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.

[hv=pc=n&s=sk5hq9dakq63ca642&n=sa8642ha74d5ckj87&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1dp1sp3cp3hp3sp4cp4dp6cppp]266|200[/hv] This hand was played in a social game. On 8♥ lead, declarer won the A, cashed AK♣, AKQ♦ pitching 4, 7 ♥. It seemed to me that this line was not best since if ♦ break 5-2 declarer is left with 3 red suit losers and 2 trumps in dummy to take care of them. What is the best line to combine your chances on this deal?

Cyberyeti asked me to post this. "I'm unable to post to the BBO forums at the moment as after lots of attempts, they still refuse to reset my forum password which just suddenly stopped working or actually talk to me to explain what the problem is." CY has asked me to tell eagles123 that he would be happy to have a game with him on February 11th. email the secretary of the Norfolk and Norwich BC from the list on the county website (shown above) and you will be put in touch. The afternoon bridge club also offers a pleasant game.

delete duplicate

Having played 12-14 NT for 40 yrs my suggestions are: 1) Don't just consider hands where the 1NT opener went wrong in choosing the system. Look also at positives e.g. at hands where you have nicked a part score from opponents who did not/could not overcall against you. then you can take a balanced view of positives and negatives. 2) it took me about 20 years to learn that you pass hands like North (deal 1). It is not just that you can't make game opposite lots of 14 or 13 count raises; its that you are going off in 2N opposite loads of 12 counts with everyone else playing at the one level. 3) the 11 counts, or even 10 counts, to raise are those with playing strength - decent long suits or stuffed with 10's and 9's. 4)Hand 2 shows the downside of 12-14 NT which pay off against your successes with the system. You should see this as lucky for you! Another day you'll be going for 500 or 800 - so put this one in the PLUS column! well it is the season to be Jolly. :P

I started the hand as a pessimist and became optimistic whereas I imagine you did the reverse. I agree with your inference but not the interpretation. Surely the fact we have bypassed 3H has encouraged partner with his H void? - My question is why has partner cued in H and then over 4S has backed off with 5D. He knows we have values in S so a cue there can not be a disappointment to him otherwise he would have signed off earlier. My take on this is that the sequence is intended to draw our attention to the critical importance of our club holding. Is ATx good enough? surely partner can't be worse than xx - AKxxxxx KJxx? Incidentally, a very sound player from Yorkshire, Alan Martindale, had a favourite saying - "I've never won a match by bidding a slam, but I've lost plenty." Wonder where this one figured in the final analysis?

Pardon my audacity in having the gall to post in this high church. My immediate thought, like paulg was that partner has not used RKCB (or minorwood etc if it was being played) because he has a void and 5H exclusion takes him too high. If it was in spades, then he would have signed off immediately knowing we had wasted values there; if it was in clubs he would have cued 5C giving me the chance to sign off with wasted values there; therefore it is in hearts. Would he seriously have made a slam invite with Kxx - AKJxxxx Kxx when 5D might be too high? One or both black Q's look much more likely. I'm bidding 6C looking for the grand.

If you can't open 1N or 1S on this hand, then 1C is much preferable to 1D. 40+ years ago Terence Reece wrote "don't bid bad suits on good hands". If partner can rely on you opening decent suits, (s)he is better placed to evaluate singletons opposite potentially wasted values.

thanks for this thought. And as Zasanya says, you can reduce the 1444 frequency in the opening NT even further by not including the 14 counts and also (as we do) not opening 1444 12 counts. After that, transfer and when its wrong suck it up! B-) As far as breaking transfers goes, it seems to me far more useful to decide on LTT principles rather than point count.

Following on from the post about where bad players get their ideas and transfers over the weak NT. According to Jacobs, Fantunes play 12-14 NT which may includes 1444 and 5242 distributions. The system is to play transfers. But do they transfer all hands with a 5 card major or are they selective as to suit quality? Clearly Txxxx Kxx Kx QJx may be better off in 1N in the first case but spades will be a somewhat easier contract in the second. Perhaps the database guys can find some examples.

Can you or MickyB give a link to the Forrester hand? My efforts to find something Have failed miserably. Loved your post about 1D-X-1H etc..