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.

"Sign Up or Log in to see what your friends are doing." I don't get it. If they're really your friends, why can't you just ask them? Isn't that what a friend is?

When one side kicks the other side's ass consistently, it's not really war, is it?

It is highly likely that the position was dead drawn. Sure, you and I would have liked to have seen more moves, but you can't blame Gelfand for saving his fuel for one of his White games, where he has a better chance to get something in the middlegame that he can convert. A bishop pair and an outside passed pawn are good assets, but are they enough to push for a full point at this level, with both pairs of rooks still on the board?

Nine Inch Nails - The Great Below

http://www.rpbridge.net/3y01.htm

When I'm on the road, and my three favorite radio stations are all on commercial. All at the same time.

Usually when I make a penalty pass, I can win a trump trick.

And the crown indeed goes to Kentucky. Whether vacated later or not, this proves that every so often, it really is necessarily so.

Oh dear, you've got me going now..... KLAATU..... BORADA...... . . . . . . . Necktie........ Nickel......... What was that last word? It was definitely an N word........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *AHEM* *ahem* KLAATU!........... BORADA!........... N-*cough*-*cough*-*ahem*-*ahem*-*cough*!! . . . . . . . There....... that should do it....... I said the words........