ArcLight

>>You pickup a partner and he or she has no information on their profile. You ask what they are playing but there is no response. Probably they don't speak English. What do you play? Why even play with that person? How many decent players have no information. A true expert would have something like "I'll play your system". But to have nothing is probably indicative of a bad player. I would assume 5 card majors, a strong NT, and that forcing bids (esp. Revereses) will be passed, and that this type of bididng will occur: You Opp Pard Opp 2S (weak) p p X p 3C 3S p p X

I own and have read a great many bridge books. And I have reread many of them. I think any decent (Intermediate level and above) set of problems is well worth reading again. Give yourself at least a year before rereading the same book. If you find yourself thinking "Hmm, I wonder what to do if the trumps break 5-0? Maybe I better shorten my trumps just in case ..." then you are making progress. All Kelsey books Many Reese Books PS Also do Bridge Master Problems, and reread books on deduction like How to Read Your Opponents Cards, and the ones by Kelsey, Dormer Kambites, etc. on this topic. Plus Counting at Bridge (CD) Vols 1&2 >>I don't think anyone could read Adventures in Card Play too many times. I also don't think anyone could read that book for the 100th time and not catch something missed earlier. Waste of time. While the book is facinating, you are far better off spending your time thinking about what to do if trumps are 4-1 instead of how to play some once in a life time squeeze. Or just read David Birds excellent book on Squeezes (Bridge Squuezes fro Everyone) and refine your ability to pull off a double squeeze.

>>Would have opened 2N and avoided a lot of these shenanigans probably This is matchpoints. I think opening 2NT is against the field, and probably is to be avoided, unless you are swinging.

If 3♠ is asking for a Spade stopper for 3NT, then that implies pard has a ♣ Stopper. Since we hold the AQ, then pard holds what? Kx in Clubs? Jxxx in Clubs? What is LHO holding in clubs for his overcall? 987654? But it does bother me that Spades have not been bid. If 3♠ is a splinter, then spades are 5-5 with the opps, implying LHO has more Clubs, call it 6. With 5-1-1-6 Might not 2NT have been a better bid than 2C? So pard can't have a Spade splinter. I guess he has a good hand for hearts, since 2S would have been a Reverse and forcing. I'm confused, I guess I'll bid 3NT. Maybe part will put me back in hearts. I hope to get a plus, instead of going down in a misunderstanding.

I will pass. The question is: what do you bid after LHO respoonds 3♦? Pass - Pass - ? Pass or X?

1♦ - 1♥ 2♠ is ajump shift, forcing to game, showing 19+, thus is stronger than a reverse 1♦ - 1♥ 1♠ is forcing anyway

Since I don't play in tournements I don't really have any experience with cheating with respect to the opps sharing their cards (or our cards). However, I frequently see partnerships not divulging their methods, even when asked. I ask them: - what lead conventions do you use? (3/5, 4th best? other?) - what signaling do you use? Attitude? Count? What discards? Frequently the refuse to answer. I may restate the question to both of them, telling them I haven't receive an answer and need to know before I can play. I occasionally get booted for that. I don't call them names. I do say "its required by the laws of bridge to diclose your partnership agreements". That bets me ejected :-) So I think deliberate non-disclosure of partnership agreements is quite common. That is a form of cheating, but no where near as bad as telling pard your cards.

>>Just read an article in this month's Bridge World where they calculated statistics of the value of doubling weak NT for penalty. And what did it say?

Mike Lawrence has a book on 2/1 (2 I think), and he has a great software program (sold on BBO) on 2/1

Take All Your Chances (Eddie Kantar) Solid Beginner, Intermediate level book - (not for advanced players at all). The basic theme is before taking a finesse look to see if there is a way to combine chances. Ex: Before finessing the Q from AQx, play off the A and K from AJx opposite Kxx in cas eteh Q drops.

Given the bidding: 2♣ - (2♠) - ? What do these bids mean? - Pass? - Dbl?

Wielding the Axe by Augie Boehm The book is about penalty doubles. When to pass for penalties, when to X, what types of hands should consider a penalty. Its an intermediate level book, and sort of a continuation of the authors other book "Demon Defense And Demon Doubling". The book gives more examples of MP penalty doubles, and fewer IMP doubles. I was hoping for more analysis of IMP doubles, especially the dangerous ones like doubling a partial that makes resulting in a game bonus (plus more). The book wa sok, worth reading, but nothing special. I would recommend Demon Defense And Demon Doubling for intermediates over this, but its still ok. The author goes on to state that he thinks there is more of a nee dto pass for penalties against hyper aggressive opponents, that collecting a number here and there will serve to get them to back off a bit. He does mention that he doesn't like Support Doubles in IMPs against aggressive opponents since he thinks the ability to punish them is lost to some degree. HE also lists some sequences to discuss with pard as to their meaning, so both of you are clear as to what they mean (take out vs penalty).

Somehow we Landed in 6NT - David Bird I think this is mainly for advanced player, or at least advanced intermediate. Half the book is on real life contracts and the other half from David Birds fictional/humorous books on Bridge (the Abbot, the Rabbi, the Witch Doctor, etc.) Most of teh hands require a less complicated squeeze (Single, Double, or Stip-Squeeze), but there are a few tougher squeezes. I think you have to already be knowledgeable about a variety of topics (false cards, technique) to enjoy or get much out of the book. I don't think its a great instructional book. I still enjoyed it and give it a B+. Lots of examples. Bridge Endplays for Everyone - David Bird Its strats out very basic but by the end of the book has covered a number of interesting non-trivial hands. A good book for Intermediate level players. Even advanced players on the lower end of advanced will find many of the hands interesting. There are quite a few hands supplied, not lots of filler. I enjoyed it and recommend it for intermediates. For them I will give it an A. For Advanced players maybe its a B.

If pard opens, why bid 4♠? What makes you think they are making 5♣? Or 4♥? They may not have a 4-4 heart fit. Will they try for 3NT? Spades rule, let them bid at the 4 level and go down. You have high spots in the reds and 4 hearts. Maybe you get Xed at the 4 level. <I just don't see this as an obvious 4♠, but I could be wrong> In the case of an overcall, pard doesn't need to have as much as when he opens. But he could still have a decent hand. Maybe 4S is a better bid than if pard opened. If you fear the opps making game.

>. You try to play like Larry Cohen, albeit poorly. You strictly play by the Law of Total Tricks, and use way too many conventions. Then when you inevitably mess up, you have to scream at your partner in that thick New York accent. I don't know Larry Cohen in person, but I very much doubt he likes to use many conventions, and also very much doubt he would yell at his pards.

OK - this is the best (funniest ) quite of the week. Nice one Hannie. :blink:

>.Has anyone used the Two Over One software by Lawrence and Gitelman? Its pretty good. A little mor eupdated than his book.

>>What do I do when having to make the opening lead and holding a singleton King? Probably not lead it B) Unless pard overcalled that suit. >>I tend to lead something else and hope that declarer finesses against my King at some point. Me too! I suggest reading Mike Lawrences book "Opening Leads". He discusses things like listening to the bidding, trying to picture the opponents hands, do they sould like they have a sure game ready to wrap up? Maybe deperate plays are needed.

>>I don't know Lawrence's take on 2/1 but are you sure 1m - 2NT isn't 12+ there ? In the example from my notes on MLs books/CDs 2NT shows 11-12, not 12+. I'm not saying this is the best treatment, just that there are many who play this, and if you are playing with a new pard, you shouldn't assume they are doing something different. ML also says to discuss this sequence, as people have different continuations over 2NT. >>Because every system/treatement has some advantages and disadvantages. >Thinking this way is sure way to never make progress. You can assert any random treatment and say "well every system/treatment has some advantages and disadvantages" so it can't be bad ! This is you misinterpreting what I said. Actually more like twisting it. A response to a bid (say over 2NT) over a large set of hands will win some and lose some. If the overall expected value is higher than another meaning, its probably a good set of responses. But you wont always get a good result and the worse set of responses may sometimes give a better one. >.I made simple simulation for this hand. What were the parameters? >3♦ makes 90% of the time while 2Nt makes 31% of the time. Then you need to discuss with pard ahead of time other responses to 2NT, like 3H, 3S, etc. What does 4D mean? 4C? Standard might not be the bets, but if you and pard have a bididng misunderstanding, you will get burned. Making a bid that works out poorly and blaming pard for assuming standard (whatever that is) will harm your partnership.

>.Passing 4NT is also insulting p, of course you may be right, that he has no clue, what he is doing, but never ever insult p. In general I agree, but with random pick up "Advanced" pards I get burned all the time. For example - I held a balanced 9 HCP hand. p p p 2♣ (from pard) p p p 2♣ p 2♦ p 3NT p ? what does 3NT mean? since 2NT = 20-21, 2♣->2NT shows 22-24, 3NT shows 25-27. So I bid 6NT. But I was 99% positive pard didn't know what he was doing, and sure enough he didnt have his bid, down a few. In this case the 4NT is a train wreck. I see nothing wrong with trying to stop the wreck and passing. What can pard have? AQTx hearts, with the K onside? (good for a discard) AQ of Daimonds iwth the king also onside? (our lucky day). AK of Clubs. The Jack of spades? What a lucky hand. :) If the pick up pard has already made a bidding error, and you doubt he knows what he's doing pass 4NT. Will it doom your partnership? Maybe, and maybe the pard is awful and its no loss.

LOL. This must be one of the worst agreements ever. Why? What is the standard? In Mike Lawrences 2/1 CD (or book) he suggests a bid beyond 2NT is forcing, though he suggests you go over what these bids mean with your partner. I don't see why the LOL. Mikes response seems to be the standard (unles sthe standard has changed over the last 5-10 years, and it might have). You may not think this is the bets treatment, but in a new partnership I would assume the standard without prior discussion. >>Why in the world should 3♣ be forcing? Because every system/treatement has some advantages and disadvantages. I believe 3♣ is forcing in standard,, even if thats not optimal (no opinion either way)

Maybe he didn't consider it good enough? Just on the cusp.

I passed, LHO passed, and pard .... well, had I bid 2S or 3S we could have made 6. Instead [pick up] pard bid 5♦, down a few, "Last Hand for me" as my dummy went down. I was worried about the hearts, could easily be 2 losers, and even if pard over ruffs LHO (assuming hearts are 2-2) I could then afford just 1 more loser. But I'm begiining to think 2S would have bene the correct bid. If pard has Ax in spades, 2 hearts, and Axx in Clubs, we can make 4S, assuming LHO has both black kings. New question - Bididng goes 2♥ - (2♠) - pass - what do you expect your pard to have for the 2♠ bid? 5 spades? 5 good spades? 6 spades? A full opening bid? Or 5 good spades with at least 1 quality points / nothing wasted in hearts / decent shape? Is it better to pass, or better to bid 2S, risking pard gets too high?

IMPS, White on Red RHO deals and opens 2♥ (a weak 2 in hearts, 6 cards, with at least 1 honor, the hand can have 10 HCP) What do you bid holding: ♠ Q J 10 9 7 6 5 ♥ Q x x ♦ ♣ Q J 10

>>No, that is what 2♦ shows 2♦ is a reverse, not a Jump shift. The Reverse is forcing for one round, while teh Jump Shift is game forcing. Now this might be wasteful, having 2 bids to show stong hands, maybe. So maybe its better that 3♦ have a different meaning than Jump Shift, such as a splinter. Maybe. But in "standard bidding" I think 3D would not be a splinter, it would be a Jumpshift. In standard bidding, a splinter is defined as a double jump.