AL78

Well done everyone. If you are reckless like me, you overcall 1♥ and soon write -800 on your card. https://tinyurl.com/yd7m8e4z

MPs, red against green: ♠AJ ♥84 ♦KJ83 ♣AKJ98 RHO is dealer and opens 3♥. Your call?

MPs, red against green: [hv=pc=n&n=s9haq97542dk9862c&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1c1s]133|200[/hv] What do you call?

MPs, game all. ♠Q876 ♥KT986 ♦J4 ♣Q9 1♣ opened on your right, your call.

I lead a top (of nothing) heart on the basis of maybe I can get lucky and hit partner's suit, or if not, it hopefully won't give a trick away. Leading a black suit looks dangerous, and a diamond looks very unlikely to gain, less so than a heart, and there has been no Stayman enquiry. How do you reply in the form of a spoiler?

Yes I understand that a jump rebid by opener opposite 2/1 is game forcing. I was referring to the auction: 1♠ - 2♦ 2♥ - 3♠ which I play as invitational in Acol and 5CM without 2/1 GF. 1♠ - 2♦ 2♥ - 2♠ is a minimum 2/1 giving preference. Opener can bid on with a better than minimum hand.

3♠ is forcing? I've always understood (playing Acol) that 3♠ here is invitational, and to force to game you go through FSF.

I may be behind the times in terms of aggressive bidding, but there is no way I am overcalling 2♣ on KJxxx.

It has to be factored in that that the probability of finding the fit in one of the short suits after a TOX should it exist is less than 100%. For example, partner with 4-4 in the red suits will likely bid hearts in preference to diamonds.

But missing AKQ is the worst case scenario, and my point is that this worst case scenario is very unlikely compared to all the other less worse cases together.

The probability of opponents holding AKQ between them when you have a nine card fit must be small.

We weren't playing weak twos in diamonds, so partner could have a top of the range weak 2♦ hand for the overcall, marginally short of a 1♦ opener (which is what I was expecting).

Even without the overcall North is raising hearts, so they will always find the fit.

I think the others have a fair point, with no ruffing value and little trick taking potential I should have erred on the side of caution. I did contribute mostly to the poor results overall, my defense was dreadful, the effect much worse when I am defending 14/20 boards. I was tired from an early start and working in London all day, so on another day I would have cancelled. I find it very difficult to focus when tired.

We don't play weak twos in diamonds. Evidently I misjudged badly. After some thought I decided to raise, expecting a decent six card suit vulnerable and gambling on one off when opps can make 2♥. I got punished for it. [hv=pc=n&s=skj5hkjt4dqt9caq5&w=st3ha8dak752c9862&n=s98764hq965d83ck4&e=saq2h732dj64cjt73&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=ppp1h2d2h3dppp]399|300[/hv] The dreaded -200. That is what happens when I try to be more aggressive in very marginal situations.

Back to online bridge for the first time in months and same old rubbish, big hand bias the other way, dreadful final score because I can't defend. Here is a competitive decision that came up: [hv=pc=n&e=saq2h732dj64cjt73&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=ppp1h2d2h]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. NS were playing four card majors (Acol). Do you compete in diamonds or pass?

I should clarify that when I talk about bridge and social interaction, I do not mean informally meeting up with three friends, but club duplicate where I can interact with people directly, which is uplifting for me given I live alone and my family live 240 miles away. Club duplicate is a social event for me, it is not turn up, head down, get on with it in silence, go home.

I miss playing bridge as well, specifically F2F bridge. Playing a computer game is not a substitute for direct social interaction. Unfortunately the clubs nearest me are dragging their feet about reopening F2F bridge, so I'm looking at clubs further afield, and I have found one where I can get at least one game a month F2F.

It is a good question. I was wondering if it was worth worrying about, as how often are you going to have game on when both opponents have shown values in a constructive auction? Having said that, it is possible game is on if both opponents are stonking minimum for their bids and/or there is a good chance of a double fit, so maybe it is worth thinking about. Is there any possibility of coming up with a Lebensohl style construction to show direct bids as values/invitational and going through 2NT to show rubbish? That does lose the use of 2NT as two places to play.

Yes you might have game on if partner has that pinpoint precision perfect hand, but the chance they have something worse than that where a partscore is the limit is much higher. I do not advocate making actions that require a perfect hand opposite, otherwise you will be disappointed most of the time.

A flat hand and both opponents bidding constructively, 3♥ is plenty, and that could easily go down. Partner isn't going to have that much for his double, he probably has 4-5 in hearts and clubs and doesn't want to defend 2♠.

The situation which immediately comes to mind is leading a non trump suit in which partner will win the trick and dummy holds a singleton. I play the convention that a high card led indicates interest in the higher of the two other suits, and a low card indicates interest in the lower of the two suits. As with all signalling methods, this is not a substitute for logically working out the best defence based on other inferences. I have heard that high-low when following in the trump suit shows an odd number of trumps, and vice versa, but I am not sure if any of my partners play that. It can be useful if partner knows I am void in a side suit and gets in on the second round of trumps whether or not he can give me a ruff.

I wouldn't worry about what to do if I bid 3♦. Firstly, it has been years since I ever had a hand suitable for a strong jump shift after partner has opened. Secondly, make the two of clubs the two of hearts and you'd open 1♠ and have the same problem. Is there not a risk of missing a 5-3 spade fit if you open 1♣ and opponents decide to overcall in a red suit, and opening 1♣ makes it easier for them to do that?

Yes, at the table I responded 2♣ and jumped to 4♠ opposite the 3♣ response and partner played there. [hv=pc=n&s=skj953hadt5cqj862&w=s74hqj64dq6432ct4&n=saq862hkt98da8c93&e=sth7532dkj97cak75&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=p1sp2cp3cp4sppp]399|300[/hv]

I would have bid 2♦ on that hand, why not show a suit you hold? If you respond 2♣ on my hand, partner raises to 3♣. What now?