JanisW

Maybe it helps if I go through my thoughts... 2♣ with the given difference in suit-quality I agree with P to start with 2♣. 2♠ is kind of a waiting tell me more(12-17), as 2♣ is autoforcing. 2♠ basically denies a 4card red suit, a 5332 12-14 (2NT) and a strong singlesuiter(3♠). You'd want to bid two and a half ♠ but with so much outside the ♠-suit I went 2♠. 3♦ responder reverse gf 3NT maybe wrong, I wanted to protect my K♥, 3♥ leaves room for 3♠ from P. 4♣ I took it as 6-4, with SI in ♣ 6♣ 5 was out of the question (you do not run from 3NT to 5♣, do you?). How to show my good ♣-support (it's the A♣ after all) with a forward going bid? 6♣ felt nice, because it gets across that I have not much more than already promised. Top was 6NT from W obviously, 6♠ from E are down 2 ♦A,Q and a ruff regards Janis

[hv=pc=n&w=sk4hadk9865ckqjt2&e=saqt875hktdjt2ca6&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=1sp2cp2sp3dp3np4cp6cppp]266|200[/hv] Making 7 on ♥-lead. Something about our bidding feels odd, but I can not really pinpoint where? Maybe my feeling is wrong? Any Improvements? regards Janis

[hv=pc=n&s=sh4dajt82cakj9642&w=sqj542hkjt86d9cq5&n=st6haq9532dk763c7&e=sak9873h7dq54ct83&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=2s3c4spp4nppp]399|300[/hv] 4NT was not that succesful :lol: What is the best bid actually? 5♥? regards Janis

[hv=pc=n&s=sh4dajt82cakj9642&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=2s(weak%202)3c4spp]133|200[/hv] X in the hope Partner can convert it? (-2 would yield 500) 4NT to show the ♦-suit? Pass is out of the question I guess BTW I got stuck in 4NT, my pick-uo-partner took it as stopper with solid 7 card minor :( Ever heard of that? regards JW

This is how I unterstood it. 1. won by A♣ 2. A♥ 3. small to Q♥ 4. Q♣ covered by the K and ruffed 5. somehow crossed to dummy (♥-ruff or small to the Q♠) 6. J♣ and ♦ pitched ? now I cannot ruff a ♣ because I will setup a trump-looser. Asuming I crossed to the Q♠ I now have to play a second round of trumps and get back to dummy for the ♦-Finesse by ruffing the 7♥ If I don't do that, defense can promote a trump-trick by ruffing a 4th round of clubs. [hv=pc=n&s=sak864hak73dkt4ca&w=st93hj96da96ct983&n=sq52hq5dj87cqj652&e=sj7ht842dq532ck74]399|300[/hv] 1. ♣ 10 2 4 A 2. ♥ A 6 5 2 3. ♥ 3 9 Q 4 4. ♣ Q K ♠4 3 5. ♠ 6 9 Q 7 6. ♣ J 7 ♦4 8 And now taking the ♦-Finess looses to A followed by a ♣ while 7. ♠ to K 8. ♥ ruff and only now taking the Finesse wins.

East first pass was very disciplined, facing my Partners vulnerable first seat preempts 3[NT] or 5♣ would be a good bet. The second pass is clearly wrong. He is never going to sit for 4M so he should bid 5♣ (better 4♦, if available). How the bidding goes from there can only be guessed, but if he is able to bid 4♦ West can clearly see, that 7♣ will be cheap if 6M makes. regards JW

I think the real issue is that you play 3♠ as invitational disregarding interference. In a contested auction it is paramount to avoid the last guess. This is best achieved by describing your hand most accurately in one go and with that making partner boss. Therefore, it is important not to disregard interference. West had the feeling (and rightly so) that 3♠ has not told a true story, because in your system he would’ve also bid 3♠ on Kxxx, x, KJxx, Qxxx or something similar. I would suggest, that you use Fit-jumps, the 3♥-bid, 2NT to distinguish between different hands. If fit-jumps and 2NT are available 3♠ will tell a much better story. It becomes an offensive raise to the 3lvl without the necessary defensive-strength (=2NT) and without concentrated values in either minor (=fit-jump). For example: If the ♦Q were the ♣Q West would’ve bid 4♣ fit jump. As his hand is much better defined, he will not feel the need to bid again. On the actual deal West promised invitational values and with that some defense, which he has almost none of. He probably should’ve have either gone the low or the high route. Having slightly underbid with 2♠, West has an easier pass when 5♥ comes back to him, because he did not promise any defense. Having slightly overbid with 4♠ he has a better chance of playing 4♠ and told a better story if 5♥ comes back.

6m is one off by the way:)

Quite a lot if he is the only one doubling and most of the field is in 6♠-1 MP-Scoring!

I'm pretty sure, that 4♥ would be natural, but I would pass, too. Partner is likely holding some completely inconsequential ♦ and ♠ honours and you'd be struggling for 6 tricks. Of course sometimes he could have the Jackpot (stiff ♥10, KJ♣ and A♠) but that is when you wake up and realize you were dreaming :) I'd lead the ♥K and hope my Q♣ will provide an entry. Perhaps P has ♠QJxx,♥-,♦Q109xxx,♣Jxx regards JW

You might ne right about the control responses being bad, but I don't see how knowing about the singleton heart does any difference whatsoever. If South had a doubleton or a void pulling to 6NT would be just as bad.

[hv=pc=n&s=sakt9h3dakqt96ca2&w=sht9654dj84ct9764&n=sqj872hk82d7532ck&e=s6543haqj7dcqj853]399|300[/hv] Should I have helped patner by redoubling. To be honest, I did not even consider him running to 6NT? Easts double was courageous, to put it mildly ;) <_< His reasoning was, that he was able to see, that nothing broke our way and he really hoped to beat 6♠... regards JW

Should've mentioned MP-Scoring, so 6M is far superior to 6m, so there is something to be said for not supressing a decent 5 bagger. By the way East is on lead, so X is not Lightner. regards JW

[hv=pc=n&n=sqj872hk82d7532ck&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=2cp2s(2%20controls)p3dp3sp4np5d(0%2F3)p6sppdpp]133|200[/hv] You've reached a decent slam, but suddenly East wakes and doubles 6♠. What do you do?

That's actually not so clear. ♠ migth be 2-2-4-5 and if East ducks your 1st Spade Honour and takes the second, he migth be able to run 4 ♠ tricks. Which means you need to not have given away the ♣ and hope for ♦ to break. I considered lines where I take the repeated ♥-Finesse, to establish 2 ♥-tricks, but I'm not sure if that line is really better, because if ♦ break, I don't need it and if they don't I'll have to give away the leed 3 times, instead of 2. I think I would like to know if the ♦ come home first. Because if they do, there is a 100% line, by leading towards my ♠-honours, and if they don't I might get a clue if I should try ♠ or ♥. If ♦Q and ♠A are with East I might have to go for the repeated ♥-Finesse before I concede the lead to East twice J8,Kxxx,x,QJx6x with West and AT9xx,Qxx,QTx,Tx with East With this layout, leading towards the ♠-honours is fatal and the repeated ♥-Finesse should make... Tough one regards JW

Why did I Keycard after 3♣? I wasted almost 3 Lvls of bidding and all I got was A♠, KQ♣ Was 2♣ gf? Was 3♣ gf 15+ and 12-14 has to bid a temporising 2♠? Furthermore I'm not terribly happy to be in a grand on a 5-3 Fit especially lacking any intermediates. I might not be able to pick up Jxxx even if the 10 drops singleton... Anyhow I'll ask for Kings and if there are 2 I'll bid 7NT if there is only 1 King I'll settle for 7♣ because I might have to promote a 5th/6th ♠ in partners hand by ruffing, intendig to score 4♠, 4 ♥/♦, 5♣ when 7NT will be on a finesse. regards JW

If you're looking at an ordinary 1NT-opener you should assume that the bidding started 1NT X at every table. Therfore I disagree with your assumption that 1NTX-1 will only yield 10%. If you consider your 1NT-opening slightly offbeat, there still is no need to gamble because there is nothing to gain. No one should be able to outscore your 180 for 1NTX= and -200 could well be worth a lot more than -400, others might be at some other poor spot... 1♦ X 3♦(preemtive) X all Pass ... Therefore XX is not teribbly needed naturally in this sequence and there are some conventions around it. For example we play that partner has to act over the X if he is weak (for example xx,Qxxxx,x,xxxx will XX and correct 2♣ to 2♥) therefore partners pass is either strong or he just has no save spot to run to. In any case it forces XX by opener. Now 2[any] starts scrambling or partner leaves the XX in.

Why did I jump to 7♠ in the first place? Did it promise all Kings? AKJxxx and out would surely not have opened 1♠. A 7th ♠ or any Q will make 7NT cold. I suppose partner could have AKJxxx,x,Jx,Jxxx, some would open 2♠ some would open 1♠. I would've bid 5NT and pulled the 6♠ reply to 7. I hope P realizes that I always intended to bid to 7 regardless of any Kings in his hand. That should (at least could) alert him to the fact that I am looking for a 13th trick for 7NT, without causing any harm (he will not bid anything that gives the possibility for a lead-directing X) To the actual problem: I would pull to 7NT, if E really has a ♥-void, 7NT is cold anyway. Also P is quite likely to have a minor-suit Q or a 7th Spade. If E has J109x of ♠ I might make 7NT and not 7♠. AKxxxx,Qx,Qxx,xx has 13 toptricks.

5♣ is a horrendous bid. Your ODR is way to low for blasting to the 5 LvL. Give N the K♦ and it's already a phatnom sac.

Thank you for your insights. [hv=pc=n&s=sT4hjt85d9ct97543&w=sk53haq73dkt643c2&n=saj9872h4d875ck86&e=sq6hk962daqj2caqj&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1dp1h1s2sp3dp3hp3sp3Np5Np6dppp]399|300[/hv] I finally settled on 3♠. 3NT from P was a great call telling me not to worry about wrongsiding anything. 5NT pick a slam and P "guessed" 6d I disagree with 3NT, because I would also bid 3NT if the A♥ were the 2♥. I agree that 3♦ was not a great call. It probably should've gone 2NT (to rightside NT) - 3♥ - 6♦ (Kind of pick a slam and showing Di-Fit now, P should run to 6NT without Q♠ and therefore either the J♥ or AKJ♣) regards JW

Partners bidding so far is gf and is comparable in strength with a 4♥-bid in a 1♦-1♥-4♥ context, without interference. He cannot have 5♥ since he opened 1♦ and there have to be some ♣/♠ somewhere... Therefore he almost certainly has 18/19+ HCP, 4♥ and is at least semi-balanced. His Maximum would be a 2452 21 count which he did not open 2NT, though he can hardly have it, with N bidding 1SP

[hv=pc=n&w=sk53haQ73dk10643c2&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1dp1h1s2s(gf)p3dp3hp]133|200[/hv] After 2♠ by opener we're eagerly interested in bidding to the 6 level. In ♥ I was afraid of a possible second round ♠-ruff or a late round ♥-Looser (sth like J108x with East) ♦ would be wrongsided if N had ♠ AQ For 6NT we might lack some power, though any possibly needed ♣-finesse presumably works. Plan: 3-4♥; 5♦;2-3♣ 0-1♠ But how do we even get there? N will probably pass 3NT as I have not shown anything of my substantial extras (maybe 3♦ was wrong?) If I cue-bid my K of ♠ N might use Blackwood and 6NT would be wrongsided, too. If I used Blackwood and 2 Aces were missing (however unlikely) we might not have 5-level-safety (A,A,ruff; East: Qxx,KJxx,AQJx,KQx though this barely qualifies as a 2♠ bid) what is your opinion? Am I too pessimistic? was 3♦ wrong? Regards JW

Borderline decissions are always a little tough to express binary. So the binary answer is: I'd pass every given Hand (though I can't imagine I would :P :lol: ) hand 4 and 6 are tempting because the suit quality is decent and the preemptive value of 1♠ should not be underestimated. I would neither be shocked to watch my hand pulling the 1♠-card out of the bidding box nor producing the little green one. Thankfully my P is always very patient with my foolish bidding :D With hands 1 and 2 there's just too much wrong (shape, Honours in the worng places,..) Hand 5 simply is too weak and you have to draw a line somewhere, don't you. regards Janis

Several posters stated that 5134 is possible. And IMHO it really is if both long suits are terrible the singleton is an A with some more points in the 3 card suit. ♠Qxxxx,♥A,♦Jxxx,♣KQx comes to mind. Where I surely do not want to hear 2♠ from a 2425 hand when 1NT might have been cold and 2♠ is wide open. But as I have to admit that I am no expert I surely can be convinced that you should always rebid 2 ♦. But I would ask you to give some explanations instead of simply stating as a fact... The other reason I'm advocating that this might be a 5134 hand where P chose to take an unusual pass instead of 2m is that the double just works better with 5134 hands. Firstly because your shooting at a wider target HCPwise. A 5233 holding more or less has to have 14/bad15 HCP for the double, possibly ♠AJxxx,♥xx,♦Kxx,♣AQx. And secondly with the given examplary hand, the expert would have had taken the decission to likely compete to 3m vulnerable on a partscore deal. Where it is much more unclear whether the opps stopped in a fit (compared to 5134) and an own fit is no given. How likely is that? I strongly disagree that X can be for penalties. If you set them by 1 trick you gained 50, but if you fail to set them you will convert -110 into -470 at IMPs. Not possible regards JW

Partner never has a penalty double, it has to be for takeout. He also should not be minimum with 5233. Probably 6133 with weakish ♠s or 5134 or 5233 15count. So my bid is 3♦ In♠ my hand will contribute 1,5tricks with almost zero potential for more. Furthermore declarer will get tapped in ♥ and loose control In♦ my hand has potential for 4 tricks and we will not loose control, because we'll be ruffing ♥ in dummy, at least I hope so :) The best trump suit quite often is the long suit of the weaker Hand. regards JW