jddons

Well, not even a reply from cyberyeti! What are things coming to? Like those of you above, my partner and team mates thought 2C completely normal on the hand. For the life of me, I can't understand why a hand with poor trumps and no ruffing value wants to play at the 2 level when trumps might well break 5-1. I score Pass 5, 1N 3, 2C 2, 3C -1 but then as team mates said - you don't know how to play the 3 card minor opening. At the other table 1NX made by W for -180, 2C should make. As far as Bridge World is concerned, a friend gave me a large number of back numbers, the last of which (2014/15?) said that publication was ceasing. I didn't check. Loved the mag but still got a few years worth to read through! Sorry for the fake news - I blame the TRUMPS.

[hv=pc=n&s=st62ha873d742cj95&w=s874hkq4dat9cat32&n=saqj5hjt6dq853ckq&e=sk93h952dkj6c8764&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1cd]399|300[/hv] Teams. Strong NT, 5 card majors and better minor. Is Easts call completely obvious to everybody? If Bridge World was still being published, what would the expert panel give to pass, 1NT and 2C? I'm trying you lot before Prozac.

Thank you all for a very helpful series of responses. In summary the consensus is that W always has a GF response and the partnership needs to consider its minimum opening bids. I am not convinced that nullve is really interested in part scores from his response! The star response goes to helen who somehow intuited we were playing a version of the England juniors system (without the gadget she mentioned). For the record, 4S was bid at 4 of 11 tables in a moderate standard club pairs event and was not quite the disaster I had thought. I will now look up BART.

[hv=pc=n&w=s8hat972dq9ckqjt9&e=sajt942h53dj5ca52&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=1sp2hp2sp3cp3sp4sppp]266|200[/hv] I'm looking for some advice on the 2/1 system. The given auction got EW much too high. East claimed his hand was too strong for a weak 2 when NV and was fine as an opening bid. West said he should have passed initially rather than opening. East said that West was too weak to make a game force. What do you think?

[hv=pc=n&s=sakt86hj97643dcj2&w=sq943hakq8d7ck753&n=sj752ht5dj862caqt&e=sh2dakqt9543c9864&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=p1d2dp3s5dppp]399|300[/hv] IMPS. 1. Is it better to play to drop J♦ or take a first round finesse? At the table I took the view that assuming S was 5-5 in the majors he had 3 missing spaces hence the chance of him having the J were 3/13. North had 6 missing cards hence holding 4♦ seemed less likely but is this analysis correct? 2. What do you call on the east hand at your first turn? would you do differently in first seat? Whether or not to pre-empt with this type of hand seems a surprisingly common problem. Do you have ground rules for this in your partnership? 3.Result? A push in 5♦ -1 after A♠ lead.

Someone asked when the TD was called. - at the end of the play. In a small club competition we agreed that he should rule after the event finished so he could play the board. My comment re body language may have been a bit over the top. It was clear that north new what was going on and the bids of EW strongly suggest they did too. I will send the TD a link to the discussion which is helpful in ruling on ui.

Sorry weejonnie. Having reread your comment, it seems you are suggesting an adjusted score but with some caveats.

For info 3nt should go off on. A spade lead and continuation but south discouraged a spade continuation. Apologies for not having all the information about agreements. EW were not playing anything complicated. As far as I can judge you are both supportive of the TD decision. Thanks.

[hv=pc=n&s=st752ht9842dc6542&w=skq6hqj73dj98ckj8&n=saj43h65dak76cat9&e=s98hakdqt5432cq73&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=p1nd2dp2hp3dp3ndppp]399|300[/hv] I would like advice on the correct ruling for this hand. I trust this is the correct forum. EW were playing 12-14 NT, the 2D call was alerted as a transfer. After a mis-defence, 3NT made. NS called the director and questioned whether W could reasonably bid 3N and not 4H. They did not question why E removed the 2H call, if he was making a weak take out bid. W commented that he was entitled to bid 3N with good stops in the black suits even if he had a 5-4 heart fit. N commented that everyone at the table knew from the body language that E did not have a transfer. Director ruled the result stands. he commented that S should not have checked, at his turn, that E bidding really showed the reds; and that N was trying to "have his cake and eat it". NS did not ask for an appeal because "life is too short". I am not sure what EW have on their card for this auction but suspect that they did not specify actions over a double of 1N. My purpose in posing this question is to provide independent advice to the director should you disagree with his ruling.

You make a good point. I would prefer a 1♠ to 2♦ response. I was actually playing with a regular partner of cyberyeti. Like cy, he also preferred a 1♠ bid on my hand. Playing in this style, one can place less reliance on 4 spades for the double and more reliance of at least 3 cards in both minors. Who would have thought take out doubles presented so many opportunities for misunderstanding.

Thanks for all the opinions expressed. There seems to be a preference for a 1NT overcall, albeit not a strong one. Although the actual hand is not really pertinent to the post, I know that I like to find out what precipitated other peoples posts. [hv=pc=n&s=s8632h6d764caj964&w=sk74h8742da953ct8&n=sj9haqjt93dqt82cq&e=saqt5hk5dkjck7532&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=p1hdp2d2hppp]399|300[/hv] As you see, when North bid again, I, East, decided to go quietly. I led ♦K and continued with♦ J. Partner expecting me to have 3 diamonds won with the A and switched after which 8 tricks were routine for declarer.- 4 IMPs. Of course, an immediate diamond ruff followed by AK♠ and a fourth diamond for a trump promotion would defeat the contract. For EW, 1N is straightforward, 2♣ and 2♦ look more problematic.

Mycroft has my meaning exactly; hence a flexible stop would be Axx(x) so that you choose when/if to cut defensive communication.

Complete incompetence on the hand editor front. Anyway this is the East hand. AQT5 K5 KJ K7532 EW vul,Dealer W, Bidding P, 1H, ? (opponents playing 4 Card majors, scoring, X-imps) My question. Is there a preferred expert treatment for this type of hand with inflexible stop, poor 5 card suit and shortage in the third suit? I have tended to prefer double and pass partners 2D response hoping for a 5-2 fit.

The west hand was x 98xx Jxxx QTxx, so immediately cashing AK♣ finished our chances. I agree with CY that it is not a disaster if the third round of diamonds gets ruffed. On the actual deal I believe 4 clubs and a stiff spade with west is fatal but I was wondering if cashing three rounds of diamonds and immediately taking a club finesse was better? I then realised that you aren't too happy when East wins the Jack and returns a diamond for an uppercut. So is there a line that can accommodate 4 clubs with West without damaging our chances on a 3-2 break?

My immediate thought was 2C natural F1, X = H; but is there a difference depending on what 1C means? In Italy where 1C is natural or 2+ and usually a weak NT, it is normal for an immediate overcall of 2C to be natural (rather than Michaels). Is this also the case for Standard American? If so, I can imagine that without discussion, ones instinct might be to bid 2C naturally on a weak hand in the stated auction.