LBengtsson

only accept a major suit transfer at the three level after opps. interference with a opening 1NT hand that has 4 card support and the maximum points for opening 1NT, though distribution points can now be added such as a worthless doubleton in the opps suit. exactly similar to a "superaccept" to a transfer based on the law of total tricks LOTT. otherwise decline. responder can have a poor hand for the transfer.

that is world class, though I read in some bridge magazine that when you do not know what to do, play a card from both hands that will always lose as the opponents might be in difficulty on the next trick. the idea is similar to rectifying the count on slam hands. this is a great example. thank you posting again, Winstonm

this is the difference between chess and bridge. in a chess game you are playing one board for a result: win, lose, draw. in a bridge game you are playing a series of boards, me think about 160 in a Bermuda final. (?) being too good or brilliant on one board by a great play or defense will help your score, but being stable over the other 150+ other boards is what helps your win? do you think that is the right way to look at this? how many times in a bridge match does a great play actually happen? one, two, three? missing slams, games and part score plus hands will cancel out any brilliancy prize very quickly. I admire the clever play, how they visualize the cards, but stable bidding and card play through all the boards is a big factor. Meckwell also do that, but they have had lots of practise :)

wow! it is "thinking outside the box" in a bridge way. absolute brilliant!!! thank you for posting winstonm

after 2♦ - (3♦) - ??? I would have thought X shows East hand not 3♥. 3♥ says competitive, just only invitational imo. I would be happy finding 6♥ with opps. bidding also here. I played Precision but not Meckwell Lite

accidents in bidding do happen :( I do not think it is a "major mistake", more a difficulty of finding a fit in a minor suit after agreeing a fit in a major suit. 6♠ is not a disaster as there are combinations of cards within 3-2 distribution, even some 4-1 where 6♠ will make depending on place of♠9 and place of ♠K+Q. (pin the ♠9 looking a possible line) I like nige1 3♥ mini-splinter bid but the difficultly with that is whether it says stiff or void?? souths hand opposite void loses some of the value of the ♥A imo. but it is still difficult to stop 6♠ bid or arrive in better ♣ contract.

great hand pilowsky. thank you for posting. I tried a few lines and then looked at spoiler. went down also 4♥-1. if west leads ♠ down from trick 1. one for bridge master level 5

good problem. south african texas may be solution, slam try 4♣ to 4♥. opening can bid 4♦ with good support Hxx or only 4♥ with poor Hx/xx. if 4♦ response then rkcb will find out ♦A/♣A/♥Kxx 0r Qxx. with position of minor suit kings, might be best if south is declarer. just enough points in pack for east to lead through ♦KJ or ♣K should north declare.

Accept some 2♣ openers are not possible to bid opposite a yarborough hand and you arrive in a bad contract. I agree with DavidKok kokish is a good convention here but it does not cover everything. accept that misfits happen also. "landing on a dime" (as the USA players say) with very good opposite very bad can be luck more than having a set of conventions.

south did not XX so I bid 2♠ now. south does not know what north has, except no 4M. north does not know what south has except ♣2+. why let them find a fit? partner has 10-11 with 4♠4♥. why give the opps. room to find their fit by passing? if partner does not have 4♠4♥ then I will find another partner. only logical explanation for X after pass imo.

agree. also partner may have 4♦ suit in his hand. best contract could be 5♦??? not likely but could be only contract depending on cards. you must show this second suit.

Its only one board. and it depends who your partner is? and how the match point session has gone up to now? an ace is usually a good card for defense. 6322 shape is not the best. make the shape 1♠3♥6♦3♣ and I would feel a lot better opening 3♦ but.... ....sound advice say never pre-empt your partner however would partner expect anything more than what you have? I look at this and say that 2 opps. have to deal with your pre-empt. it takes away a lot of bidding space. so on the balance of things, with a decent 6 card suit I would bid 3♦. that will make the opps. life difficult, especialy at green/red.

I go with 68% chance. I play ♠K overtake ♠Q with ace and another ♠. that should give me ♠5♥1♦1♣2 for contract. if ♠ are 4-1 i might be able to stop this line if west shows out. then what? mmm.... smerriman got there first. I will type quicker next time :)

bad 18 I'm opening 1NT. I don't like reversing when first suit worse than second. I do not see the idea of 1m - 1M - 2NT as info given to opps where your weakness is, and its a bad 18 (yes, I said that before and repeat, repeat, repeat.....) kaplan and rubens says it is <17 and I looked at Kaplan/Rubens after deciding it is a bad 18 and I'm opening 1NT.

I like your thinking here, Winstonm, however there may be 13 tricks available without partner having any extra value in ♥/♠. 1♠1♥6♦5♣ is c. 70% if partner has stiff ♦ and ♥A and ♣A

4♦ next. that (to me lol!) is logic. says I like your ♣ suit and I have solid ♦ suit myself. I want a NT trump contract played from partners side of the table at Matchpoint if his ♥ suit is king high and not solid. am i wrong here with 4♦??? or could it be taken as Kickback here??? I would like to know myself.

not looked at spoiler. I would take ♠A, ♦to K in dummy, play ♣Q. that sets up crossruff and trump reduction play. I assume one opponent wins ♣ and then they take 2♠ tricks. I think the opps now need to switch to trumps. that will help though they will win ♥A and play another ♥. various chances that ♦q is a treble, or you can set up ♣ in dummy for losing ♦ discard in your own hand.

what do you expect to happen if you X for takeout? both GIB and human are going to bid ♣s. after 2NT as cards misfit I would have passed 3♣. 3Nt was optimistic bid with 5440 hand and limited or no entry to dummy.

I wish you had not shown the south hand in the post until later. red/white I do not like 2♦ by north, but you cannot X and bid 2♦ next (if partner bids 2♣) as that shows a better hand. you have 2 and a half quick tricks and a six card suit, but poor six card suit. it is a bidders game so with hesitation (but not at the table I hope) I will call 2♦. it is not a good bid but it is not a bad bid. sometimes you have to just bid and suffer consequences.

difficult to end in 4♠ here as DavidKok has said. Kaplans & Rubens put North hand at 17.25 even with 19 high points. as for play, I think small ♠ to south ♠9 will happen early in the play. with luck you should be able to survive 4-1 trump split if only in 4♠ contract I feel depending on your view on ♣ suit. even in a 5♠ contract I am also going to play small ♠ to south ♠9

the wording for this need to be right, so that it is easy for players from different countries to understand. for example I Claim ALL Tricks (then number) or I claim ALL (number) tricks I Claim 5 from 7 tricks 5 tricks N/S, 2 tricks E/W or as TylerE has said "I claim 8 more tricks, you get 2 tricks" I personally like 5 tricks N/S, 2 tricks E/W as players positions are mentioned.

good problem Winstonm. no quick tricks but good shape. too weak for red/red michaels cue bid I think so I will be contented with 1♠. pass instead will make life difficult for partner if opps. raise ♦. we might miss ♥ fit if I bid 1♠ but you cannot always find the right bid at the table. 1♠ is sensible.

the big question to ask is what you have bid if east had not bid 2♠??? I think hand is to strong to open 1NT in 2/1 if you are allowed with ♦A stiff. so you open 1♣, partner bids 1♦ and now what? 2♥(reverse) is a very bad bid with garbage suit, so you would have bid 2NT (18-19) ignoring poor 4 card ♥ suit or 1♥as you must always bid 4M at one level. I hope I am playing with partner (responder) who bids 4 card ♥ suit before 5 card ♦ suit but that is down to method and agreements with partner. pass in tempo is an option after opps. bid 2♠ but I respect opps. and their 2♠ bid is not made on all garbage at red. but pass should only be used when you have not another bid available. here you have 2NT. yes I would like to penalise the opps. but partner may not have the hand or the strength to re-open here. 2nt shows your hand. you would not be lying...

matchpoints it is only one board so I am going to be coward and say 'pass' or '1♠' could work.. I would need better suits to use michaels cue bid here at this vulnerability, and a king extra (minimum). if ops reach ♥ contract, you know that ♥ suit will break badly. why give them information in the auction as mikeh said.

error for poll also. 1NT is best opening bid with 6m322. 1♣ rebid 2♣ off my radar, crazy when you have very good 15 points with aces and kings and 6 card suit. that having been said, aces and kings play better in a suit contract than notrump contract, but first you must tell partner that your hand range is 15-17. and once again you have an honour king in both major suits should partner want to transfer to majors