HeartA

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=sajxxxhkxxdqtxcat&s=sxhaqxxxxdxcjxxxx]133|200|Scoring: IMP Opps are silent. Bidding goes: 1♠ - 1NT 2♣ - 2♥ pass[/hv] Who is (more) responsible for missing a good game?

1. 3♥ 2. pass (what is 2♥?) 3. 2♠

Does it hurt to explore the slam possibility? What is the point of preempting pd with 4H? What if pd DOES have DAK and CAK? How do you plan to explain to pd? 4H bid sound more like a hand with X,KQJTxxx,xxx,Ax. If you bid 4H with so wide range pd will find it difficult what to do. Even if pd has sth like x, xxx,AKxxx,Kxxx, slam has very good chance. Pd could have a much better hand. Agree with Hongjun. But I will go a step further. I wouldn't bid 4♥ with X,KQJTxxx,xxx,Ax either. Partner could have ♥A, ♦AKQxx, or even ♠A and ♦AK(Q)Jxx.

Simply put, 2♣ opening forces TWO rounds except 2NT rebid (which is not forcing), unless you use 2♥ to show really weak hand (0-3, or 0-4 without A). So, 2♣ opening forces to 3M or 4m (except 2NT rebid).

3NT.

Agree.

when 5♦ shows 3 keycards, North should know that South was assuming ♠ as trumps. And, South must have 5-card of ♠ or more if South's 3♥ promised 4♥. After 5♦, North can count (almost) 12 top tricks: 3♠s, 2♥s, 2♦s and 5♣s. A grand slam based on a suit of 3-2 distribution on opp's hand is not bad. I would bid 7NT after 5♦.

I don't agree. 1S can be passed out, when opener got minimum (and with some ♠s), pd got 7 hcp or so without fit for ♠.

Flannery is useful with 4-card major, the system I played when I began to learn bridge. At that time, I just used it without understanding why. It was designed not just for finding 4-4 ♠ fit, but also helped to stop at 2♥ with 5-2 fit. Now, with 5-card major and 1NT (semi) forcing (and negative dbl when opps interfere), it is not useful anymore.

After opps' preemptive, usually it is a good strategy to bid not too high. But for this hand, I have too much and pd wouldn't bid 4♠ with 5♠ and ♦ only. So I will bid 4NT to check key cards.

With ♦ lead, I win in hand (have to), and play ♠x toward dummy. I cover whatever card West follows if he doesn't show out. With ♥x lead, I can't afford to play safe as above because of the danger of a ♥ ruff. I will cash ♠A ...

bid 2C and try game later.

It depends. If honors are scattered, I will rebid 1NT. If ♠ is a good suit, I will choose 1♠. I don't know which to vote.

I choose 2♣, with or withour xyz. if pd wanted to play NT, he may bid it later. With expected ♦ lead, I don't want to be declarer of NT. BTW, pd should have more than 4 ♣s on average.

1NT for me. 15 hcp, but honors in short suits, non-fit for pd's suit.

hongjun, you would still say that even with the example hands ben showed? Hehe, Jimmy, I tend to think so. Note I said dbl is worse than 2S. I didnt say pass is worse than 2S. I can accept pass, but I really think doubling with 5card spade suit is wrong practice. Agree. With the kings needing protection, and 5-card spades, dbl? no way. I would bid 2♠, though pass is second choice.

Oh, well, dbl without support for minor(s), bid 3-card major while ignoring 4-card minor. What do I call this? "major obsessive".

On IMP, I would bid 4S. MP? I am not sure, pass is another option. 3NT? no

You should change it.:) Dbl of opp's minor suit opening guarantees both majors only. Hongjun, Maybe it is you who should change it? :)

I have some disagreement with Ben. 1) Yes. I would pass. 2) If N-S play precision, pass by North is OK, though 1H is also acceptable. 3) agree 4) yes 5) This needs agreement. Some partnership play "pass is the weakest bid". Whether "2S the weakest" or "pass the weakest", this is a borderline bid. An Ace, a Q, a J plus a (most likely) wasted CQ, is not that much. 6) West should not jump to game. see above. 7) Again, this is a borderline game. To stop at 3S is not that bad. North could have HK (from the dbl, not very likely anymore) and S could be distributed not so nice (didn't matter much though).

Either 1S or 2S is OK. South was not strong enough to raise directly (or after opp's 2D), but could compete later.

2♠.

After 1♠, I will not raise to 2♠. The reaosn being, partner can be a whole lot worse than he is. He might not even have 4 spades (although with the diamond rebid, this is much less likely). I think the auction should be (assuming a 1♠ response) 1♦-DBL-PASS-1♠ 2♦-Pss-Pass- 2♠ now the initial doubler might try 3♠ That is what I was writing, but got lost when I hit "Add Reply". Did you steal my post, Ben? There was something more lost in my post. There is no way for you to get perfect score at cometition. Opps deserved good score when (s)he was brave enough to bd 3D. (s)he risked being got doubled and bottom (not likely, given the favorite vulnerability though). Yes, if North switch one H to C, the bidding would be the same. After all, South could have AKJx, xxx, xx, KQJx for the dbl (maybe overcall 1S, or pass?). If you didn't want the risk of getting -200, you should be content with +50 (and bottom :()

Ditto.

4S