Wackojack

[hv=pc=n&s=s2hat3dqjt754ckq4&n=sakqt83hq5d982c63&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1s2c2d2h3dp5dppp]266|200[/hv] Sitting North I blame partner for not bidding 3NT.

♠4 ♥A8732 ♦107 ♣K9872 I was dealt this at love all imps and passed. 5-5 come alive I say. So I bid 2♠. East passes. Partner bids 2NT. I show my 2nd suit with 3♣ and partner bids 3NT. [hv=d=n&v=0&b=1&a=p1sp1n2sp2np3cp3nppp]133|100[/hv] Partner had: ♠107532, ♥KJ, ♦AQ865, ♣A This was obviously not a success and went 2 off. I blame partner for making the wrong bid twice. 1. Should have made a preference bid of 3♥ over 3♣ 2. Should have overcalled 1♠ with 2♦ initially. Then of course I could have passed throughout. At the other table South did overcall 2♦ and the bidding went:[hv=d=n&v=0&b=1&a=p1s2ddp2nppp]133|100[/hv] This went 2 off and so you can see why overcalling 2♦ gains.

Wackojack 19 El Mister 19 Tied http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:00e0c9d6.65a8.11e8.ab4e.0cc47a39aeb4-1527863287&u=Wackojack Wackojack 20 Nige 1 20 Tied http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:8ffcb5cf.6600.11e8.ab4e.0cc47a39aeb4-1527901323&u=wackojack Brutal hands in this session

Very glad to be in again

Event 12 M3 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:0207d8bd.303e.11e8.9789.0cc47a39aeb4-1521990351&u=Wackojack Wackojack 7.5 Olegru 8.5 Event 12 M4 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:f970593f.328e.11e8.9789.0cc47a39aeb4-1522245028&u=Wackojack Wackojack 9.5 Olegru 7.5 Over the 4 matches = a tie. Very interesting matches. I thought I had lost after I played the final match as I had made a mess of the defence to B5 and was a bit surprised to see the result "Tie breaker in regular KO: 8 boards, same format. If still tie, play another 4 boards play off and repeat until breaking the tie." So we arrange another 8 boards then?

I cannot advise as have no experience of relay bidding after a strong club. Nevertheless, I have a tangential question to ask. Playing 1♣ 17+ with one partner where the response of 1♠ shows a balanced hand of 8+, I have got to thinking that there is room here for the strong hand to interrogate the balanced hand for greater accuracy than other methods. We already have good (I believe) methods when the strong hand has 5-5+ distribution. 1♣-1♠-2♥/♠/NT and 4441 where opener jumps to the 3 level. What remains for the strong hand are balanced, semi-balanced and single suiters. With these distributions, Is there an effective system of relays to interrogate responder with 8+HCP and 4333, 4432, or 5m332 distributions? Just looked at symmetric relay on “bridge Guys” and not impressed. Here is a system that I cobbled together that seems to work get all relevant details for most balanced hands. Starting at 1♣-1♠ = balanced 8+ the rebid of 1NT initiates the shape-controls-strength relay sequence. Next step by opener asks for Shape (In order of frequency) steps 2♣ Any 4432 (25%), 2♦ Any 4333 (10.5%), 2♥ 5m332 (7.8%) Next step by opener asks for Controls A=2, K=1. Step 1 (0-2), Step 2 (3), Step 3 (4) Next step by opener asks for Strength Step 1 (8-9), Step 2 (10-11), Step 3 (12-13) etc A next step 3NT by opener is still an ask. Then 4NT is to play Then any bid below game level asks Q + Length in suit: 4333: Step1 (3-Q), Step2 (3+Q), step 3 (4-Q), step 4 (4+Q) 4432: Step1 (2-Q), Step2 (2+Q), Step 3 (3-Q), step 4 (3+Q), step 4 (4) Any suit game bid that skips these steps is to play A further relay in a new suit is Length + Jack. Being a newby at this I expect this to be torn apart

http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:4f1480e9.2d4c.11e8.9789.0cc47a39aeb4-1521666640&u=wackojack Wackojack 7.5 Olegru 8.5

4th set of 16 Wackojack 9.5 sfi 6.5 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:f617172d.28fb.11e8.9789.0cc47a39aeb4-1521192326&u=Wackojack

1st reaction would be to pass. If I start thinking about it, I can no longer pass even if I eventually decide I should pass. Then I have to double OR bid 2NT if partner is a renown sound opener.

http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:d75cdab2.2212.11e8.9789.0cc47a39aeb4-1520432495&u=Wackojack Wackojack 9 sfi 7 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:1b5fada9.23e6.11e8.9789.0cc47a39aeb4-1520633184&u=Wackojack Wackojack 9.5 sfi 6.5 http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:c129978e.260e.11e8.9789.0cc47a39aeb4-1520870544&u=Wackojack Wackojack 7.5 sfi 8.5

Thanks for the link. There is a lot to absorb especially as there are major differences of opinions. I may report when (if) I come to some conclusion.

With 1 partner we are considering playing forcing 1NT responses. Our opening bids are in general: 1M 10-15 if there is a singleton 11-13 if 5332 1NT 14-16 which includes 5M332 distributions 1♣ 17+ balanced no singleton no 6 card major or 16+ 6 card major or 5431 2M 9-15, 5+ in major and another suit. I can see advantages in having a forcing 1NT response where responder has 3 card support in enabling more types of hand to be shown. However, there are many hands where responder has a singleton or doubleton in opener's major when 1NT is likely to be the only making contract. Here is one of a number of examples: ♠ KQJ76 ♥ A98 ♦ Q107 ♣ 65 ♠ 8 ♥ K42 ♦ K654 ♣ QJ1087 1♠-1NT-p Very likely to make 1♠-1NT-2♦-p Less likely to make Any views or relevant facts on why we should or should not play the forcing 1NT?

Thanks for all contributions, I ejnoyed the discussion

In please

Yes I should have tried 2♥ after 1NT. It would have been interesting to here what GIB would have made of that I tend to agree that 2N would then be forcing. After that I am not sure that 3♣ should be taken as a singleton. It would be more natural to bid 3♠ the fragment to show 3451 distribution.

Yes my robot partner was playing that 1♦ could show 3 then 1NT was correct. I normally play that 1♦ guarantees a 4 card suit. Then the bidding could go 1♦ -2♦ -3♣ (singleton) North has now said everything and will bid 3♦. Now I suppose South could blast 4N and bid 6♦ after finding 1 ace.

These hands came up in a challenge. http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?bbo=y&lin=pn%7CWackojack%2CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C1SA32HAKJ5DAK986CT%2CSQJ854H64D43CKJ73%2CSK7H972DQT72CA942%2CST96HQT83DJ5CQ865%7Csv%7CE%7Cah%7CBoard%203%7Cmb%7C1D%7Can%7CMinor%20suit%20opening%20--%203%2B%20%21D%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C1N%7Can%7C2-5%20%21C%3B%202-4%20%21D%3B%202-3%20%21H%3B%202-3%20%21S%3B%206-10%20HCP%3B%207%2B%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3N%7Can%7C3%2B%20%21D%3B%205-%20%21H%3B%205-%20%21S%3B%2019-21%20HCP%3B%2022-%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CS9%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CH5%7C Using I stress a standard system, how can you get suggest a method of getting to 6♦? PS How do I make this diagram bigger? I just copied and pasted the handviewer URL

In the past couple of months, I have been challenged regularly by a beginner personal friend who is keen to learn. He has not had any lessons and in the challenge he judges what bid to make purely from the robots prompts. He likes imp best hand the most because it gives him more chance to play the hands. (A thing that many beginners and non beginners like) We have played about 400 hands and my average is just over 2 imps per hand. When we have played non best hand the difference is much smaller. I was beaten by a few imps once over 16 boards and tied once with MP. That is why I prefer best hand. When GIB opps get the best hand the randomness definitely increases. I appreciate that on a few hands you can make deductions that you cannot make with non best hands. nevertheless it is still a test of bridge skills and to describe it as non-bridge is going a bit far.

http://webutil.bridgebase.com/v2/tview.php?t=ARDCHALLENGE:3fe5b279.ebd4.11e7.a200.0cc47a39aeb4-1514468249&u=wackojack Wackojack 8 Cathcol 8

That would be a killer if East were 0373 and not 74 in the minors as assumed.

If East has 7♦ +4♣ and you next lead K♠Then: With 0274 East ruffs and you cannot get back to hand to take ♠ finesse so 1 down. With 1174 East follows. What next? Looks like you have to play another spade and take the known? finesse provided you were right about 7-4. East ruffs and you make 10 tricks 2074 is excluded if you have already played a ♥ at trick 2.

Are you saying this is the best line then? Or are you saying this is another line that should not be ruled out and I should just have given the opening lead and no more? Yes perhaps it would have been better if I had done this. It may be giving away information to say what they did on viewgraph, I am asking for the considered best line after the 4♦ opening bid at my BBO table.

Really sorry I don't know how that happened. [hv=pc=n&s=skj953hqdqt6cj986&n=sat84hakj743d8ca7&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=4dpp4hppp]266|200|As far as aware East was playing standard leads. and fwiiw udca carding [/hv] 1. Q♣ 6 10 Ace 2. Q♥ 8 3 5 Next? I was North and East-West opps were competent We were playing saved viewgraph hands. North -Souths were Hamman/Zia and Helness/Helgemo East- Wests were Multon/Zimmermann and Nickell/Katz

Imps

http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?bbo=y&lin=pn||st%7C%7Cmd%7C4SKJ953HQDQT6CJ986%2CS%2CSAT84HAKJ743D8CA7%2%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7CBoard%2014%7Csv%7Co%7Cmb%7C4D%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C4H%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cmc%7C9%7C 1. Q ♣ lead to Ace 2. small ♥ to Q What next?