PhilG007

In the first sequence,, the 4♦ rebid is ridiculous. You have a known 8 card major suit fit so what's the point in rebidding a minor suit?! Add to this that 4 diamonds is not forcing and if partner passes(which he's entitled to do) a sure-fire game or even a possible slam in hearts will go begging. In the second sequence opener's hand swells to 19 points due to the heart fit being found and he can confidently bid game in hearts. The moral of the post is if you know where you're going, don't dilly dally go there post haste

The simplest solution is win A♥ then play a low diamond and duck it. If the suit breaks 3-2(a 65% chance) you are home making 4 diamonds,2 clubs two hearts and one spade. Taking the spade finesse immediately is risky. If it loses,West will return a second heart knocking out your last stopper before you have set up the diamonds

That is the equivalent of playing Russian Roulette with the Russians (!)http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif

♥ [hv=pc=n&w=sk87ha9532d54ckt2&e=sqjt54hkqdtca9643&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1cp1hp1sp2hppp]266|200[/hv] This hand came up in a recent tournament. I opened the East hand as dealer with 1♣ as I have been taught that when the black suits are equal in length clubs rank above spades for bidding purposes. Partner responded 1♥ and I rebid my spades showing a black 2 suiter.. Partner then rebid 2♥ and that became the final contract which gave us a horrendous score. 4♠ being stiff .In the post mortem partner said I should have opened the spades first thus showing a 5 card suit and the spade fit would have been found. Was I wrong to bid the clubs first as I was taught all these years ago? What do the experts think? I also nearly didn't open as I felt the doubleton KQ♥ was devalued.

Where? Got a link?

A great English(later the USA) player of the 1960s, Adam'Plum'Meredith once declared a distribution containing a 5 card suit was a suit shape and not Not Trumps. Does this thesis still hold true today and does it make any difference if the suit is a major?

Holding only 11 pts I wouldn't open the West hand at all. It should be remembered that when you bid a suit,you are not only proposing it as trumps but also suggesting it as a lead to your partner should you become defenders. It follows, therefore you should hold decent cards in it. The diamond suit shown is far too threadbare for a light opener imho

May I suggest you read the famous poem "The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck" and read the fate of Casabianca who "always followed orders" Quite often the blind lead the blind(!) :rolleyes:

1♠ As novices you are taught to open your longest suit What alternatives are there(?!) :rolleyes: The response might pose a problem What if North responds 1NT and is left to play there? The diamond suit could be open to the winds .

I wouldn't take any action at all Yes it may sound craven but there's no point in trying to be heroic either...the cemeteries are full of "Heroes" So gimmee the "White Feathers" now :P

Many moons ago as a novice I took lessons from a very famous bridge player and author Hugh Kelsey He was asked how can you tell when a double is for take out and when for penalties? I will never forget his reply "You can never muddle the two doubles. A double is always for takeout when partner has not previously bid However if partner HAS already bid then any subsequent double is for penalties" In the OP West has opened the bidding and,since East has responded,West's double of 2♥ MUST be for business. It is so, it cannot be otherwise

This is tricky ground Partner has doubled sending the message "They can't make it!" If you pull the double then effectively you are saying to your partner that he's/she's a liar and you don't trust them. If it transpires the double was justified then you are going to sour relationships between you for a considerable time. Partner,however,suspect,must be given the benefit of the doubt so the correct action is to PASS. If it goes pear-shaped you can always read partner the riot act later(!) :lol:

I wouldn't be remotely tempted to venture to the 3 level with only 4 pts and a stringy heart suit Definite pass.

In any bidding system,you need a device to show a game going hand. In Acol and SAYC this is the cypher bid of 2 Clubs In both systems,a rebid of 3 Clubs doesn't show 23+ points but rather a powerful club suit at least 8 + cards in length Although not showing the same strength as a 2 Club opener,the 3 Club rebid is still FORCING TO AT LEAST GAME. How many of us here have been in the situation where you opened 2 Clubs then rebid 3 Clubs and found to your disappointment (and fury) partner passing(?) Novices and intermediates take note(!)

Why didn't North support his partner's suit immediately by bidding 3♦(?!) The suit is now fixed and slam investigations can begin

Partner has sent a message "They can't make it" If you remove it you're effectively saying"I saw your double partner but I don't believe you,you're a liar" Partner,however suspect, must be trusted so pass and keep the faith. If it boomerangs you can always bawl partner out later (!) ;)

I don't agree with East's 2♦ response. 7 pts is enough for a 'positive' reply and thus East should respond 2NT The only downside of this is that East will become declarer in 3NT(the only sensible contract)and the lead will come through the strong hand instead of up to it. East cannot support hearts with only a doubleton and while 2 spades is feasible,it is not a consummation devoutly to be wished. 2NT is the preferred choice because it also shows stoppers in the black suits.

In my club,if a pair was well behind the TD told both pairs to note the board number and any bidding and replay it at the conclusion of the tournament. Online here there is absolutely no excuse for falling behind. If its the opponents who are tardy,the TD should be summoned after 30 seconds non action just as in an automated tournament

You should ALWAYS look at your hand How else are you going to make the correct decision(s) ??!! Ridiculous question :rolleyes:

If a bid between a partnership is pre-agreed as conventional(as it was in the OP),it is MANDATORY that it be alerted. Not to do so risks the opponents being damaged and an adjusted score being awarded.

As long as the double is alerted as conventional,it's perfectly legal. You now have the opportunity to question its meaning at your turn to bid.

I said that GIBs were almost human Then I remembered that GIbs are programmed by humans(!) A.I. never makes mistakes

I've always found the GIBs quite a challenge either as partner or adversary Sometimes their erratic behavior is almost human (!) :)

BBO has learning software here. What's wrong with that(?) And it also offers live online tuition. Send a message to Maureen (username hallway) for further details.

"Part scores must be contested" -Maurice Harrison-Gray 1960s Britsh International Player