dcvetkov

Problem with 3S I think is that partner will expect more from free bid, ,,, and may get too high I am suprised somewhat responsive dbl getting very few votes. I think it describes this hand , better then 3S, and you are not sure of the right strain. I will probably choose between pass and dbl,,, pass more likely at the table. If pd doubles again, I am bidding 4s and hope for the best

Hello I know maybe its a bit too early, but it is never too early to plan.;) Just wondering how many you BBO Forumers plan to attend NABC ( apart from pros and veterans)? Anyone looking for a partner? I tentatively would like to come and have some fun and bridge and meet some BBO friends, but never attended NABC before, so looking for some opinions.. 1) If you dont have a partner and strong practiced partnership, how likely is to pick up pd at partnership desk and still have some fun?;), or to pick up really good partner? 2) What about postings at ACBL website? On the other hand, bad results can quickly lead to frustration maybe....so you may regret it ( true or false). dont know.... Too many days of bad bridge.. can it ruin yr stay? Cheers

He does, but when you have takeout double shape and values what choice is there? This advice to 'not double with a void' seems like nothing more to me than 'try your best not to be holding a void in your hand'. To me doubling with a void is less common than with a singleton only in the sense that I hold fewer voids than singletons. I really liked this post;) Josh It sounds like this is one of those bids " Double and hope for the best"..but still it should do us more good then harm on the long run. You may have to accept occasional disaster, just like occasional -530 or simular in your column;). You are still alive and playing bridge, arent you?

I will show you the full hand[hv=n=sajxhkxdk10xxcakxx&w=s10xxxxhdxxxcj10xxx&e=sqxxhjxxxdaqxxcqx&s=skxhaq109xxxdjxcxx]399|300|[/hv] But I am not sure what is the best line. You have option of finesse spade, finesse ♦Q, try to guess diamonds, or some kind of endplay - squeeze. Problem is that you can not safely rectify the count and as you see, playing on diamonds loses. But this is one of those hand where, there is a pressure on a defender who has too many goodies, so strip squeeze w/o the count operate. Only problem is you have to guess what to discard from dummy on the last H ( spade or club), but if you play for the above disctribution, you will be rich rewarded. [hv=n=sajxhdkcx&s=skxhxdjxc]133|200|[/hv] Now you cash last heart throwing club from dummy and play a king of spades. RHO last 3 cards and Qxx♠ and A♦.. Now diamond play finishes east as he has to lead into spade menace. Can this line lose compared to other? It can, if RHO has a club to cash for example or keeps Ax♦. I guess it takes some good reading at the ending whether to play for this, or finesse a spade. ( you had to discard club threat previously)

Get a new partner if she passes with "some 4 trumps". I am sure she knows she is sitting under the suit and that the format is IMPs, so it's evident that passing with "some 4 trumps" is completely out of the question. Take-out doubles should be taken out (hence the term), and once in a blue moon be left in with four king size trumps. Roland OF course, partner would not pass with 10xxx. But I can show you a hand where his or her pass is reasonable, lets say with KQ9x, and we are cold for 6♣, and I dont have to imagine too wildly or have too unlikely scenarios. If you dont have the stomach to stand the double to be passed out, dont double. If you dont mind being passed out, double.

[hv=n=sjxxhak10dkxxxckjx&s=shqjxxxdqj10xxcqxx]133|200|[/hv] Ok, I expected 4NT to win, maybe not so handily. It is logical bid, but as far as I know most people play 4 spades as penalty ( not penalty oriented, or 70 - 30 or whatever). Lets suppose that is on your convention card ( T/O up to 4H). Do you have some ethical issues to pass,, or you can use best judgment? I guess hands where bidding on is losing bid, can be constructed, where 4S goes down 1 or 2, and we can not make anything, if partner has maybe 3 and a half trump tricks, but that scenario is unlikely. The double on 4S can show two different types of hands 1) I have 3 or so trump tricks, and have this beaten in my own hand ,please pass unless you have good excuse. 2) I have strong balanced hand 15+, not necessarily trump tricks. Use you best judgment. Am I the only one who thinks these cases are different? Too bad we have only one bid available, and thats double;)

Ok, that never double with a void rule its not that ridiculous as it seems. I think I read article somewhere from Larry Cohen to be wary of doubling low level contracts with a void, story had actually very bad ending. Too often Partner will have no sensible alternative and will take from his point of view most likely plus by passing 2Hx with some 4 trumps. I will go with the crowd and dbl, but wont be suprised of occasional flops.

I see the vote is split now between dbl and pass;)) The reason for the lead ask, is there is only one lead that defeats the contract ( should partner pass), and that is a trump. Declarer has 3 hearts, dummy 2, and ruffing in dummy is his 10th trick Maybe it is counterintuitive, but what is the rush to cash? You have good holdings in all suits, so unlikely losers will dissapear. And it will not cost a trump trick, in case partner has stiff Q or K. Declarer hand is ♠AQxxxxx ♥xxx♦ ♦A ♣Ax BTW, I liked that 70/30 rule. as you may figured out by now, parts hands is in another post ( to bid or not to bid). I will shows the full hand there

Thanks for responces I saw that 2 spade bid is not perfect, but it shows the right strength and I really dont like bidding NT with those hearts. Any NT contract is likely to be wrong sided which may be crucial ( ie lead coming through Kx).

[hv=d=s&n=sxhaxdkxxcqj10xxxx&s=sakxxhxxdaxxxcakx]133|200|[/hv] Suprisingly, on a pretty strong regional field, this 6NT top contract was bid very few and between. Can you give sequence to slam, 6C or 6NT ( asssume SAYC or 2/1, note differences if any This was auction on our table ( SAYC). Do you assign blame to anyone? (Matchpoints) South North 1D- 2C 2S - 3D?? 3H* -3NT Pass * 3NT probe

Because it works and it allows you to ( usually) correctly evaluate your hand. I expect this 6H to be poor contract, unless partner has substantal strength. Partner should be 4-3-5-1 or simular

[hv=s=shqjxxxdqj10xxcqxx]133|100|[/hv] Bidding is LHO PARtner RHO you 4S Dbl Pass ???

Ok, lets suppose double wins. What is your lead?

I forgot to mention one more fact which may be important, sorry When you cash K♥ at trick 2, RHO shows out. Previous diagram seems correct, but bear in mind that count has not been rectified, and you have to guess what to discard from dummy ( dummy seems to be squeezed on the last ♥)

[hv=n=skxhaq109xxxdjxcxx&s=sajxhkxdk10xxcakxx]133|200|[/hv] First part, do you agree with bidding? S N 1D- 1H 2NT-3H ( presumably showing some 6 carder and mild slam interest, invites cue) 3NT-5NT ( pick a slam?) Ok, I must admit I rotated the hands, and changed the contract, but lets suppose you decided to bid 6NT over partner pick a slam ( or correct 6H to 6NT, is that bid even possible?) to protect your menaces. How do you play after lead of J♣? Is there any best line of play?

[hv=s=sj92hak10dk876ckj8]133|100|[/hv] You have this hand and hear 4 spade opening on your right. All non vulnerable, what is your bid? P.S. There will be Part 2 of this shortly.

I agree with all this, although its likely they have 9 spades, and no trump losers. Partner is probably broke, although he may have King or Queen of trumps. Club suit is probably running or easily establishable and I expect Blackwood bidder to have heart control... singleton or Kx. All said, i would still double, and hope Q or A is in dummy

Anyone has some insight why Russ Ekeblad team looks very different now? Why Fred and Brad are not taking part any more? Also, Eric greco and Geoff Hampson are part of O 'Rourke team now. I think this goes back at least a year or so

Okay, Okay I admit I am biased with double dummy, and the fact that I "know" that club finesse is working, and that I count that as trick # 11. I am still not sure that small spade to 10 or spade to King and spade to 10 is vastly superior play.... you can lose to doubleton Jack and fail the hand at trick 2, while the finesse of clubs was on all the time. I said that once the queen of clubs holds, chances for the endplay improve considerably. BTW, Jack of spades is offside, RHO has Axx of spades and LHO Jxx. Maybe if there is an example of single dummy and double dummy play, this is the one.

I must admit I expected this hand to excite more responces. Maybe it is too easy;) You need club finesse to work to bring your total to 11. I must say I am not sure what the best line is mathematically. Your 12th trick can come from spades ( 2 spade tricks) or diamonds ( Kings drops doubleton) or some sort of squeeze. So your options are 1) try for 2 spade tricks by finessing the 10 2) try for 2 spade tricks by guessing the doubleton ace 3) try for 2 spade tricks by guessing doubleton jack 4) drop the doubleton king of D with RHO 5) something else You know from the lead that King of D is with RHO. If he also has the Ace of spade, you can almost envision the ending, where his last 3 cards will be Kx♦, and A♠. There is no clue who has the ace of spades, but I believe proper play at is cross to the J♥, and low spade to queen. If that wins (RHO has to duck, and you have to congratulate LHO if he ducks smoothly the ace), then the play is clear - take the club finesse, cash the ace, cross to hand with ♥, and run the hearts. You have to guess RHO distribution, at the end, but he is most likely to keep A♠ and Kx♦, unless he blanks the Diamonds King early with a poker face. Now spade to the ace, endplayes RHO to lead diamond from Kx. Classis strip squeeze. And if Queen of spades loses? There are many variation after that, but contract became less makeable. Anyone who can work it out, please post.

I've only just noticed this. Is that really what happened? If so, RHO has ♠QJ doubleton, or LHO has led the 9 from Q98xxxx, or RHO has done something very odd. If LHO has six or seven spades, that increases the chances of ♦A being onside. Against that, LHO is less likely to duck ♦A if he thinks we have three spade tricks. This is not exactly true. Maybe not in this hand, since lead is 9, but if you work out the hand,it is possible to throw LHO on lead with a third round of spades, and endplay him into leading a diamond from Ax.

I can agree with the original poster. I am not sure of a really good players, but I have seen many times hair raising overcall vulnerable on crappy suits. Yes, usually it works somehow, and we are not punished, or we have a fit or whatever, but we get away with it most of the time. And I have seen this done by star players also. Maybe if we start pulling the old penalty dbl card, and partners reopen for takout more frequently, they will change after few telephone numbers penalties. But there is a fine line between MP and IMP, IMO, sometimess you just can not afford to pass at MP. Remember South Africa - Italy in Shangai? Some of the swings for SA, was that they fail to pay full respect and bow to Italians and started doubling their shaky partials. Of course this does not prove anything, but I still remember a few hands.

I agree with this. While it seems that passing 2H can not be winning action, without some agreement or good -bad 2NT, 3 clubs just simply has a too wide range. You would make the same bid with some good 17 point hand and then shoot partner when he fails to bid the obvious game. These contested auction come fairly often.

[hv=n=sq10xhakqxxxdajxcx&s=skxxxhjxdq9xxcaqx]133|200|[/hv] Bidding I believe is irelevant and contract is 6NT by North. You receive a 8♦ lead and cover with 9, RHO covers with 10, and you win with J. Prospect do not look too good, but what is your plan? P.S. Very good star player went down with this hand, while it is of course easier double dummy, i think she could have done better.

I agree with this, but how do we go for blood? We must pass now ( Double is negative?) and partner may not necessarily balance, especially with hands with 2 small hearts and sterile 5-3-3-2 distribution. Still, even +100 score may turn out to be very good. I suspect cue of 3H, other alternative will get us too often to less then 50% game. You know that a lot of people never reject invitation;)