ajm218

Whoops clicked MP instead of IMP both times - both at IMP scoring

Both hands rotated so that you are North [hv=d=w&s=sakxxhajdaqtxxcxx]133|100|Scoring: MP 3♣ P P ?[/hv] Have left the vulnerability blank because I'd also be interested to hear if this affects your decision [hv=d=w&s=sakxxhajdaqtxxcxx]133|100|Scoring: MP 3♣ P P ?[/hv]

Forgot to mention, post your answers in a hidden form when you've got them :-)

[hv=n=sxxha96dxcqjt98xx&w=sjth87dkqj98xxckx&e=sq8xxhqtxdxxxcxxx&s=sak9xxhkjxxxdaxca]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Not sure how many bid and made 6♥ but in the post mortem afterwards with the Hand Record showing 12 tricks in ♥ always there for N/S, how long does it take you to find the winning line, declared by south on say a ♦ lead? (You don't have the aid of DF :D )

[hv=d=s&s=shakj9xdatcaqj97x]133|100|Scoring: MP 1♣ 1♠ 2♥ 3♠* 4♥ 6♣[/hv] 3♠ was slam interest with a very good ♠ suit, 4♥ is natural Now what? Pass? Should we have started with 2♣? (For the record, partner is a very good player :-) )

Any more news? :-)

Shame! At least they have 16 boards left to pull it back... Go Juniors! :-)

anyone got a score update? - am at work and can't access BBO :-)

Hi all Am playing in a pairs competition in London with someone I have almost never played with before (bar a couple of times on BBO). Bar a strong no trump which I have to play as i don't want to be making 2/1 bids on 9 counts, what other system should we play? I think his only demands were not 4suit transfers and 1M 3M is 9-11 with four card support. My regular system uses a five card spade suit and a four card heart suit, kind of a a half way house between Acol and SAYC. What do you think we SHOULD play and why? (It is a matchpointed pairs comp)

Hi all I have met a lot of people recently who claim they would like to learn to play but have never had the chance, or the time etc. I have tried to sit down and teach them on an ad hoc basis but find they don't really take it in, probably because it’s too over-whelming to do in one big chunk and/or my explaining probably isn't ideal; where do you start? I remember my learning curve consisting of some books for beginners; followed by a year of playing on sites like Yahoo and BBO until I became at least aware of concepts enough to be able to ask better players about things. Can anyone recommend any beginners books or resources I can recommend? I think what would be ideal would be a book/resource defining the game followed by a couple of hundred hands of mini-bridge split into sections with good commentary and explanations? Anyone know of any good ones or able to advise me?

Interesting hand and its too late at night to work out what line is best so i'm going to try for a line that allows me to find a bit out about opps distribution before I commit to any line. I'm going to win the lead, cash the KQ♥ and then cash four rounds of clubs throwing a heart from dummy and then cash the A♥ throwing a ♠ from dummy. I've played like this beacause i get to see at least two opp discards and with the KQT♦ in dummy am hoping to find out who has worthless diamonds and/or who can afford a spade pitch. I am hoping to have garnered enough information at this point to decide between the ♠ fineese either way, or whether to play for a ♥/♦ squeee against either opp or a ♠/♦ squeeze against either opp. I guess I may play for a squeeze if it looks like theres a chance of one, as this will also work if thers is QJ doubleton or tripleton ♦

Have to ruff this second ♥ and now have a problem of how to avoid losing more than one ♠ trick. Not sure I can make this if the K♠ is offside as however I come back to hand to take the finesse, if RHO wins he can promote the J♠ wherever it is by returning the A♥. So lets give west the K♠ (singeton, doubleton or tripleton, but ignoring KJ doubleton as trivial); If doubleton or tripleton, I can take the trump finesse, cash the ace but that leaves me with an ♥ loser which i can't discard on a ♦ before one opp ruffs in (unless the trump is with four diamonds which seems a pretty remote chance) So I also need a ruffing fineese in clubs to pitch a heart. (If LHO has the K♠ and the K♣, it doesn't seem too unreasonable to give RHO the AK♥ and the A♣) A hand that might jump to 4♥ might be xx AKT98x x ATxx Also I don't think I can make 4♠ if they are 4-1 even if i manage to drop a stiff king offside (because eventually opps will promote a trump with a heart) Therefore I've decided my simple line is going to be ruff small in dummy and advance the Q♣, throwing the ♥ if the ace doesn't appear. Assuming I win, ♦ to hand, ♠ hook, cash the ace and play on diamonds if the spades are 3-2. Finally if we have a singleton K♠ with LHO, i need RHO to have 3♦s to allow me to come to hand enough to draw trumps I await the correct answer (but have just thought about Kxxx onside but its bedtime) :P

How do you play the following sequences? (playing a strong no trump and a 2 level response shows a good 11+ hand (or about that) but is only forcing to 2nt not GF, so 1♠ P 2♦ P 2♠ is forcing) Uncontested 1♠ P 2♦ P 3♠? 1♠ P 2♦ P 4♠? 1♠ P 2♦ P 3♦? (Is this a good hand with diamonds or a minimum with diamonds?) Contested (Opp is dealer) 1♣ P 1♥ 1♠ P ? How do you play 2♣s and 2♥s,?