JanisW

(1) No Transfer into ♦ followed by a shortness showing bid is fine (2] N could've bid 6♦. North knows P: has 12-14 HCP has the A♠ therefore 8-10 has at least A/K ♦ 4-7 liked your Splinter so should not have a 12 Count with a lot of wastage in ♥ so he is a huge favorite to have the 2 of the 3 missing minor suit controls. I guess 4NT by N would've been Blackwood? I prefer it as waiting, tell me more, once cue-bidding has started. This would have left room for S to show a ♣-control. As North you do not want to tell P about your controls, you want to hear of his. I agree with South cooperating once, because he has a max 1NT with 3 controls outside ♥. But with the ♥K wasted he should not go beyond 5♦ on his own. He almost told everything about his Hand and cannot be much weaker for the bidding so far, can he?. regards JW

And that is the reason for this thread. How sure can you be that you want to be in a ♠-contract. Agreed on the actual hand the hearts might be a little bit too weak, but let's make a small (but significant) change ♠Axxx♥KQJ1092♦A♣Kx Now there is a selfsustaining ♥suit and 4♦ is "only" a spade raise. The problem I'm having is: how to simultaniously show a ♥-suit that is willing to play opposite xx or a singleton honour? And in a ♥-contract the ♦KQ are very nice cards... After 4♦ the ♥ could be anywhere from AJxxx to what they actually are. I agree that 3♠ and 2♣ are completly terrible and haven't even crossed my mind. Both are not forcing to game which is ridiculous with a 4 Looser Hand. regards JW

Oviously :( I've had some thought whether 3NT is truly needed natural after 1♥-1♠? You would have to agree with P that 3♣ is either a jump shift or 19-21 (semi)balanced with 3♦ as an inquiry. Now 3NT is freed up to show 6+♥ 4+♠? Is there any downside to that? regards JW

Thank you for your insights full deal was: [hv=pc=n&s=sa652hkqj982dack8&w=s93ha653dkj732cj7&n=skq874ht4dcaq9652&e=sjth7dqt98654ct43&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=p1hp1sp4dp]399|300[/hv] you can probably guess what happened... Bad luck or is there anything to be done about it?

[hv=pc=n&s=sa652hkqj982dack8&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=p1hp1sp]133|200[/hv] What is your bid now? Do you feel like splintering on a singleton A? What else? Regards JW

No I was not sitting in North and neither in South for what it matters. To sum it up, I was just trying to express that you should seriously consider bidding on, if this is considerably worse than P could expect from you. If I came across as sitting N it's probably because sometimes I'm too superficial with my Grammar, (I'm no native English speaker) regards JW

This is no light 3rd seat opening. This is no opener, whatsoever. To open light in 3rd/4th we apply the rule of 15 which this hands fails to meet by 4! And I need to add 2Js and 2Qs to the count to even get there Opps easily have an 11 card fit and P a real takeout and expects us to hold some Spades and/or Defence. Maybe Partner should not have doubled 4♠ but that's what happened so we have to limit the damage. The field should be somewhere in 3-4♠. After 1♠ by West an undisturbed East might settle for 3♠. If 9 tricks are the limit for E-W we're in great shape rigth now. If 10 tricks are possible we are allowed to go -3 and will still do better than 4♠X=. And we have a shot at a magic -2 to even beat those in 4♠= which is not found at another table, because other Souths did not open. If most of the field is in 3♠+1 we're screwed anyway, unless the cards are [hv=pc=n&s=sthqj2djt32caqt92&w=skqj432ht9da85c83&n=s7ha765dkq764cj54&e=sa9865hk843d9ck76]399|300[/hv] where we hit the magic jackpot in 5♦X-1. And yes I know that there are layouts where 4♠ doesn't make and 5m goes down for a 4 digit number If I had a transient lose of consciousness and opened 1♣, my P would never play me for what I have. So I would have to run after having regained my consciousness :) But I also agree with the sentiment that, if this was close to something I could have, I would have to stand the double and hope for the best. regards JW

[hv=pc=n&s=sa32hakj5dak986ct&w=sqj854h64d43ckj73&n=sk7h972dqt72ca942&e=st96hqt83dj5cq865&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1dp1n(6-10%3B%20no%204M)p3n(19-21HCP)ppp]499|400[/hv] 3NT is just too lazy. Reverse into 2H now N can show the ♦-Fit.

If I opened this nice collection of rubbish (1QT, 11count, no Spades, no sensible rebid after most responses), I would have to run. What basically happened is, I told P a story about my hand, but unfortunately I lied and now have to live with the consequences. If I were N I would be very dissapointed not to beat 4S looking at 2 tricks opposite supposedly opening values. Agree with 4NT. regards JW

Honestly, I would love to be in 3♥X. Since Partner did not pull to 3♠ there should be a reasonable number of rounded red cards in his hand. If I had one more Honour in ♥ I would've bid 4♥ on my own. I have very good chances of making opposite as little as x,Jxx,xxx,xxxxxx. My hand is strong enough to involve partner at the 3-level and my ♠ are much stronger than my ♥. If the A♠ were the A♥ and I still was 6-5 I'd very much approve of 2♣ because my suits are almost equal in strength and I agree with your opinion to involve P early. regards JW

The problem with bidding 2♠ is not that you are too weak to bid 2♠ the problem is that you now have to take the last guess as you did not inform P about the Fit Your Partner might have ♠Ax,♥xxxx,♦AQxxx,♣Kx where he cannot sensibly act over 4♥ but 6♦ is almost cold ♠Kx,♥QJx,♦Axxx,♣Kxxx where he still cannot act and you really want to be in 4♥ doubled If you had bid 3♠ (fit-jump), partner would've confidently bid 5♦ with hand 1 and doubled with hand 2 and you would have happily accepted his decission. Now you have to guess if Pass,X or 5♦ is right. Competitive bidding is about avoiding the last guess. regards JW

The LoTT, as I understand it, is used to give you a hint at how many tricks might be available on a certain deal, then you use the vulnerability and the scoring table to decide to where you should bid. But the LoTT most certainly is no LAW: And the statement that based on the LoTT there should be 15 tricks available on this deal is just as good a guess as any. There are easily 17 tricks available or only 13. And I do not need to take any drastic measures to produce these numbers, just look at the 2 hands I gave above. In my opinion, it is too simple an approach to add 8+7 without any adjustments. To rely on the LoTT to some degree of accuracy you need to take into account how good is your trump fit, especially the trump honours greatly influence the number of tricks available on a deal -> you just don't know your hands shape: in 3244 opposite 5332 situations there are usually less tricks available than in 3154 op. 5431 -> you just don't know working honours: I don't need to tell anyone that a black K is much more imortant than a red K for N-S suit contract, while it might be completly irrelevant to E-W in NT So if N produces the magical ♠KQJxx,♥Qxxx,♦x,♣Kxx there might be 16-18 tricks available depending on the ♦-split and if N produces the dreadful ♠KJxxx,♥Kxx,♦AJx,♣xx there might only be 13 tricks available on this deal. (note that in both cases both sides have an 8-card fit) I don't disagree with 2♠ but I disagree to justify it with the LoTT. And especially if East had some thought, I would be cautious, too give him a second chance. He might not bid 3NT, but if he had a 1-4-5-3 9count he might easily double 2♠ and West is swinging the Hammer with AQ10x in ♠.... 2♠ might easily be a very good call, but it might as well be disastrous. And I feel you don't have enough information to rely on the LoTT. I would appreciate it to get some comments on my thoughts, what is your oppinion? Am I wrong? And if I am please tell me, I want to become a better player regards JW

Yeah very borderline betwenn X and 3♠ and I think 2♠ is surely wrong My Spades are a little (well to be honest not just a little) too weak to bid 3♠ on the other hand 3♠ neatly describes the strength and shape of my hand and perfectly prepares P for taking our final decission. I can stand bidding 3♠ as it cannot induce a fateful lead by partner, because I will be on lead if they declare 4♥. If P were to lead against their contract I would have to start with a double. Now having started (wrongly) with 2♠ I will chance a double. If P is able to leave it in, I'm prepared to defend. If he has 3♠ to the K the first ♠-trick will have to look like J-Q-K-A :) regards JW

And 3NT is making, too

I think the LoTT is not applicable to this deal. Partner might hold ♠KJxxx,♥Kxx,♦AJx,♣xx where 2♠ potentially goes for quite a number or ♠KQJxx,♥Qxxx,♦x,♣Kxx where 2♠ could make In both cases E-W might make 3NT so the LoTT is just wrong... The reasons are: 3 small is no support, which it really isn't... our 3 Points are slow tricks and need support by Partner, our hand value greatly increases with ♣-Honours in Partners hand If E thought for some time I would never dream of balancing because they might have just missed a cold game. If E passed really quickly I might bid 2♠. reagrds JW

♣A followed by ♠switch I think declarer is likely to be 2-6-2-3 so our possilbe ♠-trick is quite likely to run away if we don't establish it immediately. Holding 4♥ to exactly making, might yield a good result, because if P can't ruff our ♣-return declarer might easily make an overtrick by throwing a ♠-looser on ♦s once our ♥K is driven out. regards JW

[hv=pc=n&s=s6hakt42dacaq9432&n=saj72hqj753dt842c&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=2s(weak2)3s(H%2Bminor)p4sp4ntp5cp6cp7H]266|200[/hv] Do you agree with the bidding?

I don't know how heavily I'm actually preempted. 4♥ can also be bid to make and bidding 4♠ can cause a lot of pain with such a rotten suit.... But I guess I'd bid 4♠, too. If I'm allowed to play there undoubled I feel that should yield a fine result. The real problem arises if I get doubled, P will never run looking on ♠xx♥xxx♦10xx♣Jxxxx, where we belong in 5♦ or ♠Kx♥xxx♦xx♣KJ10xxx where we actually have a shot at making 5♣. And if I run on my own P tables ♠Jxxx,♥xxx,♦x,♣Kxxxx as dummy... What would a redoule mean? It would be undiscussed in my partnership I guess it cannot be meant to make, that just makes no sense whatsoever, because 4SX= would already be great, so it should show a playable minor with some tolerance for the other. If P has a strong minor he bids his minor if not he bids 4NT and I bid mine.

[hv=pc=n&n=saj72hqj753dt842c&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=2s(Weak2)3s(H%2Bminor)p]133|200[/hv] With your 10+card Fit, how ambitious do you get? Regards Janis

MP-Scoring The opponents are to be considered one of the weaker pairs in the field. If the opponents were unknown, would that change your choice of action?

[hv=pc=n&s=s72h2dkqj2cakjt52&n=sat85h43da753c973&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=1h2c4h(preemptive)pp4np]266|200[/hv] Do you aree with 4NT (feel free to comment on 2♣, too) and how does N know to bid 6♦? Regards JW

I would open 4♥ as S and that would probably end the bidding... I do not have enough defence for a 1♥ opening, my suit-quality is acceptable and 3♥ is a serious underbid. Some N might press on, but my partner wouldn't :) If we had reached 6♥ I'd ruff the J♣ Now I can either try to drive out the A♥ and set up the Spades, which will always work if Spades are 3-3. If Spades are 4-2 I need to guess to play the finesse/ruffing finesse right. Alternatively, I can cross my fingers to guess the right finesse and ruff the remaining 3 clubs in dummy. I don't know which line is better, my guess would be it is setting up the Spades Regards Janis

yes it is. And it fits the bidding quite well. If the ♠ were any stronger, he might have bid 3/4♠ instead of 2♣ KJxxxxx,Ax,x,KQJ would've probably not bid 2♣ KQJxxx,Axx,x,KQJ might have bid 3/4♠ with that semi-selfsustaining spade suit I think the 2♣ bid does hint at a potential ♠ honour with partner, doesn't it? So I change my mind and duck the ♠ from dummy :) I wouldn't blame S for either line of play.

Partner has 1 trick at most he either has ♦King which probably does not cash Q♣ which probably does run away anyway but best chance would be A and another ♣ ♥-ruff, which has to be taken immediately Q♠ which would be killed, by rising with the A Opener is either 7-2-1-3 or 6-3-1-3. in the former case I need to duck and hope declarer does take the losing finesse in the latter case I need to rise and play a ♥ I'll rise and play a ♥

that's obviously highly dependent on your methods. Since we have 2NT - 3♠ 2NT - 4♦, forcing to 5♦ 3♠ followed by 5♦ (admittedly undiscussed, but I'd trust my Partner to get the message) available to distinguish between a weak and a strong Hand, then a direct 5♦ can no longer have the same meaning. As you do not preempt yourself on a hand where Partner opened 2NT, 5♦ is bid to make. How can you hope to make 5♦ looking at 0 key-cards? This bid simply should not exist. I would take 5♦ as a hand where Partner thinks 5♦ is odds on, and there is no scientific way to find out. Perhaps x,void,QJ 8th,KQxx What do you use the bids I gave for, if not to distinguish between a strong and a weak minor? Is 4♦ TexasTransfer to setup ♥ as trump so 4NT is Blackwood as opposed to quantative after 3[do] with 5 card ♥? regards JW