AL78

Sorry, we were NS.

[hv=pc=n&s=skq764ht6daq7653c&w=sa93h84dk42ck8752&n=st52haq97djt98cjt&e=sj8hkj532dcaq9643&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1c1s3cpp3dp4s5cppdppp]399|300[/hv] I was North. It may be hard to be objective seeing the full deal but my first bid was made on the assumption of a strong two suiter opposite that we don't have a way of showing with equal length or longer spades (i.e. we play Michaels and Unusual 2NT), and I have a trick, maybe two on a good day when I have shown nothing up to that point. My double was on the basis that there look to be double fits both ways, and the opponents may have trouble establishing tricks in their second fit, and if partner has a singleton, there is a chance of heart to the ace, heart ruff. Of course due to my lack of judgement when it comes to penalty doubles, 5♣ is cold, or it was until the point where declarer played hearts out of her hand instead of dummy, allowing me to score two heart tricks along with a spade (partner had led the king), so we got a top. 5♦X-1 was the par score. Was I off with the fairies here?

MPs, in third seat you hold this hand: ♠J97 ♥AQJ82 ♦AKQ5 ♣9 EW vuln. Partner in first seat opens 3♣ (don't you hate it when that happens?!), RHO passed. Your call?

Unsurprisingly a lot of people advocating bidding diamonds followed by spades. My RHO didn't know what to do and ended up doing nothing: [hv=pc=n&s=sathkq95d7642caq6&w=skq874h3daqjt53c4&n=s652hat864d9ct953&e=sj93hj72dk8ckj872&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1np2dp2hppp]399|300[/hv] Partner made nine tricks for 12/14 MPs. One EW pair was in 3♦, the rest were in some number of spades making nine or ten tricks. The only NS pair we didn't beat was the pair who found a double of 4♠ and took it one off. This illustrates the randomness of club duplicate, at least in my bridge world.

I think I would like to be in 4♠. The pre-empt has made 4-1 breaks more likely and with that, the chance that East can engineer a ruff in the major we don't play in. If I play in spades, I expect a heart lead to the ace, heart ruff. If I play in hearts, I expect a spade lead, West gets in with the heart ace followed by a spade ruff. 4♠ looks more robust against 4-1 or 5-0 trump breaks than 4♥. I would say this at MPs or IMPs.

This shows the difference between a typical club player and a world class player, judging to finding a protective bid like 4♣ presumably showing a three suited hand. It also illustrates some of the luck element in duplicate. If you come across a pair capable of finding a bid like that in a mixed club field, you have lost the board when you have barely started it.

Yes, 4♥ is on thanks to the double finesse in diamonds working and the spades 3-3 which means no spade ruff.

I've never heard of that convention. Quickly looking it up, it looks like a decent defence allowing you to show one and two suiters whilst retaining the penalty double.

MPs, game all. My RHO held this hand: ♠KQ874 ♥3 ♦AQJT53 ♣4 My partner (their RHO) opens 1NT 15-17. What would you do here if you do not have a two suited overcall to show these two suits?

Three different responses. My partner held this hand and decided to overcall 3♣ to which I responded 3NT. The full deal: [hv=pc=n&s=sk87h4d4cajt98732&w=sqj63hkt832dq983c&n=sa42hqj6dkt62cq54&e=st95ha975daj75ck6&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=1n3cp3nppp]399|300[/hv] I was playing for a semi-constructive hand, something like six clubs to the AK and one or two honors outside. I didn't expect something as freakish as the actual hand, but fine, after the defence play three rounds of hearts (switching to the ♦Q holds it to nine tricks) I cash all my tricks taking the certain finesse (they aren't opening 1NT on a stiff small club, and if they have, I will force a smile and congratulate them) I make +2. No-one else found it, two pairs were in 5♣, one making and one going one down.

Yes, I play super-accept with a weak NT and I know other players in the clubs I play in do as well.

[hv=pc=n&s=sqj864h6dakq85cqt&n=s5hak3d63cakj7653&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1cp1sp3cp3dp3nppp]266|200[/hv] MPs, I was North. The diamonds split 3-3 and the defence failed to cash their spades at trick 1 so I made 13 tricks, which was a good score at the time as only one pair had found the cold 6♣. With a slam this rock solid, I feel we should have been able to find it. How should we have bid it? Our system was 5 card majors, strong NT, weak twos in majors, 2♣ = Acol strong 2 hand or 22-23 balanced, 2♦ = GF or 24+ balanced. The slam investigation tools we have available are RKCB and cue bidding.

South ♠K87 ♥4 ♦4 ♣AJT98732 MPs, NS vuln against a decent club pair (likely the strongest EW pair in a mixed field). RHO dealer and opens a 12-14 1NT. Your defence to 1NT is 2♣=Landy, everything else natural. Your call?

I play very simple methods with my primary partner so the only way I could show this hand is start with 4♣ (slam try with clubs) and hope that initiates a cue bidding sequence which drives us to the small or grand slam.

:lol: I'd challenge a world champion to find, and justify, a small club to the king followed by running the jack as a line to play the club suit for no losers.

These opponents don't know me that well, this hand was at a club I have only played at a few times, and I very rarely pick up hands this strong, but in any case, LHO had enough to overcall 1♥ in second seat, so balancing in fourth seat isn't relevant here.

I opened 1♦ preparing to bid 2♠ next round. The next round never came, it went 1♦ - P - P - P. Partner put down: ♠T9864 ♥953 ♦92 ♣J3 I managed to make 1♦ with an overtrick despite the 5-1 diamond break, but 4♠ is there. Comment from LHO: "I had eight points and ♥QJTxx but didn't feel like bidding" RHO held ♥AKxx and five diamonds so didn't feel like bidding either. I despair at this game. 18 HCP and nine hearts between them with all the honors and they can't find a bid over 1♦. What are the odds? This is the second time this has happened this year. :angry:

Thanks for the responses. It was my relatively inexperienced partner that was put to the test on this hand, and she went down, although I'm not confident I would have done any better. It is a tough one due to the seven card trump fit, the lack of entries to dummy, and the risk of losing trump control after repeated diamond forces. I think I would have won the first trick with the ace and run the heart jack, then when getting in, play a low club to dummy or cash the top spades depending on what the jack lost too. [hv=pc=n&s=sj63haq82dq962c93&w=sakt97hk973dcaq52&n=sq84h65dkjt7ck874&e=s52hjt4da8543cjt6]399|300[/hv] As it happens the cards lie somewhat favourably. With the 3-3 trump break (which you don't initially know about), the risk of losing control is greatly reduced. The hearts lie nicely if you play them when in dummy. The actual play escapes me now but I have a feeling partner did run the club jack and North didn't duck. The traveller was all over the place, so it was, in a sense, one of those RNG hands. 4♠W -1 1NT E = 2♠W = 2♥W = 2♠W +1 3♥W +1 3NT E +1 2♥W = 2♠W +1 3♠W +1 4♠W = 3♠W -1 (us) 2♠W = 2♥W = 2♠W +2

♠AKQ3 ♥6 ♦KQT54 ♣AK7 MPs. System is 5CM, strong NT, 2♥/♠ is weak, 2♣ is Acol 2 hand in a suit or 22-23 bal, 2♦ is GF hand (i.e. equivalent to Acol 2♣), 2NT is 20-21 bal. You are dealer. What do you open?

I'm not familiar with the details of Standard American, so what do you do with a 10-11 count with two spades and no stop in the fourth suit, something like Qx Kxx AQxxx xxx?

2♠ will show a minimal 2/1 with two spades, and denying a stop in the fourth suit otherwise you can bid 2NT.

Is it? I think it is invitational in Acol. What do you do with a 10-11 count and three card spade support?

5♥ is not laydown. Three rounds of spades promotes West's ♥J, one down.

MPs, EW playing Acol, weak NT. In case it is relevant, most of the field is playing some variant of Acol with a weak NT. [hv=pc=n&w=sakt97hk973dcaq52&e=s52hjt4da8543cjt6&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=pp1sp1n(6-9%20HCP)p2hp2sp3sppp]266|200[/hv] ♦J led. Plan the play.

"next board." We got a joint bottom on that one. :lol: I'm not sure it makes much difference whether or not I hold the jack. AKQxxxx is more likely than not to be worth seven tricks.