Lorne50

You could try Bridge Analyser here: https://www.cantab.net/users/bridge.analyser/Bridge/index.html It is mentioned in the book and was used by Taf Anthias for some of the initial analysis. Amongst other things it can deal hands to match constraints you set and do double dummy analysis based of fixed leads.

FWIW a 1000 deal DD analysis with south opening a weak NT, West fixed, North with less than 11 points and no 5 card major suggests nothing between 3 suits (ave tricks made 6.8) but clubs a clear winner (ave tricks made 6.5). No attempt made to weed out hands that transfer to a minor or make a 4th seat protective call, but Bird-Anthias is based on similar computer based analysis and may have taken time to weed out those cases.

OK - lets get to real question. East tanked for some time before passing and west bid 6S which was the winning action (1 off doubled, 6C cold and bid at every table but 1 other bid 6S and 1 pair doubled). I have been asked to chair an appeal after the director ruled it back to 6C making so the real question is whether the UI makes 6S more likely to be right than pass.

2♥ = weak with 5-6 shape pass and pull to 2♥ = strong 5-6 shape 1N could be anything but 5-5 minors seems a good idea pass and pull to 2♣ = strong with long clubs.

Please explain how this cost a trick - declarer must lose a trump and a club unless your partner was stupid enough to play the Q on trick 1.

Your partner is an idiot. Your bid shows the lowest two unbid suits and that is what you have, and your bid is fine. In some countries some people play 2N as always both minors but I do not believe that is the meaning anybody should use unless it is explicitly agreed.

Penalty. Partner should have a good weak 2 in spades but did not open because he has 4 hearts. You have a club stack and short spades.

Brian Senior published an analysis of the 1997 World Championships in Tunisia looking at all 2 and 3 level openers and comparing results for different meaning of the various bids. Frequency of each call was very low however but it may be worth looking at to give ideas about what to measure. The intro says he was planning to do it again at future events but I do not know if he did.

By far the best IMO is to use auto text. Just put a symbol on the page, format it as symbol font and the right colour then go to insert auto text and add it to the list and assign a keyboard shortcut to it. For me Alt-C, alt-D, alt-H and alt-S insert correctly coloured and formatted symbols and allows me to type at normal speed when inserting them.

It is interesting that the line of play chosen (dropping an off-side doubleton spade 10) was probably inferior to the losing line (that also creates the extra entry) of playing the spade 9 to the Q and following with a finesse of the 7.

You only have to look at the myriad of different contracts reached on the same cards by players in top competitions to see that there is a huge gap between the optimum contracts and what is reached in real life.

I do not understand why so many are passing. Turn the 4x10's into a J and 3 low cards and with a 6 count everybody would raise but the hand would have weaker playing strength. Also you can't agree 2N can include 4 hearts unless it is forcing, and if it is forcing you now have to pass 4 counts that are void in the suit opened and have support for the other 3 suits which I think is losing bridge.

This does not address the question you asked but I think 3♠ was a dangerous bid. Doesn't it imply something in hearts? I would be scared partner may convert 6♦ to 6♥ after that bid.

Isn't double a possibility ? Seems more likely to win than 4♥ to me.

Like others I would have opened 3♦ but have a related question. If you bid 3♦ now shouldn't it show 4 hearts as well, else why on earth did you pass first time?

I think your problem is that 4♦ showed a high card control in diamonds because with a small singleton or void you would have bid 4♦ over 2♦ earlier in the auction. Hence your partner knew you were missing an ace but had no way to know it did not matter.

So the third law of thermodynamics is try after all !

Do not forget that alert rules are different in different countries, although it does seem that anybody not stating where they play is nearly always in the USA so your reference is likely to be applicable in this case.

Two out of the 3 clubs where I play in Surrey have the running scores available but few players seem to do anything odd at the end. In fact the only players who are likely to do something odd are those about 1% behind the lead with 1/2 boards to go and even then you need a hand where there is a sensible option to do that and a partner who will understand if you get a bottom and the leaders mess up the last hand as well so you could have won with a normal score. One thing the lawyers might answer is that the laws clearly state that you are not allowed outside aids to your bidding and play. It is for example illegal to look at the back of a bidding card to see the scores for doubles overtricks etc. before making a play decision. Is it illegal to look at a running score if it is on display?

2N rebid for most would be forcing with 18+ points so a jump rebid should be about 7 playing tricks, 15-18 points and not forcing. With a stronger hand where I live it is normal to rebid 3N to show a game force with a long suit and 2N as a game force with a more balanced hand. Over the jump rebid new suits are cues for me (ie agree the opening suit) but not sure if that is standard.

Bridge Analyser has the ability to display hands through a projector or on a larger screen and also to bid and play the hands on screen. It can also deal hands that meet criteria you want. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/lorne.anderson/Bridge/index.htm

I think 4♦ is correct. You want to know if partner has A♣, K♦ , KQ♠. Telling him you have a void needs him to work out you have a long running diamond suit which may not be possible, but by saying you have the diamond ace he is free to show the K which tells you the only thing in doubt is trumps. The only error in the auction was playing 5N as RKC - if it was a trump ask like most would play then the grand would be reached easily and with 100% confidence on the auction given.

How many experts do you see playing a weak NT overcall? Pass is the winning call most often when weak and balanced - if your side has the balance of power partner will often bid or you will get a chance to protect later.

If you have a slam try ask yourself how often will it be with a void in clubs vs how often a control you want to cue bid? The second is clearly a lot more likely so it does not make sense to play it as exclusion.

N should bid 4♠. He knows there are no losers outside trumps so he must make some try. I do not agree with those suggesting 5♥ - to me that says you have 2 losers in the suit bid by the oppo (it is only a trump ask if the auction is not competitive).