jchiu

Angling towards 6♦ is just resulting. Of course, without seeing the companion hand, I could tell that this hand made it here only because 6♦ made in this one instance.

Which partner(s) of yours makes you play the convention named after Linda's husband from Hixson, Tenn.?

Either the last two posts are English humour (1) well beyond my American perceptions, or this forum is becoming very caustic :huh: It seems that nobody cares to explain how to take themselves off a two-suited endplay. I played the remaining spade, declarer cashed the ♣A from dummy. Here, if I tossed a heart as happened in real life, he would play a diamond to the jack (AJ107 left) to endplay me to lead into his diamond tenace. I can do no better than to cash my ♥Q. If I toss a diamond, declarer can cash the ♣A, ♦A, and establish a trick by force. Note that I would have survived my spade play had my partner not tossed any clubs at all. Of course, I should take the full charge here, since I can hardly expect my partner to defend as well as Mr. Callaghan every hand. (1) Yes, I realise (1) that's how they record this word on a keyboard.

Unless your company's lunch break is longer than two hours, I find it hard to imagine that you could play twenty-five hands at a comfortable pace during that time. On the other hand, if it is actually that long, is the company stock ticker SUNW?

I would try to reduce the size of the enemies list by removing names that have not logged into the system for a long time (1). While you may let some who have committed offenses many moons ago rejoin, doing so may not mean the end of the world. Yes, they have committed a wrongful act in one of your prior tournaments. But there are few who I would not forgive, and the efficiency gain (2) would help all of us honest players too. (1) I recall when BBO regulars, like Phil and Han, became so familiar on the site that they could go on a first-name basis (Norm!). They were asked to add the username they wanted as a friend, and confirm that nobody actively used those names. Applying a similar, but automated, solution to this problem would trade a perpetual tournament-time cost for a one-time cost that could be processed during a nightly 'batch'. Getting the classification wrong here would not take over someone else's account. It would only forgive them. (2) I expect that there are 100K active usernames (3), and about ten times as many inactive usernames. Plenty of users sign up, don't use BridgeBase for a while, and forget their passwords. I know my first regular partner from Boston did this at least twice. Perhaps those who landed themselves on your enemy list would have embarrassed themselves sufficiently to find a new alias. (3) Comparing a list of 100K usernames against another list of similar size would not be difficult using a simple hash. I have used this technique successfully for a problem during my research, but signed a contract that I can only disclose details to any gnomes over six feet tall (of BBF members).

ok. how? are they going to search my pockets? the moment anyone tries that i'm calling the cops and a lawyer. It seems like only if they catch someone being careless, like taking a phone out of their pocket as they leave the playing area. They'll definitely know you have a phone if you speed dial a lawyer in front of them. How would one make that inference?

Yes, East should play the ♥Q, but this is the Deschapelles Coup. The Merrimac coup is when you play a high card to remove one of the declaring side's entries. This is true, but I always found it strange that the same play has a different name based on the goal being attempted. I mean if you take a finesse to win a trick, or you take a finesse to keep someone off lead, or you take a finesse to get a count on highcards for a later suit, or you take a finesse to throw in an opponent, it's still a finesse. The naming of the plays is based upon the history of Bridge or, more specifically, the history of Whist, as these plays were named prior to the invention of Contract Bridge (probably prior to the invention of Auction Bridge). They are the same except for the goal to be achieved. Many years ago, I arrived directly from work in a suit and tie for a one-session Sectional pairs game on a Friday evening. Playing with a pick-up partner, I sat down against Jim Linhart on my right. On the first hand, Jim was declaring 3NT. Dummy had a long suit and I had one winner in the suit. I also held Kxx of spades, and dummy's sole entry was the Ax of spades. So I played the SK and cut him off from the long suit in dummy, resulting in down one. The SK lead beat the contract, but did give Jim an additional trick in spades. Jim muttered after the round "He comes right from work, sits down and performs a Merrimack Coup on the first hand!" All my partner could say was "Wouldn't we have beaten the contract another trick if you didn't play the ♠K?" I take it this wasn't Meyer Kotkin.

I disagree on all counts. 1. While I don't like the stiff ♠Q, the shape and offensive potential make this an automatic opener for me 2. I have never gotten good results bidding 4♥, diagonal transfer to 4♠ in this auction 3. I think a 3♦ game try is reasonable, but somewhat of a stretch Now, bidding 5♥ is just mad unless you are playing pass-double inversion. Practically the worst spade holding for further competition, and stale shape besides.

[hv=d=s&v=b&n=saj94haj974d6cakq&w=sk732hq10632dk9c54&e=shdc&s=shdc]399|300|Scoring: IMP Pass Pass 1♥ Pass 1N Pass 2♠ Pass 3♦ Pass 3N All Pass[/hv] You are playing upside down carding ♣ 5-Q-2-6 ♥ 4-5-K-2 ♥ 8-3-A-♦5 ♠ 4-10-6-2 ♣ 3-10-4-K ♠ A-Q-5-3 ♠ J-♣7-8-K Over to you MacDuff .... [hv=d=s&v=b&n=saj94haj974d6cakq&w=sk732hq10632dk9c54&e=shdc&s=shdc]399|300|Scoring: IMP Pass Pass 1♥ Pass 1N Pass 2♠ Pass 3♦ Pass 3N All Pass[/hv]

The hand generator is not working, complaining about 'Sundefined in South, West hands' North holds ♠ Q5 ♥ J32 ♦ A765 ♣ J1053 West holds ♠ J842 ♥ Q1074 ♦ J8 ♣ K64 East holds ♠ 76 ♥ K865 ♦ KQ1094 ♣ 98 South holds ♠ AK1093 ♥ A9 ♦ 32 ♣ AQ72 North deals at love all, playing IMPs, and the auction proceeds Pass Pass 1♠ Pass 1N Pass 2N Pass 3N All Pass The defense, playing standard honor leads and upside down carding ♦ Q-2-J-5 ♦ 9-3-8-A ♣ 10-8-2-K ♥ 10-J-5-9 Ten tricks ...

Trump. I'm not a genius.

Edited, after obtaining a copy of the hand records ...

2♥, wtp?

For me, double would be 'psych-exposing'. I would need that if I were playing against garden gnomes and the like. I would bid 2♣ here, asking partner to choose between the majors and promising another call. Overbidding is fun ...

Second in hand, at unfavourable vulnerability, you pick up ♠ AK85 ♥ Q9863 ♦ Q2 ♣ 86 Dealer, at your right, opens a strong notrump, over which you bid an aggressive 2♣ to show both majors. Lefty, following fast denies, instantly places 3N on the table. You lead the ♥6 and see ♠ 1096 ♥ J4 ♦ A9B3 ♣ AQ109 ♥ 6-J-7-2 ♦ A-4-10-2 ♦ B-5-J-Q You play upside down carding, give your answer for both IMPs and Matchpoints.

West is so full of ***** ... Fortunately, he must have tons of practice playing atrocious contracts.

What about getting Joeled?

No hand, no suit, no game ... therefore no bid. Is double the monkey option?

4th hand at IMPs playing a mainstream style you consider Qxx=Axx=AQxx=xxx a "wtp opener"? Ah, the days of being a Junior... Foo, You are such an idiot. Love, Justin. Justin should stop posting the obvious. Think of the server storage space.

Truly disappointing. Makes me wonder why the ACBL continues to have nationals in such places.

Irrespective of the bridge, which I would pass and consider it a minor issue, I just HAD to vote for the last option. Claytoned!

Great, now I can finally remember it! ... 0288 ...

3♦ and 2N, respectively. Still tempted to 2N the first one too.

Clocking bad or mediocre opponents is generally more useful than trusting that they did the right thing.

Down boy, down. Werf! Werf! Werf!