joshs

I expect a 1345 8 count opposite. I pass and take my chances. I have 2.5 tricks and partner has 2.5-3 tricks (depending on club intermediates). I am leading a diamond.

I really dislike openers 5S bid. Responder has a tough call over that.

Let me guess. There was a hitch after the 2C bid and they lead a club against you....

Actually when you showed 2 keycards and only have 1, its hard to say if we have all the controls....

I am still not sure why the opening bid was 1C instead of 1D. Was there an alert you forgot to tell us about (I want to know what I can read into RHO's shape). In any case RHO is looking like 4333 shape or perhaps 4324 shape. I certainly expect the club Q on my right (SA, Heart AQ, DJ seems a bit light to come int without real shortage, unless he was just messing around with his diamond plays....) In either case I am playing AK and a club....

Phil I think you misread hand 2....

I pass. Against 1N I lead Diamonds from the bottom (T,J,Q,K,A). If it goes 1D-1M-2M. I guess I would bid 2N next

As I recall, the main leisure activities that the Aussies proposed involved a visit to a wildlife park to see koala bears, kangaroos, and the like.... Given that the VERY first thing that i did upon landing in Melbourne was going out to visit a wildlife park and see koala bears, kangaroosm and the like I thought this was a damn fine plan. (During my stay must have visted at least a dozen wildlife preserves of one form or another) But did you get to cuddle with a koala?

As it turns out we had allready picked up about 25, not the 10-15 I had estimated, so we were in a dead heat. At the other table there was no 3'rd seat opener and the auction went 1N-3N on the following cards: [hv=n=sakxhxxdxxxckxxxx&s=sqxxhaxxdkqcajxxx]133|200|[/hv] A magic fit, and an easy 3N. At our table, expecting that 2 club honors and 1 spade honor was more likely I bid 4C and we played there, making 5. For instance: [hv=n=sakxhxxdxxxckxxxx&s=sqxxhaxxdkqcajxxx]133|200|[/hv] where leading either red suit beats 3N. I was expecting to get a pickup, but instead I had a critical loss. I was intending orignally to bid 3D and then 3N to show doubt, but I talked myself out of the 3N bid after partner bid 3S. Who knows if he would have sat for 3N with that hand.... I am still undecided if I should have bid 3N over 3S. On the final hand, I slightly lied about the situation. This hand was immediately after the previous one where we played 4C making 5, and there were 5 boards to go. And I think we need a big swing. On this hand I bid key card (after a 5 minute tank) partner showed 1, and then asked for the Q (after another 2 minutes) and then stopped in 5S. Hoping that the slam would be bid at the other table and goes down. The opps also stayed out of slam at the other table. And we lose the match by 5. :P For those who bid 6N here is your play problem: A87xx xxx KJ Jxx KJx AQJx AQx AQx Plan the play in 6N on a diamond lead. Also, as punishment for bidding 6N, you get to compute the odds of it making!

OK Here is my take on these hands. Hand 1 is from Day 1 of the Spingold. We are in a 3 teams advance out of 4 bracket. We play 32 boards against one team in the afternoon, if we win we rest in the evening, if not we have to play in the evening. My partner and I sit out the first session, and come back to find us down 40 after 16 boards. We got back 50 in the 2'nd half including this board, which I included mostly for educational purposes: If Partner had opened 1S and you played 2/1 or some other 5 card major system you would not make a forcing spade raise with Kxx x AQxx AKT9x. You would bid 2C first for a number of reasons, chiefly: 1. You are not sure spades should be trumps, and have lots of room to work it out 2. You have a source of tricks for partner and want partner to promote the club Q The full hand and the auction: AQxxx KQ Jx Qxxx Kxx x AQxx AKT9x 1C(16+, ART)-1S-2C-3C-3S(3 spades, 5+ clubs)-4C(I want clubs to be trumps)-4N(diamond Q bid, perhaps I should have bid 4D which is rkc)-6C In other partnerships I have a double fit keycard available, but sadly not in this one. Makes 6. 6S went down on the 4-1 spade break at the other table. Hand 2: I still can't sleep at night over this one. [hv=d=w&n=sqxxh76djt9xcjxxx&w=stxxhkqt9dkq43cax&e=skxhjxxxxdaxxxckx&s=saj9xxha2dxcq5432]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] I needed to defend passively and exit with a heart (or a club). I was worried that if the hand was: [hv=d=w&n=sqxxh76djt9xcjxxx&w=stxxhkqt9dkq43cax&e=skxhjxxxxdaxxxckx&s=saj9xxha2dxcq5432]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] or a similar hand That declarer could strip the hand and then play a spade covering partner's card and end up with a spade trick, so I felt most layouts where partner didn't have the Spade K or a stiff spade we had no chance to set them, and after about a ten minute tank I played A and a spade, letting him make. Chalk one up for the 2S bid which masked declarer's hand. Had he bid 3D the defense would have been much easier. Note that partner might have false carded me at trick 1 if he held the spade K, but its hard to do that in tempo and he would need to have the DJ to do that at all...

5. You hold AK753 QT9 Q J432 4'th seat, all vul P-P-1N-P(would you have bid?) 2S(x-fer to clubs)-P-3C(likes clubs)-P 3N-All Pass What do you lead? 6. Vul vs Not, 3'rd seat: 84 7 A97 AKQ9xxx P-1N(12-14)-? 3C would be intermediate x is penalty The 2 level bids are all hands with at least 1 major. 7. None Vul: KJ84 AK7 85 8xxx Partner opens a precision 1D and raises your 1S to 2, do you invite? (you play a 14-16 NT here) 8. 76 KT652 Jx 9xxx White vs red, opps silent: 1D(precision)-1H-1S(Almost Manditory with 4 Spades, might still be 4225)-?

9. Here is a hand where I misdefended badly, but thankfully declarer didn't take advantage: Both Red You hold: AKJx JT9xx - J7xx RHO opens 1D You x (Agree?) LHO Passes Partner bids 1N LHO bids 2D All Pass SA lead, Dummy has 9865 754 875 AT2 Partner plays the spade 7, udca. Plan the defense. 10. KJ T7 Q93 AQT976 T8763 Q AKJ542 4 All Red 1C-1H-1S-3H(preempt) P-4H-5D-All Pass Heart 6 lead (3/5) and RHO plays AK of hearts. Plan the Play. 11. AQT96 A875 A 864 7 QJT Q87632 KQJ You are in 3N on the heart 2 lead to your T after the followign auction with the opps silent: 1D(precision)-1S-2D-2H(ART force)-2N-3N 12. You hold 9754 Q3 KQ5 T765 You are defending 4H after a relay auction where opener showed 5-5 in hearts and clubs and a min opener (in the context of a big club system) and partner xed for a spade lead. You lead a spade and dummy has:AQ6 A52 J98743 A Declarer wins plays a diamond, 2, T, Q. Now what?

13. Red vs white: KJT85 x AQJx K9x 2'nd to speak 1H-1S-2H-3H(Mixed raise) P-? 14. x A98xxx J ATxxx 3'rd seat fav P-P-2H-x 3H(you play mcabe)-P-? 15. Both red: - J972 AQJ92 Q843 AK753 K T KT9652 1S (we play a strong club)-(2H)-P-(P) 3C-(P)-5C-All Pass A of hearts lead by beth palmer and a low D switch.Plan the play. 16. JT9x xx KQx 9xxx, fav vul 1H-P-4H-All Pass but opener thought for 1 minute before passing. Your lead?

2♠ seems clear: Set trump at a nice low level and pray you have asking bids available... I said natural methods.... The one asking bid you have available is called roman key card blackwood.

I had a fun evening playing T-Rex in a team league event in Auckland with Andy's partner Mike Ware about 6 years ago (Andy was out of town so I was filling in). I remember one hand, I opened 1D showing Spades and Mike decided to relay out my hand and leave me to play it in game with him holding a balanced 8 count. A very strange practicle joke on your partner.... We were already way ahead, so it didn't really matter. I think Marsden's old forcing pass system (came before Moscito) used 1C to show hearts and 1D to show spades, and Tresboof (which Todd plays) is a varient of that old system.

Yes Congrats Justin on the GNT win, and his team is still alive in the Spingold!Wow, I remember playing with Justin on OKB when he was around 11 or 12 after Karen Manfield said to me, "hey you need to check out this kid" and we both played with him occasionally (I didn't realize he had someone much better than us to play with at home- so I thought we were helping him out....). He was already a solid flight B player at that young age. Its great to see him kicking the big boys asses now.

2C-2D-2N-3S(mss)-4D-4H(shortage, slam interest)-4N(keycard)-5D(1/4)-5H(trump Q?)-5N(yes, but no side kings)-7D(should be a decent spot)

Here are some interesting hands from the finals of the LM pairs (matchpoints): I will break them into 4 sets: Hands 1-4: 1. All White: 2'nd seat. Playing Stevie and Peter: You hold: 9xxx x xx KJT864 2D(0-9 with a major)-P-4C(x-fer to your major)-4D(ACBL defense does not discuss this auction) x(Hearts)-P-4H-P P-? What do you do now and do you agree with the previous pass. 2. Next a defensive problem: You hold K543 65 8 AT9743 2H(weak 2)-P-4H-All Pass Partner leads the DK dummy comes down with: AJT6 AT82 A9 Q52 Declarer (me) wins the A. Plays the SA dropping the Q and leads the SJ. Do you cover? Can you construct a hand where it matters? 3. Vul vs not You hold: 76 QJ96 Q75 JT87 Weak NT on your left, 2S natural by partner, Neg x on your right, 2N scramble on your left, 3C on your right. Do you bid anything? If you elect to defend xed or undoubled what do you lead? 4. You hold 952 AT82 K985 84 None Vul Partner opens a 14-16 NT: 1N-P-P-x(4 card major and longer minor) P-2D(what is your major?)-P-3C(unidiscussed) P-4C(after a long thought)-? Do you x?

Here are 4 hands from the spingold: First as a warm up here is an easy hand from round 1: You play a strong club and fairly natural methods: Kxx x AQxx AKT9x You open 1C(16+ ART) Partner bids 1S (5+S, 12+ HCP) What's your rebid/plan? A defensive problem from round 2: AJ9xx A2 2 Q5432 4'th seat, both red 1D-P-1H-1S 2H(4 trumps)-P-2S-P 3C-P-4H-All Pass You lead your stiff diamond, and dummy comes down with: T7x KQT9 KQ43 Ax Trick 1 goes low, 9, A. Trick 2 goes trump 3, A, 9, 6. What do you do now? 4'th quarter, down 29, you think you have picked up 10-15 back but are not positive, 6 boards to play: Red vs White, 4'th seat: Qxx Axx KQ AJxxx P-P-1D-x (Agree?) 1H-3C(limited to 10)-P-3D(Agree?) P-3S-P-? What is your bid and plan? 4'th quarter, down 29, you think you have picked up 5-10 back but are not positive, 3 boards to play: KJx AQJx AQx AQx Opps silent P-1C(16+ART) 1S(5+S, 8-10)-2S(Agree?) 4S(undiscussed, but presumably he hates his hand)-? Now what? What is your plan?

I am not sure why you singled out 2/1? What exactly is opener suppossed to rebid after 1S-2H in standard american or acol? If he takes over and key cards, he can never figure out if he really belongs in spades or in NT on many hands. For instance if Responder had: Qxx Kxxxx Ax Kxx there are 13 tricks in NT, but you will never get to 7N if opener bids rkc in hearts. After 1♠ 2♥ opener can rebid 3♠ which is forcing after a 2/1 in most systems. Then responder can cuebid 4♦ (I at least play this as a cuebid rather than natural, I suppose some might play it the other way). The 3S bid pretty much gives up on hearts. Suppose responder had: x KQJxx Axxx Kxx or x KJxxx QJxx Kxx or something in between. After 1S-2H-3S-3N opener bids what???? 4H isn't forcing 4N is natural and not forcing I don't think jumping to 3S solves many problems. A forcing 2S bid (e.g. SAYC) helps some and maybe a forcing 3H bid might also help some. Flexible hands with extra strength are problems in most bidding methods. This pair of hands are a good pair for a strong club since the game force actually occurs at the 1 level.

Yeah 3 cards in LHO suit is always bad when RHO doesn't raise. As is scattered honors, short suit honors, etc. None of those issues are overwheleming but they all add up to making this hand a clear pass over 3H.

I grew up on Casino and various Rummy Games (I especially liked rummy 500).

I am not sure why you singled out 2/1? What exactly is opener suppossed to rebid after 1S-2H in standard american or acol? If he takes over and key cards, he can never figure out if he really belongs in spades or in NT on many hands. For instance if Responder had: Qxx Kxxxx Ax Kxx there are 13 tricks in NT, but you will never get to 7N if opener bids rkc in hearts.

I voted for the put options. It was the funniest cause. :blink:

Listen, I'm sorry about the triplets... (I question the fact that you seem to be focusing so obsessively on them... Sure, its a cute factoid, but there are far worse things going on in the North) I repeat once again What do you propose that we do? I propose we cross the DMZ one by one untill all the landmines have been used up.