hatchett

I don't understand why you would want to rebid 3d on a 5422 shape ever. How do you find a 4-4 diamond fit in this auction

Why are we believing East's count signal in clubs? Declarer has shown at least eleven red cards and dummy has three black winners to cover declarer's at most two black losers. Declarer will obviously cash a spade if he has a losing club so it is pointless for east to always give count in clubs unless he is trying to help declarer. I don't think we can assume east has three clubs.

Does this count as nitpicking?

It was playing for (a) but when LHO pitches a heart it knows RHO has at least one diamond to cash, so the heart ten will never win a trick.

I agree with much of the above, but it seems to me that there is a whole range of hands of hands with 3 ♥ that are raising but the hand that raises with 2♥ is pretty specific, and therefore against most opponents I think the odds partner has a void are good. On a bad day this could be a double game swing, when dummy has raised with a ruffing value and three trumps, declarer will naturally get ♥s right.

I also double. Even when partner doesn't have 4 ♠, he often has a 6 card minor or 3055 shape. I have so much strength that RHO rates to be raising on some random hand with 3 card ♥ support rather than a strong hand with shortish ♥ that expects to make 4♥

I agree with others who say it depends on what pass of the double meant. If pass is at least a mild game try which it would be for me, then I would double. If pass was a minimum hand I would let them have it undoubled.

It is quite a common style to raise to 2♥ directly with a weak 4315 and only to bid 1♠ with extras with this shape. Hence 3♥ after 2NT rebid shows a strong 4315 (assuming you rebid NTs with a balalanced hand)

I agree with much of AWMs post. They are many flaws in this rating system. It seems to me a very good player playing with a very weak player may have an advantage. Imagine a 70% player playing with a 30% player in a 50% field. The 70% player hogs the bidding so he gets to play more than his fair share of hands which when he plays will often lead to a good score (I know this example is oversimplified because there might be issues bidding the right contract but the point is there). If he plays with another 70% player with the same declarership skill, this tactic is not available. Effectively the partnership is playing as a 52/53% partnership but is rated 50% by the system.

Maybe he thought your username was indicative of the style of play expected?

I can't see how rebidding 3♣ in this sequence can be right. If partner has xx AKJxxx AJTx x he will presumably rebid 3NT. How do we get to 7♥ now? He is certainly not going to believe your hearts are as good as Qx.

Phil is not right, a diamond can cost. If declarer is 5710 and west exits with the HQ that is 500, but any other card is 300. If declarer is 5620, a diamond is better by a trick.

Maybe this explains why England weren't playing in the Bermuda Bowl.

At the critical point east has 10 vacant spaces (0 ♦ and 3 low ♥), west has 7 vacant places (5 ♦ and ♥J) Applying restricted choice to west's vacant spaces reduces them by half. so the finesse is 10/3.5 favourite, or nearly 3 to 1.