PhilKing

I think transfers work pretty badly here.

Pass throughout is clear.

See above. I have just looked up the hand. LMAO. FWIW North's bidding was immaculate and South was a bit pushy.

Yes. South makes his normal bid - 5♦, because otherwise he does not get the chance when West bids 5♠, as East's double suggested.

I think saving is nuts. Because if North does have a club void 6♠ will be a bloodbath, and will be pretty awful when he has a singleton club and Axx of spades - South obviously leads a club. When our club stands up, they are going off, yet we could still be going for 1400 (♠A + 1 ♥ + 2♦s + 2 ruffs when North is 3631 and South 0454) or 1100 when partner has the likely heart void or 800 when North is 2641 and partner is void. It seems to me they have stretched to a low point count slam which may well be on the trump finesse. And I just don't believe we will be scoring up with a making slam from random teammates all that often even when slam makes, so our pot odds for saving are terrible.

What do you bid if you do pass with ♠Kx ♥Jxxxxx ♦Axx ♣Qx?

Yes, because we anticipate that everyone will bid this 21 point slam.

You can play 2♣ as hearts and 2♦ and 2♥ as 3- and 4-card Drury (standard Townsend). That sorts it all out all the hearts/spade dilemmas and gives you two ways of rebidding Two Spades (2♦ is now pick a major or a bad 2♠ rebid - you could even get GF and inv 3m and 2NT bids this way).

Two-way double. Bit of a punt, but I've looked at a lot of these hands, and I think it's right to try and make the auto Four Spade overcallers pay. Partner generally can't double even with spades, since he does not know we have two bangers. Make them guess, then make them pay.

East's bidding is a joke, although I agree with his final pass. But West had a few chances to bid game. I would just open 4♥ opposite a passed hand, intending to double any opposition action.

I am not sure it does. I think you could have a 6133/6124 approx six count, for instance.

Agree it's probably best. Not in my definition though, I just play it as the bad overcall there! It would logically apply to two minor as well. 55 obviously possible as well, 54 only with good suits.

You have a delayed take-out double available with 4♠5♣ to show this hand or three-suited. You can play Two Spades as 45 46 with diamonds. I like 46 in this one. I prefer the 55 interpretation when you are potentially playing in RHO's 4 card major. Here, with 5♠5♦ you just overcall and then bid diamonds. It's a potentially suicidal auction, so it has to show an unusual hand where we were stuck on the first round, otherwise you can't really have a good enough hand to act. Clearly Two Clubs on the first round with 45 shape is not ideal, but with a decent hand it's better than passing, and you don't always get a convenient way back into the auction.

On the first, its the suit you could not show - so it's diamonds and spades. You are showing a good hand that could not act on the first round because they opened your suit. With clubs you make, of all things, a natural overcall on the first round. On the second, why would that not be a live auction? They could have 18 opposite 11, and I could hardly imagine a worse time to bid 2♦ on a diamond only hand that was not srong enough to act earlier. In this one I would be 55, but it's not really a great auction for any overcall, so I would have to be very strong.

I ask for kings - MZB (Medium Zooming Blackwood). Hopefully pard has at least four. Then I will check on aces.

Presumably Hampson sometimes forgets to overcall 1♦, so needs a delayed 2N as 55.

Play a jump in the unbid major as 7-9 with four trumps. This is the suit you are least likely to need for a pure fit jump, or whatever you use jumps for.

It does not follow that if you play count you have to tell the truth.

In that case, it's vital to conceal QTxx from declarer, since he will never get the guess wrong given no raise, four trumps and a doubleton heart. Partner will just have to look after himself.

Opening 1♦ (and rebidding 2♦ over 2♣) on 4441 12-14 works better than 1♥ in several ways: 1. Partner has two of your suit. After 1♦-2♣-2♦, partner strains to bid 2NT with about 10 points. In the alternative sequence of 1♥-2♣-2♦, he just bids 2♥. 2. Partner has three of your suit. If you have opened 1♥, parnter will generally jump to 3♥ on the second round to stress the genuine support. After opening a diamond partner has less reason to do this, since 5♦ is a long way off. If he has a 2335 10-11 count, he will prefer 2NT some of the time, whereas that will never happen with hearts. 3. Partner has 4 or 5 diamonds. One diamond locates your fit for sure. After 1♥-1NT, the fit is lost. 4. Partner is strong. In practice partner never plays you for four hearts when you open them and rebid Two Diamonds, and that is often fatal. Fourth suit followed by 3♥ is generally played as strong rather than 4441 checkback, for instance, so partner often just jumps to four. When you bid diamonds twice, partner will still explore for 3NT with 3-card support. Passing 12-14 4441 hands is strongly recommended only if you are playing at the Hurlingham club, or wherever it is.

It's beginning to sound as though partner had it down in his own hand.

Remove all knowledge of grammar from your brain - no one pays it any heed. Also, you might consider ditching second tier historical and geographical stuff that can be looked up on Wikipedia when necessary. This will free up valuable spade for declarer play technique.

If you have 4 and have not supported, it's suicide to peter. Sometimes it's best to lie.

It applies to any delayed overcall in a live auction, and promises a good hand. In some situations it strongly suggest 55 rather than 54. I agree that it's main benefit can be to stop partner bidding on trash. But let's say you are playing against the Hackett's or Price/Simpson (I am only telling you this because you are currently in the second division). They open 1♥ and you are 55 in the reds. You pass and it continues 1♠ p 1NT or 1♠ p 2♠. You now bid diamonds. The two level bid can be on a suitable 54, the three level would have to be 55. Doubling on either auction is three-suited take-out of spades. In the auction here, 2♠ would logically show four spades and six clubs playing this method, or 45 if you are feeling very lucky.

What do they play 1♦ then 3♣ as? Surely that's the 55 and this is the 46. It's not as if you can do it the other way round, whoever you are (unless you play a conventional diamond, which is allowed in England :) ), nor could you be sure of getting a second chance.