PhilG007

I don't remember that hand (!) :(

Yes...under an assumed name (!) ;)

This hand was not dealer,it was third in hand. Does that make a difference? Oh and it was Game All.....

Its been said that great players never finesse unless they have to. They prefer to find out the shape of the opposing hands first and only then make a decision whether to finesse or not. We have experts here so how would they play the hand as declarer?

What action (if any) would you take if dealt this hand? [hv=pc=n&s=sakh8765432dakcak]133|100[/hv] You have 21 hcp but the heart suit is abysmal.

My grandparents favourite saying about ignoramuses was "Empty barrels make the loudest noise" :)

My classic put downs to rude partners are "Your bad manners are exceeded only by your bad manners" and " I didn't ask for your opinion. Unwanted and unneeded" Try them and report back results ;)

How does 3NT make on a club lead? This I gotta see(!)😁

Not on a club lead it doesn't <_<

If,as you say,4♠is villainous then 3 NT is diabolical :wacko:

With the hand you quoted 4♠ still makes (7 spades + the three side suit aces.)

4♠ can make 10 tricks ( 7 spades + 3 diamonds.) 3NT goes down among the dead men on a club lead.

North is most definitely the villain of the piece here. That glorious spade suit is too good for just a simple overcall. By bidding 4♠ direct North is TELLING his partner what the final contract should be. It also has the merit of stifling the opposition. ;)

Bridge Prodigies. Those players who achieved greatness while still in their formative years...have there ever been any? Are there any likely to be in the future?

Why don't you join the BIL club? You get supervised play with experts ready to offer advice on request. Very often the deals are analysed after the tournament is over so you get free coaching. But be warned..like any other game,bridge demands time and study from its devotees so don't expect too much too soon (!) ;)

I would definitely respond 1♠ on the South hand. Partly because it's forcing and I need more info to decide what the final contract will be. The spade response immediately shows up the double major suit fit and strengthens North's hand as he can now count an extra 2 points for the club singleton. A likely auction would be 1♥ 1♠ 3♠ 4♥ (A♥) 5♦(A♦) 6♥

The SAYC system which is widely used here on BBO stipulates that a 1NT opening bid could contain a 5 card major suit. On quite a few occasions I've held hands where I've opened 1NT and discovered I had a fit in the major suit and went down in 3NT whereas we could have made game in the major suit even though the suit in my hand was of poor quality. The question is,when should I open 1NT and when should I open 1 of the major suit? Feedback much appreciated :)

Looking at the diagram its plain to see that the East/West hands are totally out of synch. East's rebid of 2♦ asked for simple preference. West's 2♥ bid is.to me,totally pointless. He can show the heart suit by bidding 2NT. As East I would then covert to 3♦ clearly telling partner No Trumps is very risky and demanding a choice between your two suits. West should now pass thus choosing diamonds. When the two hands are clearly misfit,the bidding should stop at the lowest level possible and No Trumps is a contract that will go down among the dead men :(

As I recall,so called "Journalist" leads,the practice of leading the second highest card in a sequence was much in vogue in the 1970s. Nowadays its rather gone out of fashion. Was there any merit in this form of opening lead and do any still play it today? I ask just out of curiousity.

A simple forcing response of 2♣is the best way to deal with this hand. As yet the final destination is unclear and you need further information. The only certain thing here is the final contract will be in spades (!) :)

The short answer is No to both questions. With this collection of junk you have nothing to say. Partner will have a difficult enough task if allowed to play in 1 spade(highly unlikely). Pass and let sleeping dogs lie.

If all hands were as straightforward like that,then bridge would have lost its appeal long ago!

That,of course,is a matter of personal opinion :)

[hv=pc=n&s=saqt964ha4da65ck4&n=sk7hkqj3dkqjcaqj7]133|200[/hv] You are South,declarer in 7 ♠ You win the opening club lead then draw two rounds of trumps with the Ace and King. Your blood runs cold when West shows out on the second round. Incredible! Your side is missing only one point and it seems it's fated to break your contract. Is there a way of saving the situation? Your play!

IMHO the East hand is perfect for the unusual 2NT overcall,in this case showing hearts and the other minor suit. West would then be in a better position to see his partner's 'shape' and the heart fit would be found.