MickyB

K+R is either bad or just grossly misused. It has some value for suit contracts but none for no-trumps. I would never take it as an indication of what I should open - a 5-5 9-count can pass and catch up later, but it can't open then persuade partner to not bid 3NT with a misfitting 13-count.

3♠ would tend to wrong-side no-trumps pretty horrifically. It would be better to have 3H and 3S/3N split by number of spades, with 3S over 3H asking for a stop.

AJ A KT853 AJT86 IMPs, favourable 1S:2D 2S:3C 3N:? 1S:2D shows 5+cards, GF Over 1S:2D - 2NT and 3C would have shown extras; 3D would have shown four cards any strength.

Splintering looks normal. A stiff ace is fine when we have soft values outside. We might miss a slam opposite Axx heart and the ♦K but otherwise it should work out fine.

No blame, it's not easy to reach 7NT on these cards

Yeah that was my vote. I once bid Smolen on a hand like this. Partner had AQx spade and hearts were 5-1. This hand can be my second data point. Stopping the spade lead could be huge in 4H too, need to avoid the force.

Talking of which - why isn't a 4th substitution permitted in games that go into extra time? Seems a no-brainer.

Van Gaal made a difference vs Costa Rica, by bringing on Krul. However, I think that decision may have come back to haunt him - it will have reduced the team's confidence for yesterday's shootout, knowing that Cillessen would have been subbed if the Dutch hadn't already made all three of their substitutions.

I was looking at Betfair before the match and 7.5+goals was 249-1. I suggested this might be worth a punt and got mocked...and that was probably deserved.

Told ya

http://en.gorilla-24.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/image40.jpg

double post

It's almost like right-siding isn't the main advantage of transfers

We had this discussion a little while back. Your nomenclature makes more sense but most use "semi-forcing" to mean "wide-ranging, non-forcing" regardless of what opener is expected to do. Normally, 14-16 NT pairs pass all weak NTs, 15-17 NT pairs bid again with maxima.

Hog - Jason+Justin played that in the context of four-card majors 14-16 NT. They've now switched to five-card majors, I doubt they still play it but I haven't checked. 2/1 GF except rebid is the way to go IMO, you can assign a jump-shift to an INV three-card raise.

The former uses a technique known as "forcing bids".

IMO if your suit isn't good enough to WJO then it's no big deal to just pass 2H now.

Not worth the memory load IMO

I'd guess 6C was a cue? He thinks they have all the keycards after all. I've forgotten what it would imply about the SQ. But yes, great hand. Forrester's play in 2C X was great too.

2♠ shows a hand too good to WJO in my book, which seems fine, although raising is tempting too.

No other Italian pair played enough boards to be included on the butler. Cima-Sementa 64 boards played Sementa-Versace 32 Cima-Giubilo 64 Giubulo-Sementa 32

The link is just wrong for the seniors B-Final - http://www.eurobridge.org/repository/competitions/14Opatija/microsite/ButlerSFB.htm

I think you have two more sets of boards than tables, eg 26 boards for an 11-table movement. You can then play 22, 24 or 26 boards with 0/1/2 revenge rounds respectively.

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