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.....

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I would bid 3♠ at the table, knowing full well that it could work out badly, so that I don't have to worry about partner driving to who knows where. However, if partner is AWARE that the range for a 4♦ bid here by us could include this hand, it becomes the superior bid. The first-rate partnerships have this covered in their expansive repertoire of situations discussed in advance (which, regrettably, has been hard for me to do). To illustrate the edge in the 4♦ bid when interpreted as intended, give partner a hand within expectation range, say, ♠QJx ♥AQJx ♦Kx ♣AQxx, and opener ♠Ax ♥Kxx ♦A10xxx ♣Kxx. Now 3♠ is going down on the singleton heart lead and 4♥ makes in neat fashion.

The fact that so few others have voted for 2♦ is a bit surprising. The 2♦ rebid has a range and our hand happens to be at the very top of it. However good it looks for the red suits, a 3♦ rebid has a lower limit and this hand is below it. Yes, I know that rebidding 2♦ drops a cold 3NT when partner has ♠xxx ♥Axxx ♦Kx ♣J109x. I am willing to take the risk. On most deals where game is good, partner will keep the bidding going and we don't need to be pushy to go after a nonvulnerable game. Raising to 2♥ could certainly work out, but if we get another call after 2♦ we'll be nicely placed to show the heart support then.

I carried this fantasy to its logical conclusion and I'm having a hard time seeing the trap here. You have two stoppers in the unbid suit after you duck trick one, and trick two knocked out one of them (the ace). When you have driven out the ace of your own long suit, you still have the jack to stop the third round of their suit.

3♥ Partner doesn't have four spades, and doesn't have four strong hearts (didn't double). I'll hold to my intention of moving to game and let partner pick the best place. Partner could bid 3NT with something like four hearts to the 10 but wouldn't double 2♥ there.

1) Pass 2) Pass, unless we have an agreement that 4♦ is a raise with concentrated strength 3) My preference is to rebid 3♦ with a hand like this, fully aware of the uncomfortable problems it can lead to. Depending on the honor structure of the hand, I might open 1♦, or 2NT 5) Pass 6) 1NT 7) Have always opened 1♦ with this type of hand. I regard it as close to an inviolate rule 8) ♦Q

If you start with X (which I would do, as much as people like to say what "serious business" two-level overcalls are, 2♦ has an upper limit and this hand is at least an ace above it), you will hear 2♦ from partner. There is a case for raising that to 6, although East is likely to make a 2♥ rebid and then I would be more inclined to try 4♥ to convey the fit, power and void.

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Hey, Timo, get well soon! I still haven't forgotten the appreciation you showed for my Big Lebowski hand.