luis

First of all I check the back of the cards. Pass and when 3c is passed out I cuebid 4c asking pd to pick a major.

This is a very very complex hand. May look simple but there're some deep considerations to do. If you look at the hand from the theory south did well, he passed (forcing) and pulled to invite a slam. That surely shows that diamonds are controlled. But I think south didn't do so well, with the diamond void and KQJ 7th of spades he knows that his pd is really afraid of losing one spade and one diamond and even with solid clubs he is not going to bid 6 spades. So I think south should realize that there's no way to invite north to slam in a way that north can accept with xx in diamonds, xxx in spades and the heart ace missing. So bidding 6♠ directly is better than inviting. Curious hand were practice and theory differ.

I had to check :-) Gee, I hate Crab!!!

Ho hum Luis, we have been through this many times before. Your comment above is foolish. It is perfectly possible to play a system where 2C is NOT the correct bid. Playing MAFIA style, 1H is obvious. This may not be to your taste, but the top Poles would disagree with you. To extrapolate the argument further, playing a relay system, which you also play(ed) at one time, the first bid will be a relay bid, probably not 2C. So the truth of the matter is that your first bid depends on the system you play - there are many ways to start the auction. Note that our initial poster did not specify 2/1 or Sayc Ho hum quite a fun post Ron :-) The poster didn't say he was playing an artificial system so we are all talking about SAYC or 2/1. In both cases 2♣ is automatic. Playing the Quarck system the correct bid is 3♦ showing 4-4-0-5 and 8 controls but nobody mentioned the 3♦ bid, Ho hum what a surprise.

With respect I think that not bidding 2♣ is very stupid. With a strong hand I can't understand not bidding our longest suit first. Amazangly there're people out there teaching this otherwise nobody will even think about 1♥ on this hand.

I really respect your last comment about TFR to P :) Very interesting treatments, new to me, thanks. How do you bid weak hands with long clubs or D after forcing 1nt? Is 2nt general invite in NT or Hearts? If H how do you invite in NT with forcing nt? with a weak minor you just pass 2♥ or correct to 2♠ improving the partscore has little merit. 2NT can be either a general invitation in hearts or NT it's a partnership agreement I think. If it's up to me I prefer 2NT to show a generic INV in hearts.

Is this not what LTC is designed to do, help in these decisions. Not perfect but....we expect P to accept invites with an aggressive attitude at IMPS, yes? Master Yoda would say "a good issue you raise" With a good pd after 2♥ when you have a weak hand you either pass or bid 2♠ that's why you can use 3♣ or 3♦ as anti-splinters asking pd to go to 4♥ if he has no wasted values in that suit and as Roland said you have 2NT as a "general invitation" when you don't have those options available i believe 4♥ is better than 3♥ because I really don't want to transfer the guilt to pd in this hand just because I can't describe why I am inviting.

4♥ down 2 or making are good results :-) Vulnerable I see no clear way to let pd make an intelligent decision over 3♥ so I bid 4 and wait for the result. GLP!

1) 5♦ 2) 3♣, not a problem. 3) 4♥, what else? 4) pass, automatic 5) 4♦, object the bidding, I'd have bid 4♦ at my first turn. Luis

I'd like to join the prosecution. 1. Def1 did not want to opening because he held only 10 hcp and was weary pard would bid a game-forcing 2♥ after which he would have to make the most revolting rebid of 2♠. I'd argue that he has to open 1♦ (!) and not 1♠, over 1♥ he has the most confortable 1♠ rebid and then 2♠ describing his hand perfectly. Not opening this hand is quite an extravaganza and seriously contradicts the argument that they were playing an agressive style. Either you are or you are not but you can't switch in the middle. 2. Def2 thought game to be highly unlikely after Def1 passed 1st round, so he preferred to pass 1♠ instead of rebidding 1NT because 1♠ should be easier to make if Def1 held a bad 6-7 points. I agree. 3. Def1 reasoned Def2 to be below normal opening values, so he too thought game was unlikely and settled for a quiet 2♠ Def 1 is clearly nuts, not only he didn't open but now he imagines pd opening a club without a serious opening and he is bidding 1♠ on the 2 fifth and never bid diamonds with AKQJx. I wonder how a player that never bid AKQJx of diamonds pretend to escape from this? I found Def1 Guilty of - Switching the system style in the middle of the match - Not bidding diamonds with AKQJx - Playing aggressive not opening a hand that many non-agressive players would have opened. - Rebidding 2♠ which may be the worst horrible rebid in the history of bridge - Not opening because he didn't want to rebid 2♠ and then rebidding 2♠ - Not noticing what a 1♦ opening bid looks like. - Trying to defend the undefendable. Def 1 should go to jail for some months. Def 2 can be free after a severe warning from the court. Luis

I agree with Roland, this should be in the Conditions of Contest. The only reason I can find for not appearing in VG is if you have run from work, called sick or something like that to play... But then you can play with a fake name :-) like... "Alice in Wonderland" and "Dr Who" on vugraph. My suggestion is to offer players the option to remain anonymous so we can watch the show anyway and they won't be embarrased.

Ok now let's see what happened at the table. On #1 where you had Axx, Ax, K8642, xxx If you invite pd rejects. If you bid game pd makes it on a quite nice endplay for +400. Pd held: Kxx, Jxx, AJ9x, Kxx Congratulations to the players that bid game. Hand #2 where you got AKQJx,AK9,-,KT652 was the most interesting hand. First of all you can see that 6♠ is almost cold unless something terrible happens and if pd has the club ace you may win 7, however that is slightly unlikely because opener rates to have the club ace more than pd. The interesting problem that nobody considered is if they will double 6♠, defend to 7♥ or just let you play 6♠ without doubling or defending. The bid I really like is 6♥ inviting 7 if pd is looking at the club ace and faking a heart void, now they will probably double based on the diamond ace and the club ace and you will probably win 6♠ doubled. Once you show a heart void if somebody doubles the other player should respect the dbl. What happened at the table? I just bid 6♠ and LHO took 1ms to bid 7♥, I said "yikes" to myself and collected just 800. So I guess that if you bid 6♥ you score +1560 otherwise +800. On #3 where you had KQTx, xx, QJTxx, JT If you reopen you are booked for at least 500, at the table pd bid 2♠, it was doubled and he rescued himself to 3♦ again doubled for 500. If you pass they win 2♥ and nothing happens. If you bid you lose. I'm surprised for the many players that decided to reopen this hand, red vs white passing is quite appealing to me. Finally #4 AT9xx, 9872, -, AJT8. At the table pd bid 6♠ and they inmediately found a phantom defense in 7♦. The psychology of this hand is quite important it's very likely that they will defend if you bid 6 so I think 6 is a very good bid. If you pass pd bids 5♠ if that happens or you bid 5 directly they defend to 6♦ with the intention of doubling 6♠. 6♦ is only +100 and 7♦ is +300. Of course 6 spades has no play. (LHO leads the club king and you must lose a heart and the other club) After this session you fall from 2nd place to third and the pressure is starting to build for the last day of the tourney. (Day 3 problems coming soon!) Luis

This is what I think: 1) Do you like the 3♠ bid? My consideration was that I would like better to play in the spade 5/2 than in the heart 5/2-fit. Yes I like it a lot but your consideration is wrong. Once pd bid 3♥ over 3♦ your 3♠ bid shows the spade ace or king. 2) Does 3♠ show a club-singleton? No way. 3) Which suit is fixed after 3♠? Hearts or spades or none? Hearts of course. And they were fixed BEFORE 3♠. 4) What do you think of North bidding 5♥ instead of 4NT, pointing on the weakness in Clubs? Horrible bid. After 3♠ north has a very simple 3NT bid to see if south has a club control. If south can't bid 4♣ north bids 4♥ and that's all. 5) How do you give the blame for this hand to N and S? 100% to north for not bidding 3NT over 3♠. Something to south for having doubts about who is to blame and because I think the 3♠ wasn't for South what I should have been. The 4NT bid without a club control is really really horrible.

I am afraid I am not that brilliant and woud collect -400 with my 4♠ bid :_( I got to this thread late but I must say I really consider 4♠ a bid that I might make at the table. Maybe WE are not that brilliant!

About #6 I think you are wrong, if you don't lead a heart there's no way for declarer to missplay the hand, if you do lead a heart at the table declarer will missplay and go down 1. So the winning lead was a heart. I don't know if the lead is better or not in average that's why I posted the hand what you can't say is that it wasn't a factor.

As Jlall said except pass I think any card in the bidding box may work. If I have to choose then I think it depends on my pd. 5♣ is ok in "default" situations.

I think North has to double 4♥ for takeout, he will be happy to hear pd go to 4♠ with a spade suit or to 5 of a minor too with a minor suit. He can also stand 4♥x when pd doesn't have a clear bid. -790 isn't a tragedy if they were scoring -620 but if your side has a game or maybe a cheap down 1 in spades then you will be guilty. Why is North guilty and not south? Because North knows that pd will know he had a heart singleton so if he is not acting with a heart singleton south won't balance in 4th position. I'd have doubled 4♥ as north and yes it's wrong in many hands and right in others don't post examples :-)

I hate the problem! I think I'm bidding 5♦ and missing a slam.... life is not easy :-)

Hi Everybody again, I hope you enjoyed your first day at this tourney. Your pd is the same exp pd that loves to take some "strange" decisions. You are playing a Fantoni-Nunes style system 1NT is 12-14, 1 level openings 14+ and 2 level openings 9-13. And the show today features the following hands: #1: None vul. you have: Axx, Ax, K8642, xxx Pd opens a 12-14 NT in first position. Do you pass, invite or bid 3? #2: Vul vrs Not you get: AKQJx,AK9,-,KT652 RHO opens 1♥, you decide to start with 2♥ michaels, LHO bids 3♥ and pd surprises you introducing 3♠ on hiw own. RHO bids 4♥ and now it's your turn. What do you bid now and why? #3: Your a re vul and your opponents are not. You have: KQTx, xx, QJTxx, JT 1♥ on your right,you pass, 2♥ on your left, pass pass to you. What do you bid? #4: AT9xx, 9872, -, AJT8. They open 1♦ on your right and you bid 1♠ (agree?). 3♦ on your left and pd bids 4♦. LHO bids 5♦ what now?

Ok here's what happened at the table. In hand #1 I bid 4♥ a bid shared by the forum but not by the panel at the tourney. In my table pd bid 4♠ on the Qxx of spades and out and made it for +620. Two other tables didn't reach 4♠ and at one table EW played 5♥ doubled down 1. I think overcalling is wrong because over 4♥ pass pass you will be tempted to bid 4♠ but now your opponents had more time to communicate. At my table west didn't bid 5♥ because he was afraid of a possible slam for our side. In hand #2 I decided NOT to open 2♦ because it didn't feel right but maybe I was wrong... They opened 1♠ on my left, pass, 1NT and now I overcalled 2♦, LHO jumped to 4♠ and pd bid 5♦ doubled on my right and I choose to redouble making 11 tricks for +1000. What would have happened had I opened 2♦? Probably 4♠ on my left, 5♦ by pd and who knows what would RHO have done? Pd held xxxx,AQx, QJTxx, x I'm surprised nobody showed signs of stress in hand #3, you have 11HCP and a 5 card heart suit and your pd just doubled 1♠, it's very very easy to construct some moderate doubles that will likely produce 12 tricks, many of them with the aid of a club finesse that you know is going to be succesful. Imagine hands that double 1♠ and try to see how many tricks you lose.... After 2 minutes I bid 4♥ feeling really really bad but I was lucky to find pd with: Kxx of hearts and the rest. There was no way to avoid 2 heart losers so a lucky +450. In average I think that 5♥ is the best bid and 6♥ is second, 4♥ is really bad and deserved a bad result but I was lucky... In hand #4 3♥ as many have said is pessimistic but now would you go on over 4♥ by pd? I think that doesn't make a lot of sense. I think the right view is that 3♥ is wrong but now if you bid 3♥ you have to pass game. At the table this was an easy slam that only a few pairs bid so no big loss but had you jumped to 4♥ pd molecules would be set in motion and you should have reached 6 in a breeze. In hand #6 (there was no #5) the spade lead gave 7 easy tricks to declarer. I have the theory of not underleading a weak 4 card suit headed by one honor against 1NT so I lead my second best heart (2nd and 4th). This happened to be the only lead that didn't give declarer an easy path to 7 tricks, a combination of declarer poor play and a good read by pd about what was going on lead my side to the only plus result in our column in the whole field. It's interesting to see how the right thing in average and the right thing at the table many times are different, can we argue with success? I don't know. After the first session you are in 2nd place. And day 2 is coming very very soon... Luis

There're a lot of threads about TDs rulings in the last weeks. I think that the work of a Tourney TD in BBO is 80% non-bridge related (subbing, checkng connections etc) and 20% bridge related. So I have the following idea: Let real TDs certify that they are bridge TDs, for example contacting the ACBL or with a note from their NBOs or by some similar method. Then distinguish certified TDs with some special color or symbol. Allow TDs to "hire" a professional TD to be asked or consulted in bridge related questions for a tourney. In pay tournaments you can agree for example to hire a real TD for $X, in free tournaments there may or may not be a real TD... the real TD will then work as an advisor and asked to rule in bridge related questions, subbing and administrative matters are still things that the Tourney organizer will do. This may allow some TDs to make some money and Tourney TDs to have serious tournaments with real TDs ruling if needed. Some polishing may be needed as I'm typing this at the same time it ocurred to me... Luis.

Normal preempt :-) I think I open 5M about once a year. The last one was: QJTxxxxx, J, xxxx, J I rememeber the two singleton jacks pass-pass-5s they played 6c made 7, I'll never know if opening 4s would have let them reach 7, probably not but who knows?

I'm not an expert in statistics but there's one thing I really want to mention. In local clubs people complain when their side doesn't have "cards" so many clubs use an evil feature in some dealers to "balance" the HCP between NS and EW. This leads to real horrible things like counting how many HCP your side and their side has received and know what to expect in the last hands of the tourney or match. So as long as you trust the way you deal please don't do anything.

4♥, if they bid 4spI will bid 5♥ looking like an idiot, maybe they will decide to double. If I bid 5♥ directly I will force them to bid 5♠ which I think is a make. I think we lose 1 spade, 1 club and either 1 heart or 1 diamond. The advantage of 4♥ and then 5♥ is that they have two chances to make a wrong decision. The other advantage is that if Lefty bids 4s pd can double with Ax, QJTxx, Axxxx, x he will lead a club I will play the lowest one and they will be down 1 in 4sp when we were also down 1 in 4♥.

Roland, I know the problem, I think 2/1 is not well suited for light openings and I also think that light openings win points so the conclusion is that normal 2/1 doesn't work. WIth my current pd we were playing 2/1 but when you know 1s can be opened sometimes with 9, sometimes with 13, sometimes with 17 then it's very hard to know what the hell you should do as responder since the hand tends to go completely out of control. This is even worst if the auction gets competitive. I had this problem with 2 pds, and I found two different solutions. With one of them I just changed the system. With the other I adopted a 2/1 NF constructive approach with 1NT = "forcing game facing a hand that a normal guy would have opened" so after 1M-1NT we used 2c as "I don't have a hand that everybody would have opened" then 2d from responder was "I don't care, FG anyway" while other bids specially 2s would be non-forcing. We produced a lot of 1M-1N;2c-2M all pass auctions that would have ended in a horrible 9+13 or 9+12 major suit game otherwise.