Ant590

I agree entirely. On re-reading my initial post I see how it looks like I am criticising the magazine --- far from it --- they've replied to all of my emails on the same day they were sent, and twice extended my subscription to compensate for my hassle (without me requesting too). I was just wondering if I was unlucky, or if the problem was more widespread. My theory is still that it's UK customs thinking I'm being sent narcotics or something! I wonder if the packaging they're using is standard?

I'd want better hearts for a direct overcall with only four cards.

Hi everyone, I was wondering if any non-US subscribers of The Bridge World were experiencing delivery problems? I have been a subscriber since October 2008, and have never had an issue arrive on time. Each month I report the pervious month's issue undelivered and then the replacement arrives in around a fortnight. This was really annoying, but at least I got the issues in the end (all be it six weeks late). Now the replacement issues are not arriving either, and I am really frustrated. It's a quality publication, but not worth this hassle! Is this issue common to other transatlantic traffic? I notice that more often than not the magazines I do receive have been opened by customs, so perhaps it is a thing with them? I mean, postcards hardly ever get lost, so why small parcels? Any ideas? Ant.

My regular partner and I play a version that we modified from one the Gnome gave us. We call it SLAP to help us remember the responses. 4♣ = asking (see below) 4♦/♥/♠ = transfers, starting with cheapest (unbid) major, then going up (3x) - 3NT - (pass) - 4♣ SLAP 4♦ = Long running suit and stopper 4♥ = Lousy hand (i.e. min balanced) 4♠ = Monster hand ("all") 4NT = Big balanced ("points") Quite how you differentiate between 4♠ and 4NT is a matter for discussion. We had quite different ideas about what continues a 3NT overcall so it involved some discussion for us ;) It's come up three times in the last two years. Once forgotten (after 3♥ preempt, the diamond is a transfer to spades), and twice successful in that we ended in one good slam and stopped in 4NT when there was no slam

I'm not entirely sure what my friend thought the problem was with the NT opening -- it certainly wasn't of the ilk "you only have three tricks" which is a common beginner conception with this type of hand. I'm happy to report that I won the bet. It's surprising though that you can question your own 'WTP' ideas when someone is particularly adamant...

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=st53ha2dat984ca63]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] First seat, both red, IMPs. Would you open this a 12-14NT? (there is a bet riding on this so please respond!)

That's only in "level 3" events, which are being phased out. I think there is little harm if forced to include a strong option to include an Acol 2 in diamonds, because the chances of the combination of that and a hand that wishes to pass a multi are incredibly rare. Of course if they were to come up you may have grand on...

Oh dear - I hope they get them fixed before it goes on vugraph at least. They are also broken from the EBU website (http://www.ebu.co.uk/), so hopefully it's not my copy and pasting abilities! Edit: working now

Hey everyone, The draw for the Spring Fours---arguably the toughest event in the English calendar---has been made: Teams list: http://www.ebu.co.uk/events/?eventid=10&teamlist=1 The first few teams (32?) are seeded, the rest are a random draw. First round draw: http://www.ebu.co.uk/events/?eventid=10&round=1 Good luck to every forum member who is playing :)

I've been having a mental block over the following situation, only just realised why, thought it might be interesting to other beginners/intermediates. Apologies if it's been posted recently, I've had a look through the archives and not found it. It's pretty clear how to play the following combination for 3 tricks: xx KQT9 But what changes, if anything, if you move the 9 to dummy, i.e. 9x KQTx

[hv=d=n&v=e&s=saxhxxdakqxxxxcax]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] (1NT*) - dbl - (2♣) - 2♥** (pass) - 3NT - (pass) - 4♠ (pass) - ? * 12-14 ** double would be pens, pass forcing. Do you agree with the bidding from the hand given? Any ideas what partner has? What do you do now?

If in doubt, don't pass.

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=sakxhakqxxdaxxcqx]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Sitting south: pass - 1♠ - dbl - pass 2♥ - 3♦ - dbl - 3♠ 4♥ - pass - ? 1) Do you agree with the second double, or is 3♠, 3NT, 4♥ or something else better? 2) What now? edit: spelling typo

A quick reality check please... pass - pass - 1♠ - 3♣ 3♥ - pass - 4♦ What is 4♦?

This guy sounds like a quick email to abuse@bbo would do him some good.

I'd have bid 2♠, but I'm guessing I'm alone in not making this non-GF?

Preempting is really a function of position, vulnerability and partnership style. Personally, I tend not to pre-empt with any hand that qualifies for the rule of 19* in first seat, for instance, so I would open quite a few 10-count with AKxxxx in clubs 1♣. At different vulnerabilities and positions this changes, but it's really something to agree with your regular partners. Since I learned bridge (2003), at least, I'd say 6-card preempts were the norm, not the exceptions. * HCP + length of two longest suits

If you include 5M332 hands I think it should show 5 spades, in case partner is 3=5=4=1 etc. If not, my gut reaction is it should show diamond support. Transfer extensions rule!

Actually I might have been the person who asked it before too :S Yeah, the traveller was mostly filled with 1S-1 and 1S-2s. My partner managed to win 8 tricks on a misdefense, for most of the matchpoints :lol:

Good, I'm glad to see my action at the table was reasonable, even if my hindsight wasn't 20/20! The full hand was [hv=d=w&v=b&n=sak87h53dat6cak96&w=st95haq87dj943cqj&e=sqj643hjtdkqct872&s=s2hk9642d8752c543]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv] pass - 1♠ - pass - pass dbl - pass - pass - rdbl pass - 2♣ - all pass Out of interest, would people suggest that a forcing pass is on over the run?

[hv=d=w&v=b&s=s2hk9642d8752c543]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] Playing 4 card majors and a weak NT (UK Acol style) Pass - 1♠ - pass - pass dbl - pass - pass - ? I think, in hindsight, this is a WTP pass, but are there any SOSers out there?

The problem with that is that now there is only a 50% probability of the person who is dealer getting the preempt. I guess I could just hit redeal a suitable amount of times, but it would be nice if someone could think of a sneaky way to convince the BBO dealer interface to deal preempts to dealer.

Another option would be to merge it with the FD systems forum, which has become dormant.

Oh, I didn't know this tread existed. I have just but a question involving dealer in the BBO support forum (http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=31248). I don't think one thread for the entire topic is appropriate as the replies, comments and criticisms to programs will all become muddled together. A new forum group is needed IMHO. Or a Wiki. Or both.

Hi, I am trying to write a dealer program that lets the robots open pre-empts with high frequency. The issue I was having is that I can't seem to use the code dealer(west), so I can't find a way to specify that the hand with the long suit is opener. I can, of course, get by this by selecting the dealer to always be west, say, but then I would have to keep swapping with my partner to change who's in direct and protective positions. I was trying to enter something like (hcp(north) + hcp(south))>=22 and ( (dealer(west) and (clubs(west)>=6 or diamonds(west)>=6)) or (dealer(east) and (clubs(east)>=6 or diamonds(east)>=6)) )