hatchett

[hv=n=skj83h54dj92ck743&s=sqt954hqj86daktct]133|200|[/hv] Game all Opp playing 2/1 GF Bidding is 1♥ P 1NT* P 2♦ P P 2♠ P P 3♦ P P 3♠ All P You might not agree with all the bidding with N maybe forgetting S had protected. Anyway LHO lead AK and a third heart with RHO following to the first two hearts. South ruffs the H with ♠J as East throws a ♣. South continues a ♠ to his T and West's A. West plays a fourth round of hearts. Play on.

I don't like 3♣. I would have either bid 4♣ or 4♠. I think 4♠ forcing them to guess at the 5 level has a lot going for it. It would be very undisciplined to bid over 5♥ in front of partner, if you think it's right to do so there is something very wrong with your bidding to date.

Only to a limted extent, surely most of the benefit of transfers is that you have two bids for the price of one eg you can show a raise to 2NT with a 5 card Major, show a major/minor GF below the level of 3NT etc.

My guess looking at my hand is that partner has a good 4S overcall.

1NT, protective 1NT over 1♠ should have a slightly higher top end of the range, so as to avoid driving to 2NT.

I think this is close between pass and 5♠. Driving slam is a big overbid. If slam is making partner will bid it over 5S since a 5 level pull should normally have a reasonable expectation of making At IMPs I would lean towards a pass, expecting 500 most of the time 5S is making, and 5S to be off maybe 1/3 of the time.

3♠ followed by 4♥ to a good raise.

3♦ for me. It wouldn't surprise me if RHO is having a little joke with some diamonds. I make a straightforward call that should leave partner well placed to judge. For me the hand is a bit light in cards for a 4♦ void splinter although if this hand falls within expected parameters in your partnership that would be my choice.

I think pass is clear, no hurry to be involved in this auction. Odds on I want to defend something since it looks like every suit is breaking badly.

I would re-open with a double and then bid 2♠ over 2♦ which should show around this in high cards

Passed hand XX I play as SOS. XX by the weak two opener I would play as SOS as well, can be useful occasionally if you play very frisky weak twos. P P 2H/2S X 2NT could be played as a save suggestion.

I like to play a lot of take-out doubles but if 2♣ is non-forcing then I agree this is a clear penalty double. 4♣ the round before which seems very clear, would save us any problems this time round.

I'd be tempted to open both of these hands 1NT (15/17). The second one in particular is very tempting.

I agree short suit game tries might help the defence but so might a long suit game try! I'm not sure short suit game tries and more prone to helping the defence than any other sort of game try.

3♥ is clear I think, the danger of 4♥ is that partner might actually think we have got a good hand. 99% of the time game is good partner will bid 4♥ over 3♥

I think 3♠ is just competitve, so my choice would be either 3♥ game try or 4♠ and I'm inclined just to bid game

If partner's lead is fourth highest then he holds QT7(x) remaining and a heart continuation will break the contract for sure, partner is marked with the ♣ K. The only danger is if partner thinks the ♣ suit needs to be cashed to break the contract. For instance declarer holds Qxx AKx Axxxx xx, so I must not encourage clubs because then partner is entitled to think I have AJ to length and he will play K and another rather than another heart.

I think 19-21 is very standard. 16-18 balanced double and bid NT at the lowest level.

1. Spade 4th highest, longest strongest etc 2. If you mean hearts and spades are each 4 to an honor, my lead would depend on what the honors in each suit were. If they were the same honor my lead may depends on the pips in the majors. 3. as 1 4. Might depend on the rest of my hand. If I held xxx xxx in the minors, then I would probably lead a spade the most aggressive lead, although a think a heart is reasonable as well. If you hold say xx JTxx in the minors with a potential nasty surprise for declarer then the more passive heart lead is more attractive. 5. Probably a spade, but again either major will work. 4/5 are the sort hands over which experts will argue which is the best lead.

I think a 2♦ rebid on the above two hands over 1♠ is horrible. The simple way to avoid missing a ♠ game is to raise 1♠ to 2♠.

I like specific two-suiters and any range. Knowing the second suit is often crucial and I think showing both suits in one go as often as possible outweighs the disadvantage of partner not knowing whether you have a 9, 13 or 17 count. When I have a big fit a fair amount of the time I am going to want to bid the same thing either as a save, a two way shot or to make and I don't need to know how strong partner is.

I have looked at Roudinesco and he does not say this! He says finesse the 10 and 9 if the hand under the KQT9xx is presumed to have length. With no length presumption Roudinesco starts off with low to the K and his next play if it wins depends on who you think the strong side is.

I would pass give partner KQxxxx Kxx xxx x is two finesses for 6. and if partner might open 2S without the heart King , the 5 level is in jeopardy.

42 Not all your combinations have equal probability for instance AJxx x is more likely than Axxx J and so on

I'm not sure I'd call ducking the King with Ax a falsecard; but anyway, if you finesse on the second round after the ace is taken you lose to AJ. Of course it depends how often RHO wins the A from Ax. I think to calculate the correct theoritical line you have to assume an optimal strategy by the defence.