jdeegan

:) Pass I can't imagine any other bid. Partner has a min opener with 6 or 7 ♠. 6♦ could be on, but we shouldn't dream of bidding it on this ugly, ugly auction.

;) The live show with good amateur commentators texting is a nice offering that appeals to an audience of an absolute max, so far, of about 7000 people. It is about the slowest imaginable show, but I like it, esp. when my friends are playing. World Poker Tour with an extensively edited TV version with professional oral commentary appeals to 10 to 100+ times as many. I can imagine that bridge might eventually do something similar perhaps on a smaller scale. By the way, in the early 1960's Barry Crane tried to put bridge on TV with the Wide World of Sports and suffered the agony of defeat, as did the Charles Goren TV show.

:rolleyes: A familiar hand. I'm trying to get a reading on what serious bridge players do in this situation. Personally, I think the hand is a little too good to pass, but should I ask with RKC and two quick spade losers (potentially) or tell with a Q bid? And, if so, whidh one?

:) Long IMP match against good opponents. [hv=d=n&v=b&s=sq94haj10962dk62c4]133|100|Scoring: IMP 1♦-P-1♥-P 4♥-P-???[/hv] UR bid.

:) Lotsa good stuff in this thread. 1. RKCB with 2 quick losers in a side suit may be OK if pard has the strong hand and no other good bid is available. 2. Try to keep 5 level Q's in a side suit as 1st round controls. 3. Five level Q's in partners suit may show the king, but never a stiff. Hmmm............... I'm going to put my example hand up on another BBO Forum as a poll question and see what happens.

:) Goldhill sees things correctly imho. MORAL HAZARD IS THE PROBLEM. Let us not forget that death comes inevitably, one to a customer. You may have to face a DEATH PANEL because you opted for the el cheapo insurance plan, and you can't raise the additional $89,000 it takes for the New Dehli heart transplant. For many life after a heart transplant can be short and PAINFUL. You might just decide to go quietly if its your own money.

:( I haven't read all the thread's comments, but I think you blew it when you bid 4♠. The auction up to there was good, imho. Slam bidding is conversational. You know slam is possible, but far from certain. So, bid 4♥ over 3NT with the idea that after that you are pretty much done. If pard bids 4♠ you are done. If he bids 4NT, you bid 5♠. If he bids 5♣ (which he probably should) you cooperate with 5♥. After that pard has to bid 6 if you are to reach the slam.

:( I see your point. Sequences that are low enough so that RKC or some other asking bid can establish first round controls later in the auction can afford to make Q bids that are ambiguous almost regardless of hand strength.

:) Old fashioned American bidding always promised first round control with a cue bid. The Blue Team bid first and second round controls indiscriminately. The commonsense treatment is to let weaker hands use the old Blue Team method since they may sniff a possible slam, but not have a convenient (or any) ace to Q bid. Bigger hands don't have that excuse since ambiguity about 1st vs 2nd round control can become a real problem later on, We all (should) agree that good slam bidding is conversational. My question is when does an obvious Q bid promise 1st round versus 1st OR 2nd round control. A case in point: Q65 AJ10963 K75 4 Partner opens 1♦. You respond 1♥. Partner rebids 4♥. May I cue bid 5♣? Are there any useful rules or guidelines to follow in these situations?

:) take out small doubleton ♠, max HCP, 2-4-4-3 distribution and an unbalanced mind. I guess this means that a 2NT bid would show: a small doubleton spade, max HCP, 2-3-4-4 distribution and an unbalanced mind. Do you think BWS will buy that? Then again, what do I do with a small doubleton ♠, max HCP and 2-4-5-2 distribution? Bid 2NT and correct 3♣ to 3♦? Will BWS buy this?

:) Pass This could be wrong, but I gotta play the percentages. Pard's ♥ Q is wasted as are his ♦ honors other than the ace (most likely). He didn't splinter or show solid ♦. Good partners almost never have a stiff on this auction. Even an old fashioned "point count" analysis gives me 11 or 12 "dummy points" opposite pard's 20 - not quite enough. I can construct hands where 6 is a flop: AK KQxx J9xx AQx but it takes a bit of thought. As brother Bob says, "If it takes the magic hand to make slam, DON'T TRY FOR IT".

:) My ancestors moved halfway across the planet to the edge of civilization so some government bureaucratic asshole could tell our women what they could do with with their bodies. I don't think so!

:) Was it Beavis? Or was it Butt-head? Unless Beavis is deaf, he knows from the auction a second ♥ won't cash. All Butt-head can do is give a suit preference signal to deny a ♦ void. I would imagine the ♥ queen would do. Oops. Looked at the hand and thot I bid 4♥. Actually a good problem. I would try the ♥ jack. Its wake up and shows count.

:) Penalty - all other interpretations are wrong. Doubles by the player behind the bidder are nearly always for penalties.

:) sure

:) Pass for me, but it is admittedly close. Partner figures to have a queen and a jack and three ♣. The way the tricks split could swing quite a bit depending on the location of the ♦ king and jack and the minor ♠ honors. What bothers me about a double is the existence of a class of hands where partner is 3-3-4-3 and responds with 3♦ - we buy the contract, but end up in the wrong suit. I don't see us missing a game since partner passed twice after I doubled for take out.

:) Has bidding really gotten better over the past two decades? My bidding (circa 1989) would have gone: 1♣-P-1♥-P 2NT-P-4♣-P 4♥-P-6♥-P P-P The 2NT rebid shows the strength of the hand and lies only a little about the second heart. Other possible rebids are 1♠ that fails to convey the strength of the hand now that I like the ♥ king a bit more, and 2♠ which forces to game with a hand that is not really strong enough. 4♣ has to be ace asking since 4NT would be quantitative. 4♥ shows one ace since no suit has been agreed. Then, responder who 'sees' 32+HCP, a running 6 bagger, and sufficient controls to prevent the cashing of two defensive tricks off the top is able to bid 6♥.

Nobody vul, playing IMP pairs. [hv=s=s1042hq104dq42ca952]133|100|1♠-P-P- dbl 2♠-???[/hv]

:lol: 3♦, like duh! You have the notorious 5-3-3-2 shape with no ♣ stop and a good but minimum hand in terms of HCP. 3♦ is at least hinting that 6♦ might be the spot. A noncommital 2♠ is clearly best. If 5 or 6♦ is right, partner will let you know, and you will eagerly cooperate.

:P Global warming has been a matter of serious concern for a few people, at least, for the past 40 years. I first dealt with it as an employee of the world's largest oil company working with MIT scientists in 1969. The trouble is that even today after billions have been spent on research, it is still not obvious what to do. Yes, the planet is getting warmer, but should we ride this out and adapt or spend lots of money to limit carbon emissions into the atmosphere? I think after the economic crisis is over, we will have to do something - probably lots of nuclear power - made safe enough through 21st century technology. Some experts of note advocate efforts to drastically limit cow farts as being of vital importance. This is not going to be an easy problem to deal with, but I have utmost confidence in our scientific community to help us do the right thing.

:P 3♦. Pretty easy first bid. Lay the predicate for the subsequent auction.

:P Pass 2♥ is limited to a good opening hand at best and 9 HCP and a decent suit at worst, so I think finding a plus or the smallest minus should be our objective. A pass sets this up better than the other calls. My initial pass might have been just short of a one NT overcall, so it makes sense for the double to be for penalty. In any case, an "action" double says: (1) it is our hand - which this one may not be, and (2) i am under the bidder, so I haven't trapped

:blink: 6 ♣ or more likely 7♣ You have a solid suit to play in, so just bid what you think you can make. Got to pay off to ♣10xxxx if it exists.

:P 3♥ :P Almost surely, we have eight hearts and they have nine diamonds, at least. Adding my void, this adds up to 18 tricks, LESS any non-transferable diamond tricks partner may have in defense of a diamond contract. Odds are good that this is an 18+ trick hand, so a 3♥ bid is advisable. On a bad day, pard will have QJ9x in ♦, but I have to risk that, since pard will usually have no idea what to do if I pass. If pard bids 4♥, he should have a super hand and some play to make it: AJ AQ10x 10xxx KQx

♥ :P ♥ [hv=d=s&v=b&s=s10873hqjd6ckj9864]133|100|Scoring: IMP P-P-1♦-P 1♠-3♥-3♠-4♥ ???[/hv] Playing in a BBO indy with opponents and partner of uncertain ability, but opponents with no lack of a sense of humor. Your bid, grasshopper.