hatchett

But RHO might duck the Ace on the first round....

I think pass is the mature action. I'll pay off to partner having a good 2245 and hope that the opposition are at the wrong level or are in the wrong strain.

If double of 2♦ doesn't guarantee 4♠ then I think 3♥ is just a hand that doesn't want to sell to 3♦ and I would pass 3♥, with a minimum in high cards and four of them in the opponent's suit and no better then an 8 card fit. If I bid game I expect to be doubled if hearts are 4-1. If double of 2♦ guarantees 4♠ then, I would expect partner to have something like ♠Axxxx♥Kx♦xxx♣Qxx. Here 3♥ shows a hand that wants to compete to three ♠ and simultaneously might allow me to bid game with a very good double fit.

I think 2♠ is clear, passed hand or not, but clearly it depends on your style of overcalling.

You finished in 3♠? Well 3♣ is a clear game force and partner is not entitled to pass 3♠. On your auction I would raise 3♠ to 4♠. I would bid 1♥ 1♠ 2♦ 3♣ 3♥ I would now pull in a notch opposite at least 6-4 in the reds with .....3NT 4♥

Possibly but unlikely, do you rate you defensive chances to 3NT? What do you think is likely to be the best spot for your side 4♠x or 3NT? yes bidding 4♠ eliminates this possibility Maybe but the odds suggest they will play in their 9/10 card club fit rather than their 7 card non solid heart fit. And it will be harder to sort this out if you pass 3♠?

Why do you expect it to be hard for them to reach 5♣ ? A lot of the time LHO will have a take out double and they will find their fit. My defence is so soft that if they have a 10+ card ♣ fit they will often be making slam especially if partner lacks the ♠A. 4♠ looks clear

I'm not totally convinced I want to be in game I am virtually certain I need ♠ 3-2, and probably ♣ 3-2 as well or ♥ 3-3 depending on which suit I play on, and if I play on ♣, even then I might fail if both ♣ honors are offside. I would bid playing 2/1 1♥ 1NT 2♥ 3♣ P

1NT is possible. Defects are that with Ax it might wrong side NT, and I consider the hand to be equivalent to about 21 count, so I consider it too strong in the context of an 18+20 1NT rebid.

Pass and Pass Vulnerable opposite a passed partner there is very little upside in overcalling on a weak no trump type hand at the 2 level and a lot of downside.

I'm not sure that's right, if RHO does have a void ♠ you want partner to play a slam

1♦, I am willing to rebid 4♥ so I don't see the need to distort with 1♥. A 5♦ opening has some attraction.

I consider this a below average 17 count. I'm not convinced I would have made a slam try now I think 4♥ is certainly enough.

I think double should be a balanced hand. 3♠ should be natural in case LHO is having a joke

West has grossly mis-evaluated his hand. After his partner raises to 4♠ he has a clear 5♠ call over 5♦.

I would bid 4♠ with the west cards, which should lead to east finding a spade slam. East is not strong enough to bid 4♦ over 3♠ West has an obvious 5♠ call, after east doubles 5♦ and has made a free raise to 4♠ with huge playing strength and zippo defence. In fact west had two chances to bid 5♠ I give west 100% of the blame

I don't think declarer has 3 clubs he would bid 3♣ not 2NT in the pass-out, after his partner has shown 6♣ The layout you visualise is impossible since that hand has a clear invitational 3♣ call. Personally I think your defence is highly obscure. Even without telling us what your partner's trick one signal is, declarer with KT of clubs will probably finesse the J. Granted that partner's encouragement in diamond's looks strange I think you should have played partner for the ♠J

1♥ 1♠ 3♠ 4♥ P 4♠ 5♥ P p 5♠ ?

Pass, I would expect partner to have soft values in ♠ and a double stop something like KQT. I have no reason to move.

6. The second stopper does is for me.

The first sequence is a GF The second sequence is only a one round force. 2♠/2NT/3♦ from opener would be dropable.

2♦ for me I hate bidding 1NT with no stopper when there is a reasonable alternative

If you bid 3♠ the auction continues 1♥ 1♠3♠4♥ P 4♠?

Low to the ten, and then run the Q picks up this holding as well. Run the Q loses to the stiff K and potentially stiff J on your left as well.

He can play ♣Q with Qx/Qxx knowing it can't cost as well. I don't think we can read much into ♣Q No good they can cross on spade to play a diamond through! I think we have to assume that diamond Ace is onside since if RHO had ♦A, LHO has either ♥K or ♠A, so the hand is about either trying to avoid a club ruff and not losing more than one trump trick. The chance of one hand having stiff club and doubleton heart is small and given the ambiguity in the club suit, I will concentrate on losing only one heart trick. I would think that the two plausible lines of (i) ♥A and low to the 9, and (ii) low to the ♥T are about the same and then run ♥Q are about the same. With (i) I can pick up some 4-1 ♥, for instance when the hand with 4♥ has at least 3♠