AL78

Cross-IMPs [hv=pc=n&s=s65hqjt4dq9cqj854&w=st9874hak86dca963&n=sq32h3dkt8753ct72&e=sakjh9752daj642ck&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=1dp1sp2hp3cp3sp4hp4sp5cp5sppp]399|300[/hv] Thigs were going fine until we got to game. We don't have any agreements over a reverse so I decided to show partner I had a good hand with heart support and potential slam interest if she had a good reverse by going through FSF. Unfortunately she corrected to 4♠ not getting what I was trying to tell her (and she was worried about her poor heart suit). I took 4♠ as slam going, so cue bid. When she then bid 5♠ it was clear we were not on the same wavelength and the bidding stopped there. Partner had a poor reverse (I wouldn't have reversed on that, I think I'd rather open a strong NT or bid 1NT after opening 1♦ (we were playing weak NT). The working spade finesse gave me hope, but the 4-1 heart split killed it and I went one down. Not the worst disaster I've ever had, -5.5 imps. I have now suggested to partner we play Lebensohl after a reverse.

Ok, I agree I was too cowardly. I would have bid 5♦ comfortably at imps. I should expect no heart wastage (a 30 point pack), count seven diamonds and two heart ruffs for nine tricks, then I only need two black suit tricks from a partner that can freely raise me to the four level. I must stop worrying partner will have one of the worst hands opposite for their bidding.

[hv=pc=n&s=sk865hakq63dck743&w=saj94h2dkqt9caj62&n=sqt32hjt95dj8cq85&e=s7h874da765432ct9&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1hd2h3d3h4dppp]399|300[/hv] MPs. I thought for a while after partner bid 4♦ whether or not to go for game. In the end I decided despite the huge diamond fit, I already strained to bid the first time, my spade singleton may be useless opposite partner's presumed suit, the opponents have done a fair amount of bidding, and it was likely I'd need a near perfect hand opposite for game to be decent. I did get the perfect hand opposite and 5♦ has icicles hanging off it. If partner held either black suit king slam is there. Was I too pessimistic?

Reminds me a bit of a hand I held yesterday in third seat. ♠972 ♥Q9 ♦AKJ95 ♣853 After two passes I opened 1♦. 1♠ on my left, partner doubled, passed round to me. I had no option but to bid 2♦ and I played there. It was one of those misfit deals, partner conveniently put down ♦Q2. Just made it for a 92% board, theoretically should go one down. Opponents have a similar 7 card fit and can make 3♠.

I've come to this thread late, but here is what I play with one of my partners: 3♠: Lond solid minor, no A or K outside. 3NT: 4♣ or ♦ pre-empt. 4♣: Long solid ♥ or 1 loser ♥ and an outside ace. 4♦: Long solid ♠ or 1 loser ♠ and outside ace. 4♥/♠: pre-empt, suit and hand worse than 4♣/♦. I can't comment on how effective it has been as it has never come up in the several years we have been playing it.

Yes you can make it with one of the heart honors offside if you play the suit correctly. On the other hand, you can't make it even with all the finesses working if the hearts are 4-1 and they lead heart to the ace followed by a ruff, although that's probably not a very likely defence to find. I think I'd much rather double on the South hand than show both minors. It looks like the optimal matchpoint score is 4♥ with the exception of those able to play a cold game doubled.

What is 3NT supposed to mean? 6♣ only makes because four honors are onside, and even then, you need to run the ♦9, not play to the queen. Swap the red suit holdings giving East ♥AJx and West ♦KJxx and you are not making five.

Need to discuss with partner. I've heard people transfer to spades then bid hearts shows 5-4, and I've also heard any hand with a four card major goes through Stayman, in which case transferring to one major then bidding the other shows at least 5-5.

♠A and another spade, when declarer plays on trumps, win the king, put North in with a diamond (play a high one for suit preference), North returns a spade for you to ruff. You take two top tricks and two trumps. It looks like that is the only defence, on anything else declarer can play ace and another heart losing only one trump trick, then cross to dummy in clubs twice to run the high spade spots, holding his spade losers to one. The defence only get one heart, one spade, and one diamond. Easy to see double dummy, not so easy at the table. You erred by cashing the ♦A which severs communication to your partner's hand so you can never get a ruff. There is no need to hurry in cashing your top tricks, declarer has no way of disposing of losers on long suits. I have some sympathy with the East who went off in 3♥, he took a double finesse and both honors are offside, then on winning the second trump trick, South put North on lead to ruff a spade as in the defence suggested above. I'd call that unlucky. The other tables are just a case of someone cocking up and giving their opps a good result, it is like the train wreck hands that often come up at my club. You can't control what happens at other tables.

No contradiction, the rules can be straightforward to understand but people don't understand them because they haven't bothered to try. The most common rules that crop up are easy to understand, the easiest one to understand is that if an irregularity has occurred, call the director, you can go through your bridge playing career with just that one rule, that is what the director is there for.

I don't think there are grounds for a complaint. It looks like South made an idiotic bid, North made a bog standard raise to the level of the fit, and EW failed to take the opportunity to swing the axe for +1100. Daft bids don't always get what they deserve, and you have to take it on the chin when you are on the receiving end. Why is East blasting to 5♦? It is an obvious penalty double if that is available, or else 3NT must surely be better odds. If double is takeout, West can then show the three card spade support and they find 4♠. West's hand looks good for a support double if that is available, otherwise if a TOX shows heart shortage and implies something in clubs and spades, I'd prefer that to 3♦.

You are allowed to upgrade very good 14 counts and downgrade very bad 18 counts if you are playing 15-17, judgement is allowed in the rules. If you want to regularly open 14 and 18 counts 1NT then the range 14-18 should be on your convention card and should be announced as such.

Ideally you want a convention which allows you to get the majors into the auction quickly, something like Landy or multi-Landy, but ultimately, whatever convention you adopt, you will soon pick up a hand where you wish you were playing a different one (that is my experience anyway).

Having directed at my local club once a month for many years, the idea of being biased towards one or more players when ruling is alien to me. I have always gone by what the rule book says, used objective judgement in the case of judgement rulings, and if I havent't felt confident enough on one of the trickier rulings, I find one of the county directors in the room and get a second opinion. A biased director is like a localised form of corruption.

Surprised you didn't raise spades on your first opportunity.

It wouldn't be helpful. 1NT - 2NT (5-5 both minors) P Partner forgot the convention, and defaulted to assuming it meant exactly 8 HCP, which is what she plays with a couple of other people. This arguably is my fault, don't use a convention which you discussed well over a year ago and has never come up since. This wasn't a bad as it could have been, the other table played in 3NT so "only" a 10 imp loss.

Blimey, by the time you have finished the bidding the director calls the move :lol:. What system is that?

I have just received a copy of the English Bridge Union magazine, and Andrew Robson gave his Christmas quiz bidding answers. There was one hand that stood out at me. [hv=pc=n&s=skqt94h3dkqj2c742&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1hp1sp2hp]133|200[/hv] Andrew says the correct bid is 2♠, and goes on to say bidding 2♠ could lead to a making game. Bidding 2♠ is constructivehere, following the principle of not rescuing a six card suit. I'd have thought with a singleton or void heart and a hand that is useless unless spades are trumps, it would be desirable to pull to 2♠ on the basis that is it often better to play in the trump suit of the weak hand, which combined with opener's HCP trick taking potential might play better than playing in 2♥. Knowing my luck, if I bid 2♠ with a hand like that I would be writing +150 or +170 on the scorecard when most of the room is in game, although I can kind of see his point that opener will need to be maximum for their bidding for game to have a good chance. What have I missed? Obviously I'm wrong because Andrew is a world class player so he knows what he is talking about.

This hand came up in a club teams event last Friday. I had the chance to use a gadget that almost never comes up (2NT response to 1NT to show 5-5 in the minors). How would you bid on these cards and can you find a grand in either minor, or even 7NT assuming no opposition inteference? Dealer West. [hv=pc=n&w=sa543hatdq82caq86&e=s7hk3dakjt4ck7542]266|100[/hv]

Oh the 3♠ was natural? I thought it was a cue bid setting hearts as trumps. Normally I'd expect a transfer to hearts followed by 2♠ to show 5-4 or 5-5 depending on whether or not you go through Stayman then jump in the 5 card major to show 5-4 game forcing if opener responds 2♦. On the actual hand opener held, why did they not superaccept the transfer? I would bid 2♠ over 2♦ South can put partner with a maximum with 4 card support and a feature in spades. That will make a grand better odds by the time you get to cue bidding and RCKB. Also, after going through RCKB then bidding the next non trump suit (5♠) to ask for the trump queen, isn't the response 5NT with two kings? Bidding 6♦ sounds like they only have one king.

There is a pair at my club who play a 1♦ opening shows five cards, so the 1♣ opening could be as short as one.

Your post may have been long, but it was excellent. I wanted to ditch the 1♣ could be as short as two, on the basis that the only time it will ever be that short is with the 4432 weak NT hand, which is very infrequent. I would rather open 1♦ with that shape, which makes little difference overall, because opening 1♦ is almost always going to be 4+ cards, so just treat it as such when responding. My partner wasn't convinced and wanted to keepm it as it is. Regarding the competitive auction, I understand that having direct raises as competitive and cue bids, new suit bids or double showing constructive raises is commonly played, and I like it. I will suggest it to this partner but she is the type of player who does not like going out of her comfort zone as far as bidding is concerned, and wants to stick with what she is familiar with. I happen to think I lose a fair few matchpoints on the competitive auction because of lack of agreement over whether a raise is constructive or competitive, or whether a pass is forcing or not, or whether one of us should be doubling our opponents to try and get +200 when they keep bidding over us, or how to treat those awkward hands with support which are too good for a pre-emptive raise, but not enough for a game invite. Easier said than done finding good partners who I can learn and grow with. The decent players in a club tend to be paired off with other decent players, so they are mostly not interested in playing with me. I don't really know anyone who has a drive to be competitive and is willing to learn new things. Novice players who feel ready to have a go in the main duplicate have the same problem, they can only partner with their novice friends and get hammered, but don't know why. That is why before lockdown I took a novice under my wing to give her a game in one of our main duplicate evenings once a month, in the hope I might be able to pass on advice, and that my bidding is sound enough she can infer properly from it. I did manage to get a monthly game with one of the club's decent players last year, but the closure of the physical club has put a stop to that. I am limiting my online bridge, because I have a day job that involves sitting in front of a computer all day, so three hours of bridge in front of a computer on top of that regularly is a bit much. The psychology game - yes I lose that one regularly. I easily get frustrated with bad sessions, especially runs of bad sessions, and that can incite me to make careless or reckless decisions at the table. It's something I need to work on. I have always thought this forum was very good. I've tended to believe there are several superb players on here, internationals, maybe high up in the world rankings, hence I post many hands on here to get insight from experts who are going to be brutally honest if I messed up, but reassuringly also will tell me it wasn't may fault. I used to post hands on rec.games.bridge before I found this forum, there were some very good players on there, but then number of times I posted a hand on there and got hammered in the post mortem was a fair bit in excess of here. "Lots of players make what, to a good player, would be terrible calls or plays, and get good results, and think that that means their bid or play was correct...leading to terrible bids and plays in the future." That is what I am, or was, a little concerned about. I do occasionally get weird bids against me, sometimes leaves me thinking "what on Earth?!", but it has a nasty habit of working for them and duffing me up, and it is often the same people doing it. Will they learn they can do what they like against me because it will work more often than not? Either they know something I don't, they've been on a lucky streak, or I'm selectively focussing on the bad results and not logging the good results.

This was a random teams event, where pairs get randomly assigned teammates. The teammates we got were far from the worst in the field.

I would have sympathy for any partner who went off on a 5-0 trump break and a failing finesse.

I don't think you need to ruff a diamond. If you can play both black suits for one loser you have six black suit tricks, two hearts and two diamonds which is enough. I think whilst tackling the trumps you want to initially avoid East getting in, otherwise there is a risk if you take the finesse, East wins holding Qx and pushes a heart through for a ruff which promotes West's Txx, hence I am thinking play spades through East toward West who can't do any damage on winning I don't think.