MickyB

I was playing in a tournament yesterday as half of a moving pair. I loaded an FD file, and I believe both my partner and I could see it. After we moved for the 2nd round, my partner couldn't see the descriptions - I reloaded it, which solved the problem. After moving for the 3rd round, the same thing happened to me. I think there may have been another time when a similar thing happened just in Main Bridge Club, or I could be making that up :P

I've only skimmed this thread, so apologies if I'm repeating something that has already been said - Cross-IMPs is what we have in MBC on BBO. The tactics should be pretty much the same as teams, so I'd go for the overtrick. Butler IMPs is different - you remove the top two and bottom two scores, take the mean and then IMP up against that. Overtricks tend to be less valuable there.

I should know the answer to this, but - were you using screens, David?

4♥ at IMPs, pass at MPs Edit: Or maybe 3♥ at MPs, I can't decide

Not sure if I was clear - I meant that 1Y:2X, 2Y:2N should be GF

Hmm, two more thoughts... It seems to me that it probably makes sense to 2/1 more aggressively with tolerance for pard's major - maybe a doubleton is worth about a point more than a singleton? In Acol you can't really do that, because you are making your 2/1 in order to reach 3N opposite 15-16 balanced. Peter - As I said in my last post, if you are playing 2/1s as being within a couple of points of game, 1Y:2X, 2Y starts having a very narrow range. Maybe 2NT now should be GF? Either that or make your 2/1s another point or so lighter.

Frances, a couple of comments - If 1♦ could be a weak NT, it seems quite restrictive to play 1♦:2♣, 2♦ as NF - responder will usually be 11+, so opener lands up with a very narrow range. OTOH, you are probably better than me at judging when to stay out of a misfitting 3N on this auction ;) I do think that how light you open should affect 2/1 style, because - The lighter you open, the less likely you are to have a GF hand as responder - as 2/1 GF sequences rate to gain IMPs over light 2/1s and 1NT responses rate to lose IMPs, the comparative frequency is important The more wide ranging the 1NT response, the greater the losses from responding 1NT will be

I think this one is pretty close. I hate selling out to 2♥ here, but preemptor's partner may well raise rather than thinking he will get away with playing a 9/10 card fit at the 2 level. If you bid 3♦ you are very likely to hear 3NT from partner, which I think you should pull...but there is a case for saying that should be GFing now. At the table, my LHO held this hand and bid 3♦. My RHO bid 3N on xxxx KQT9x Qx Qx, Lefty pulled to 4♣ and righty corrected to 4♦, which goes at least 2 off. 2♥ would have been pretty marginal.

I opened 1♦, and received a lot of criticism for it in the pub afterwards! Partner bid 2♣ so I said a quick prayer and put down dummy, luckily he held the hand from the other thread, (84 T52 T8 AKQT86) so 2♣ was just there. I went for 1♦ because I didn't want to draw a 2♣ response a 2434 or, the nightmare hand, a 3433. Looks like 1♠ will reach the same spot of 2♣, 1N will fetch 3N and 1♣ will just confuse partner completely!

2♠ would probably have showed 6 clubs, but partner wouldn't show a good hand for clubs without a top honour to solidify our suit!

North is worth 3♦ on the first round, 2♠ isn't ridiculous though. The 2♦ overcall was insane.

[hv=d=n&v=b&s=s84ht52dt8cakqt86]133|100|Scoring: XIMP Pard opens a 12-14 NT[/hv] Feeling frisky? There's no way to involve partner in this decision (unless you feel like making a straight invite).

I expect him to balance if he is a passed hand, and not otherwise. It seems lunacy to require an unpassed hand to bid on muck, because it messes up your constructive bidding when he actually "has his bid".

[hv=d=w&v=b&s=skjt9hj94daq32c42]133|100|Scoring: XIMP (P)-P-(P)-?[/hv] You are playing 12-14 NT, 5 card majors, Better Minor, and partner is solid. The opps are good, and they play 15-17 NT, 5 card majors. Do you throw this in or find an opening bid, and if so, what? You don't play Drury, a 1NT response would be NF (upto a bad 9 points).

If RHO was first to speak, I'm definitely doubling on A but not on C, still not too sure about B - I'd go for it if I had 3334 shape because I'd be more likely to reach the better minor fit. If partner is a passed hand I'll pass on all three.

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=skh7da97432caj965]133|100|Scoring: XIMP (P)-P-(2♥)-?[/hv] RHO's weak two is wide-ranging and undisciplined. Are you going to act?

Missed out why I play it - My system allows for opening flat 11 counts without the traditional losses of doing so, so it makes sense to open fairly light in the majors as well. Having decided we are going to open by rule of 19, it seems to make more sense to focus on reaching game when it is there and a safe part-score when it is not, as opposed to 2/1 GF which focuses on slam bidding.

a) 1M:2m, 3m is NF :) In simple methods, any single suiter with GF values jumps to 3M c) If you are opening balanced hands with 1♦, the strength of 1D:2C has to depend on your NT range - IMO they should be GF opposite the balanced minimum. d) Not for me e) I open Rule of 19 in the majors After 1Y:2X, I play 2N as a GF single suiter and 3X+1 as a GF raise, e.g. after 1S:2D, my rebids are: 2H Nat F1 2S Nat NF (includes 11-13 bal) 2N Spade single suiter, GF 3C Nat GF 3D Nat NF 3H 4+diamonds, GF 3S Splinter in hearts 3N 17-20 balanced 4C Splinter, serious about playing in diamonds 4D At least 5-5 My 1D opening is always 4+ cards unbal (may have longer clubs) so I use the same style of responses after 1D:2C.

Thanks Denis, I'd forgotten about that. It looks pretty useful.

Does anyone know where I can find standardish system notes for defensive bidding? I've had a few misunderstandings in competitive auctions lately (1C-X-1S-2S, 1H-P-2H-3S, 2C-P-P-X, XX-P where 2C was Precision) and want everything documented, but starting from scratch sounds like a mammoth task! TIA

It would probably be more like 7+. However, playing double as just showing opening values is not a good idea IMO, better to play it as 15+ or a source of tricks. Partner will then usually pass unless he has 0-4 points with a 5 card suit to run to (although some are happy to run to 4 card suits on weak hands).

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=s953hat7dt652ck82]133|100|Scoring: XIMP 1♠:2♣ 2♦:2N 3N[/hv] Q1 - What do you lead? Q2 - If you didn't lead a heart in Q1, which heart do you think is best to lead? Q3 - In general, how do you decide what card to lead against NT from Hhx? Thx

Yeah, like, what you said But I'd open 3♣ on Jxxxxx in a weak hand, which messes up pard's decision on when to compete.

Ok, fair enough, I thought you were considering 3♣ as an alternative. Should double really be pens here?

It's bridge, I pass...