Lord Molyb

[hv=pc=n&n=sqhatdk98654cqj93&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=p]133|200[/hv] 2♦, 1♦, pass, or something else?

BBO pickup games seem to lead to a lot more interesting hands than a normal club game, for some reason. [hv=pc=n&s=saqj754hj5dckj753&n=shak98432daj96cq8&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1c(*)p1h1spp6hppp]266|200[/hv] What's your play for 12 tricks? East leads ♠3, west follows

[hv=pc=n&s=saqj7hk43dckjt842&n=s52hqj75dakqt65ca&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=p1cp1dp1sp2hp3np4dp4np6nppp]266|200[/hv] ♥A led and another, east follows with the 6 on the first round and then discards a club. 6NT is not a hopeless contract, but there are only 9 top tricks- ♠A, ♥KQJ, ♦AKQ, ♣AK. There are, however, opportunities to get 3 extra tricks. How do you go about it? Also, why do my pickup partners on BBO always leave whenever they get a minus score?

GIB intended to correct 2m to hearts to show less than a constructive raise. However, when the other GIB reversed, west got stuck and defaulted to passing.

Assuming reasonable splits, we need partner to have 2 of ♠AK ♥A ♦AK to make 4♠ and we can sometimes make do with a singleton or void in diamonds, and we need partner to have 3 of those cards to make 5♦. So I bid 4♠.

[hv=pc=n&n=sk542hj87d83c6543&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1hp1np2dp2s(Impossible%20Spade)p3dp3nppdpp4ddp4s(%21%3F%21)dppp]133|200[/hv] I was south and I held ♠J97 ♥KQT5 ♦AQJ5 ♣72. I doubled because I held both of openers suits behind him (I was going to lead a spade) and I was extremely far behind due to very bad plays from my GIB partner in several slams. 3NTx would have made, unfortunately, but 4♦ might have gone down 1 or 2, but 4♠x went for 1100 instead. X of 4♦ is described as a normal takeout double. Really?

I found an interesting situation in the 25 simulations I went through. [hv=pc=n&n=s7hj3dak7542cak95&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=3s3n4s]133|200[/hv] What do you do? What if partner had passed 3♠?

[hv=pc=n&w=skxhqj8xxxdk9xxcx&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=1sp1n(Forcing)]133|200[/hv] IMO: 3♥ = 10, 2♥ = 7, Pass = 5

4NT is a much better bid than 5 clubs anyway

There was some lively conversation at the local bridge club concerning board 14. Apparently, all of the scores were different on that board, but were all within 50 points of each other, which outraged the low scorers since a few points meant the difference between a top and a bottom and a slight change to the scoring system might have completely flipped around the results for that board. Here was board 14: [hv=pc=n&s=s43hqt76daj7ca532&w=sqj865hk2dt982cq8&n=sak72ha9854dq43c9&e=st9hj3dk65ckjt764]399|300[/hv] -- A top board went to the players defending 3♣X. [hv=pc=n&s=s43hqt76daj7ca532&w=sqj865hk2dt982cq8&n=sak72ha9854dq43c9&e=st9hj3dk65ckjt764&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=3cppxppp]399|300[/hv] South made an adventurous pass of 3♣X despite having, likely, a fit. But it was matchpoints. South led his doubleton spade to the king. North continued with the ace after some thought, and another spade. Declarer ruffed with the 6, south discarding a heart, and played a club to the queen, south ducking. Another club went to the ten and ace as north discarded a heart. South then led a heart to the ace. A heart came back. Winning the king in dummy, declarer was trapped. [hv=pc=n&s=shtdaj7c53&w=sqjhdt982c&n=s7h98dq43c&e=shdk65ckj7]399|300[/hv] If declarer ran the ♦T, south would win the jack and stuff declarer back in with a heart (or a trump) to endplay him in diamonds. Therefore east ruffed a spade, drew trumps, and led a low diamond hoping south would play an honor to ensure winning the trick. Unfortunately, south played low and north's queen won the trick, followed by two more red-suited tricks. +500 for N/S. -- There is no reasonable explanation for N/S either taking 12 tricks in a NT game or making 2NT doubled exactly, so nobody got +490. The only way anyone could possibly get 490 is to get to 2NTX through some strange bidding sequence, win the club lead, and return a club. East takes his 5 clubs. On the first four north discards 3 hearts and a diamond and south discards a spade. [hv=pc=n&s=s4hqt76daj7c&w=sqj6hk2dt98c&n=sak72ha9dq4c&e=st9hj3dk65c6]399|300[/hv] On the last one, south discards a heart and west is squeezed. If west discards a spade, north discards a heart and 4 spades can be taken as well as the three obvious red-suited tricks. If a heart is discarded, north discards a spade and 3 hearts can be taken along with two spades and two diamonds. If west throws a diamond instead, north plays a spade on the last club, and say west returns a spade. North wins the ace and plays the queen of diamonds, covered by the king and ace. The J7 of diamonds are now cashed and west is squeezed in the majors. -- The next highest score went to an expert pair that managed 12 tricks in a heart game. [hv=pc=n&s=s43hqt76daj7ca532&w=sqj865hk2dt982cq8&n=sak72ha9854dq43c9&e=st9hj3dk65ckjt764&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=ppp1hp3c(4+%20%21H%2C%2010-12%20points)p4hppp]399|300[/hv] Some players in the east seat opened 3♣, which was usually followed by a takeout double from north and a leap to 4♥ from south, or overcalled 3♣ over 1♥. The opening spade lead went to the king and the ♦Q was covered by the king and ace. Next came the ace of clubs, club ruff, ace of spades, spade ruff, club ruff, spade ruff. With 5 cards left, this was the end position: [hv=pc=n&s=shqtdj7c5&w=shk2dt98c&n=sha98d43c&e=shj3d65ck]399|300[/hv] A club was led and west had to discard a diamond. Declarer ruffed in hand and played a diamond to the jack and another, endplaying west. +480. -- A scientific pair had a misunderstanding at another table. [hv=pc=n&s=s43hqt76daj7ca532&w=sqj865hk2dt982cq8&n=sak72ha9854dq43c9&e=st9hj3dk65ckjt764&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=p1ntp2s(*)ppxppp]399|300[/hv] 1NT was 10-12. N/S agreed to play that a 2♠ bid in response to 1NT showed hearts, secondary spades, and an invitational hand, but south forgot. West doubled to extract the maximum penalty. East led a trump and declarer won the ace. After ruffing a club, he then finessed the diamond to lead another club. West ruffed with the 8 and declarer discarded a heart. The ♠Q was returned to the king. The ace of diamonds was followed by the ♥Q, west covering with the king and declarer winning with the ace. North exited a heart to east. [hv=pc=n&s=sht7d7c5&w=sj6hdt9c&n=s7h98dqc&e=shdkckjt]399|300[/hv] After taking his heart and the ♦K, east had to lead the ♣K, promoting the 7 of spades. After taking his 7, declarer led another heart, letting east ruff, and east won the last trick with the ♦T while the other players played the ♥9, ♣T, and ♥T. +470. -- [hv=pc=n&s=s43hqt76daj7ca532&w=sqj865hk2dt982cq8&n=sak72ha9854dq43c9&e=st9hj3dk65ckjt764&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=ppp1h2c3cp3dp3nt]399|300[/hv] 3♦ was a game try and south bid 3NT because it was matchpoints. West led the ♣Q South ducked the first two club leads and won the third, throwing spades from dummy, before slyly running the ♥Q, which held. Five hearts and the ace of spades were taken, leading to this position. [hv=pc=n&s=shdaj7c5&w=sqhdt98c&n=skhdq43c&e=shdk65ck]399|300[/hv] On the king of spades east had to throw a diamond. South discarded his club and finessed the diamond, dropping the king on the next round. +460. If west had covered the ♥Q south would duck in dummy before winning any return and applying the same squeeze on east. -- One pair had a normal result of 4 hearts making 5 when declarer mis-guessed trumps and lost a trump and a diamond. +450. -- This is the only hand I have found where either opponent can be endplayed or squeezed legitimately depending on the strain and/or the play to the first trick. And all the scores are so close!

Can I see the hands or is that unauthorized information?

On the fence between 2NT and 3♦. Probably will bid 3♦ at the table.

Double is not a valid call in first seat

whoops, my bad.

Hmm.... it just so happens you deleted the data, eh? I'm in the passing camp. We will go down opposite a balanced 10 quite often (especially double dummy, which PhilKing's simulations use), LHO might be waiting with a decent hand and a double, and we're going to be in the wrong game every time partner has 3 or 4 hearts and can't bid them. In addition, if partner happens to have a good hand he will push us too high.

[hv=pc=n&s=sak8643hqjdkckq86&n=shat8752dqjt752cj&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=p]266|200[/hv]

[hv=pc=n&s=sakqjt875hq6da82c&n=shat742dj93cajt72]133|200[/hv] North deals, east bids 3♣ when it is his turn.

[hv=pc=n&s=sakq6ht9543dkt9ct&n=s832hdaqj864cj985&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1c]266|200[/hv] Opponents open 1♣ but are otherwise silent. While 6♦ depends on a 3-3 spade break or east to have ♣AKQ without a trump lead, 5♦ is a very decent contract. How do you bid these hands?

partner had ♠Axxx ♥AQJxx ♦AKx ♣x and I passed, 1♣ went down 2

[hv=pc=n&w=sjxxhkj9xxdqjcqjx&e=sktxhaqdaxxxcaxxx]266|100[/hv] South opened 1♠, leading to the following auction. (1♠) P - ( P ) - X ( P ) - 2♠ - ( P ) - 2NT AP

At the table I bid 1♥. [hv=pc=n&s=sthkt972dq9652cq6&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1dd1h1sd(Support)2s]133|200[/hv] X of 1♠ was by agreement a support double, promising 3 hearts and any hand shape/strength Now that you know of a double fit in hearts and diamonds, how do you proceed?

no and no

Multiple part problem. [hv=pc=n&s=sthkt972dq9652cq6&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1dd]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints.

[hv=pc=n&s=s95ht7dt876cqjt87&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=1cdp]133|200[/hv] Does it make a difference whether it is IMPs or matchpoints?

x post