benlessard

IMO any hand without reasonnable chances of making 5C and without a small shot at 6C should blast to 3Nt stoppers or not. So a m transfer followed by a bid show a pretty good hand. Secondly With 4M and a long minor the standard way is to start by stayman. 3rd I think looking for 3Nt is a bit more important than looking for slam. So should 3M be a stiff or a stopper or a 3 card suit ? Showing a stiff will help you to better judge for slam and still check for 3Nt (but not always) Bidding a 3 card suit will help you to play in 4-3 --5-3 fits but is less effective for slam. Bidding a stopper do a better job to get to 3Nt but is a bit useless for slam bidding. If you frequently have a 5M when you open 1Nt i think 3M should show 3 carder especially at MP. If you cannot have a 5M then i guess showing a stiff is slighty better. Just bidding a stopper that can be 2 cards is probably a bad method.

Does partner have a negative X available instead of bidding 2S ? If partner had 5 lousy spades would he bid 2S or made a neg X. I like to play that X followed by 3S show 5 lousy spades and a good hand (forcing). With a lousy hand and lousy 5 spades i would just make a neg x anyway. So for me 2S show good spades more often 6 then 5 so i can raise to 3S. If 2S = any 5 spades is possible then i pass.

IMO In pair in order of importance. 1- you need a preemptive raise. 2- you need a single raise. 3- a forcing raise is nice because bidding a 3card major is distatefull. 4- There is no great use for 1D----3C. In imps 1- you need a preemptive raise 2- you need a forcing raise limit or better but bidding a 3card major is playable. 3- You need a single raise 4- there is no great use for 1D-----3C. my recommended setup in pair is 3D preempt 2D single raise 3C limit or better In imps i suggest the same. But if you are an addict to inverted minors... that 3C become the single raise and 2D is limit or better.

With x AKx J9xx Ajxxx its a bit tricky since we have no source of tricks and we often need the spades to be established. 1-- S need to be breaking so might as well be playing in 4S. 2-- if we play in H maybe we can setup the S with some ruffs. I really think that partner would have bid 3C with Kx or Qx in clubs. If partner got solid spades we will play in 4S anyway (or for me he would have bid 3D not 3S). I also dont think partner can have QJTx in hearts and bid 3S at least not my partner. So partner got to have something in the minors Hx in diamonds or a stiff club honnor and 2 diamonds. If partner spades are KQxxxx or similar. then hes got the QH and probably the ace of diamonds or the K and some jacks. 3Nt is hopeless. 4S need S 3-3 and 4H need S 3-3 and H to behave. Despite being likely to lose 3 trumps and a diamond trick you prefer to play in S because 3Nt is hopeless. If partner spades are AKxxxx or AQxxxx 3Nt might make with 3 minor tricks. 4H and 2 spades tricks while 4S will need S to behave and 4H seems as good as 3Nt. Maybe 4H is better then 3Nt after all. But im surely not raising to 4S here.

My personnal understanding is that 1S-----2C 2H-----2Nt 3S show 6S (not good quality) and ask if partner can raise with 2S 3H show 5H (not good quality) and ask partner to raise with 3H This is fairly standard i think. Now the not so obvious part and probably not standard but IMO still "common sense" is that 3D is asking for a preference. Its to be able to find partial fits. 4-3 or 5-2H fit or a 6- stiff honor S fit. With KJT98 in H, or KJ987x in S i would bid 3D not 3M. This is because im searching for a preference not a full raise. So 1S-----2C 2H-----2Nt 3D-----??? 3H show at least Hx in hearts may have S preference also 3S show at least a stiff spade honor or xx in S. 3Nt neither of the above or minors well stopped. 1S-----2C 2H-----2Nt 3D-----3H 4H show very good hearts (a preference by partner is enough support) 1S-----2C 2H-----2Nt 3D-----3S 4S show very good spades (a preference by partner is enough support) 1S-----2C 2H-----2Nt 3D-----3H 3S show very good spades but not very good hearts 1S-----2C 2H-----2Nt 3D-----3H 3Nt == denies having 6 good spades and by default showing 4 good heart so that partner can raise with HHx or Hxx in hearts. ----This 1 you can deduce it at the table but its better if you speak to your partner about it. 1S-----2C 2H-----2Nt 3D---- to be able to raise to 4H here you need both Hxx in H and a xx or stiff honnor in spades. With a 6421 I would bid 3D if i feel that a 4-3 H fit or a 6-1 stiff H might be better. But I will bid 3S if im looking for xx or better support in S. With a 55?? i would bid 3H if i want partner to raise me with xxx in H. But I will bid 3D if Hx in heart in good enough.

Still not sure how 4H can be better then 3Nt. 2Nt should show at least a stiff spades. opener with Hx in clubs will bid 3C. With KQJ9xx or better he will bid 4S over 3Nt anyway. Partner has to have Hx in diamonds wich IMO should make 3Nt the best game most of the time. On a good day we can count 4H tricks 1C and 1D. So we only need 3S tricks. While in 4S we will need S to behave. Also i believe that with an unclear hand playable in 3 strain partner will bid 3D and not 3S. Maybe its just me but 3D tend to suggest stronger suits or stronger hand then a direct 3M bid. For example 2Nt---3D 3H----3S should suggest 4S or 3Nt but with goodies or with good spades. While 2Nt----3S is a weaker less solid spades 2Nt---3D 3H----4H is stronger then 2Nt----3H 4H

3Nt i would find it insulting if my partner bid 4s with a small stiff.

Its tough when the bidding start 1S----1Nt :) I woudl have rebid 2Nt but i dont think 3S is that bad. I think however that after 3S 3Nt is the proper bid. It has nothing to do with the spades holding. Give me 2 aces and a S void and ill bid 4S. On some other hand ill have 2S and still bid 3Nt. JTxx Kjxx Kxxx are soft holding

There is an important key point here. Should we take the point of view of the country or the players. If you see this from the country point of view we should refuse them or impose a hard sanction, because the country over and over showed disrespect by refusing to play against Israel and by not telling in advance that they dont want to play against them. But from the players POV its not clear at all. The players could easily be peace loving hippies :) and be the most ethicals players in the whole tournament. For me i think that the Lebanon gov or Lebanon bridge institutions probably dont care if you disqualify them. For the players however its sucks to be disqualify especially if its not your fault. So imo the primary POV should be from the players. We are judging the players actions and not the country wich impose a boycott. We should first calculate the expectency of the teams playing each others. The teams should get the average of theire score X the average of opponents of the other teams multiply by 2 Lets just say that Israel average is 17 VP per round and Lebanon 10 VP per round. So lebanon is entitled to 10/30 x 13/30 x2 = 7.666 imps /30 Israel is entitled to 17/30 x 20/30 x2 = 22.3333 /30. These are score with no penalty whatsoever and there are just the expectancy based on the average score of the tournament. After that we can impose a penalty depending on the possible players responsability. Another factor that we have to take into account is what we can do to solve the situation for future events. If its the country fault then there is nothing effective we can do (if we decided to banned the country for future events they ll probably just dont care.) But if its the players fault then disciplinary action (banning them from future events) can be a deterrent. Its a big disaster in modern society and in many religious society that we rely on laws and rules when applied ethics and judgement is the best way to solve these problems. Too many books, lawyers and judges but not enough brain cells working.

Pass here. For me parter will often make 3 cards raise here.

I think that is because people bid at the 2 level with crappy 10-11 pts hands and their 1Nt is 6-9. The SAYC i prefer and what i suggest to play is that 1Nt isnt forcing and 2/1 are almost GF. (2/1 except when responder suit is repeated & without 1Nt forcing) The only times where a 2/1 isnt GF is when 1--responder rebid his suit and openener dindt show extras values 2--responder has 10-11 pts with 5H he can bid 2H followed by 2Nt. 3- When opponent interferred and you dont have a stopper in their suit, stopping at 4m is possible. 1S-----2Y-----3Y = GF 1S-----2H----3m = GF since opener showned extra strenght. 1S-----2C----2H------??? any bid except 3C is GF. (2nt is GF) 1S-----2H-----2S------??? here 2Nt and 3H arent forcing the rest is GF. So that with 10-11 pts with an unrepeatable minor suit you cannot make a 2/1 and should bid 1nt or 2Nt. But with 10-11 pts and 5H its just too dangerous to bid 1Nt or 2Nt so here 2H followed by a NF 2Nt is possible. This IMO is the best and easiest thing to teach beginners. Its doesnt involved 1Nt forcing and the forced 3 cards rebids by opener flase preferrence etc... Most 2/1 auctions are GF like in a full 2/1 setup. The biggest inconvenient vs full 2/1 is that you lose a GF bid (repeating your suit isnt GF 1S----2C-----2S-----here with a great hand you cannot rebid 3C.

(2H)------X-------(3H)---------X (responsive) (P)-------??? What is the minimal hoding to pass here. What does 3S means here. Is 4m forcing ?

Standard is NF. IMO the range should be 4-9 pts and a nice suit. Transfers here are probably a better method.

Seems just better to play multi 2C and to have a 2D preempt then to have a 2C preempt and a 2D multi. 2D preempt is much better then 2C preempt. 2C multi is better then 2D multi. I would play 2D as D+M and drop the Muideberg.

What wrong with 3Nt it seems like a pretty good contract to me. This one is funny

I think exactly the opposite. Lets say the bidding goes 1Nt----3S 4D is 4D forcing ? or its show a minimum hand with no S stopper ? For me 3S is absolute Gf. So 4m is the stongest bid available. & 3Nt showing a stopper is the least encouraging and weakest bid. Give partner any hand with xxx in S and there is a slamwh. The only hande where slam is unlikely is when partner has AJxx, AKxx, KJxx etc in S. On aside note do you play that 1Nt----(P)------3S------(x) asking for a H lead ? 1Nt----(P)------3S------(P) 3Nt----(P)------P-------(x) asking for a m lead ?

IMO you must have a way to show values on this sequence. You should play 2Nt as scrambling only when there is no possibility of game but when game is possible you should play your favorite lebensohl setup.

I disagree. For me 3S is more a slammish bid then a COG bid. 13(45) hand that are not strong enough to hope to make 5m often should just bid 3Nt . If you hope to make 5m often then you have at least some slight slam interest. So if partner is not minimum and has no S wastage he should never bid 3Nt. That hand is tricky since the K of S might be useful to discard the 3rd heart. But still i prefer to pass 3Nt.

3Nt here. For me 3S in imps should be almost forcing. My hand has soft value and im happy to play the hand.

Pass Wtp. Even if the club suit run we might be short of tricks. If the hand is a bit stronger i would bid 2C and bid 3Nt over 2D knowing partner is likely to have 3C. Pass 2M. Wich will lead to a 4-3 that will be as good as 1Nt.

North has to bid 4S. 3S isnt invitationnal but your are in imps so 3S doesnt say im just saving against 3 something it says that i have a fair shot at making 3S. So north can gamble to 4S. Im not sure i would have bid 3S with south hand though. I might pass and compete over 3H but not over 3D.

my extra strenght make up for the 3rd spade that im missing. I double and pull 3S to 3Nt wich tend to show half a stop and minors. pass 4m pass 4S. 2nt option is pass.

3H was a gross overbid is 2Nt is slow down. 1D-----1S 2H-----2Nt (nat GF) 3H-----3Nt all pass. Because of the J of S im willing to try for 3Nt instead of 5D but i have no strong conviction. I have no big problem with the light reverse but i would have open 1H. I really prefer to use the cheapest call as slow down instead of 2Nt is slow down.

North can make a move over 3nt. He can make 3 trick facing a minors jump-shift. On a bad day 5D will go down but the risk is lower then the risk of missing 6 if you pass 3Nt.

-200 is a terrible mp score.