joshs

I don't think so. I think the auction is akin to partner xing and you making a free bid of 2D and then them competing in clubs. E.G. 1S-x-2C-2D 3C-? You are not in a force here, and the x of 2D in the actual auction didn't show much more than the freebid of 2D did in this auction (maybe an extra 2 points?).

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In many of my partnerships we rebid 1N on a balanced hand with 4 spades (in some partnerships its flexible, and some its not). My comment is in the context of how I play the puppet then 2H sequence. I normaly play: 2C then rebid 2H: Light Invite, usually distributional 2C then 2N: 5 cards in major, sound invite When playing in partnerships that bypass 1S (usually weak nt partnerships) we bid 2S here on 4 spades and 2 Hearts, since responder can be 4=5 in the majors. There is a case to be made that this should also show a max. I don't think this bid should show 4333. But that comes mostly from my belief that after finding 1 major suit fit you don't look for a better one, since whatever that gains in sometimes finding the 4-4 fit, it loses in describing your hands to the defenders....

I would have played the DK (just to tell partner you had it) and then the SQ. You "know" from trick 1 that partner has the J, since declarer would hardly bid 2N without the K and would have run the trick to hand with the KJ, unless really being tricky with diamonds wide open (and the DQ caters to partner having Jx and declarer holding up). You defense is right only if a. declarer was really tricky b. diamonds are wide open c. partner has the HK also Thats quite a parley.

Dbl 3N (you have serious extras, but this is still not a favorite)

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Amen. I have literly seen people pass out: - AKQJxxx Axxx xx after mumbling something about peirson. And as justin points out: Opening Axxx Kxxx x KJxx is a much better idea than opening Axxx x Kxxx KJxx since you have 2 suits that outrank your short suit in the 1'st example, but only 1 in your second (e.g. you are more likely to be about to out compete the opps and go plus with the first hand than with the second). So the way I see it: Open if its a clear opener If its an absolutely bare min opener or less, look at pierson If still unsure, look to see how many hearts you have and pass if the answer is less than 3... Also, if you open extremely light in 1/2, or extremely sound in 1/2, you need to change the number in perison to something other than 15.

Amen. I have literly seen people pass out: - AKQJxxx Axxx xx after mumbling something about peirson. And as justin points out: Opening Axxx Kxxx x KJxx is a much better idea than opening Axxx x Kxxx KJxx since you have 2 suits that outrank your short suit in the 1'st example, but only 1 in your second (e.g. you are more likely to be about to out compete the opps and go plus with the first hand than with the second). So the way I see it: Open if its a clear opener If its an absolutely bare min opener or less, look at pierson If still unsure, look to see how many hearts you have and pass if the answer is less than 3...

Huh? Problem 2 was: You open 1H on Ax KQJTxx x Axxx partner bids 1S what do you rebid.

"The power to create is the power to distroy." -Justice Marshall from McCulloch vs Maryland.

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This was 1H-1S-? not 1H-forcing NT-? Over 1H-1S, I rebid 1N with a balanced hand :)

Your partner never has Ax and RHO both the King and the Q? Nope, never happened. Awesome, I wish I had your juju :)

I think that 2H set up a game force, but might be only a stopper instead of a suit Somehow I didn't notice the second sequence. In the first sequence 2H was GFing. In the second, its forcing but doesn't even promise a rebid, so someone would have to bid the 4'th suit to set up a game force. Note: I never liked this treatment in the second auction, and prefer to play 2H as an ART force.

I think that 2H set up a game force, but might be only a stopper instead of a suit

This may be somewhat off-topic, however, I think that its a big mistake to focus on expected value without also factoring variance into the mix... Why is that? The question didn't say if you were losing by 10 at the half, would you open? Or playing a team that is much worse than you, would you open? In any case, its pretty much impossible to calculate to Covariance between the score at your table and the score at your teammates table (without a lot of info on the 4 players and systems at the other table), so good luck on the variance calculation... This hand is not even close to a bid....

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Your partner never has Ax and RHO both the King and the Q?

Playing weak NTs I would bid 2D. Playing strong NTs its close... I would bid 2D if 1D promised 4, otherwise 1N at this vul and this vul only.

The upper limit is about 9/10 HCP but its good to have an alternate call available for the 8-10 HCP hands. The lower limit is 0 if you have some shape. After they x, you should be more inclined to pressure them to the LAW limit, and bid game on some hands that you might only make a limit raise with, but are tweeners in terms of offense (some 5332 9 counts with xx or xxx in the other major). Your example hand: xx KJxxx 98x A8x is a limit raise if they stay silent, but the decision is much close if they x 1H whether to bid 2N or 4H. I do think its there hand if partner doesn't have any extras, so its all about tactics.

1. Well I tend to have strange agreements about the passed hand 2H bid (I like playing it as 5H and 3spades!), but unless 2H specifically denied spade tolerence, I would never bid 2H here. 1N 2. 2H is NOT an option. This hand is way, way too good. Its close between 3H (strong suit) and 2C planning on rebidding 3H next. I slightly prefer 3H despite the fact that the slower sequence will help partner's hand evaluation for game. I just really can't tolerate playing in 2C on this hand. But this decision is very close. -Think about what hands would pass 2C, many of those hands will probably play better in hearts than the hands that preferenced 2H. E.G even Kxxx x Qxxxx QJx produces a great game (CK on your left or clubs 3-3, a 68% game!).

My interpretation is that east doesn't know what he is doing. He isn't supposed to have a void on the side for 3N. He can't have any sure tricks after your raise. there is no hand he can have that could have any confidence of beating 6, let alone 5, even if you found the right lead (I do think a club opening lead would have beaten this, if he in fact has a club void like I expect). Now if he did have a club void, that gives him 4270 shape, in which case I don't really want to shorten partner, so it seems like I should play another high heart and let declarer ruff it. I still think that declarer's might try to make the hand by pulling exactly 2 rounds of trumps and then playing clubs until partner ruffs. Partner can then trap declarer in dummy by playing a diamond, and refusing to ruff the 2 good hearts. Actually that beats it... I am playing another high heart. :)

Great list!

Excellent. Thats a very good school. What field are you in?