kgr

Why is xxx in spades a reason to bid 5♣?

Thanks for the answers. Interesting. I played all trumps, but it seems crucial to keep a trump. I will have to study this a bit more to grasp why keeping that trump is important. (The difficulty remains of course to read the situation)

What agreement do you have (or would want to have) about following REDBL and DBL: 1) 2NT-3C 3D-3S-(DBL) REDBL 3C: Niemeyer 3D: 1 or 2 4 card Majors (no 5 card) 3S: 4 card H RHO now DBL's for lead. How do you play REDBL in this situation? - Fit H and 1st control in S? - Or 4 card S and proposal to play 3S REDBL? 2) (1H)-2C-(2D)-DBL 2C= 4 card S and 5+Clubs, 10-15 pts How do you play DBL? - penalty (probably having both D and H) - info and what is typical hand then?

[hv=d=s&n=sajxhtxxdk9xxcatx&s=skqtxxhaqjdaxcjxx]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] You had a bidding misunderstanding and arrived in 6♠. LHO leads a small ♥ and RHO plays the ♥K. What is the best play here? Opps are no experts. - Is a squeeze possible? - I played one trump, ♦A, ♦K and ♦ ruff followed by trumps. But maybe it is better to simply play 4 tumps from the start..maybe opps will discard a ♦ from a 4 card?

Thaanks all for the aswers. Here is the full hand and the bidding: [hv=d=e&v=e&n=skq973ha3d73ca964&w=sj6hq542dj8cqjt52&e=sa4h96dqt942ck873&s=st852hkjt87dak65c]399|300|Scoring: IMP 1H-1S 2S-4S[/hv] We made 4S+2 How would you bid this hand with your parnter? With my regular partner the bidding could have gone (optimistic :P ): 1H-1S 3C-3H 3S-3NT 4C-4H 4NT-5S 6S - We play 2C is forcing, 3C is splinter 12-14 or 18-19 - 3H is cue and interested in slam if 18-19 - 3S shows 12-14 and is not forcing - 3NT not-serious, still interested in slam - 4C: void - 4H: control (A) - 4NT: RKC - 5S: 2 of 4 (without ♣A) and ♠Q

[hv=d=e&v=e&s=st852hkjt87dak65c]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Opps silent: 1♥-1♠ ?? - - You agreed SAYC. What is best bid now?

If you had posted this as an assign the blame I would have said 100% South. Yes you shouldn't bet the house on a doubleton spade from partner, but bridge is a game of percentages and odds are really really high that either partner has ♠Ax or he has a useful queen. Bidding 7NT removes the doubleton spade chance and reduces the odds of success from "near 100%" to "reasonable" I agee! I actually wondered if 4C is a better bid then 3H?

I'm trying to blame my partner here :) Isn't it better to bid 4C iso 3H? The hand is good enough to go past 3NT, even at MP's. After South showed a GF in C, 6C or more is very likely? 3H sounds more like a search to 3NT and now I'm not sure that we have a C fit? (I confess that I didn't take the conclusion that partner probably has a doubleton S, but he could also be 3=4=3=3 and not really wanting to preempt too much?) - - - I could have asked 3 round control in D by bidding 6D. If I would have bid 6D - asking 3rd round control - what would 6S response by partner then mean?

LHO deals and you hold white against red at MP's: x-Axxx-KJxx-Kxxx And the bidding starts: (1S)-p-(p)-DBL (p)-p-(2D)-?? (2H)-DBL-(p)- - - - Should you DBL 2D or have you said enough with the initial DBL? ...I guess it is clear to pass out 2H DBLed?

[hv=d=w&n=sathaxxxdjxxctxxx&s=sk9xhkdakxcakqj98]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] Pass 2D!-2S 3C-3H 4NT-5H 7NT - - 2D=Multi 2S=At least 3c H 3C=GF in C 3H=1st or 2nd control 5H=2 Aces - - What do you think of the bidding and what should be changed to reach 7C? How do you plan the play after lead of ♠7?

I guess to lead a ♣. I hope to make at least 7♥ (including a ♣ ruff). 2♦ and 2♠. If I lead an early ♠. LHO may duck, allowing his partner to ruff. Thanks for the answer. I started with 1 trump and then played ♣. RHO took this ♣ and returned a trump and trumps were 3-1 with RHO. ...It is clearly better to start with a ♣ in trick 2. RHO had something like: ♠x ♥xxx ♦KJTx ♣KJxxx I should make?: If LHO takes the ♣ and returns a ♦ for RHO who plays trump. I take this trump in my hand a ruff a ♣ and draw trumps and play a ♠ to dummy.

1♦-1♥-p-2♦ p-3♥ Surprised by this. I would think it shows 5/6 card ♥ and too good to bid a weak 2♥ initially. With what kind of hand would you bid 3♥ here?

Additional info after talking to the player who plays this Absolute DBL's: They do not need a forcing pass for these absolute DBLs. They always play it when level of bidding is Game or higher (except when they passed below game before). A DBL in not balancing position then says that they want to bid higher. The disadvantage is that they can not DBL for penalty and, because it is not forcing pass, it is possible that partner will also pass. But it seems like they are very happy with these Absolute DBL's and they consider it one of their best bidding agreements. eg: 1H-(Pass)-2NT-(4S) 2NT is limit or better with 4 card H. It doesn't matter if pass is forcing or not, a DBL now invites partner to bid. Opener can not DBL for penalty. If opener passes then DBL by his partner is penalty. These absolute DBLs are in fact take out DBLs at higher level. 1H-(1S)-4H-(4S) Partners 4H is probably weak and distributional and pass is not forcing. Still they play Absolute DBL to invite to go to 5H, instead of bidding 5H if not absolutely sure that 5H is better then 4Sx. It is like consulting partner before taking away the possibility to play 4Sx. What do you think? Do you like the idea? Is this new or have you already seen it played?

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sj98xxhkxxdaq9xcx&s=saxhaqjxxxdxxxcxx]133|200|Scoring: IMP 1H-(1S)-2S-Pass 4H-All Pass[/hv] 2S showed a limit raise with 3 card H. LHO leads the ♠K and you take it with the Ace. What is the best play now: - Club to setup a ruff - Spade back to setup the ♠J - First play one or two rounds of ♥? Note: Opps are no beginners, but certainly no experts! Maybe on some lines they will not find the best defence.

[hv=d=n&n=skxxxhkxxdxxxcaxx&s=saqjxhaqjxdakjcxx]133|200|Scoring: IMP Pass-2D! 2H!-2NT 3C-3D 3H-3S 4C-4D 4H-4S[/hv] 2D!= multi and 2NT shows 22-24 HCP 3C=Niemyer, 3D= 4 card Major, 3H= Spades, 3S=spade fit 4C, 4D, 4H = 1st or 2nd control Who should have bid more? And more important: Maybe we should always go to 6S with 32 HCP and a fit, but what is your style for the conrol bids: - Did South promise extras with his 4D control bid or does he always have to give controls? Also taking into account that North can give less serious slem interest by bidding 3NT iso 4C. - Does 4H bid by North have a meaning. Does it ask South to continue if not minimal? - Can South bid more then 4S or would you expect that that would always be done by the less defined hand? (On this hand it is difficult for South to know his partner has Club K or A)

I'm often playing on BBO, up till now always with pick-up partners. Often this is very disapointing and the result is that I'm also less concentrated and don't learn from it. Now I decided to look for fixed good partner(s) with who I can play if we are both on-line. (I play on-line when it fits for me, so mostly I will not make timing agreements beforehand). I think I'm a good player. Better then most BBO experts, but not as good as the BBF experts. Most of the time I play pretty good, but sometimes make rather stupid mistakes. I really welcome comments on bidding or play if they are correct and constructive. I'd prefer to play with somebody of equal level or better (added 'or better' so that Justin knows he's also welcome :( ) I play 5-cards major with strong NT and o/e discards. With my regular off-line partner I play some gadgets like T-walsh, inv min, some special after NT opening, transfer preempts, obvious switch.... But on-line I prefer to start with a simple system and extend that after a while if we are both happy to play together. I play most between 00:00 and 03:00 CET, and that most on Friday and Saturday night, but sometimes als on weekday nights. It also happens that I'm on BBO on Saturday and Sunday afternoon (CET). pm me if interested. Koen - kgr -

....This could explain it:

?? they are all smaller than the 8 spot. if they hadn't been smaller than the 8, they would have been in front of the 8 no? I meant all x's. I would be more happy with eg ♣AT86 then with ♣A432

1x-1NT-Reverse-2NT eg: 1♦-1NT-2♥-2NT (Suppose you agreed that 1x-1y-reverse-2NT is Lebensohl. ) How do you play 2NT here? Do you prefer to play it as weak to be able to stop on 3-level or do you prefer to play it as natural to be able to stop in 2NT?

:) Works even better if you bid it before partner bids 1NT

2NT I hope these x's are not all smaller then 8. If they are really all 2, 3 and 4's then I pass...maybe

I would think that 4H is clearly forcing and that 4S denies a H control and partner can only bid not 5D with heart shortness? ...I prefer 4H and hope partner will be able to bid 4S with singleton.

I will make agreement with my partner that if I would ever happen to make an insufficient call (accidently of course) then the first sufficient bid will always have exactly the same meaning as the insufficient bid. eg: 1S-(P)-1H...replaced by 1NT that now means: 5+ card H and 12+ HCP. => no penalties then?

I passed and asked a good player afterwards. He said I should have bid 3♦ because it allows you to possibly find a better ♦ fit or a game in ♠...Probably he has influenced by knowing all 4 hands: [hv=d=s&v=n&n=s986hxxdkqxcjxxxx&s=saqt7xhakxdjtxxxc]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv] RHO had ♠KJx. LHO did lead a ♣, ruffed by me. ♥A and K and ♥ ruff. I let ♠9 run and after dawing trumps played ♦ to the K. ...2♠+4

We have 12 spades and 14 hearts in this deck. Under such conditions defending 5♠X+1 is not such a bad score. I told you I don't remember the exact hand. :D ...I'm fairly sure that LHO had a 6 card ♠ (Maybe Free also played this hand and knows the exact hand)