benlessard

Lets say you have x AQJTx A KJTxxx You open 1C and the bidding come back to you at 4S (quite likely) what do you do ? As long as the H suit is solid enought that a low doubleton is ok i suggest to open 1H. With S you can afford to open the long minor but with H you have to be careful.

Ruff a D S to the A ruff a D S to the T ruff a D with the Q A of H S to the K run the 8 of H. You still have the A of C and A of D on dummy so you are able to finesse again in H. If the 9 loose to the T you will of course play for H 3-3 Need S 3-2 J of S with LHO and H9,H9x,H9xx or QJx with RHO.

5C. Its a no-brainer. I partner had hearts that are playable vs a doubleton and a 5-6 he should open 1H even if hes strong enough to reverse. 4H here show more like a 5-7

Would 4C be FJS ? Also i usually have a bid that show 2S and a huge D fit (4S). With a limit i just bid 3S and with limit that got upgrade with the 2D call (GF) i just bid 3H or 4H

I have play inverted minors for a long time but now im really convinced that a single raise as 6-9 is better then inverted raise. I play that criss-cross is limit or better and the double raise is preemptive. Of course for slam its tougher but the edge in comp bidding compensate. Over 1D opening its less clear but over 1C for me its obvious that 2C should be a single raise because 2D as limit or better will pose very little problems.

1H-----1S 3C-----??? 3D im stuck 3H fit for you 3S good spades 3Nt D stopper not fit 4C club fit H tolerance (short in d) 4D splinter great hand (again club fit and tolerance in H) 1H------1S 3C------3D (im stuck) ??? 3H i have 6 H and a club stopper tend to deny 3S. (maybe balanced 2524 or 2623 is possible) 3S I have 3 card support. 3Nt i have stopper in diamonds (1633 or similar shapes) 4C at least 5H/5C 4D powerhouse H with D shortness. 4H if you dont play namyats its just good hand with long H. (too strong for 1H----1S-----4H) but if you dont then probably its can show 3S---6H but with very good hearts. With a setup like this you will rarely have problems.

Ive already written this somewhere ... Im quite fond of fake jump-shifts (even in 3/2 cards majors). They usually are the cheapest forcing bid available so it make sense to used them to the maximum. However you need some common sense agreement to not go ashtray. When to make JS in a fragment (for me 2 card is acceptable) 1-GF 3 cards raises (are the more frequent). Its clear that returning to partner suit at the cheapest level and at the first opportunity show a 3cards support and show that your reverse might be fake. 2- Long solid suits too strong for not making a GF bid. Ax,xx,AKQJT9x,xx 1D---1H-----??? IMO the correct bid is 2S. 3- balance hand with 6 cards suit and a wide open doubleton. 1m-----1H------??? some prefer to bid 2Nt with xx in the other minor or to rebid 3D with a so-so suit. But for me I much prefet to bid 2S (if i have a S stopper of course) For the follow-up on a possibly fake reverse is that any bypass of 3Nt is showing a raise or tolerance in partner 1st suit, just a fit in the 2nd suit isnt enough. 1D-----1S 3C-----??? 3D im stuck, no h stoppers or fit in clubs without D tol 3H nat 3S nat 3Nt nat 4C clubs+ D tolerance 1S-----1Nt 3D-----??? 3H im stuck 3S = H 3Nt nat 4C+= D fit +S tol 1D------1S 2H------4H 4H should show 4H a D fit and a minimum hand. 1D------1S 2H------3H 3H show 4H either maximum or with no D tolerance. Playing standard method bypassing 3Nt without tol support for partner 1st suit will often lead to terrible results.

Well if partner bid 3H. 3Nt can show half a stopper since you can bid 3S with 4S Gf or better i think is to play that 3S show half a stopper and that 3Nt show a stopper (so that you dont wrongside when you have Kx). If he bid 3S. You can choose that 3Nt show 1-2 stoppers or that it show 0.5 to 1 stopper. I believe that if you have 2 stoppers you should bid 3Nt even if you have 4card majors. I kind of prefer that 3Nt show half or 1 stopper. 1- because if partner doesnt half half a stopper and cannot pass my X then maybe 5m will be better then 3Nt with only 1 stopper. 2- Because with 1 stopper and 4M bidding 3Nt is still available 3- because hand with half a stopper vs half a stopper might make 3Nt but rarely make 5m. Anyway on this hand its a clear double. Edited PS 1D---(3H)----X------(Pass) 3S---(P)------3Nt obvioulsy show half a stopper and not 4S with a stopper.

Trust me you cannot pass 2m. Partner can have 17 pts. Ask any strong player.

In standard its 100% GF not more not less.

I never bid 3M invitationnal. To me its much better playing 3H as 5H and a fit in the minor. Like 1S-----1Nt 2D----- here how likely youre going to have a hand with long H willing to play at the 3 level (in maybe a misfit) but not enough strong to GF ---VS a hand with D fit and 5 or 6H that you are willing to Gf (maybe stop in 4m if you prefer) ? Not playing forcing Nt I even play that 3Nt = 5H a fit in the minor and a stopper in the other minor. Its 2/1 so ive assume 1Nt forcing. If we play forcing Nt the only time when we wont reach game is when partner got 6S and a minimum hand. (With 6S and non minimum we rebid a 3 card minor). If we dont play 1Nt forcing then ill bid 2H and rebid 2Nt (not forcing) if that is available.

I agree but begginers must learn early that a reverse by responder is 100% GF and experienced players in a new partnerships already know that. Well i think its pretty standard to show 2S/2Nt as half a stopper/stopper but many also play - half a stoppers or non-positionnal holdings/positionnal holdings. I personnally think that bidding 2Nt with Axx is disgusting especially when partner has Qx or Qxx and the lead is written in the sky. My particular understanding are 2S ---Txx, Jx, stiff K, Ax, Axx, AK (half a stopper or non-positionnal stopper) 2Nt Kx,AQ, Qx ---any spades holding that made me want to declare. Could be half a stopper 1 or 2 stoppers. 3C obviously show a very good clubs suit but it could be running or not (AKQXXX or KQJTxxx) minimum or not. For me wanting to show extra strenght before finding the S stoppers situation is like

Abit late but Games hit by crisis over Iran-Israel contest Monday, August 16, 2004 Iran's world judo champion Arash Miresmaeili refused to compete against an Israeli on Sunday, triggering a fresh crisis at the Olympic Games where race, creed or colour are not allowed to interfere with sport. The International Judo Federation (IJF) failed to agree how to deal with the politically explosive issue at an emergency meeting and said it hold further talks on Monday. The burning issue was whether any penalty would hit Miresmaeili alone or the entire Iranian team. "There has been no decision and we are considering this situation very carefully," said IJF spokesman Michel Brousse. "This has not been brought to us as an issue and until it is, we would not have any comment," said a spokeswoman for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which pledges to uphold the ideal of sport transcending national barriers. The official reason for Miresmaeili's non-appearance was failure to make the weight. But judo chiefs were questioning how such a seasoned athlete, who carried Iran's flag at Friday's opening ceremony, would have made such a basic error. A statement by the Iranian National Olympic Committee in Tehran suggested the real reason had nothing to do with kilos. "This is a general policy of our country to refrain from competing against athletes of the Zionist regime and Arash Miresmaeili has observed this policy," it said. Iran has refused to recognise Israel's right to exist since Islamic fundamentalists toppled the Shah in 1979. Right after the draw was made last Thursday there were reports that Miresmaeili, 66kg world champion in 2001 and 2003, might pull out because his opponent was an Israeli, Ehud Vaks.

What happen if he duck the diamond ? Hoping with the king is unlikely to be the good defense since opener has at least 3D ...Edited ok squeeze east i though to squeeze west.

I think ill try 1Nt. 1S---1Nt 2S (show a minimum for me) so ill pass. 1S----1Nt 2m------3H (or 3Nt) show 5H and a fit in the minors.

X followed by 3Nt over 3M show exactly this hand. Half a stopper and diamond fit. Jx isnt that good facing Qx or stiff K but life is hard.

Its a bit weird but maybe something with a 1Nt romex. 1C balanced and 4414 and maybe some other shapes... strenght 12-19. 1D natural unbalanced 1M 5M. 1Nt romex style. Forcing --unbalanced hand single suiter with the range 18-21 (and you could probably add balanced 20-21) 2C- precision 2D Gf hands This imo is surely playable.

Ive never quite understood the reason for the 4th trump requirement. Of course i know that the 9 card fit is important when partner show a stiff and you can envision a dummy reversal. But knowing the singleton is important too even without dummy reversal. 1S----2C 3C----3S Its probably the most likely sequence and i dont think you are well placed for the rest of the auction. The 2nd most frequent auction is 1S-----2C 2Nt----3S Wich is a little bit inferior to the jacoby path. The 3rd more frequent sequence is 1S----2C 2S----3S again that pose some problems. Even usually fairly rare sequence now become quite frequent and pose some slight problems. 1S----2C 3red (splinter)------??? here some play that 3S show Hx (advanced cuebids) and not always 3 card support. The time when 2C is good is when... 1S--------2C 2red -----2S 3something. but i dont think these good ones compensate for the others hands.

Maybe it take more judgment but its so simple that you can teach it to complete beginners.

For me 2H here suggest 6H & 4S and probably without 3D Any hand where im willing to bid 2H over 2C instead of making a X is a hand where i would have bid 1H or 2H on the first round.

Wont he play you for AKx Qx xxx KJTxx or similar hand ?

2Nt here hoping partner got a stiff D. I could also live with 2C but whatever the following bidding, later when partner make a cuebid in diamonds i wont know if its a stiff or an honnor.

If you play in a strong field i suggest attitude lead vs Nt. Giving the count of the suit lead is likely to help declarer as much (or close) than partner so in that view attitude is probably better.

And how do you manage to know if it going to help partner more often then opps. I understand that when LHO as an easy raise then partner partner is likely to have to make the last guess so helping him is nice. But when you dont know LHO has an easy raise why help him raise ? Ive checked some of the example in the book. A Q 7 4 3 K J 6 4 7 J 6 5 or A Q 7 4 3 Q K J 7 5 J 6 5 facing K J 6 5 10 5 2 A Q 10 9 2 4 1S-----(3C)------4D This is a text book example. 4trumps and a 5 or 6 card side suit, shortness in their suit (so that LHO will probably raise). Pts combined in the 2 suits a very ODR ratio. Just the perfect strenght. Make south hand a bit stronger and its slammish so you can afford to play slammish FJS with FP over it. Make the hand a bit lighter and making a FJS will only help the opponent find their slam or find a very cheap save. Also if the hand is lighter than there is a good chance that the save theyll make is a phantom. It doesnt get any better than this. We have enough strenght that 5 over 5 is a real possibility but not enough to consider 4D a slam try (and to setup forcing pass). South has enough strength to know that his 4D will not encourage opps to bid 6 over 5. But even with these perfect hand im not convinced that in practice 4D will turn out much better then a plain 4S. 4S will buy you the contract at the 4 level more often. 4S will avoid some nasty lead directing bids. 4S induce opps into making some phantom saves from times to times. Here is another example, this 1 i find hilarious. making a FJS with 10 9 6 5 3 J 5 2 K Q 10 9 2 - Its should be called how to help opponents find their slams or their 6 level saves another good title would be... How to be the only one to get a H lead and go down.