pbleighton

Of course, at less than top levels, the big club gets even more of a free ride. Peter

Agree. Peter

With Fantunes two bids (has been 9-12, recently switched to 10-13), I play: 1. 2NT as a GF relay, forcing opener to make a natural rebid. With a 6-4, we rebid the lower ranking suit (unless it's awful), and responder can check back. For example, 2S-2NT-2D-3S shows 2 spades, and asks opener to choose between 3NT and 4S. It denies a 5 card major. 2. 2x-3x is invitational in an uncontested auction (it's competitive in a contested auction), with 2+ trumps. Opener either passes, bids 3NT or 4M (occasionally 5m) or bids a new suit at the three level, showing 4 cards. 3. A new suit is a non forcing bailout at the two level, and GF at the three level. It shows 5+ in a major or 6+ in a minor. Peter

2H, not close. Peter

1. It's a style issue, but I don't like 2NT, 3C for me. 2. I agree with Dwayne, I would have bid 3NT rather than double 2D. Peter

True, but the amount of leverage varies by firm and point in the business cycle. Most of the time most firms are respectable. I worked in the mortgage industry for a couple of years, and one of my bridge partners was my boss at the time, and he's currently number two at a mortage broker. His perspective is that the current situation is a credit bubble. The additional interest premium changed to subprim borrowers has gone down in the last ten years, and the amount of documentation, particularly on income, has gone down as well. Less revenue plus less underwriting = disaster waiting to happen. There's also been a decrease in ethics on the part of subprime brokers, a lot of loans were sold to people who shouldn't have bought them. I agree with Mike that the issue is not the securities or the fact that people with bad credit can get mortgages isn't the problem. The market got greedy, as it did with junk bonds a while back, and there are soemreally bad actors out there. The maximum ratios have also been going up (ratio between income and home expense, and between income and total debt), making even many good-credit borrowers more risky. IMO the bigger issue with mortgages is the proliferation of extremely short term adjustable mortgages. We had better hope interest rates stay low, becuse if they spike up for a few years there will be a LOT of foreclosures, sufficient to push us into a recession all by itself. BTW "Liar's Poker" by Michael Lewis is a great book about a young guy's time at bear Stearns in the 80's. He covers the rise of mortgage backed securities in entertainig detail. Peter

Would you like to elaborate? I assume you have many examples available of teachers saying to students that God does not exist. That's what you mean, isn't it? Peter

I think 3H would have been enough, but 4H isn't bad, given the club stiff. Peter

4C. Peter

It doesn't say so in the SAYC booklet. Note: SAYC is not the same as Standard American. Peter

If that's the case, I'd pass too. Peter

Double is a terrible bid. Just pass. 1S is bad, bid 2C. 2H is weird. 3C is bad. 3S is bad. This hand shows how tough it is to recover from a bad initial bid. Peter

Not true, although I prefer to play it this way. SAYC' definition of a reverse only applies to one level responses: "If bid at the 2 level over a 1 level response, it is a reverse" 2/1 auctions are badly defined, except that a 2/1 bid promises a rebid. Therefore 1H-2D-2S is forcing for one round, but not to game. Peter

The problem with this auction is that 3C isn't necessaliry forcing in SAYC. The booklet is silent on it If you have the agreement that it's forcing (for example if you play1H-3C as invitational), then your auction is a good one. Peter

Just finished the last Potter book. I thought it was by far the best book of the series. Harry Potter grew up, and so did the books. I'd like to give and solicit suggestions for fantasy books. Potter was, of course, inspired by Lord Of The Rings, which IMO is still the best. Some others from my reading: 1. His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass (a movie coming out in December), The Suble Knife, and The Amber Spyglass), by Philip Pullman. Terrific - mixing alternate history, John Milton, and particle physics. 2. The Wheel Of Time (starting with The Wheel Of Time, 11 going on 12, if the author (Robert Jordan) can survive cancer). A huge canvas. 3. The Tales Of Einarinn (5, starting with The Thief's Gamble), by Juliet McKenna. Many echoes of it's mythical history within itself. Any others? Peter

What's the auction? Peter

2D. Listen to partner. Peter

Agree. Peter

4H, because its imps. I expect to go down. At matchpoints I leave it in. Peter

Agree, except no 4441s in ACBL land :rolleyes: Peter

Agree. Peter

3C. Peter

I play both weak and strong NT every weak, and have done so for about 4 years. You make a good point, weak notrumpers are at a disadvantage in partscore auctions with strong NT openers. There are 2 issues: more information to the opps, and letting them in cheap with a 1 level overcall. Of course, this applies twice as often to the strong notrumpers opening a weak NT hand :D You don't think "momentum" applies to the decision to play strong NT in strong NT countries? Peter

Mike, are you still passing balanced 13 counts when you play with pickup partners? Peter

Fine if you play Michaels as 5-4, I don't. Peter