TylerE

My favorite: Place card on table and leave your finger on it, maybe even wiggle it a bit, to signal that you are signaling.

Opening lead diamond ruff and an AK in a suit vs declarers singleton?

Assuming that a spinter for them shows something like 11-15 or 19+ (this is a fairly typical agreement), I roll it back to 4♥.

That only makes the spade lead more attractive imo

I lead a spade. The X talks me out of the "natural" diamond lead, and I really expect a diamond void somewhere on the hand. If partner holds it, this will teach him not to double when he wants the natural lead.

My preferred runout scheme Immediate XX = Forces opener to bid cheapest 4 card suit, start of a scramble. Denies reasonable values Pass = Forces XX, either a hand willing to sit or a bad hand with a 5 bagger, which will bid the suit after the XX Other bids are Systems On, although values are limited to a soft invite at most.

Why didn't I double at my last turn?

For all we know partner could STILL have a ♥ single suiter. Suits have split 6-6-1-0 before. Even more likely if partners one-suiter is only a 5 bagger.

Eassssy pass for me. I mean, what's the best that can realistically happen here? -500 in whatever doubled?

Well, get the hand right for a start.... Your auction was 1♦-(1♠)-2♥-(p) 3♦ all pass [hv=lin=pn|Simeon6,bill1217,champ%2030,SENOR%20BERT|st%7C%7Cmd%7C4S2349AHTKD247KC69%2CS57JQH2456QD6C7TJ%2CS6KH39JD38QC2345A%2C%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7CBoard%20202%7Csv%7Cb%7Cmb%7C1D%7Cmb%7C1S%7Cmb%7C2H%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C3D%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CS9%7C]400|300[/hv]

Oh how I wish this thought process would die. Being nice IS calling the director. I've seen far worse ill will generated when the director isn't immediately called than vice versa.

The downside to open 4♥ on this hand (even though it's likely what I'd do ATT) is that opponents will complete the "transfer" to 4♠ a lot of the time, it will frequently be right, and they may not get there on their own.

What if it shows 15-17, but is explicitly takeout? (Yes, I've actually seen (bad) pairs playing it that way).

I really think there is a lot to be said for just blasting 3N at MP on a wider range of hands than is frequently considered "normal". Not only is 3N the superior contract (or, at least, not materially worse than 4M), but you gain from the defense making an essentially blind lead, without the benefit of knowing a suit in dummy or make a lead directing double or for 4th hand to stick in a lead directing bid.

For me it's simple... if I'm on a good balanced 5322 or similar, with 12-15, and partner opens 1N I just raise to 3.

I know exactly what the booklet says: "The negative double is used through 2♠ promising four cards (at least) in an unbid major." Are you misreading the auction? The unbid major is hearts, not spades.

Point the 1st: I'd take any advice from opponents with a grain of salt Point the 2nd: Given a known 5-3 fit in the major it's usually correct to be in 4M except when the parternership has known extras... 27-30 HCP or so is the sweetspot for playing 3N. Any weaker and you play 4M. With 31+ you start to think about slam, especially in a 9 card fit.

Find a better bridge club, seriously. Playing against nothing but bumbling fools will only instill bad habits that will be hard to break later.

Some chance, but perhaps a bit less so after the transfer. Out of curiosity - for those rolling it back to 2♠, would you feel differently if the vulnerability was reversed?

I don't think the comment is THAT self serving. Even if EW is on a dead-nuts max, N is marked with at least 8HCP. That counts as "values" in my book.

Why the heck would I be considering making a negative X on this hand. The shape is 100% wrong, why even bring that up?

Well, in this case, a club suit that's any worse, a spade card, pretty much anything.

Would be nice if south could double for penalties. That's the real to keep people from making crappy preempts against you.

Score stands. If the south hand was one iota worse I'd roll it back, though.

I'd think log and hard about taking the ax to 2♠.