Foxx

It really is quite close. It is easy to see how one position or the other could turn out poorly. At the table I would bid 2♠ because that's the style I've always played by. They say it's a bidder's game, don't they?

On the scores page, links to PBN files have now gone up.

If RHO had not overcalled, my response wouldn't be 2♠, it would be 1NT, so I wouldn't raise here. But this hand is very close to the line. Move the ♠J into the spade suit, so the hand is ♠Jxx ♥K10x ♦Q763 ♣652, and I would raise, with or without RHO's 2♥ bid.

If I could somehow learn and memorize the K&R formula, that would be my first choice. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif But that still wouldn't be a solve-all, because it doesn't account for fits in partner's suits, etc.

[hv=pc=n&s=s974ht8652d92cak9&w=s86hakq73dk83c864&n=saj53hj4daqt4cqt5&e=skqt2h9dj765cj732&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=pp1hd1sppp&p=d9d3dqd6dad7d2d8d4d5s4]399|300[/hv] At the table, I bid 1♠ and played it right there. Down two. There was no route to a plus score. After the hand, I thought partner should have bid 1NT. This wouldn't be making, but it would only be down one. Minus 200 was a multi-way tie for bottom, minus 100 would have been close to average. If I passed, everything would depend on what LHO did. If she passed and partner played 1♥ doubled, we would have a zero; if LHO bid 1NT and we held it to 1, we would be above average.

Yes, this is the right hand. I only mentioned Drury for the purposes of complete information. It's true, it shouldn't be an issue on this hand.

Matchpoints [hv=pc=n&e=skqt2h9dj765cj732&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=pp1hd]133|200[/hv] We play two-way Drury, if it matters

They've had to cut back lately, because if Germany found out what they were doing...

Off-topic, editorial aside: If you are really a beginner or novice, you shouldn't be playing rubber bridge for anything more valuable than peanut shells. You'll be living in a cardboard box within a week.

"alot" I have no idea where this came from and I see it way too often. A. LOT. Two words, people.

My method of choice is something I call "advance splinters", taken from Wei Precision, where: 1♣ : 2♥ shows 4-1-4-4 1♣ : 2♠ shows 1-4-4-4 1♣ : 3♣ shows 4-4-4-1 1♣ : 3♦ shows 4-4-1-4 The hand strength is 9+ in all cases (the 1♦ response is made with 0-7, or 8 without great distribution). You can pretty much pick your treatment according to whim, because this is a very rare situation.

First seat, white on red? If I have that South hand, I'm opening 1♥. With 5-5 in the black suits, West bids 2♥. North has a good limit raise in hearts and cue-bids 2♠. Now East has A10x in West's spades, another ace, and the queen of West's minor will be fitting, so he shows a hand just short of a game drive by return-cue-bidding 3♥. South now pushes 4♥ on the strength of his distribution, and West has to decide whether to go on. If he passes, East will double 4♥, down one. West can also bid 4♠, and if he finds the ♠Q during the play, it will make. N-S can hardly find their club ruff. If South wants to take out insurance, he can lay out -300 by bidding 5♥ over 4♠.

X then cue bid then 3/4♠ - this shows a monster X then 4♠ - this is a serious sequence, more so than an immediate 4♠ 4♠ - sets spades as trump; does not need to be a giant in terms of high-card strength 3♠ - sets spades as trump and asks partner to go to game with anything more than his 7-point expectation X then 3♠ - this suggests something around 17 points with 5-4-2-2 shape; five spades, two hearts, a doubleton in the minor partner bid, and four of the other minor 2♠

Oh, sorry, I must not have read carefully enough... I suppose that instead of bidding in the wrong auction, I "bid" in the wrong thread...

In a Swiss, I once thought my partner's response to my 4NT bid showed three key cards when he actually had zero. We went down three for -800 in 7♥x, losing 14 IMPs against 3♥ making four at the other table. Within our partnership that became known as the "Ohhhh, you had zero!" hand. Later that day, I went down in a 5♥ because his hand was weaker than I thought it could be for a bid he had made. We lost 6 IMPs against, you guessed it, 3♥ making four at the other table. I suppose the moral is: When in doubt in a Swiss match, just bid game.