xx1943

If playing 2/1 that means 1♠ may be 21 HCP and 2♣ is gameforcing, you must rebid 2♠, to declare your minimum and can show the ♣-support later, if necessary. If you bid 3♣ you have nothing to spare over 4♣ just bid 5♣ and do not cue. To South: Without a side suit and without a good fit in pd's suit u shld be content with 5♣ imo. Despite the Cue of North.

Hi I like to play very disciplined preempts in the minors in 1. and esp. second seat. I adopted these rules from Anderson/zenkels book about preempts. That means if I open 3♣ or 3♦ these are the requirements: 1) exactly 7-card-suit 2) exactly 2 of 3 honours (AKQ) 3) no void 4) no 4-card-major 5) No outside A or K I open 3NT with: 1) exactly AKQxxxx in one minor 2) no void 3) no 4-card major 4) no outside A or K Imo it is very good for the partnership, if the responder exactly knows, how high to bid or sacrifice. He is alo in the position to bid some psychic or fool opponents otherwise, because he has the full information and partner has to pass after his preempt all the time, except choice of suit or jump-asking bids. What is your opinion? What experience do you have with this rigid philosophy. Looking forward to your replies. Regards Al

It is not easy. What does a good player play from KQx or H9x. With KQx will he play low? With H9x will he play the H? IMO the best shot is to lead the 10 af let it ride. if LHO covers the 10, you can finesse in the next round.

Hi Why finesse the 8? You need hearts to be 33. you can't win against H9xx or 9x or even KQ9x. BUT except H9x you can win against KQx, if you lead the !HJ. Or am I wrong? Regards Al

Hi all I agree 100%. Everone, who has ears to hear, knows there is something suspicous. Because I never heared about a board with about 50 HCP opener 10; RHO 16+ for his double and later 3 ♦, me 10 and LHO 12+ or a long very good suit. Now there are 2 possibilities. 1) opponents are crazy. 2) partner psyched Being polite I assume the second. There is not a whiff of UI here. Btw. My own psychics tend to occur rarer aand rarer, because I learned in bitter lessons, that on long run "crime" doesn't pay. In the early 60ties I admired great Bob Slavenburg and tried to make psychics like he did. But even when more than 50% of the psychics are successful, the graetest disadvantage of psychics is that they ruin the partnership's faith. Cheers Al

Hi After rereading Watsons book inspired from this thread, I found this is exactly the point. Al

Hi FG Many thanks for the hints. I tried to download from www.acbl.org´. Alas the link to the download was not valid. Regards Al

Hi Jilly Rite you are for practizing and having fun. these are the best bridge-software I've ever seen. But to learn the play systematic you need a book too. Many thanks Eric for your hint. That exactly is what "counts" imo. :rolleyes: sincerly Al

Hi Ben roman follow-suit-signals shld be forbidden for the reason of hesitating .... you described in your previous post. cheers Al

Hi You have to discuss with your pd the different meaning of all the sequences including ♣. What is strong (GF) what is invite to game, what is signoff, what is slam-invite. Which distribution shows responder? 1NT - 3♣ 1NT -2♠ with 2NT showing ♣ honour 1NT - 2♣ - 2 any - 3 ♣ 1NT - 2♦ - 2♥ - 3♣ I saw many players, who said SAYC or 2/1 give the above very different meaning. Imo: it is necessary, to discuss this with pd. Cheers Al

Hi Ben mostly u can work it out if combining odd/even with roman. Then you have many choices to show interest in a special suit. E.g. Spades are trump. You like ♥, throw : ♥9,7,5,3, ; ♦ 10,8,6(?); ♣10;8,(6) You like ♦, throw: ♦9,7,5,3, ; ♥ 10,8,6(?); ♣2;4,6(?) You like ♣, throw: ♣9,7,5,3, ; ♥ 2,4,6(?); ♣2;4,6(?) One of these 10 cards is normally available and btw. much more important than signals is to count (tricks, HCP, distribution ...), think logical and imagine, what is going on. <_< Cheers Al

Hi all, mentoring in BIL I want to recommend my students a systematic, easy to read book about all basic issues of declarer and defensive play. My own favourites are: 1) Victor Mollo, Nico Gardener: Card play technique 2)Terence Reese, Roger Trezel: MASTER BRIDGE SERIES Volume 1-3 3) Robert Berthe, Norbert Lebely: "Pas A PAS" Volume 1-4 2) 3) are only available in German and/or French. Please tell us, what book you would recommend a beginner and/or intermediate, who wants to improve his card play. Many thanks Regards Al

Hi Generally a good idea imo. I like feedback from my clients. But the devil will be in the details. :) 1. Every player has to vote after the trney 2. Maybe there is a panel of only good TDs (isn't that possible?) after some time. If u make a ranking. 1.) highest 30% 2.) next 50% 3) last 20% same good TDs will be ranked very bad. 3) If you make a ranking dividing number of good votes by number of bad votes. Where will you make the cut between the degrees? Perhaps we could start only give the information only to the TD, who was assessed to give him the possibility to improve, if the rating is bad. Better were people give TD personally their opinion, what was rite or wrong. There must be a thread about this issue a few month ago. (Ben do you find the link? Is there a full-text-search here in BBO-Forum?) Cheers Al

Hi Fluffy seems I remember this hand. I played just as you said and announced proudly "Coup Vienna". But alas the ♥K was with WEST and a simple finesse had done his work. :) Do I remeber rite, Ben? Sincerly Al

Hi Ben 1) You have 3♠, 4♥, hoping for 3♣ you need 2♦ tricks 2) You have only 2 entries to table and have not to loose the lead after you are the second time at the table, because you must cash your Q of ♠. 3) If RHO has ♣Kxx and ♦K you win by playing ♣A, ♣to the ♣J and a third ♣. taking next trick cashing 4♥, ♠Q and hook the ♦Q. 0,33*0,*0,5 = 8% But this can't be the solution. This is the line most players took and went down. 4) If LHO has both minor suit Kings along with 4 ♠ (because the lead). Play small ♦ to the J. If LHo takes his K you have 12 tricks with the ♣K onside. This is 25%. But if LHO doesn't take his K, back to the hand with a heart, finesse in ♣, cash all your winners, ending in dummy with a 3-card ending and throw LHO in, hoping he has 4♠. Remains 25%, if the lead not a false card. 5) Same play as in 4) but hoping ♣s are 33. But this only 8%. I lead small ♦ to the second trick. Cheers Al

First ask, what type of hands RHO may have. Maximum .........? But all bids the same as after 1!S from RHO. DBL - takeout 12+ HCP 4 hearts 2C - natural just like after 1♠ from RHO 2D - natural 2H - natural pass isn't that in your bag Ben? :( with the most hands, to hear what RHOs hand is. Only in rare occasions: 2S - Michaels 2NT - unusual 3C - weak jump 3D - weak jump 3H - weak jump 3S - ?????????? what agreed with pd. Super Michaels perhaps. :) 3NT - just kidding or super-unusual Cheers Al

Hi Patrizia chat to the room is possible, if you are kibitzing. You cannot chat to a single player privatly. cheers Al So, why can't there be a setting allowing this? no objection against such a possibility.

Hi Ben Hope I'm not totally blind in this one. I see only one chance: I think I have to find ♥Q, ♥s 3:2 and spades 3:3. I play ♥ at second trick and hook the J. (To finesse the other way is impossible, becoze lack of entries). If that holds, back to ♥A. three rounds of spades hoping 3:3 and back to table with heart. 16% success :D Please delete my hidden suggestion, if I'm totally wrong. Sincerly Al

Hi Patrizia chat to the room is possible, if you are kibitzing. You cannot chat to a single player privatly. cheers Al

HI My style: 2♣ is forcing to 3♥/♠ showing 8,5+ playing tricks. 4 ♣/♦ is namyats. Showing ecaxtly 8 playing tricks. 1♥ shows 7,5- playing tricks 4 ♥/♠ is preemptive. Playing tricks depending on vuln. cheers Al

Hi Giving up forcing NT is the disadvantage. I can't imagine how to bid 2/1 without forcing NT. cheers Al

Sry my mistake. The post was unintentional submitted when in work. Al

Hi all members of BIL Yesterday the following hand came up in BIL[hv=d=n&v=n&n=saj9832hqtdakqc102&w=sk105hj985dt5cakj7&e=sqh632d9643cq9865&s=s764hak74dj872c43]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv] Bidding: 1♠ pass 2♠ pass 4♠ 1. ♣ 6 3 A 2 taken by WEST 2. ♣ K T 5 4 taken by WEST 3. ♦ 5 Q 3 2 taken by NORTH 4. ♥ 10 2 A 5 taken by SOUTH 5. ♠ 4 5 9 Q taken by EAST 6. ♦ 4 7 T K taken by NORTH 7. ♠ A ................................... curtains result-1 What do you think? (Experts please wait with your comments a while, or give the solution hidden.) 1) Was declarer unlucky, because opponents found the best lead? 2) Did declarer made a mistake? If yes, what was the mistake, how should the hand be played? 3) What are the probabilities for the different distributions of the spade suit? 4) What is the best play of the spade-suit. Now try this one: [hv=d=n&v=n&n=saj983hat2dakqc102&s=s764hkq72dj872c43]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] How do you now play 4♠ (same bidding and same play to the first 3 tricks)? Good luck (good technique is better :lol: ) Cheers Al

The question is, who has all the spades? Partner doesn't have 5 or he had bid them. If he has only 3, opps have an 8-card fit. I don'T like my Qs and Js playing myself, but better defending. Therefore: No doubt: PASS cheers Al

Hi perfect analysis. btw. Can anyone tell me what is "stratified pairs"? ty regards Al