Douglas43

At the table, I cashed four diamonds, East throwing a heart and spade, West a spade. I now played a spade to the Ace and ducked one, not realising that one had discarded from Qxx and the other from Jxx!. An embarrassed 53%.

I think you could have the same discussion about a non-forcing 1NT response. In Acol it denies a 4-card major that can be bid at the one level or values to bid at the two level. It's OK to bid 1NT over 1S on say: x, J10xx, KQxxxx, Qx. Is that "natural"? Only in that I have too much to pass and I don't want to play in1S.

I asked this question after getting the same message and the answer I got was that it counts your rate of completed paid for tournaments. As I usually just play the free stuff, I got the same rating, despite always completing them. I assume the idea is to deter people from ducking out if they start with a couple of bad boards?

Surely not many think that way? Admittedly I am male and over 60, but I really cannot remember hearing gender-based disrespectful comments about female players from my peer group.

Would settle for 3H assuming this is matchpoints. If partner has HK10xxx we have a fair shot at game - although interestingly 3NT would be better than 4H.

If diamonds are 4-2 ducking the second round sees us home. We only need 1 ruff to set up the suit (or on a side-suit return we have a high cross-ruff) The advantage of the duck over playing AD seems quite marginal, roughly 7.5% (half of 5-1 breaks. These problems are very much aimed at IMPs play. At pairs we bang down the Ace and try for an overtrick.

Welcome to the forums. This is the only place I post on social media, because of the good standards of politeness amongst the posters.

I agree with DavidKok as to the meaning of 2S, although I am happy enough with 2C on your second turn

I'm not a fan of just declares because of the speed with which the bidding disappears.

Robot 1 opens a weak 2H. I overcall 3NT. Robot 2 is on lead with: AKQ104 753 87 987 It led a heart. Predictably, this was not a success... [hv=pc=n&s=s65hkqdakqjt95ckj&w=sakqt4h753d87c987&n=s972ha2d6432cq432&e=sj83hjt9864dcat65&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=pp2h3nppp]399|300[/hv]

Not sure if you can get his books in the US but Paul Mendelson writes clearly. "Mendelson's Guide to the bidding battle" is a good book on competitive bidding (and describes some gadgets). It doesn't include support doubles though (they are less popular in UK, mainly because they don't work quite as well in a system with a weak no trump) He also wrote a book of bridge tips.

The robots don't play SOS redoubles then?

The same applies in Howell movements. The initiative is always with the pair with stronger hands. Even in a Mitchell, if you have weaker hands, you just have to hope that the opponents slip up sometimes. But no form of the game is perfect, you just have to grind out the best result you can.

Hi I tried to follow the instructions and got from this: https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?bbo=y&lin=pn|djrar,Douglas43,fillace,Lizzykind|st%7C%7Cmd%7C1S345QAH48KD46AC2A%2CS68TJH236D3QKC3QK%2CS279H9TQAD259C469%2C%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7CBoard 7%7Csv%7Cb%7Cmb%7C1S%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C1N%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C2N%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CS9%7C to: [hv=bbo=y&lin=pn|djrar,Douglas43,fillace,Lizzykind|st%7C%7Cmd%7C1S345QAH48KD46AC2A%2CS68TJH236D3QKC3QK%2CS279H9TQAD259C469%2C%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7CBoard%207%7Csv%7Cb%7Cmb%7C1S%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C1N%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C2N%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CS9%7C]400|300|[comments[/hv] But still no joy. Can you help please?

Generally speaking, if you have 4 card support it's a 10 card fit and it's almost always right to bid 4 (unless maybe you have a weak flat hand and are vulnerable v non-vul) If you have three card support you want a respectable opening bid for game to be possible. With two card support you want at least a good 15 count With a singleton you should be passing unless you have a terrific suit of your own (so you have tricks to run in 3NT). Don't just count points, if you have a fit, look for aces and kings in side suits because queens and jacks may be opposite a shortage. If you don't have a fit, you need a suit that is a source of tricks. Does that help? Sorry OP - I read it as weak two opener and this is a ready reckoner for weak twos only.

The point isn't what pilowsky's partner thought 2D meant, it's what they agreed it meant. Did you have a convention card pilowsky?

Like Zelandakh I've played Acol twos and Benji in my time. I found Acol twos in the majors useful but never got on so well with them in the minors. There is a considerable difference between making 10 tricks opposite a hand that would have passed a one-level opening and making 11 tricks. Acol 2H and 2S, with the weak twos in a multi 2D is a good structure. With my regular partner I just play 3 weak twos, and that some 2C sequences are not GF: 2C-2D-2S-2NT-3S can be passed (2D and 2NT both being negatives).. On the OPs hand, I would have opened 1D.

I'd like to hear from a TD on pilowsky's situation. To quote from David Stevenson's Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified (2017 edition): [if] "the original call was a DEPARTURE from the partnership agreement, which had been correctly explained. In this case, the opponents ARE NOT entitled to a remedy..." [capitals as in original] Unless I misunderstand Capaletti 2D= majors and pilowsky gave a correct explanation . Unless his partner took advantage of that information (no evidence that they did), or maybe pilowsky failed to bid a long major with a known "fit" then surely no remedy is due? Except maybe he owes them all a beer...

Have you tried Ace for attitude and King for count? That can be useful in ordinary situations as well as the classic situation of cashing out against high-level contracts. It's a bit simplistic, but fairly robust.

The EBU standard convention card also has a text box labelled "shape constraints" (e.g. my card says "5M / 6m OK" because we may include 5 card majors or 6 card minors) and a box labelled "Tick if may have singleton". In the example given by pescetom a pair with tight shape controls would add that information in the "shape constraints" box. From looking at the Blue Book an agreement such as "denies a 4 card major" should be announced. As for what is allowed, this is an extract from the EBU Blue Book for level 4 (which applies to most non-beginner games): 7 B 3 1NT opening 1NT may be played as any one of the following (i) Natural, non-forcing with a continuous defined range. A 'natural' 1NT opening has nomore than nine cards in two suits, no void, and does not have seven hearts or sevenspades. The range must be the same when holding a singleton (ii) Any meaning or meanings as long as they all show a strong hand (16+ HCP or 12+ HCPwith at least 5 controls) (iii) A three-suited hand (5440, 5431 or 4441), the shortage need not be specified (iv) Any meaning showing at least four cards in a specified suit, forcing or not

To give an example of helene-t's point, for a balanced 1NT, EBU regulations require you to announce: “12 to 14” (or appropriate range)and, if relevant, “may contain asingleton”. The EBU uses announcements (by bidder's partner) of basic information like NT range or simple transfers Alerts are for more complicated agreements.

Zelandakh and Tramticket summed it up pretty well for me. The 1NT response on 6-10 has a wide range. That is driving you to make a move on 16 counts. Playing 6-9 with the option to upgrade good 9's makes opener's life easier 1D-2C(9+)-2NT is GF so you might be in game with 15 opposite a good 9 if both minimum, and 1D-1NT-pass might be 16 opposite bad 9 occasionally. But all that means is that you bid a few borderline games and miss a few.

I'm going to wimp out and pass. For a take-out double I'd want to be showing a stronger hand and preferably with 4 hearts. Partner is allowed to convert, and this looks ominously like -670 opposite that nondescript 6hcp with 4 spades.

This is a question with no single standard answer and may be influenced by your overcalling style. I play a fairly down the middle style (7-16hcp, decent suit) but more cautious than most at the two level. It also depends on whether it is your first turn to bid. I normally play a new suit on my first turn as constructive, and with either tolerance for a return to partner's suit, or such a good suit that it can be bid again, but not 100% forcing. To force I would cue bid (with support) or jump shift [1♣ ] -1♥ -[no] 2♠ If already passed, a new suit is usually lead directing, with support. For example, holding Qxx, xxx, AKJx, xxx Pass - (1♣) -2♥ - (Dble) 3♦ etc On this hand partner had AKxxxxx, so didn't need to avoid a heart lead against the eventual 3S, but the choice of switch at trick 3 was crucial and dummy had put down ♦Q10xxx, so the right switch was not easy to find I have a letter from Boris Schapiro written back in the early 80's, in response a question about an item Mr Schapiro had written, asking whether a 2♥ advance should not be forcing. He replied that on this occasion it would work but it was not standard. (Gordon, if you would like this for the EBU library please let me know). Oh, and please don't bother with posts about Mr Schapiro and the heart suit...

"And partner hates five-card majors for any NT opening, so there's another complication." I'm not a huge fan of 5cM in 1NT (playing 12-14) unless it's a poor suit. But I've opened 2NT with a 6 card major before now. For a start, you have 5 card stayman available