Thiros

Enigma -- /

THEY HAVE AN UNDEAD DRAGON.......................... FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.................................

Hand #1 is Problem B from the Master Solvers Club, February 1996: http://www.bridgewor...sampler-ms.html Back when I was a beginner in my first year of playing, that problem was in the Article Sampler on the Bridge World's website....... and now, 18 years later, it is still there!

Congrats! Any time our side wins one of these matches over the Cayne team, it is a BIG deal.

I suppose that I'll nominate Stefan_O for newcomer of the year.

I have seen this word in one other place, and one place only: the current events board on a Stanford athletics fan site. A place where -- coincidentally -- a "Katelyn" arrived out of the blue and has been arguing vehemently against Hillary since August 24 of this year. Although, that probably doesn't mean very much of anything because the term doesn't appear to be all that uncommon.

Yep..... which is why I'm (probably) bidding 2♣ at the table -- but not in complete unconcern. The chance of getting dropped in 2♣ indeed is not likely, but if it did in fact happen I would feel sick. BTW, the nightmare scenario for double is not heart bids by partner. I can pull heart bids to clubs, up to the five level if necessary. (And if partner removed that to 5♥ then I would not only be playing in my next event with a new partner but demanding that this one cover my entry fee for the current event too.) On the other hand, game in diamonds is a level higher still, so it is the other red suit that is the stinger. If partner's first bid is 5♦, perhaps over a natural 4♥ bid by LHO, we would be in the trap for real, because now a club correction has to be at the six level. If RHO "rescued" us by raising to 5♥ it could actually make the stew hotter. How attractive would our situation be if we passed over RHO's 5♥ and partner doubled? P.S. If my partner were one of the doublers in this poll, I would double. The decision is close enough to bring that into play as a factor.

I suppose I'm a 2♣ bidder what with the upper limit of two-level overcalls ascending into ever thinner air. But my gosh, this really is right on the line. There could easily be a sting in the cards where partner has ♠xx ♥J10xxx ♦Qxxx ♣Kx, the 2♣ bidders play there, and the doublers get to conduct an auction that goes (1♠)-X-2♥-3♣-3♠-3NT.

Indeed, which is why I'm doubling. 2♥ is moderately preemptive, and it's conceivable we'll want to bid the minors. I can easily imagine overcalling 2♥ and playing there when we have a diamond slam.

It's been that way in the whole water cooler with the exception of one topic. For the last 14 months and the next four weeks, the American people are charged with choosing a new Chump-in-Chief.

As it happened, I was at North Shore Shave Ice just this past Saturday. Got a regular size with three flavors -- Mai Tai, Pina Colada and Margarita. The only thing missing was to have on hand a 1-oz. bottle of Bacardi rum (or tequila) from Hi-Time.

Only one bridge player in a thousand thinks they can pass the 2♠ there? Color me pleasantly surprised. I have had BBO partners overcall in a major over my LHO's 1♣ opening bid, and then drop me in the support-showing 2♣ cue-bid.

LOL, I was about to say, **** Hillary Clinton and **** Donald Trump. Let's just make PassedOut our next president

Kings play chess on Fridays, generally speaking (in the last three words there is room for variation; this version should make it the easiest to guess)

And I thought we were getting rough treatment with the 3-5 hour waits at Din Tai Fung.....