paulhar

Thank you very much!

Thanks! Is the old client still available to new players? I didn't see a download on bridgebase.com.

I have a client that I use to log into BBO online from years ago. It seems to work but if I happen to start a Minibirdge table or a Rubber Bridge table, nobody sees it (at least not the people logging on through bridgebase.com. (Yes, I know that nobody wants to play these, but our students might, and I'm trying to make a little quick-start guide for them.) Also, the client has access to chat rooms. When I log in like a new user does, through www.bridgebase.com, I see only playing options, not any chat room options. Is the only way to get to a chat room via the old client, and how does a new user get access to that client? Thanks in advance for your answer!

Are we all better than this drooling field? Maybe the rest of you can guarantee qualifying by simply sitting back and doing nothing on Day 1, but if this is a national event, I'm not good enough to do that. (I've won a few regional events - and I still think that.) I don't pretend to think that I'm good enough to get anything more than 50% by taking what I feel is the 'field' action, so if my judgment says that I can get 53% by taking an anti-field bid, I take it. If I don't qualify, well, then I wasn't going to win the event anyway. I take it one step further. With nine cards missing the queen, I'll use the flimsiest of evidence from the bidding or play to finesse one opponent for the queen if I think my success rate will be more than the teeny advantage offered by playing for the drop. My answer is to the first post is - 'Make what you think are your best bids and plays, and to heck with the field.' OK, I must admit that if I'm playing against the only weak pair in a strong field, that I'll think twice before passing a bid out or making a more outrageous preempt than the field, but thinking about these things on every deal will use brainpower that will be more needed on the play and defense on difficult deals.

It might be an issue over opener's 1S rebid though.

If any strong pairs still play strong jump shifts by responder, (1) does it guarantee a 5-card suit? (a strong 5-card suit)? (2) if opener bids a new suit, do you play it natural? (3) In a club where 4th suit forcing is banned (!), responder to a 1C opener held: ♠ K J 10 8 ♥ K 9 3 2 ♦ A K ♣ K 6 5 Responder's plan was to jump shift into 2H (showing 17-19, Soloway style), planning to raise spades or bid notrump otherwise even if hearts are raised (since opener could have three.) Without methods (this being a Class A game where conventions weren't allowed except Stayman and Blackwood), responder's other alternative was to respond 1H and raise 1S to 5S, raise 2H to 5H, and bid 4NT natural otherwise (and hope partner didn't take it as Blackwood.) (4) Was responder's jump shift plan reasonable? (5) Am I missing something - did responder have a better plan that I didn't mention, given the lack of allowable conventions?

I have played 2D waiting for 35 years now so I really know very little about the immediate 2H negative to the strong 2C opening bid. I have some questions that I would like answered by people who play the immediate 2H negative (my understanding is that the 2H is the only way to stop below game.) 1. Is 2C-2H forcing? 2. Is 2C-2H-2S forcing? 3. Is 2C-2H-3C forcing? 4. Is 2C-2H-2S-any-3H forcing? 5. When I play 2D waiting, my 2NT rebid shows 22-24 and 3NT shows 25-27. When somebody plays the immediate 2H negative, their 2D is already forcing to game, so do 2C-2D-2NT and 2C-2D-3NT retain the same meaning, or does some fast arrival issues apply? (I believe I know the answer, but some people that play the 2H immediate negative are giving me an answer that really surprises me.) Thank you in advance for your responses!

The worst (or perhaps the best) bid was 3S! No number of clubs from South is forcing, and South just has to guess. Souch could bid 4S, but without a club fit, is South really that strong? Imagine that North holds xxxx, AQxx, KQJx, x - where does the partnership want to play? If South doesn't cuebid, whatever he bids is the likely final contract, so he just has to play the odds, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if a simulation picked 6C as the winner (although my bet would be on 5C.) Those stating that 6C is unbelievably bad are playing results IMO - almost certainly if partner has a balanced hand, you want to play in clubs. Now it's North's guess. It seems "obvious" to bid 5H over 5C, but in the actual auction, North must guess the extent of the heart fit and the solidity of the clubs. While the result is rediculous, I remain unconvinced that anybody made a terrible bid. By the way, with no agreements, I like an immediate cuebid by responder instead of the negative double, correcting the inevitable 5C bid to 5H. North just knows that partner is bidding clubs over the negative double, and this hand looks too good to just bid 4H over 3S. The only downside I can see to this is if partner thinks your cuebid shows club support and starts bidding controls (where he will think your next bid is a control.) Without prior discussion, I wouldn't think partner should think this, but it would not totally shock me if partner did think that.

I'm sure this is overly simplistic but if you're close to an absolute beginner, I believe the following is good advice. When your points are at least thirteen Not more than twenty-one can be seen You should open with a bid of one Your search for a fit has just begun. One notrump is the bid we like best Show what you got and let pard do the rest Sixteen to eighteen, no less, no more A balanced hand is what you're looking for! When one notrump you cannot open Bid one of a suit and stop your mopin' Your longest suit will win most wagers But remember we play five card majors If you don't have five hearts or spades The minors act as jack-of-all trades Clubs or diamonds, whichever is longer It doesn't matter which one is stronger. The above would have you open either 1C or 1D. 1C is theoretically correct, but if one of my beginners opened 1D, he is unlikely to come to harm (I'm very happy he chose not to open 1S or 1NT or pass!) P.S. For those of you who might teach beginners who think I expect far too little from my students, have you actually watched your students bid?

Assume you play a standard system where responses to a reverse are as follows: (you can mention if you feel these are unsound) 1x p 1y p 2z p ? (y > z > x) Cheaper of the fourth suit or 2NT implies weakness and can get out below game if opener has a minimum reverse (i.e. 1C-1S-2D-2H, or 1C-1S-2H-2NT) 2 of responder's major is ambiguous and forcing (could be weak - still possible to get out below game) All other bids are game forcing (possible to get out in 4 of a minor with sophisticated agreements.) How would you play responder's jump rebid in his major (i.e. 1C-1S-2H-3S) ?

Thanks to all that replied. When the hand was actually held, partner had a blizzard with six hearts so double would have won on this occasion (if you decided to sit for 4H.) The person who held the hand bid 4NT for a disaster. I personally don't think any of the three choices that got votes (pass, double, 4NT) are terrible. I chose pass since I have seen a lot of two-card raises.

Both vul at IMPS, you as South hold: ♠ 6 5 2 ♥ A K ♦ Q 8 7 4 ♣ A K Q 5 West: 2S (weak) North: Pass East: 3S South: Your call?

1. Is this grand biddable in either standard or 2/1 GF, and if so, how? 2. Is this grand biddable in either standard or 2/1 GF starting with 1H-2C-3NT (18-19), and if so, how? [hv=pc=n&w=sa52hakt72da54cq2&e=skq6hq98d8cakjt98]266|100[/hv]

You are right - all the answers are supposed to be SPADES. I'm not sure how to edit the poll answers.

1NT P 2H P ? 2H is a transfer to spades. What would you show if you now bid 3D instead of 2S?