PhilKing

I still don't really get why we are supposed to assume pard has four hearts. Declarer can have both lower pips (lets assume the lead was the ♥7 rather than the nonsense 6). What am I missing?

Don't see why partner can't have 3 hearts, but whatever. Spade. WTP. Could be wrong I guess, but it seems blindingly obvious. If partner has: Jxx Jxxx Kxx Jxx Then I think they are nuts.

It's heartening to see so much incisive matchpoint analaysis in this thread.

1♦ is nat or 18-20 bal, so it is very different. 1♦-(p)-p virtually promises 0-4 hcp with 4-card diamond support in my methods (3334 0-3 is the only exception). There, I would play XX as 18-20 bal with 3+ ♦, but fancying a joust. The reality is that we almost never pass a diamond. Eg 1♦-1NT-2♣ is natural or 18-20 bal, catering to partner holding 3325 with 0-4 points. I have done a search for the 1♣-p-p-x auction in my database (20k hands and growing from World champs, European, Spingold, Vanderbilt, USBC and a few other big events - searchable for any auction) and am still analysing the results, but I have not come across any non-standard doubles yet.

On the first hand, trying for slam is nuts. You need an perfect with length in diamonds, eg: ♠xxx ♥KQx ♦AKxx ♣Axx Yes, a doubleton club might make it good as well, but you will get too high twice for every good slam you reach. On the second hand I open 1♠. Going slow on freaks has many ways to win. It's much harder for them to double 4♠ if we open it, and I want to play in 4♠ doubled.

What number of tricks could we make in clubs when no spade fit was found?

Bid 3NT. Haven't we been over this before?

2♣, then 3♣, mildly constructive over 2 red. With a weaker hand and the same shape, 2♣ then 2NT, puppet to 3♣.

Well I don't use it myself. I do remember from reading my Country Life Book of Bridge that you deduct a loser for having two more aces than queens, so I guess that comes to slightly under four with adjustments, since we have three more.

At matchpoints I wouldn't play a trump at all - I cash my diamond.

2♣ = good playing strength, fewer points. There's not going to be a huge amount to be gained tactically by getting to 2♣ quickly with lots of defence. On a good day, we play 1♣xx making, on a great day, partner is 4441 and we end up smashing them up when we would have gone down in 2♣. Anyway, it's partner's decision. If I have: ♠Ax ♥KJx ♦Kx ♣AQ97xx I am happy to let pard decide what to do on any continuation. And if we end up in 1♣XX, I will take my lumps.

Name an 8-count you would XX with (and then I will see if I can flame it :P ).

I didn't say it. :rolleyes: ;)

♠AQ2 ♥AKJ ♦AJ54 ♣AKT That's 26 Miltons but five losers and only six tricks. Oh what the hell! I risk 2♣. ♠AQJT32 ♥AQJ65 ♦AQ ♣- You got me again!

That's not the version I was taught: (1NT)-2♠ = a hand that is happy to play in two spades if partner has a 2♠ overcall, over which partner can bid 3♣ to ask if you have a 3♣ overcall, and so on.

Who needs consensus? The person who suggested NF now had to play 4m natural and thus had no way to cue bid for hearts.

Even a squid doesn't need four hearts.

I would not recommend ruffing out hearts in 6NT. As an aside, the best non-squeeze line is to finesse a club at trick two. This wins when: a) Finesse wins. b) Kx or stiff king of diamonds is on-side. c) Diamond finesse wins but does not drop, but Qxx heart is onside. d) Some clown ducks when you finesse the club. It's not as good as the "double squeeze" line (about 10% worse unless d is a big factor), but it's not bad as long as you don't mind the occasional 3 off. It would be the best line if we did not have the ♣9.

Question for those that play 2♣ as showing a six-card suit. Is it right to play negative doubles when they wander in with a two-level overcall? For those reading between the lines, I missed an 800 penalty on Friday. My idea of best defence here is: Double = cooperative penalty double. Partner passes unless short Pass = full blown penalty double or a pass 2NT = puppet to 3♣ (comp or GF) 3♣ = relay, does not promise fit (can stop 4♣) Cue = looking for 3NT with fit (can stop 4♣) This gets you all the penalties and more, all your 4-4 fits, and does not risk wrong-siding 3NT. All I give up is being able to make a negative double for the other major and still stop in 3♣.

Doesn't it depend what system you are playing? If you are playing Acol with a weak no trump it would be silly to pass 1♣, for instance, because partner will often have a strong no trump.

I play two-card club where the only balanced hand is a weak no trump in a style where opener always opens 1♣ with a weak no trump and responder passes 1♣ with weak balanced hands lacking a five-card major. When it goes 1♣-p-p-x, there are basically two common scenarios: 1. Opener has a good hand with clubs and it will be a partscore battle. Whilst in theory, opener could obviously have a medium strength hand with, say, a 2425 shape, in practice that hand rarely leads to this auction. 2. Opener has a weak no trump with short clubs, lefty is trapping and there is a chance we are about to be incinerated. To cater for situation one, redouble by opener shows a good hand with clubs, imo. Opener redoubling with short clubs is upside down - just run. It's not as if redoubling increases your options, and it just tempos terribly. Running immediately gives lefty a dilemma when he can't smack it himself and is not playing a forcing pass. With 4432, run to 1♦ then redouble, etc, but in principle opener should just run to his lowest playable spot, since it is pretty much guaranteed that lefty is trapping. Therefore for me pass should show three or more clubs. Responder now passes the double with four clubs but initiates escape manoeuvres with fewer.

Passing is a pretty wild gamble (though still superior to double).

In this exact scenario, some people of my acquaintance play double simply as "they are missing an ace - you work out where, or which is is more likely to go to sleep". On that basis a diamond is the percentage action on the grounds that it may not be fatal when you miss. I don't care for this interpretation of double myself, since I have never seen it work. But doubling for a heart lead does work when you have the hand for it and suits my preferred non-genius approach.

That's not wasted valued - only the jack is superfluous. :P

I would like to be there when the ruling is given. PP for E/W as well? B-) Do they allow split rulings in the land of the free?