luis

Even at matchpoints 4h should be a better contract than 3nt, chances of 4h+1 are really good and that would surely beat chances of 3nt+2. So my bid is also 4h. Note: There're some chances of slam in hearts in this hand. Example: Axx, Kx, Kxxxx, Qxx.

Ben, If the 2s bidder wanted to bid 2s as 4sf then it must be alerted as you say. OTOH if he thinks 1s is 4sf then 2s shouldn't be alerted. When I read the original post I thought that 1s was 4sf and 2s undiscussed. Maybe he can clarify this to me :-) Just to prevent some confusion from my early post: If 2s was intended as 4sf it must be alerted. If 1s was 4sf then 2s shouldn't be alerted.

Oh, Seems like I misunderstood the question. If they agreed 2s was 4sf of course it MUST be altered. I thought they had agreed 1s was 4sf and 2s was not discussed that's why I posted what I posted :-)

Wow Ben! How many heart queens are there? My father tried to draw trumps once playing cA and club to the Ace in dummy, but 3 heart queens are too much :-)

Wow wow, I strongly disagree with many posters IMO 2 spades shouldn't be alerted. Unagreed bids are considered "natural" or "to be interpreted" and don't requiere an alert. I completely disagree with the players that said that playing online you should alter 2s. Playing online you should alert the same bids you would have alerted at the table. Opps are not entitled to know anything about your hand unless you have a an agreement with your pd. Why let them know what you have? So 2s is not alertable and if asked 2s is "a 2s bid".

Codo, I played the "obvious shift" principle with many partners. I think is a slightly better treatment than standard attitude on the lead. I wish I could buy the book by Granovetter.

Argh! I hate this problem :-) Club, since it's my longest suit. I know you are looking for redemption :-)

Hi all, I want to know what are your preferred methods for leads and signals. I'm looking for specific feedback on: a) Coded 9's and T's (What format do you use if any?) :) Smith Echo (Yes, no, when, why?) c) Trump signals d) Other interesting leads and signals you want to comment :-) Hope this thread can be used as a good summary of modern defensive methods and comments or signals about them. What about me? I use: 3rd/5th vrs suit. With std count and attiitude. Our 1st priority is count. Rusinow leads vrs suit. Special lead: A = asking for suit preference. (Generally with AK and a singleton somewhere). 2nd/4th vrs NT. We never lead 4th best without A, K or Q in the suit. With Hxx we are leading the honor as an experiment against NT if that's the suit to be lead. Journalist leads vrs NT. No Smith echo. Odd/Even discards all the time. What is the best use for trump signals with expert but not regular pds? Prism signals are nice but requiere pd to read a book :-) Old-fashioned I want to ruff doesn't make sense. Does it? Others? Tks for your comments! Luis

The link posted by Ben (Inquiry) is the best source of information about prism signals. I don't think Prism signals can be banned since there's no encrypted information in the signal. Declarer can also get the whole distribution of the hand by reading and interpreting the signal. What about coded 9's and T's ?

Prism Signals can be used to get an exact count of the whole hand by watching pd's signals in the trump suit. There's a lot of theory about Prism signals but the concept is very easy: it's based in a very simple fact: in a bridge hand you have either one odd-length suit and 3 even-length suits or an even suit and 3 odd suits. With the trump signal you say which is the parity of your hand and which is the suit. Example with 3 trumps: 4-3-2 4-2 = I have only one even suit and it's the middle suit. 4-3 = I have only one even suit and it's the lowest suit 3-2 = I have only one even suit and it's the top suit. 2-3 = I have only one odd suit and it's the highest suit 2-4 = I have only one odd suit and it's the middle suit 3-4 = I have only one odd suit and it's the lowest suit If you have 2 trumps you can only singnal the parity of the hand, not the suit. Knowing the parity and suit of your pd hand and watching dummy and your hand you can get the exact distribution of the hand applying some simple rules. If someone is interested in this I'll explain the rules. I've been using Prism signals with one of my pd's and after some practice the results are really good. You can play attitude always when pd leads the suit and suit preference when declarer is leading the suit, no need to show count. Declarer, of course, can get the whole distribution of the hand too but does he know how to use the prism? :-) Luis

Interesting hand. My conclusions after 1h-1s are: A slam in spades is very likely. I'd say more than 60%. The 5 level in spades is safe (75%). As usual we may have to run a simulation to confirm my thoughts. So the key is how to find a slam if we have it... My bid is simple: 4NT, then if 5d (1/4) I can relay with 5h to ask for the sQ. If pd bids 5s (no spade Q) then I bid 6s. If 5NT,6c or 6d (sQ and a side king) I can bid 6h asking for the hK to play 7. If 5c (0/3) I bid 5d asking for the sQ if he has the sQ I bid 6 spades, if he doesn't then I pass 5 spades. Luis

A PBN file can be imported for example in DealMasterPro so we can then analize the hands or run a simulation of the hands or get makeable contracts and analisys using DeepFinesse. I'd love to be able to export bridge movies for .pbn Please! Luis

I don't know if this is useful for you but playing LOBS I found this simple tool very convenient: 1m - 1M 1NT 2c = Any invitational hand. Forces a 2d bid by opener to describe the invitation. If followed by 2NT then SOLID Invitation and we accept with any 12+ hand. Generally 12+/13 HCP. 2d = Any GF hand, responses as if it was new minor. 2M = Signoff 2NT = Light invitation we only accept with good 13 or 14. (Generally 11-12- HCP) 2OM = Weak 5/4 3m = Signoff

I'd take 2h as forcing so 3h and 4h don't show hearts. 3h as splinter 4h as Exclusion RKCB with a heart void

a) Do I bid a slam? Yes. Why? Because this hand seems to be likely played in a slam at other tables I don't want to play game just because I know a slam is not 100% cold. :) Which one? I bid 6d, I like the chances of the play in 6d. There're many endplay chances or just a simple guess. I don't like 6h where you have to guess hearts early. Luis

Solutions: 1) You have: x, Axxx, AKxxx, Axx (Everybody VUL) Your pd opens 1c and the bidding goes West North East South(You) 1c p 1d p 1h p 1s(4sgf) p 2s p 3h p 3s p 4c p 4h p ? The right move is to PASS (!!) Nobody found that. At the table North bid 4s and passed 5h by south. Unfortunately South went down in 5h. South's hand: AQxx, QJxx, J, QTxx 2) You have: x, J9xxxx, xx, Txxx (EW vul) The bidding West North East South(You) 1d 1s 2s* p 3s 4c 4h p 6d p p ? Congratulations to the 7c bidders, Aranha for Brazil did bid 7c and earned a Swing since 6d was cold and 7c went down 800. Your pd hand? : QJTxx, Ax, x, QJTxx 3) You have: (All Vulnerable) x, 8xxx, 9xxxx, 9xx Nice hand ah? The bidding: (playing strong NTs admiiting a 5M) West North East South(You) 1NT p p 2c 2s x ? The double is for penalties. Your bid? What a nightmare.... At the table south redoubled and north held KT98xx, kx, Axx, Kx and played 2s xx. The defense paniced badly and declarer was down 1 for -400 when he could have been down 4 for -2200 (!!!) . As Gerardo said -400 was a good result with 3NT making at the other table. But if you passed then you got this right maybe for -1100, maybe for -200......

South American Championship Semi Final. You are always in SOUTH 1) You have: x, Axxx, AKxxx, Axx (Everybody VUL) Your pd opens 1c and the bidding goes West North East South(You) 1c p 1d p 1h p 1s(4sgf) p 2s p 3h p 3s p 4c p 4h p ? Pd bids are natural. What is your bid? 2) You have: x, J9xxxx, xx, Txxx (EW vul) The bidding West North East South(You) 1d 1s 2s* p 3s 4c 4h p 6d p p ? 2s showed support for diammonds. Your bid? 3) You have: (All Vulnerable) x, 8xxx, 9xxxx, 9xx Nice hand ah? The bidding: (playing strong NTs admiiting a 5M) West North East South(You) 1NT p p 2c 2s x ? The double is for penalties. Your bid?

I like your structure hrothgar. Is better than the one I suggested so I'll change the structure to the new one. :-) Good to know you liked the idea.

Weast's 3NT without a heart stopper is a bad bid, you can go down 2 in a hand cold for 5d or 6d. 4d is a slam try, now I usually agree with my pd that a 4NT bid by a hand that had just bid 3NT is to-play deniying any slam interest at all. Of course this is not the case of the west hand that should bid 4s over 4d showing a spade control and deniying a heart control.

Rado: With a 5422 hand you can bid it as a) If the 5 card suit is very good bid it as a one-suited hand. ;) If the 4 card suit is very good bid it as 5-5 c) If you have a doubleton honor bid it as 5431 Claus: The advantage of my treatment over crash and other methods is that you don't need a two-suiter or one-suiter to put the 1c opener under pressure hands with 4333 or 4432 can bid and then is pd who preempts according to the LAW. This has the following advatgaes over Truscott, Crash and others: 1) You interrupt the normal positive responses of responder early. You can bid with ANY hand if vulnerability is ok. 4333 or 4432 hands are just fine to bid with this method. 2) Pd can preempt to a safe level using the LAW and you should reach your safest level before the 1c opener can bid again. Auctions like 1c - (1s) - dbl - 4d Are common in our system. Without knowing you have 3 cards in his suit your pd would normally bid 2d or 3d with 6 cards.

Hi all, I'm posting this very quick and incomplete summary of The LAW, hope you find this helpful to answer your questions. The LAW fundamental principle: "The TOTAL number of tricks available in a hand is equal to the number of trumps each side has in its best fit added" Example: If NS have an 8 card fit and EW have a 9 card fit the TOTAL number of tricks available is 17. Once you know how many tricks are available you can base your bidding decision on "chart logic" example: If they are in 3s and we consider whether to bid 4c or not then If the total tricks is 17 then If they make 9 tricks we are down 2 in 4c If they are down 1 in 3s we are down 1 in 4c If they are down 2 in 3s we make 4c So at IMPS the winning option is to pass. But what happens if the number of tricks is 19? Then If they make 9 tricks we win 4c If they are down 1 we win 5c If they are down 2 we win 6c If they make 4 we are only down 1 in 4c So now the winning option is to bid 4c. Some tips that are quickly derived from "The LAW" * Unless there're very good reasons always bid 4s over 4h is 3/1 better. * With 8 trumps don't compete to the 3 level. Don't bid 3 over 3 * Don't let them play in 2x with an 8 card fit * With 9 trumps bid quickly to the 3 level. Adjustments: The number of total tricks in a hand should be adjusted using the following rules: - If you have "minor honors" Qx, Jxx, Jx then substract 1/2 trick - If you have a double fit then add a trick - If you have "purity": honors in your suits add 1/2 a trick - If you have honors in opponents suits then substract 1/2 trick Example: You have Qxx, Kxxx, Jx, Qxxx LHO opens 1s, pd overcalls 2h and RHO bids 2s. Assuming they have an 8 card fit you have a 9 card fit so chart-logic suggest bidding 3h over 2s with 17 trumps. If you apply adjustments you will know that the number of total tricks should be adjusted to 16. Then the LAW applies "with 16 total tricks don't bid to the 3 level" Why? Because: If you make 9 tricks they are down 1 in 2s If you are down 1 they make 2s If you are down 2 they make 3s So you are not winning imps for bidding 3h because if 3h makes you are expected to be +50 in 2s. HTH Luis

Count me in the 2h reply. In my 2/1 school 2NT means: - denies Hxx or 4 card support for pd suit - denies a 6 card major suit - Shows stoppers in the spades AND clubs (the unbid suits) So I just rebid 2M when I have no other option, in this hand I can't bid 2s or 3c nor 2NT so I rebid 2h. My "school" so rebids 2M very frequently with only 5 cards. Why? Because 2NT without stoppers in clubs is silly, you are in a game forcing situation, why hurry to bid 2NT if you don't know if you can make it? If we bid 2NT and pd raises with doubleton in clubs we'll feel very silly after they run the first 5 or 6 clubs tricks when we have a cold 4h or 5d game.

My statistical senses worked :-) Pd did have a balanced hand with 3 hearts and 3 clubs. Now it's easy to say that I would have passed a reopening double by pd but I do believe it is the best approach to that hand.

Hi Inquiry, I'd bid 4h without hesitation with a singleton club but the singleton diammond makes me doubt. We should run a simulation to get the real answer. Maybe my statistical senses are fooling me but I'm very inclined to pick up the green card from the box. Why? Because with 3 hearts and only 1 club my pd would probably bid differently having 5/4 in spades and diammonds or a six+ suit. So I'm guessing pd has a balanced hand with 2 or 3 clubs. I have two quick losers and probably three. I'm almost sure I will be automatically down 1 after four rounds of clubs promoting the JTx of hearts on my left :-) Now I want to introduce a question: If we pass and pd reopens with a dbl. Now what?

I like the idea of Larry Cohen so I agree that after 1s-p-2s the 4th hand can bid exactly as if he were balancing after 1s-p-2s-p-p Two different framworks can be better but that would be just too much to remember....