AL78

IMPs. General system is 5CM weak NT, not 2/1. [hv=pc=n&e=s864hkdkj9874cq94&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=pp2d(Multi)p2h(Relay)p2n(20-22)p]133|200[/hv] We don't have a way of showing a weak two in diamonds hence I passed as opener. After partner shows the big balanced hand what do you think about slam prospects? If you think slam investigation is reasonable how do you go about it?

Looks like a good auction to me. You showed a limit raise and partner placed the contract based on that information. Partner probably has a strong NT hand.

I'm sure I was taught it was 6-9 HCP and a stop, now I know it is a shade stronger than that. It comes up so rarely that I have never realised I was wrong and have not been burned from the consequences until recently. If mistakes don't have consequences you are liable to keep repeating them.

Thanks, I wondered if it could be as much as 10, I might have strained a 2NT invite in that case. Almost everyone else is playing weak NT (I live in the UK) so if West doesn't open it will go 1♣ - 1♠; 1NT - 3NT.

MPs: [hv=pc=n&s=sk876hj52dat8cq98&w=saqt95ht6dqj73cj3&n=sj3ha84dk92cak762&e=s42hkq973d654ct54&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=p1sdp1nppp]399|300[/hv] I was North and double seemed to be the least worst choice. I assumed 1NT showed 6-9 HCP so shied away from going any further. I was wrong and partner held a nice 10 count and made 10 tricks. Four out of five others found it so we should have as well, although it is possible either West didn't open or they overcalled 1NT on my hand as North was declarer every time. Is the upper limit for a 1NT response to a TOX a bit higher than I'm thinking and I should have invited? I've always thought 1NT here is similar to an Acol 1NT response to an opening bid (i.e. around 6-9 HCP).

MPs, opps playing Acol: [hv=pc=n&s=sqt92hq95dt852c93&w=sj743h83dakjcj842&n=s85hajt64d9743cq7&e=sak6hk72dq6cakt65&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=pp1cp1sp2np3nppp&p=h5h3hah2h6hkh9h8cac3c2c7ckc9c4cqc5d2cjd3c8s5cts9c6d5s3d4dqd8dkd7dad9d6dtdjh4h7s2s4s8skstsasqs7hts6hqsj]399|300[/hv] We play HELD (on discards) and count signals, and whilst I wasn't sure what was optimal at trick one I decided to win and return my fourth best heart. Partner got psuedo-squeezed and threw her spade guard allowing declarer to make ♠AKJ at the end. She said she didn't know whether declarer had ♠AK♥X or ♠AKx♥- at the critical time and was on a guess. I have a feeling I could have made this easier for partner maybe by dropping the jack on the run of clubs or diamonds which should promise the ten, then partner knows her ♥Q is unnecessary and can be safely discarded. What do you think?

[hv=pc=n&e=sqt86ha542dacqj86&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=pp1c1s3c3s]133|200[/hv] 3♣ could be a bit less than 10-11 HCP with shape to compensate, and probably is as if they had a constructive raise they could bid 2♠. The ♠QT86 is useless on offense but might be worth at least one trick, maybe even two tricks on defence. The East hand to me does not look like it has enough extra to justify bidding on so I would pass.

3NT is the in thing at my bridge clubs, don't believe everything the theorists tell you. Four MP hands from my two recent sessions playing North: Hand 1: [hv=pc=n&s=st8haqj72dkq63cj8&w=sj76h9da82ct65432&n=sakq9432h8djtckq9&e=s5hkt6543d9754ca7&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1s3h3nppp]399|300[/hv] I thought the spades would make a ton of tricks in NT as well as in spades so left partner in it. Making +2 for a top as the othe two pairs played in 4♠. Hand2: [hv=pc=n&s=sa54hjt43dk2cj874&w=s8ha5dt98654ca632&n=st62h9872dq73ct95&e=skqj973hkq6dajckq&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=pp2c(8PT%20or%2021-22%20bal)p2dp2np3nppp]399|300[/hv] A bottom for us, as one EW couldn't be bothered to bid beyond 2♠ and the other was in 4♠+1 which 3NT+2 beats. Three table movements are near meaningless as far as the scores go in a highly variable field. Hand 3: [hv=pc=n&s=s983h6dt64ckt9642&w=sakj2hq98daj85cqj&n=st74hk74dk9732ca8&e=sq65hajt532dqc753&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=1dp1hp1n(15-18)p2c(Enquiry%20strength%20%26%20hearts)p2n(Max%20strength)p3hp3nppp]399|300[/hv] My bridge brilliance does not extend to finding ace and another from a doubleton against a NT contract with a silent partner, so after I try a low spade lead declarer wraps up 11 tricks for 2/22 MPs to us. Bizarrely one declarer managed to go three off in the same contract on a diamond lead. The only EW pair who did better was someone who managed to make 12 tricks in 4♠. Hand 4: [hv=pc=n&s=sk53hj4d654ck7653&w=sq7haqt973dt93caj&n=s842h862dk87cqt42&e=sajt96hk5daqj2c98&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=p1hp1sp2hp3dp3nppp]399|300[/hv] I found the best lead of my fourth best club but it didn't do us any good. Declarer wrapped up 12 tricks. 3/22 MPs to us. Whilst I can hold my hands up and admit several bottoms in any session can be attributed to me, these examples demonstrate why I get a sinking feeling when the hands start going the other way and we have a run of defending nearly all the time.

They were playing a weak NT.

Well it convinced me to make the wrong decision. There are still occasional big holes in my judgement in competitive auctions.

She reasoned the hand was worth a constructive invitational to game bid based on the losing trick count so bid 3♥ invitational on that basis. I'd be more inclined to come in if RHO had raise directly to game as this normally shows a weak distributional hand with a big trump fit, which means a good trump fit our way and partner is very likely to have some values.

I reluctantly decided not to come in as I thought if they are at least thinking about bidding game, partner hasn't got much so I might be sticking my neck out too much. This was a mistake: [hv=pc=n&s=s53hj5dt654cat932&w=st872hqt8764da87c&n=skq96hdqj2ckj8754&e=saj4hak932dk93cq6&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1hp3hp4hppp]399|300[/hv] 5♣ is only one down compared to the making 4♥. One pair found the sac and I guess the other pair found it but the opps bid on to 5♥=.

[hv=pc=n&n=skq96hdqj2ckj8754&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1hp3h(invitational)]133|200[/hv]

Fell victim to a dog walker yesterday evening (they were playing Acol hence the 6-9HCP 1NT response): [hv=pc=n&s=st74hjt754d63cj64&w=sj93hkq8d84ct9853&n=saq82ha63dkcakq72&e=sk65h92daqjt9752c&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=1dp1nd2dppd3dppd4dppdppp]399|300[/hv] Just made. Only a three table movement and the contract and result was repeated at one of the other tables. At the other table North was allowed to play in 2♠. This sums up why bridge sucks at times. In a session where partner and I defended 12 out of the first 15 hands, I pick up a 22 count and have to defend a making four level contract on which someone else was allowed to declare in my seat at the two level.

First question, what you expect for a Texas transfer? Consider the following: 1NT - 4♥ 1NT - 3♥ 1NT - 2♦ - 2♥ - 4♥ 1NT - 4♦(Texas) That is four ways of showing a game going hand and setting hearts as trumps. Two of these give the option of investigating slam. What categories of hands are being shown by responder through each of these auctions? I thought you bid 4♣ to show a 0-1 loser heart suit and 4♦ to show a 0-1 loser spade suit but maybe I am thinking of something else.

Would 4NT by North here be to play?

I think given the reverse is at the bottom end of strength and partner is forced to bid something after the reverse, 2NT looks like partner is trying to make the weakest bid possible without a fit in either of your suits so I would play him for 6-7 HCP and pass. As it happens it is a misfit so not much makes. If you play Lebensohl here partner has the option of bailing out into his club suit or showing a minimal hand with heart support if you class Qx as support here, but whatever you end up in is going to be a struggle.

7♦ makes if East plays it but I don't think it is realistic to construct an auction where that happens. If West plays it South could make a Lightner double which should tell North to lead a spade.

When I get the error I reload the page which I think means it sends the post again. If I get the error again I guess all I need to do is bring the forum up in the browser e.g. in another tab but not by reloading the page.

For some reason I am repeatedly getting Gateway timeout errors when I try to post, which is why I appear to be double posting.

There are 12 tricks on top. North cannot hold onto four spades and the ace of hearts when eight diamonds are run against him so a small spade or the heart king becomes the 13th trick on a squeeze.

There are 12 tricks on top. North cannot hold onto four spades and the ace of hearts when eight diamonds are run against him so a small spade or the heart king becomes the 13th trick on a squeeze.

4NT Blackwood and cue bids showing controls. My partner went through Blackwood and we ended up in 6♠: [hv=pc=n&s=sht432dj95cqt9654&w=sk96hdaqt76432ca2&n=sjt82haqj976dck87&e=saq7543hk85dk8cj3&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1h1s2h3h4h4sp4np5dp6sppp]399|300[/hv] Heart lead ruffed, cashed the king and it all fell apart on the 4-0 break. I tried some desperation measures to give myself a chance but in doing that ended up three down for a bottom. I can hold it to one down but it would make all of two matchpoints difference. Five out of eight pairs are bidding and making game, one doubled, one pair went one down in 6♠ doubled, and one pair found 6♦ making +1. This is the second time in recent weeks with this partner at this club we have bid a theoretically good slam largely not found that has gone off on a bad trump break, I'm beginning to think our slam bidding is cursed :lol:. 7♦E is cold. If I had been sitting South I would have raised more than 2♥ which would make it harder for EW to bid the failing slam.

Plenty of interesting discussion. I'm not sure whether 3♦ should be a fit non jump, natural and forcing or not, we haven't got any agreements beyond direct raises being competitive and cueing the opps suit as a strong raise. Partner bid 3♥ to show a good raise in spades, the auction proceeded: [hv=pc=n&w=sk96hdaqt76432ca2&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1h1s2h3h(good%20raise)4h4sp]133|200[/hv] Now what?

Plenty of interesting discussion. I'm not sure whether 3♦ should be a fit non jump, natural and forcing or not, we haven't got any agreements beyond direct raises being competitive and cueing the opps suit as a strong raise. Partner bid 3♥ to show a good raise in spades, the auction proceeded: [hv=pc=n&w=sk96hdaqt76432ca2&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1h1s2h3h(good%20raise)4h4sp]133|200[/hv] Now what?