sick, but if I think they are heading off a cliff, then passing is right. Bidding lets them off the hook.

You can take a horse to water ...

Tight is right. I ran a few hands which worked for my style (2M opening 8-11), but not so well for the looser standard style, even though I just envisage xx AKxxxx xxx Kx. One thing that surprises me is the lack of support for 2NT ...

The chances of having three aces AND the trump queen and partner not knowing whether we have 0 or 3 aces are approximately 0.002 percent. Surely step 1 asks for the queen!

It's even better than that: Heart king to their ace Spade to partner's jack Heart to their queen Spade to our queen claim six down Worse is that the top spade crashing partner's jack possibly lets it through!

It's not considered the done thing to sign off opposite 3 aces. Partner passes with none, otherwise he shows kings. On planet kickback, we can ask ask for kings with something lower when we are still two steps under five of the suit.