firechief

I'm just adding my replies. Nothing final in my words, just said confidently :P

good idea, wrong execution. on that line of play, west wins the spade ten, cashes the diamond ace, and spade ace, then club to his partner, who exits a club and endplays dummy to giving the defense the heart queen. if instead you hooked hearts immediately, then led a spade to your 8, i don't see the defense succeeding.

declare: win the club, hook a heart, club off the table. east wins and on a spade return, i win the queen, cash a club (squeezing west while I pitch a diamond), diamond to my hand (forced duck), hook a heart, finish hearts, diamond to west. if west kept a long diamond, i keep diamonds, if west kept a long spade, i keep spades, if west pitched a heart, I laugh and take 9. If east instead ducks a club or returns a non-spade position is easier, I again finish off hearts and cash club jack, this time pitching a spade, and lead diamonds to my hand, eventually west must give me an entry to finish diamonds.

I was youngest life master at the key age of 11, and already in print being called a child prodigy. So, regardless of whether or not I was one, it's an overstatement to say there are clearly *no* child prodigies in bridge. Joel Wooldridge

The trick to the suit combination lies in another combination worth consideration. If you were holding A8xx opposite JTx and you needed 3 tricks, there's no legitimate way to attack the suit. However, the illegitimate attempt is one that will often work...which is leading from the concealed JTx towards the A8xx, and when LHO plays low, insert the 8. This will pick up Q9x and K9x to the left. That having been said, some would say "shouldn't those combinations insert the 9 to stop the finesse of the 8?" Well, that may be true, but now go back to the original combination of A8xx opposite Qxxx. If you lead low from the Qxxx towards the A8xx, and LHO has K9x, he may insert the 9 playing you for JTx (or even QTx). However, if he does play the 9, he'll get a rude awakening when his partner follows with the ten and the jack under the queen on the next round. Joel

I've run into pairs from the netherlands and iceland in particular that play it as a Q-bid. Joel

Before I bid, I cross off leaping michaels on my card, then I jump to 4c ;) Ok, if I can't do that, then I'd start with double and correct partner's 3h to 5c...if that doesn't show a mammoth hand, I don't know what does. I'm bidding 5c next after whatever partner does. Joel

I'll double, but I'm really hoping partner pulls. If partner does sit it out, maybe he's got 3 spades and 4 hearts (crossing fingers). It isn't so bad to start with double no matter what partner thinks I have. I don't like 1nt Joel

I'm a big supporter of psychic notrump openers in general. What might seem futile to some can produce fantastic results. The reason is that many people don't play penalty doubles of a strong 1nt opener. So you should psyche 1nt more often to take advantage of their methods. I would open 1nt and like it. I always like psyching 1nt...it's fun ;) If partner bids stayman, I'll show my spades. If partner transfers to a major, I'll accept. Joel

I think the 4c bid is a splinter in support of hearts. However, I can understand psyching this bid to "simplify" the auction. Bidding a direct 2/1 isn't such a bad choice in an attempt to "simplify." I agree that bidding 2nt after the rebid should be forcing, but it isn't necessary. Playing it as forcing makes many auctions easier to bid, but it loses out when you hold a stiff heart and about 11 or 12 HCPs. With that hand you could easily be on for 4H or 3nt still (partner is allowed to have 7 hearts and rebid just 2). So there's some give and take. If I started with 1s, I don't mind the auction 1h-1s-2h-3d-3nt-4c-4h-5h-p. Alternative would be 1h-1s-2h-4c-4h-4s-5h-p. Here partner devalues his Kx of clubs because he thinks it's terrible opposite a splinter. So maybe the psychic splinter isn't such a good bid with this particular hand. In Europe, it's common to play such a jump as a Q-bid in support of hearts, looking for slam. Joel

After laying down the SA from my hand (there's no reason to lead to the queen), I'd lead a club to the ten. When east returns a spade, I'd run trumps, coming down to -- -- AQ A98 opposite x -- T8x x I'm pretty sure I could get a feel from my opponents whether I should play club to the ace and another club or diamond to the ace and another diamond. It's my belief that the DK is offside due to LHO's non-bid over 3s. This might not be the best technical line, but it employs table feel, which I like to use ;) I'm playing for LHO to have length in both minors or getting a read on my opponent's body language (try to play for a doubleton jack of diamonds). Alternative line is club to ten, spade back, draw trump, club, club ruff, run off trump coming down to -- -- AQ7 9 opposite x -- T8x -- and now lead a diamond and attempt to duck into RHO playing for the show up squeeze on the forced heart return. Joel

In response to Fluffy, you can't respond 1nt w/this hand. You're asking for partner to pass w/something like KQxx Axxx Kxxx Q, and you're cold for 6 spades/6 clubs. I think bidding 2c right away, even if it is game forcing, is the correct call. I don't mind getting to 5 clubs or 4 spades, even when it's wrong because the other option is getting to a partscore a fair amount of the time when game/slam is on. Who's to say that 2 diamonds is going to play any better than 5 clubs? My plan is clubs first then spades twice. Joel

Hey, hey...I don't agree w/justin. What's up with that? I'm bidding 5 diamonds. My hand is all offense after they confirm partner's got diamonds. This is a huge hand for partner. Joel

Probably the best method is to play all the 5h jumps are preemptive. However, if I were playing rubber bridge with a random partner, I wouldn't bid 5h preemptive w/o the opponents entering the auction. Joel

If the K9x is in the concealed hand, I might try the effect of leading the 9 towards the AQ7xx. Maybe my LHO is worried I'm about to run it, and will cover from JTxx (no 8). If I were to start with the ace, I would not hook the 9 after the jack or ten falls behind the K9x. I won't finesse because the opponents are supposed to play the jack or ten from JTx. Joel