miamijd

Were these the basic or advanced bots? The advanced ones generally open very light and would always open this hand.

Your bidding is OK. GIB's defense is rather odd. You can really take advantage of GIB as declarer to make all sorts of unmakeable hands (and lots of undeserved overtricks). GIB assumes that both declarer and its partner will always make the right play. Thus, for example, if you lead up to KJ and GIB does not fly A, you can be 99% sure that the Ace is to your right, because GIB figures you will play the King if it doesn't hop Ace. Here, GIB "assumes" you don't have the AKh. Why? Because you didn't lead H (it's higher on GIBs preference list than a lead of the suit partner bid). It also "assumes" you don't have Ad. Why? Because you didn't lead it to give it a ruff (you were supposed to know). So GIB puts you with three clubs for your bid and ducks. The moral here is that you must ALWAYS lead K from AK against a suit contract with GIB. If you cash the AKh first and then switch to a club, GIB will undoubtedly take the Kc and shift to a diamond. I know. It's dumb.

1. Depends on the laws of the sponsoring organization 2. Absolutely fine. I mean, you can't have a prior system discussion with GIB, now can you? 3. Fine. See 2 above. 4. Depends on the laws of the sponsoring organization 5. Cheating 6. Cheating 7. During the hand? Cheating, of course. After the hand, fine, provided you know that the people you are speaking with will not play the hand or have already played the hand (you cannot discuss a hand with someone who is playing it or may play it in the future). 8. Cheating Aren't most of these pretty obvious? Cheers, Mike

If you don't play exclusion, you need to. Learn it and add it to your arsenal. Provided you play exclusion, I don't see a huge problem here. The auction here ought to be simple enough. Even if you play Soloway Jump Shifts, this hand isn't really suitable. SJS ought to be based on (A) a very strong balanced hand; (B) a very strong hand with a suit that (i) will play for one loser opposite a void AND (ii) will play for no losers if partner has the A, K, or Q; or © a very strong hand with a good suit AND very good support for your partner's suit. You have none of these. Your suit is such that if partner has a void, you can't be sure of just one loser. Worse, there is no way be sure how many losers you have in trump, because you can't ask for the Jack. A suit like AKxxxxx is much better. Now you can ask for the Queen and know exactly how many losers you have. And of course, your support for partner's suit is not nearly good enough for a SJS hand of type ©. So you bid 1H. If partner responds 2D, you can either (A) launch exclusion with 5C (same as before) or (B) bid 2S (partner won't raise; he doesn't have four) and then over partner's D, H, or NT rebid, launch exclusion (5C will be exclusion with D as trump over a D or NT rebid, and exclusion with H as trump over a 3H rebid). If partner responds 3D, showing six and quite a good hand, you give up on hearts, launch into exclusion (5C), find out that partner has AKd, and go to 7D. Of course, if partner has the Ac and can count 13 tricks, he can correct to 7NT. For example: KQx void AKxxxxx Axx In order to use exclusion, you must have the Qd (or else four of them), the As, and a source of tricks in H. So that's 3S, 7D, and 1C for 11 - surely you must have at least AKh. Cheers, Mike Cheers, Mike

Selecting an opening lead against suit contracts can be difficult, to be sure. You basically have to figure out what declarer's plan will be and then try to counteract it. 1. If you think declarer will try to set up a long suit in dummy (maybe dummy opened 1H, the opponents reached 4S, and you have Qxx of H under dummy), consider an attacking lead. 2. If you think declarer will try to ruff losers in the dummy (maybe dummy is marked with shortness in a suit where you have strength), consider a trump lead. 3. If you think dummy will be flat (no ruffs, no long suit), then consider a safe lead. Declarer will probably try to set up tricks by finesses, so you don't want to give him anything he isn't entitled to. Generally, you only make a lead from category 1 or 2 if you know what the situation is. If there are no clues, then you just pick a safe lead, especially at MPs. Generally, leading from longer suits is much safer than leading from shorter ones (if you lead from QTxxx and partner doesn't have anything, there is a decent chance that declarer could have ruffed the third round anyway; if you lead from QTx and partner has nothing, you probably have just kicked a trick). Leading from shorter suits headed by an honor is more attacking. OK, so how does this translate to the hand you provided? We don't know a lot about the opponents' hands from the bidding. Dummy isn't marked with any shortness or long side suit. So we need to make a safe lead. Nothing is entirely safe here: 1. The As will boot a trick if declarer has Kx(x) and partner has QJx(x) or QTx(x) with xx(x) or Jx(x) in dummy. 2. The trump could solve declarer's problem if partner has Qxx or Kxx. 3. A diamond will often give a trick if partner has the unsupported A or K. 4. The club is obviously very dangerous. To me, the logical lead is the As. Partner supported, so there is an excellent chance he has the K. If he doesn't, the King could well be in dummy (dummy is likely longer in spades than declarer, since it probably has fewer hearts). That might end up not costing a trick. Moreover, leading the As gives you a chance to get a peek at the dummy and a signal from partner as to what to do next. This is very different from leading a random Ace in a suit your side hasn't bid. That is more dangerous, especially when you don't have great length, because you will often be setting up tricks for the opponents. Leading against suit slams is a different story. Typically, the dummy in a suit slam will have a side source of tricks (a long suit that can be developed). Especially at MPs (but to an extent, in IMPs, too), if you have a side A, you generally should take it. If you don't take it, you may never get it (declarer will have enough discards on dummy's long suit). In addition, your best chance to defeat the slam could be that partner has a singleton in that suit or perhaps the King (if the opponents haven't been careful in their bidding). Cheers, Mike

I think you should stop reading books by Gerard Cohen. (RIP, G-man)

Your signalling strategy needs an "attitude" adjustment. Come to think of it, you might benefit from one, too.

This is one of those "yuck" hands. There are really only two choices: X and 2NT. Passing will score a lot of -110s and +50s when you have a game. Bidding 3H is going to get you soaring out past Jupiter when you'll have a struggle to make a partial. I think I slightly prefer the odd-looking bid of 2NT, because you are likely to land in a decent spot no matter what happens. The worst thing that could happen is that partner passes or raises to 3NT with four hearts (he won't bid hearts, because you've just denied them with 2NT). You end up playing 3NT with a 9-fit in H. Not great, especially if partner has 2452 with a low doubleton club, but probably not disastrous. If partner has two spades, you may even be in the best spot. Missing an 8-fit in H isn't something to be too worried about. If partner has 2+ spades, you would much rather be in NT, and even if he just has one spade, NT could still be right, depending on his H holding. If he has a spade void with 3 hearts (ten cards in the minors), he probably won't pass or bid 3NT without a huge diamond holding. But the bottom line with 2NT is that you will be able to handle anything partner does relatively easily. The problem if you X is that you aren't going to like it if partner rebids 3C or 3D, which he is very likely to do. What do you do if he rebids 3C? Pass? 3H (probably not)? 3NT? Probably you pass, but with no confidence you are either in the right strain or at the right level. Worse, what do you do if he rebids 3D? You have a nasty guess. Leave him in a 5-1 or 6-1 D fit? Bid H and find him with 2173? Not pretty. I think I would avoid these problems by bidding 2NT and being prepared to apologize to partner if it goes wrong. It's close, though. Cheers, Mike

Why should I underlead if partner plays a high spot on a lead from AK against a suit contract with the queen not in dummy? He can't have xx and want a third-round ruff?

Hi Phoenix: I think there are several questions here: 1. Was 2NT the right call or would a 4D splinter have been better? For the reasons Stephen Tu suggested, I like a 4D splinter here. You really only have 11 working HCP, which is fine for a splinter. Make the Qd a small stiff and the clubs AQJxx, and you would be too strong for a splinter. A splinter works really well here, b/c once you know partner has 4 card trump support, a game force hand, and a stiff diamond, you are off to key-card land. 2. Was 4C the right call or would 4D have been better? 4C is right, because 4D should not be a cue bid. It should be "Last Train." If you don't know that convention, look it up. The suit under the trump suit is never a cue-bid. It's always Last Train (aka LTTC or Last Train to Clarksville). Basically, it says "I'm still interested in slam, but there is something I'm worried about." It could be stopper in the Last Train suit, or it could just be whether you have enough strength for a slam. Over 4C, you probably should bid 4D Last Train. Since you have already bid 3NT (which I take it was a serious slam try), this would suggest lack of a diamond control rather than a worry about strength. Since partner has the D control you need, he will launch into key card. The alternative to 4D LTTC is 5H, a convention called "Lackwood" that I hope never to have to use! It basically tells partner to pass with no control in the LTTC suit and then to bid up the line as in 0134. Cheers, Mike

Why is everyone leading the club so early? That is needlessly risky. What if someone has a stiff spade? No, this hand is easy-peasy. Win the spade H to the K, revealing the break H back, hooking Ad, ruff the d last H back and hook Draw the last trump Now you still have a trump in your hand, along with three spades and two clubs. Lead a club and hope to guess it right. I would guess wrong if West didn't fly with the Ace. Cheers, Mike

5D isn't awful by any means, but what if partner has: KQx Kxx AJxx Jxx 5D is going down on a ruff; 3NT will make four. Don't you want partner to be able to bid 3NT with hands like these? That's why I think a X here should guarantee cards (game force) and only mildly suggest four hearts. A lot of times on these sorts of hands you're better off in 3NT even if you have a 4-4 H fit.

There are three bids you can consider here: X, 4S, and 5D. Each has advantages and disadvantages. To me: X is cards, suggesting (but not guaranteeing 4H); partner ought to bid 3NT in preference to 4H with most hands with a spade stop X then removing to diamonds is slammish with no spade control 4S is slammish with first or second round (probably a stiff if second-round) spade control 5D is just a game-going hand with no interest in 3NT and no slam interest (of course, if opener has a rock-crusher with a spade control, he is free to continue) Double: As MikeH pointed out, if you are playing so-called "thrump" doubles (another Bergen invention), then X works well here. It shows a game-forcing hand with (probably) no spade stop and asks partner to bid 3NT if he has a stop and thinks that appropriate. Otherwise, partner will bid 4C or 4H with four of them or lacking any of those, rebid his diamonds. If he doesn't bid 3NT, you will correct to diamonds, and partner will get the idea. If X shows cards here and suggests but doesn't guarantee hearts (the way I play it), I'd also X. Same logic, really. Partner is likely to bid 3NT even with 4H if 3NT seems like a decent spot. When the opponents preempt, NT contracts are often very effective (too often the trumps break badly and the preemptor's partner is very short in preemptor's suit). I wouldn't worry much about going set in 3NT. If partner lacks the Ad (which he is a big favorite to hold), he might very well have something other than Kx in spades, in which case you will still make your game if East has the Ad. The only downside of double is that if partner bids 3NT, you might miss slam. If partner bid 3NT, I would be sorely tempted to bid 4D, showing slam interest with no spade control. I think I would resist that urge, but .... Oh well. Preempts work. If X is strictly negative, then it depends how partner would take 5D over 4H. If he would take it as "Cancel that negative X; I have diamonds and a find hand (too good for a 5D bid originally), not H" then I would still X. If he would take it as a cue-bid with H as trump, I think I need to discuss system with partner. 4S: To, 4S ought to show slam interest with a spade control. You don't have that here. If you bid 4S, how is partner supposed to know what to do? 5D: This gives up on slam (unless opener has a huge hand), because there is no way for partner really to know whether I have a spade control. It shows a minimum game-going hand with (likely) no spade control and where 3NT doesn't look right. I would expect at least 6 diamonds for this bid. If my partner could not be talked out of believing that I had 4H if I Xed, then I would bid 5D here, but I wouldn't like it. At least I would likely make a game and avoid a disaster. Cheers, Mike

What would I bid with the Bots? Or what would I bid in real life? With the bots, you can either open 2C and rebid 3NT or else just open 3NT. They both show 25-27. In real life, Kokish relays handle this hand nicely. This is a 25 HCP hand, so go through the 2H relay and then bid 2NT (2C-2D-2H-2S-2NT), showing 24-25. Cheers, Mike

What you all play with your normal partners or think is best is irrelevant to this question. The OP was playing OP was playing with a Robot, so he needs to play the Robot system. In Robot Standard, if a one-level opening is followed by a non-jump overcall, then the cheapest (non-jump) cue bid shows support for opener's suit with limit raise or better strength. That's exactly what South has here, so 2D is the right bid. 2C is a serious underbid. For those who don't think this is a good way to play this bid, it also happens to be "Standard Expert" here in the USA, so it's not exactly like it's from left field. Cheers, mike

One reason you make a mess of slam bidding is that you play ACOL (SAYC has the same issue). If you don't play 2/1 or a big club system, you have no good way to force game at a low level so that you can then explore slam. You end up having to make jump bids that take up way too much room, sometimes put you in the wrong strain, and end up in a guessing game. Notice how much easier it is with 2/1: 1S 2H 2S(1) 3S(2) 4C(3) 4D(4) 4NT 5D 5S(5) (1) You can also bid 3H here - it's the same auction after 3S (2) Having 1/2 round control in one or both minors (else 4S) (3) non-serious slam try; club control (4) diamond control (5) Well, we're off an Ace and the Q of trump, so let's hope we make 5 You end up in the right strain. One level higher than optimal, but at least 5S makes. Cheers, Mike

I think I would have bid 5C, not 6H, but regardless, I'll pass now. If West has something like 6070, then I'll have to pay off, but if West was so sure of making 6SX, which surely would be good score, why XX and prompt a good sac?

BBO - just change it so that the suits aren't rearranged until the opening lead is made (during the time the dummy is presented, but before declarer can actually click on a dummy card). Problem solved. Cheers, mike

I don't view it as a complaint but rather, an invitation for proposed solutions to a small, but rather annoying (at least for me) problem. Your analogies are not apt. There's nothing that can be done about auto traffic and pedestrians. Each needs to look out for the other. Likewise, there's not a lot that can be done if Trump holds an indoor rally. Yes, you can wear an N95 mask, but even then there is some risk. You either accept the risk or else you stay home and watch it on Fox News. But here, there is something that can be done. My solution is simple but, I think, very effective. BBO should just delay rearranging the suits in all hands until JUST AFTER the opening lead has been made. Then you get the best of all worlds. What do others think? Cheers, Mike

I don't play ACOL, so my comments on the bidding wouldn't be very informative. But I don't understand why so many UK players seem to like ASTRO and its variants. That's so 1970s. There are many better things to play over a weak NT: Mohan, modified Woolsey (so that the X is penalty), modified Meckwell (same sort of thing), etc.

You just need to agree with your partner how you raise opener's suit after a non-jump overcall. "Standard expert" in the USA is that a cue bid is a limit raise or better, whereas the jump to 3 of opener's suit is preemptive. Obviously, your partner didn't see it that way. She thought her bid was a limit raise, even in competition. You can play that way, but it's very old-fashioned. If you'd have been on the same wavelength, you would have had little problem reaching 4H. Your hand is obviously worth game opposite a limit raise.

You have to separate real bridge from robot bridge. They are different games. In real bridge, playing some sort of standard (not big club) system, I would open 1H in first, second, or fourth seats without much thought. You don't preempt with two outside Aces, NAMYATS or no. Third seat I think 4H is reasonable. In robot bridge, however, you have to be mindful of the fact that you have the best hand. Partner has at most 15 HCP, but probably far less. So opening 4H to create action isn't so outrageous. Personally, even vs the GIBbers I don't think this is a good hand for a 4H opener. First, you are white vs. red, so preventing the opponents from finding their spade fit might be a loser rather than a winner. Second, you are relatively balanced outside H. I would be more inclined to open 4H if I were 74. As for the play, I'm going to assume East withheld the Kd at trick one. Otherwise, a competent baboon (or should I say GIBbon) can make 6. The only way to make 6 if East keeps his Kd is to take advantage of the fact that West has a club void to run a minor suit squeeze against East. Draw trump, and when West can't break things up by leading a club, it's all over. Play the As, and run the trump. Now play a club to the Ace. Come down to: K -- Qx opposite -- -- Ax J When you play the Ks, East is cooked. He can't keep both the guarded Kd and a club honor. Cheers, Mike

A few comments: 1. Next time, please arrange the suits in standard order: S H D C. Please do NOT put trump on top or at the left. No one does that. It is confusing. 2. If you think the answer is so obvious, then why ask the question to begin with? 3. Contrary to what you believe, the answer is not at all obvious, as shown by the myriad responses. Indeed, just about anything could be right. Cheers, Mike Mike

I think there is some confusion. Is the hand: ♠ A984 ♥ A872 ♦ 865 ♣ K8 or is the hand: ♠ 865 ♥ A984 ♦ A872 ♣ K8

This looks like a straightforward 3S bid to me. You have good cards and a stiff heart, but the fact that you have only 3 spades is a negative. X is NOT penalty. It generally shows 3 spades and a good hand (better than you have). Partner can bid 3S, 4S, or even pass with something like: xxxxx KQT Kxx Qx Cheers, Mike