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I am having the same trouble when using Chrome. But I was able to login with Edge without problem. So I don't think it's your computer, perhaps try a different browser. Hopefully the tech staff will get it resolved...

Hi Anders!! I play all the time and the robots make me lose hope every day! One small suggestion: GIB has a lot of idiosyncracies that make it bid and defend differently than most humans. Try to familiarize yourself with those--there are lots of videos and articles on this site to help you. And remember, when you are playing the just declare or MP tournaments, it's not enough to make the hand, you have to make as many tricks as possible...that's often hard for beginners. Good luck! B-)

As a 35 year investment professional, I have given the topic of inflation a ton of thought. Here are a few takeaways: 1) No one knows really how to measure "inflation." Housing and health care are impossible to truly measure. The CPI is absolute junk and we'd be better off if they never calculated or reported it. It has just led to terrible policy over the years. I suspect European measurement is even worse, but I have not researched it. 2) No one knows what actually causes inflation. Anyone who thinks Keynes was right has not paid attention for 40 years. [KRugman, Reich, and 99% of Wall Street believe in Keynesian economics." Friedman and monetarism are closer, but also wrong in the environment of electronic money. Since 2009, the US and other central banks have "printed" trillions with no inflation at all. If you have a good answer to this question, boy would I love to hear it. 3) There is certainly inflation, but the bond markets [and I agree with it] are telling you that the cause is different and more temporary than the 70's. As always, I generate lots of questions but never any answers! B-) :rolleyes:

I suggest the following categories: terrible, abysmal, pathetic, dreadful, and "why do I play this stupid game?" I will let all of you decide which is best and which is worst... ;) :rolleyes: B-)

I have been forever looking for a decent response structure to 2♣ openers...if 2♠ is 8-11 balanced, what are 2D, 2H, and 2NT? thanks in advance

While I think you were quite fortunate to catch dummy with zero spade waste, it's a pretty good slam. Personally, I am taking the heart in hand and leading a low club without cashing a top honor. If West has Q♣ singleton, I will cash the A♥, cross to the A♠, ruff the heart high, then finesse the 10. If West falsecards from the Q10, I will make a mental note never to play against him/her again :rolleyes:

I cannot stress enough that in my experience, you should bid 2 diamonds over 2 clubs 99% of the time. We all know that opening 2 ♣ bids cause problems. That's one reason why precision was invented and played by so many top pairs. It makes no sense to take up any space that partner might need to describe his/her hand. Most of the time, partner has either a big balanced hand or a strong one suiter. Any NT bid wrong sides the hand or gives partner zero useful information. So don't ever bid NT on these hands with a bunch of scratchy side cards. Just bid 2D and see what partner says.

Despite being super annoyed by the interference, these are fun hands and the reason we keep playing this silly game over and again! I get the forcing pass argument for sure, but like many answers, I think you have to have a reasonable knowledge of who your partner is and who the opponents are. After all, how many partnerships have ever discussed 4 level interference after a strong 2 ♣ ? Not to mention the 5 level when it comes back to the opener? So are we 100% partner has something? If I am playing with a paid professional in an IMP's game against good competition, yes I like pass as we should try to guess if a grand is on. With most partners, I will bid either 6 hearts or 5NT if I am sure they will take it as pick a slam and be happy if I find a making small slam. At MP's, it's seldom a bad board to bid and make a small slam even with 20 tricks available.. With Rex, I will feign a health problem and get someone else to bid this hand for me... B-) :lol: :rolleyes:

Thanks, the resizing tip seems to work for me in case that's helpful info

thanks to all, it appears that BBO should look into this?

I have started having an odd problem with BBO. Running Chrome, I often have several tabs open when on BBO. Sometimes, if i click to another tab to look at something, when I come back to BBO, it's totally frozen. I cannot log out through the site, but I can close the tab through Chrome, then re log-in. That always works, but it's odd. Anyone else having this problem? Ideas? thanks!!

The best definition of a "sport" versus a "game" was given to me by a Canadian chum of mine while discussing curling during the last Olympics. He said, "If you can gain weight while playing it, it's not a sport!" And we all know where bridge falls LOLL :lol: :lol: You'd be amazed at the quantity of beer and doughnuts you can consume while chasing that whirling thing down the ice...

Thanks for the answers. Let's say for argument's sake that both hands were ♠ ♦ two suiters , so just mentally switch the clubs and diamonds in each hand. Would that change your mind?

Playing pairs today, Rex held these two consecutive amazingly similar ♣ ♠ two suiters! The question is: What do you open with these hands? Are they 2 ♣ openers? Regardless of your answer, I would appreciate comments on your normal standards for 2 ♣ as [and I know this will shock you], Rex and I disagree heartily! Board 3: [hv=pc=n&n=saqjthd76cakqt954]133|100[/hv] Board 4: [hv=pc=n&n=sakt52had4caqjt72]133|100[/hv]

thanks, yes Diana's brilliant suggestion seemed to work...

All of the sudden, I cannot log into the client with Google Chrome on my PC. It loads the banner ad, but the login keeps trying to load and ultimately i get a white screen instead. Anyone else have this problem? It seems to work normally with Firefox.

Re 1: Absolutely, Rex and I play it over our weird 12-16 NT. Re 2: Please don't show Rex the other textbooks, he will try to make me learn even more stuff that I will never remember! :lol:

Just to clarify Klinger's Keri system on this topic: 1) It was designed with 12-14 1NT range..so with 15-16 you aren't likely to go slam hunting with a 5 card major and a balanced hand. 2) In this instance, a follow up bid of 2NT would actually show a 4 card minor with slam interest. You would NOT bid 2NT with 5-3-3-2. The followups after 2NT are complicated and I always forget them as Rex can attest. I can also attest it very seldom comes up. In general, my guess is with 5-3-3-2 you would just transfer to the major and bid 4NT afterward to invite slam.

Ok, thank you for all the thoughtful responses which touched on a lot of the issues that Rex and i have calmly and rationally discussed. :lol: Here are the 2 hands and the auction:[hv=pc=n&w=skqt98h42dakqt86c&e=sj2ha3dj9cjt97632&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=ppp1d1h3c3h3sp3ndppp]266|200[/hv] Down 2 for minus 300 and a cold bottom. Personally, I think the weak jump shift is the villain of the piece. With opponents both passed hand, it seems to me you are much more likely to preempt partner than give him useful information. I should have pulled the 3NT double and just bid 4 diamonds. That would have been an above average score, as only one pair reached 4 spades and one reached 5 diamonds. Final comments?

At the table, the hand bid 3NT. Now Double from LHO, partner and RHO pass. Back to you, any last ideas before finding out what partner has?

We got a few votes for using the weak jump shift and a few votes for not using it. Let's just say that you bid 3♣ at the table. I will get into that argument after the end of the story. Now, LHO supports with 3♥, and partner bids 3♠. Pass by RHO and back to you again. What now, and what do you think is going on?[hv=pc=n&e=sj2ha3dj9cjt97632&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=ppp1d1h3c3h3sp]133|200[/hv]

Rex and I seldom play matchpoints as the opportunities for catastrophe are virtually limitless! We are having a typically civilized and respectful argument over the following hand: Warning, this is at least a 2 part question and likely 3 or 4 so it will require coming back after I get responses to part one. You hold in second position:[hv=pc=n&e=sj2ha6dj9cjt98763&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=ppp1d1h]133|200[/hv] Before you answer read the following: In our system, as we play 12-16 1NT, partner CANNOT have the typical balanced 11-15 hand with 3-4 diamonds. You are playing weak jump shifts. It's matchpoints, what do you bid and what are your general thoughts about how this auction will go?

IMPORTANT, i forgot to mention BOTH sides are vulnerable, if that influences you at all..

Playing a team match, you are losing going into the last hand in case that influences your opinion. You hold [hv=pc=n&n=sjhk652dkjt3caq53&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=1sp3s(alerted%20as%20weak)ppdp]133|200|What do you think is going on?[/hv] In case I didnt do it right, 3♠ was alerted as "weak"

Just in case you didn't know, they have done studies in the investment management world [my field] that show that in fact, women DO take less risk in investing than men do. However, because of this, women are actually BETTER portfolio managers--the men take stupid risks that over time hurt their results. Women are ridiculously underrepresented in the field of banking and investing, we would be better off with more of them....