RD350LC

I have three choices. They are pass, Pass and PASS!!!

Obvious once you see it. I agree 100%.

Agree. I have seen people make a 1 ♠ overcall with this hand, but they are not the type of people I want to play with.

I would not splinter with that hand. You do have 6 card support, and a singleton, but I consider this too weak to splinter. I consider a fit showing slam try. With that hand, I would simply bid 4 ♠, as a standard weak jump to game.

I tend to disagree with this evaluation. For the first auction, 1♦, 1♥; 4♦ says nothing about heart support, but simply shows a strong hand with diamonds. For the second auction, 1♦, 1♥; 4♥ this would show 19+ hcp with at least 3 card (preferably more) support. I would make the second bid.

I very much agree with the above statements. I go so far as to not use stayman when I am 4432, in addition to 4333. I have read that many experts do this.

My view differs from the above. Yes, you have only 11 hcp, but they are a good 11 hcp, and you also have a useful void. So I do like the idea of opening this hand, and the only bid that makes sense is 1♦. To follow with the rest, I do not consider 3♦ forcing, and would not make that call. Given that this was made, I certainly would go further, likely 5♦, as a suit fit has been found, so the hand improves greatly.

Using basic ideas, I count 12 high card points, -1 for no aces, and +1 for the doubleton. Then I consider that I have no singleton honours, and this makes it an opening bid. I would open it 1♠

This is what I was thinking. Playing strong jump shifts (useful at IMPs), a jump shift either states that you have a self sufficient suit, or have strong support for partner's opening suit. I have seen players open 1 club on a singleton-but I won't play with such players.

I would pass as well. We might have an 8 card fit, but if partner can open 1 NT with a high singleton, we could be on a 7 card fit-and no reason to bid. Especially red vs white.

I have read about this type of coup in "Right Through the Pack". The author refers to this as "The Robert Coup", and this is also in The Encyclopedia of Bridge by this name. So this would be called a Robert Coup.

Since I have learned how to put up a picture, I have done so. This is one that is complete inoffensive, but indicates one of my pastimes (apart from Bridge). Yes, all of the dogs and cats reminds me of Victor Mollo's Bridge in the Meanerage series.

Given that partner would know what 3♣ or 4♣ would mean, I would make either of these bids. Given that you have to make ONE bid, I would choose 4♣.

There is much truth in this. I prefer control showing bids, and so did Easly Blackwood. There is much truth in the statement "A player's skill at bridge is inversely proportional to the amount he uses blackwood."

I would underlead an ace in a suit contract-but it would be in trumps. That would allow me to keep control of the trump suit. But, I do agree with the above statement. I almost never lead an ace empty suit, and were I to do so, it would be the ace. There have been many times playing a hand where I take a singleton king as declairer, and then ruff the opponents ace.

I would pass as well-but not willingly. Pre-empts work, that is why I do them. And the opponents with their ^(^%_ pre-empts.

I agree with the above comments. I really do not like leading away from a king against a voluntarily bid slam contract, so that rules out hearts and diamonds. Also, a doubleton is a poor lead against a slam contract. A club does not give anything away, especially since you have three of them.

Here are some of my comments. 1. The average member of the ACBL has less than 200 master points. I am glad that the ACBL recognizes this, in that there are a lot of games for these players. 2. Even though BBO is an international site, the vast majority of players that I see here do understand a bit of English. Though some people may not agree, it must be stated that English is the most widely spoken language in the world-though not the one spoken by most people (that is Chinese). 3. The quality of bridge players here is better than I have seen on other sites. I have seen some really BAD players on other sites. There are a few weak players here, but not many. 4. At the top of my profile, I have put "Zero Tolerance for behaviour". This is something that started in southern Ontario, Canada, (which is where I had done most of my playing), and has spread to throughout the ACBL. I am glad of this, and practice what I preach. I have seen people barred from bridge clubs as a result of zero tolerance, and I completely agree with this. 5. In keeping with point 4, I do not believe in insulting other people. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but I draw the line at insults. I may not agree with them, but I will fight to the death for their right to say it.

My view is that if you have good opps, and a good partner, I would take action-likely with a double. Partner will not have 5 spades, but he could have 4 spades. If p responds with 5C, then I would run to 5D (as p had not made a weak jump overcall). However, with most players that I have seen on bbo, the 4H bidder could have 13+ hcp, and not necessarily a 5 card heart suit. In that case, I would pass like a shot.

In reading a book by Frank Steward-modern convention systems, I consider a 2C opener forcing only to 3 of a major. In this respect, I agree with the above statements-and let the bidding die at 3H. After all, north does have 24 hcp, but a lot of quacks there, making it worth less.

I tend to consider an ace lead in NT as a request to unblock. But when I have Kxx for example, and there is QJxx on the board-partner does not like it when I unblock.

Not sure that I would make this bid-but it IS in accordance with the convention.

I tend to leading a low heart as well. Safe, as it does not give away anything. I definitely would not lead a club.

I agree here. Using a splinter to show a singleton is much more useful than using it to show a void.

I would expect at least 5 spades and 4 hearts. Since p jumped, I would also expect a game forcing hand-definitely more than a minimum. Say 15-17+ hcp. But then, that is just my opinion.