AL78

I tend to raise partner immediately if I have support in a competitive auction, even on thin hands. On this hand it has some mild pre-emptive value in preventing West from bidding their major at the one level. If I were West, I would have bid 2S which East would raise to game. If my partner raises my one level opening over a double I am not playing them to have much defence.

I haven't blamed my partner, I was East and had the decision to bid 2 or 3♦. My partner played no part in this poor result. I am merely venting frustration.

Matchpoints, partnering a novice. [hv=pc=n&s=s98653ha64d53ck72&w=sathj753daqt942c8&n=skqjhkq82dkcat653&e=s742ht9dj876cqj94&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1dd2dpp3dp3sppp]399|300[/hv] Making +1 for a 75% board NS. What would happen if I had jumped to 3♦ over the double I don't know, but I didn't feel the hand was quite offensive enough. It looks to me that North overbid, South underbid, together they miss a good spade game, yet my partner and I get punished for it. The other scores are 4♠(S)-1, 3♣(N)=, 4♦(W)-2, 4♠(S)=, 3♦(W)=, 3♠(S)+1. It is hard enough getting even an average result overall when punished for our mistakes, without getting punished for the opponents mistakes as well. :lol: :rolleyes:

Do these percentages include those hands where North would superaccept? If so, you should remove that subset before calculating the percentages, since you are only considering what to do if opener bids 2♠.

This one hand is not representitive of the rest of the evening. We played solidly the rest of the time, finishing second.

Our agreement is around 5-9 if weak, but some liberties can be taken when non-vulnerable and certainly in 3rd seat. No NS did not consult our convention card, they (North) asked about the 2D and I gave them our full agreement.

Matchpoints: [hv=pc=n&s=sa52ha543dj3c9765&w=skhj92dq7642ckt82&n=sq73hkqt86dakcaj4&e=sjt9864h7dt985cq3&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=2dp2sdppp]399|300[/hv] 2♦ is multi, 2♠: I'm willing to play in 3♥ if that is your suit, otherwise pass. Clearly NS hadn't discussed how to bid over the multi, but North has a bit of a tricky decision over 2♠. Bidding 3♥ doesn't look right, and double looks reasonable, they have to do something as it will get passed out otherwise, but South evidently thought the double was penalty. I managed to escape for one down with NS having 4♥ on. Is this a simple case of a bad result because of a lack of discussion, or would you have done something different in the North seat in the absence of an agreement?

Yes I was West. Our multi is either a weak two in a major, a strong two in a minor, or 19-20 balanced. A 2NT is an enquiry, there are several responses, 3♣,♦,♥,♠ showing various strengths and suit quality of a weak two, 4♣/♦ showing the strong two, and 3NT showing the strong balanced hand. At the end of the evening, partner weakly suggested I could have made a penalty double over 4♥, on the basis he is marked with shortage in the majors, so two rounds of spades are likely to stand up, I may be able to give him a spade ruff, and the ♥Q looks like a defensive trick. It was small saving grace that I didn't correct to 5♦ which I probably should have done on the bidding, given that partner could easily be 6-5 in the minors after his initial pass. That is an even worse contract.

This one came up yesterday evening. Came against the strongest pair in the room (a couple of EBU grandmasters). They asked how it was going, I said good but you will probably stop that, they said we haven't done that well up to now, I responded by saying that every pair who says that ends up doing well against us. Second board of the round: [hv=pc=n&s=s973hakjt43daca42&w=sakt652hq82dt2c93&n=sqj84h76dj8764c87&e=sh95dkq953ckqjt65&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=2dpp4hpp5cdppp]399|300[/hv] 2♦ was the multi. Not a success, three off for a bottom, when NS have nothing on beyond 2♥. This combined with 4♥+1 NS for 21% on the previous board and 4♥+3 NS for 21% on the following board (both of those we couldn't do better) to make a really awful round after a great start. I am very good at predicting when thing are going to go tits up during an evening. :lol: :rolleyes:

Random teams, I was South, opponents playing in 3NT: [hv=pc=n&s=sa2hak4dqt86c9764&w=skq97h862da9caq32&n=sjt654ht9dk743cj5&e=s83hqj753dj52ckt8&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=p1nd2s3hp3nppp&p=s5s8sas7s2sks6s3h2hthjh4ckc6c2c5ctc4cqcjcas4c8c7c3h9h3]399|300[/hv] This should go two off. Partner leads a spade to my ace and I lead one back, which immediately gives declarer another two top tricks. Declarer plays a heart which I duck, then plays (incorrectly) on the clubs, I end up on lead with the ♣9. This looked like one of those surround plays (although it isn't here), and it was looking like we needed to generate some tricks quickly, so I played my ♦T, thinking if declarer holds ♦Kx, they might misguess and make no tricks, they will make one at most if partner has Axxx or Kxxx. Declarer plays the ♦9, and partner, thinking I have led top of nothing, ducks this to the jack. I can't quite remember all the play but declarer ended up scraping home with nine tricks. If I just play my fourth best diamond, partner plays me for an honor card and isn't getting it wrong. At the other table, South played in 1NTX, which should go off, but teammates let through an overtrick for -380. If you and teammates are going to cock it up, make sure you do it on the same board, the cumulative cost is quite a bit lower.

It means "I have a pretty suit so I'll bid it". Crap overcalls are two a penny at my club (unfortunately, I rarely have the means to punish them). It didn't work as a lead direct given they ended up on lead.

That did cross my mind at the time, but for that to happen requires West to hold seven diamonds to the KQ, with such a holding they might have overcalled 3D.

Ha ha, I didn't spot that, there is always something I miss :).

Random teams: [hv=pc=n&s=sakt2h6d8742cakt6&w=s3h7432dkqj965c73&n=s9764hakqt9dacj42&e=sqj85hj85dt3cq985&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=1hp1s2d4sp5cp5dp6cp6hp6sppp&p=dkdadtd4s4s5sas3d2d5s6d3s7sjskd6h6h4hah5hkh8d7h2hqhjc6h3htsqd8h7c5ctc3c2std9s9s8cac7c4c8ckdjcjc9s2dqh9]399|300[/hv] I'm not sure if I played this optimally, but I was happy I made it after the bad spade break. If East doesn't split his honors, I am playing high going for a 3-2 break and then running the hearts, so would have gone down. It wasn't bid at the other table, and thanks to the fortunate layout, the heart grand is makeable.

I wouldn't class the stiff king under the pre-emptor as a defensive value. Either declarer has an entry to dummy to play a spade through you, or declarer doesn't have an entry to dummy and will bang down the spade ace. Partner needs to hold Ax(x..) or Qx(x..) (Jxx would work as well) for the king to be worth a trick. I'm not sure how likely that is.

MPs, this was a novice playing with a more experienced player (NS). I think they were playing Acol, three weak twos, and a weak NT. [hv=pc=n&s=skh953daq542cj864&w=sqj876543hq2dckq2&n=sahkj87dkjt63cat7&e=st92hat64d987c953&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=pp4sppp]399|300[/hv] 4♠ made +1 for a NS bottom after the ♣A lead, somehow they lost a heart trick, I don't know how (maybe North led a heart when in with the ♠A). If they hold it to 10 tricks, it would still only be worth 4 MP's out of 22. Several others were in 4♦ and 5♦ making 9, 10 or 11 tricks, one defended 5♠X-2. The question is, does North have enough to act over the preempt? Kind of ironic that West preempts but it is NS that need to find the good diamond sacrifice.

I don't know how that GIB button works, all I get is a lot of green squares with a 1 in them, except the dimond which has an =. I have gone through it on Bridgewebs, and I now see how it can be held, and why the heart lead at trick 1 doesn't work. North switches to a club at trick 2, I win and put the heart through. Declarer can put up the ace but can't untangle the diamonds for a heart discard because I can ruff and we make the HK. If I do it the other way around and start with a heart, followed by a diamond when in with the ♣A, that doesn't work, because declarer takes the finesse, partner can't attack diamonds, declarer gets back in, ruffs the hearts good, gets to dummy, and throws the diamond loser on the established hearts. All I can do is ruff with my master trump. I'll admit I am not the best at analysing a bridge hand.

True, although it would have worked nicely if partner had the ♣K instead of the ♠K, but yes, maybe the percentage play for the best result is to passively exit, rather than trying for flukes.

Pairs: [hv=pc=n&s=st98ht52d4cat9842&w=sa3haq743dat96cq7&n=sqjhkj6dkj8753c65&e=sk76542h98dq2ckj3&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=2sp2n3dpp3sppp]399|300[/hv] I thought the singleton diamond was a reasonable lead. It went to partner's king, and partner led one back for me to ruff. I didn't like the look of the ♦A or the heart suit potentially providing discards, so cashed my ♣A and switched to a heart. Declarer went up with the ace, drew trumps in two rounds ending in dummy, and threw the heart loser on the ♦A. 10 tricks made. The problem was I am ruffing with a natural trump trick (I didn't know this at the time), and at the same time setting up dummy's ace for a discard, hence I gave a trick away. I need to lead a heart at trick one to establish partner's king, and not setting up a diamond discard for declarer. This holds it to nine tricks. Here's me thinking the standard opening lead advice was to lead partner's suit he has overcalled.

Pairs: [hv=pc=n&s=sa965hkq6dqjtckt5&w=s32hajt94d9873caj&n=sqjt874h73d62c632&e=skh852dak54cq9874&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1sp2sp2np4sppp]399|300[/hv] NS playing weak NT, so the 2NT rebid should show a strong NT hand. After some thought I lead a top diamond (looks the least likely to blow a trick). Partner wins and switches to a heart, my ace covering the queen. Not being sure of where our tricks were coming from apart from my ♣A and partner's ♦A, I settled for one down by cashing my ace then leading a diamond. Declarer dropped partner's stiff king and had the rest, one down. The optimal defence is far more pretty. I lead a diamond as before, partner wins and returns a club to my jack. I cash the ace and lead another diamond, partner wins and returns a club for me to ruff. I have the ♥A for six defensive tricks and three down. That is a tough defence to find at the table, but beautiful if it could be found.

I lead low diamond, partner wins. Partner plays a second diamond, ruffed by declarer. Declarer plays a heart, won by partner. Partner plays a club, end of defence. How is it possible for me to signal for a spade?

The declarer drought continues. I sat in with the beginners this evening to make up the numbers. 14 boards, declared once, my partner declared twice. Average HCP count our way 9.57 and 9.43. The good thing was despite defending 11 out of 14 hands, we had something to defend with, and even though I was partnering a 1st year student, we defended well, and we ended up second with 63.7%. If the helper hadn't encouraged her to bid the spade slam that went off on a 5-0 spade break (6NT makes thanks to the rest of the layout being favourable), we might have won.

12-14. Yes I would normally strain to bid in this situation but felt to do so would be pushing it too far.

No, we can do without more trundlebunnies. At my local club we can't even do 24 boards in three hours because some pairs can't do anything briskly, or even at a moderate pace. It is like their brain is a Spectrum ZX81 when an Intel Core I7 is needed.

Pass. Pre-empts work. I think the probability of playing in a horrible heart contract is greater than finding a making 4♠ when partner has the perfect hand opposite a takeout double.