thepossum

My problem is that I am still unsure of what to do every time it comes up I don't know whether to gamble on NT, go to a minor game, pass, explore slam or something else

Latest fun and games You should have seen the traveller Please ignore my play. It is one trick/play less than optimal DD Apparently some people made 6 somehow I guess I should have been more cautious over accepting the GSF - I wasn't even sure what the agreed trumps were [hv=https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|thepossum,~Mwest,~Mnorth,~Meast|md|2SA62HAT7DAKQ9865C,SQ75HQJ9653DT2CK3,SJ4HK842DCAQJT876,SKT983HDJ743C9542|sv|b|rh||ah|Board%204|mb|P|mb|1C|an|4+!C;%20HCP%2011-23;%20natural|mb|P|mb|2D|an|6+!D;%20HCP%2016+;%20natural%20-%20Game%20forcing|mb|P|mb|2H|an|5+!C;%204-5!H;%20HCP%2011-23;%20natural%20-%20Forcing|mb|P|mb|3D|an|7+!D;%20HCP%2016-18;%20natural%20-%20Forcing|mb|P|mb|5N!|an|5+!C;%204-5!H;%20HCP%2011-23;%20Grand%20Slam%20Force.%20Bid%20grand%20with%20two%20high%20honors%20in%20trumps%20-%20Forcing|mb|P|mb|7D|an|8+!D;%20HCP%2016-18;%20to%20play|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|S5|pc|SJ|pc|SK|pc|SA|pc|DA|pc|D2|pc|H2|pc|D4|pc|DK|pc|DT|pc|C6|pc|D3|pc|DQ|pc|H6|pc|S4|pc|D7|pc|H7|pc|H9|pc|HK|pc|DJ|pc|ST|pc|S2|pc|S7|pc|H4|pc|S3|pc|S6|pc|SQ|pc|C7|pc|HQ|pc|H8|pc|S8|pc|HA|pc|D9|pc|H3|pc|C8|pc|C5|pc|HT|pc|HJ|pc|CT|pc|C2|pc|CK|pc|CA|pc|C4|pc|D5|pc|D8|pc|C3|pc|CJ|pc|C9|pc|D6|pc|H5|pc|CQ|pc|S9|]400|300[/hv]

I looked at the traveller Two possible opening bids - 1NT or 1H - half the field ended in 3NT, a third in 3D, one found 6D and one found 5D - both slam explorations initiated by the Bot after a 1NT opening. IMPs scoring so rather disappointed not to even explore the slam

I am doing more reading on the subject but 1M-3m doesn't leave much room for exploring stoppers. Or is there just enough. You bid other major to show stopper and responder decides whether to go minor or NT???? I'm still confused at the different hand variants, especially risks in NT It did have the one excellent stop outside its monster diamonds and void But aren't you in trouble with club lead and offside king

Thx I really was quite in the dark. It could have been a fairly weak hand with long diamonds, dangerous in NT, or one similar above fit for slam :)

Yet another very sad tale. Probably my fault again but other Bridge Software bid 2D as GF Is it a different translation of invitational that means Slam invitational? I took it as game invitational In other situations I have responded in different ways and had the Bot jump to slam - I believe if you bid over 3NT it will consider slam But until I work out what it means and all its permutations I have renamed it the useless jump shift 5 losers and suit with enough tricks for game opposite an opener???? - and two other very useful features But again I was embarrassed - this time at not being in 6 0r 7 D lets be conservative and just say 6 [hv=https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|thepossum,~~M56715,~~M56713,~~M56714|md|1SAKJ5HQJ974DK6CT6,ST43HT852D74CQ875,S97HDAQJT8532CA42,SQ862HAK63D9CKJ93|sv|b|rh||ah|Board%207|mb|1H|an|Major%20suit%20opening%20--%205+%20!H;%2011-21%20HCP;%2012-22%20total%20points|mb|P|mb|3D|an|Invite%20--%206+%20!D;%202-%20!H;%203-%20!S;%209-11%20HCP;%20!DQ%20|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|D9|pc|DK|pc|D4|pc|D2|pc|H4|pc|H8|pc|D3|pc|H6|pc|DA|pc|S8|pc|D6|pc|D7|pc|DQ|pc|C9|pc|C6|pc|C8|pc|DJ|pc|S6|pc|H7|pc|H2|pc|DT|pc|C3|pc|H9|pc|S3|pc|D8|pc|H3|pc|HJ|pc|C7|pc|CA|pc|CJ|pc|CT|pc|CQ|pc|S9|pc|S2|pc|SA|pc|S4|pc|SK|pc|ST|pc|S7|pc|SQ|pc|SJ|pc|C5|pc|C2|pc|CK|pc|S5|pc|HT|pc|C4|pc|HK|pc|HQ|pc|H5|pc|D5|pc|HA|]400|300[/hv]

I think I have found one reference to them so far. They are called a Useful Jump Shift which I find ironic :) Thinking about possible rebids I have 3S, 4/5D or 3NT? or Pass of course :(

Exactly. When you see the hand though you may be surprised

How do you interpret this bid by North [hv=pc=n&s=saqj5hqj974dk6ct6&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1hp3d(Invite-%206%2B%20D%209-11%20pts)p]133|200[/hv] It is one of my least favourite bids. Maybe because it is not used correctly or interpreted correctly How do you proceed. Similar problem to that I have with GiB pre-empts perhaps Is it a pre-empt. It's not forcing 13 + (9-11). Do I have guaranteed entries and stops? It causes me repeated problems I always thought jump shifts were Soloway but is that only 2 level jump over 1

Sadly the hand had no features to show - because I had most of them :lol: I blame myself entirely for not just bidding 5D And I am by now familiar with GiB's very strong preempts - I put it through Q-plus Demo which rated it a trick higher and bid 3D - for me I think it would be 1D

My basic 234 preempt suggests 7 (some major - more specifically 7H) opening bid More seriously I would open 2C if it all you have available, try to show both majors and find out about the Q of spades BUT AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED PLEASE DON'T USE ALL CAPS. ITS HARD TO READ AND SOME REGARD IT AS SHOUTING

It does seem to have a rather confused personality at the moment What I find curious is that I was brought up on very basic Acol and Argine seems quite alien But that was many years ago so maybe Acol has changed Maybe I should just bid without reading descriptions and see how I go

Sorry for all the edits. I kept misreading the traveller :)

Dup

Strange glitch All tables except one passed 2S Correction I didn't check Half (EDIT 75%) passed and half (25%) didnt - seems cruel 2NT described as 9 points. Pass described as less than 10 points :) Correction again - I was right first time. A few percent didn't pass - would love to know more about how it all works [Hv=https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|ANON,~Mwest,~Mnorth,~Meast|md|3SA32HAQ54DKT65CJ5,SK4HJ63D943CKQ632,SJT986HK97DAJ7C98,SQ75HT82DQ82CAT74|sv|o|rh||ah|Board%201|mb|P|mb|P|mb|1N|an|2+!C;%202+!D;%202+!H;%202+!S;%20HCP%2012-14;%20balanced|mb|P|mb|2H!|an|5+!S;%20HCP%2011-;%20Transfer%20to%20!S.%20-%20Forcing|mb|P|mb|2S!|an|2+!C;%202+!D;%202+!H;%202+!S;%20HCP%2012-14;%20forced%20-%20Non%20forcing|mb|P|mb|2N|an|Invitational%20to%20either%20game%20--%205%20!S;%209%20HCP|mb|P|mb|4S|an|2+!C;%202+!D;%202+!H;%203-5!S;%20HCP%2013-14;%20fit%20in%20!S%20and%20maximum|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|CK|pc|C8|pc|C7|pc|C5|pc|D3|pc|DJ|pc|DQ|pc|DK|pc|H4|pc|H3|pc|HK|pc|H2|pc|SJ|pc|S5|pc|S2|pc|SK|pc|C3|pc|C9|pc|CA|pc|CJ|pc|D8|pc|D5|pc|D4|pc|DA|pc|ST|pc|S7|pc|S3|pc|S4|pc|S6|pc|SQ|pc|SA|pc|C2|pc|HA|pc|H6|pc|H7|pc|H8|pc|DT|pc|D9|pc|D7|pc|D2|pc|HQ|pc|HJ|pc|H9|pc|HT|mc|10|]400|300[/HV] I appreciate with computer Bridge it is an interesting discussion point regarding the role of artificially introduced variance It would also appear to be an efficiency consideration - how many sims are genuinely needed in any auction 1443 players * 8 hands * approx 8(??) bids = more than it needs to be - sorry didn't adjust for sections - approx 100 reps of each hand

This is the sad story 3D+3 for a remarkable 38% A few managed to find 5D+1 and a few others managed to make 3NT+3 despite it not being there double dummy I understand there are no additional features (singleton?) and there are a fair number of losers - but a minimum - how to find the contract I seriously considered 4NT but you may as well just bid 6 - no with 0 or 1 you can end in 5 ??:) GiB and I have a different understanding of strong and weak, and pre-emptive style I certainly felt embarrassed though (at my own bidding and lack of courage my convictions) [hv=https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|thepossum,~~M22034,~~M22032,~~M22033|md|2SAJ6HADT754CKQ764,S8532HKT854D6CA53,S9HJ93DAKJ932CJT2,SKQT74HQ762DQ8C98|sv|o|rh||ah|Board%208|mb|P|mb|2D|an|Weak%20two%20diamond%20--%201-4%20!C;%206+%20!D;%201-3%20!H;%201-3%20!S;%2010-%20HCP;%207+%20total%20points%20|mb|P|mb|2N|an|Artificial%20force%20--%2015+%20HCP|mb|P|mb|3D|an|Minimum%20--%201-4%20!C;%206+%20!D;%201-3%20!H;%201-3%20!S;%207-%20HCP;%207+%20total%20points%20|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|SK|pc|SA|pc|S2|pc|S9|pc|SJ|pc|S3|pc|D2|pc|S7|pc|HJ|pc|H7|pc|HA|pc|H4|pc|DT|pc|D6|pc|DK|pc|D8|mc|12|]400|300[/hv]

Indeed it could

Thx. Have added pass to my poll. Forgot that option 😊

[hv=pc=n&s=saj6hadt754ckq764&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p2d(6D%206-10 pts)p]133|200[/hv] Nice hand opposite anything but what do you reckon

Not if opener pushes it higher- 5 or even 6 😊 You and your partner know the hand. The only person who doesn't is opener

I was just thinking of trying to get it down by more tricks. You know what their hand is like but maybe opener doesn't

I think I would bid just to stop them getting too cheap a contract. Possibly even a takeout Its like we all know the situation but at least we can find a low level fit - what was vulnerability - hopefully partner knows the situation too Just looked at the hand. Possible 1 spade contract

I was wondering if I can intrude. If you know the points in 3 hands then you could guess what 2S was, which remarkably is what it was Back to the subject I would likely have bid 3D anyway - it can't possibly go that wrong can it? I suppose you could pass and hope they get to slam According to DD Solve you should have doubled or somebody should :) - but recommendations from DD can be risky

Took a bit of detective work but I believe this is based around Bridge (2006) - fairly recent adaptation of an old book :) Murder at the Bridge Table or Cards on the Table :) For those unfamiliar with Agatha Christie's work and don't know how they go I have put the details in a spoiler - oops just realised I may have given part of the plot away already But I am happy that it fits the specification of a TV series involving Bridge Without giving too much away I had to go first via Polish Movies to Turkish TV and Books in order to track it down "Briç masasında cinayet" with the help of Google of course :) Available on Prime Video apparently which appears to totally lack spoiler alerts :) - as does the book title in Turkish but they don't seem to mind giving it away, and some book covers in English appear to strangely have some kind of lethal weapon lying on top of a pack of cards I may even watch it now for a bit of light relief CORRECTION Even though Prime claim to have it available it is not so don't waste time or money signing up at the moment. Fortunately I already had a sub so was to able to check. If anyone knows where you can watch it please let me know just in case its one of my several unused subscriptions As is often the way I may end up providing too much of my time to research and help others. Apparently available on AcornTV and AMC+ via Prime but its another subscription so sorry EDIT I am about half way through it. Some of the Bridge details in the plot are quite fascinating

Interesting thought. Have rewards gone up proportionately too. Maybe also ACBL and BBO points :)