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?

for all we know?? My partner definitely has only two spades. And if perchance he forgot we are not playing constructive raises and has a bad hand with 3, the opponents would have been heard from by now. If partner has a bad hand with 3 spades, does that make me want to bid? Even a magic Kxx, xxx, xxxx, QJx isn't even 50%!

I'd like to know your feelings on what expert opinion is on the following auction: 1D P 1S P 2S P 3C You will note that most of the poll selections are game tries. It goes without saying that if you choose one of the 'game try' selections, that partner can do something else after you reject (or accept!) the game try and show a hand that was interested in more than game; but that partner assumes it's a game try until shown otherwise. A possible followup poll (feel free to elaborate now) is, assuming you do play it as a game try, how does opener reply? (possible options are: Opener should just bid 3S or 4S Opener canmake some "concentration" bid to further help in determining game prospects Opener's bids of 3D or 3H accept the game try and cater to the possibility that the 3C was a slam investigation "this time" by showing a control (or concentration by partnership agreement) As above, except 3D and 3H would reject the game try and 4D and 4H would accept it (of course, 3NT and 4C are available...) There are probably other approaches, but I can't think of them at this time...

So do I.

I voted for 2S too quickly because I thought I was red on white. However, now that I realize that I'm white on red, I think I bid 3S Clearly we don't have a game unless partner has a trememdous passed hand for spades. Why not make it as difficult as possible for the opponents? Now, while it might appear that 4S makes it the most difficult, the "default" action is to be doubled (or to be passed out when partner has 10 or 11 and a spade partial higher than any contract they can make is all you can make.) Even if I can make only 2S, there's enough of a chance they'll bid over 3S to save me. But the big bonus I'm looking for is that it's their hand and I've stolen too much room with a 3S bid.

Playing 2/1 game forcing, you open 1H, partner bids 2C, you bid 2D. What is the difference between partner's 2H, 3H, and 4H calls? For those of you that inevitably are going to reply that I should post this in the beginner's section, the reason I'm posting this is because I have seen such a disparity of opinion among decent players and authors and want to get a feel for what people play today.

Playing 2/1 absolutely game forcing, what do you think the auction 1H-2D-2H-4H all by one side shows? Note: the first choice does NOT imply that I think 2H shows 6, it simply is a possible vote.

Playing 2/1 game forcing without exception, you open 1H, partner responds 2D, you rebid 2H (nebulous), partner bids 3H (shows 3, stronger than 4H - or whatever you think 3H should be.) Choose your call.

Hi. You are playing 1S-2H game forcing (absolutely - a 3H rebid by responder can't be passed.) What is 4H by opener?

I might be flying solo on this one but I lead a heart. Majors rate to be better than minors on this auction and I put some credence into partner's pass over 2S. Besides, hearts is my longer major! While I may blow a trick on the lead if partner has specifically QJ10(x), I'm getting a start on setting up my fourth heart. A diamond just seems too risky to me - there's a reasonable chance I'll find diamonds in the dummy.

You hold: Q 3 2 A J 4 3 K Q 4 J 5 3 It's your call over partner's 1S bid and you play 2/1 game forcing and 1NT absolutely forcing. Your choice?