bid_em_up

Human beings are animals. Matt is a human being. Therefore Matt is also an animal. I think Matt needs to be tested for all kinds of diseases. :rolleyes:

Wouldn't partner set trumps via 3♦ if thats the case? The jump shift creates a game force, partner should either give preference to diamonds, or cue (a major suit here has to be a cuebid agreeing one of the minors, which one is unknown at this point) or simply raise clubs.

I think they have a real good arguement. If partner does not have a major, he must have either 4 clubs or 4 diamonds. With all these controls in the major suits, it makes a minor suit slam practically laydown and the best way to begin exploring this is by showing the club suit, not the spade suit.

x AJxxx QJxx xxx would be a good choice. Kxxx AJxxx x xxx (although one could argue this hand would start with stayman first) could be another. xx Axxxx AJx xxx You might have bid 3N initially, but chose to only invite because it is likely dependent on a heart fit or partner being max if 3N/4H is going to make. Now that you have determined a heart fit is available, the hand certainly warrants being in game. I'm sure there are others.

I wouldn't mind a double with more of a classic/true neg X shape, i.e. xx J10xx J10x KQ10x (a jack less even), as you can withstand with whatever partner does. I won't claim it to be the greatest negative double, but it would be tolerable. This particular hand is both the wrong shape, and wrong count for the neg X, though. You will be poorly placed over a 3C call, and 3D will not be that great either.

I called it absolute nonsense, because if you actually think you can go to committee every time your opponents make what you think is a "bad" bid, you will soon be broke from AWM fines. :rolleyes: Somewhere, in the thread, it was (jokingly, I hope) stated to bid 3H slow or fast, but it was not suggested in the original post. I inferred that all calls were/are actually made in tempo. Art's statement made no reference to the 3H call being made slowly, I assume he means that an in-tempo 3H call would still result in a committee assuming responder now took another call. And that, is nonsense, imo. For both the reasons you state (there are hands that can bid on over 3H), and you can't take bad bidding to committee.

This is absolute nonsense.

Why would it be game forcing? Both hands have limited themselves, haven't they? Two limited hands cannot then create a g/f sequence, imo. You are just clueing partner in that you really have heart support and are minimum. He may have a hand that can bid 4H, if he is aware you have support. If you were max, you would have already accepted the invitation via 3N (balanced) or 4H (max with support). So 3H cannot be g/f.

[hv=d=s&v=e&s=sakjxxxhqxxxdaxcx]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] xxxx xx Kx xxxxx Qxxx x xxx xxxx xxxx xx xxx Axxx xxxx Kxxx x xxxx xxxxx x xxx xxxx All rubbish. All have reasonable play for 4S. And these are some of the worst hands partner could have. Why should any of these hands see a possibility of game? In most cases, you can almost be 100% certain that partner will have a stiff heart. If he is truly broke, he must have compensating shortness somewhere, and after taking into consideration your 3 minor suit cards and the opponents failure to bid, his shortness is not in a minor. The most likely scenario is that LHO is 2-3-4-4 (or 3-2-4-4) and had no good call over 1S and RHO has 5 or 6 hearts but not enough to freely step into this auction. If you pass now, a competent LHO will double realizing his partner is short in spades and they will reach 4H. If you're going to be forced to bid 4S anyway, you may as well do it now.

4♠ seems clear. Even if it does not make, it will only be -1 or 2 for -50/100. If it goes off two, the opps were probably cold for 4H or 5m anyway.

http://homepage.mac.com/bridgeguys/glossbridgemain.html http://www.fifthchair.org/jargon/jargon_a.htm

7. You have to get from point A to point B. You don’t know if you can get there. What would you do? Look it up on Google Maps. :D

1) One level opening bids strength requirements. 2) Weak 2/3 level preempt expectations. 3) Reverses 4) Responses to opening 1N/2N bids. (jacoby, texas, 4-way?) and the meanings of follow-ups. 5) 4SF, g/f or one round? 6) NMF, same thing 7) Types of raises in partners 1M openings (Jacoby 2N, preemptive, limit, constructive, bergen, support X/XX etc.). This would include whether or not you tend to raise on 3 card support to 1M response. 8) Overcall tendencies (sound, occasionally light, any 13 cards?) 9) Puppet stayman and its subsequent calls (if you are playing it). 10) Splinters, checkback sequences, carding agreements, requirements for strong opening bids, and anything else thats left over. :D

No. Your hand wasn't even good enough for the 2D bid, imo, it certainly isn't good enough for 3N. To be fair, this is somewhat dependent on whether you are playing sayc or 2/1 though. Its closer to a 2D bid in sayc, not even close in 2/1 though.

1) The simplest way to deal with this kind of partner is don't make any mistakes. Then he has no reason to bitch about anything. ;) 2) If you know you have made a mistake, apologize before he has a chance to say anything. 3) Tell him before you start, "I am not feeling well today, please try and overlook the stupid things I may do." or "My game has been off lately, please excuse any dumb mistakes I might make", now he might be a little more tolerant and keep his mouth shut where ordinarily he would be all over it. 4) Alternatively, tell him up front, "I don't like talking about hands during a session. I'd rather spend my time/energy on the next hand. I will be happy to discuss any of your mistakes after the session is over if you wish." Much more effective, as now he has to worry about his own mistakes and not yours. 5) After his 1st offer of "advice", tell him "I charge $50/minute to listen to bullcrap, keep talking and this will be the most expensive bridge game you have ever played." Take out a pen and a piece of paper and write it down, 2 min X $50 like you are keeping track of the minutes. Look dead serious while you are doing so. Present him with bill at end of session. :) If these don't work, just agree with him or ignore him as much as possible. "You're absolutely right, that was a dumb thing to do.", "I agree, I should double them", "That didn't occur to me", whatever it takes. Or just nod your head in affirmment and say nothing. It prevents an argument, and lets him feel superior which is what he wants anyway. What you do not want to do is to respond in kind or start pointing out his errors also. He'll just get mad, and won't listen to you anyway. If all of this fails, try posting something stupid in here in the forums. The abuse you get as a result will help you get used to what you are going to receive from your partner as well as growing a thicker skin. B)

You can type (chat) to people playing in a tournament or a team match. However, the person you are sending the message to apparently doesn't actually see/receive it. It should come back saying "Chat not allowed", instead it just appears as if you actually sent the chat message, but you never get a response from the person you are talking to.

Could you please expand on what you think Gatlinburg does right (never bothered to play there) http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?sho...7&hl=gatlinburg You really should attempt to play there at least once. The town is beautiful, the people are great, it is relatively cheap when compared to the costs of going to other National/Regional out-of-town tournaments, almost all the top players attend it, giving it a Nationals feeling without actually being one. The list goes on.

Gerben, No offense, but it is fairly clear you have no idea as to how damaging a hurricaine/typhoon can be. http://www.stormeyes.org/tornado/SkyPix/skypixha.htm http://www.katrinadestruction.com/images/main.php The main problem in the aftermath of a hurricaine is not necessarily the total destruction of brick/mortar buildings. It is windows being blown out, roofs being blown off, rain pouring in the buildings damaging all the electrical circuits. It is the lack of power, fresh running water, food supply chain (roads blocked due to trees being down), etc. that allow for basic functions. Even if the hotel is standing, it may not have power, or running water, which makes it uninhabitable. The destruction of a tornado's path is normally limited in its width (breadth?) to a fairly narrow area and they usually follows a fairly straight line of travel. A hurricane can cause wind damage many miles in width by its impact. The impact area of Hurricaine Andrew (as best I recall) was some 50 miles wide. Tornadoes widths can usually be measured in hundreds of feet/yards. The other major cause of destruction is flooding. These storms drop tremendous amounts of rain in a relatively short period of time. This water has to go somewhere and it tends to take out whatever is in its way. You simply don't have this kind of rain falling with tornadoes. While I will agree that a tornado can be more damaging in terms of total destruction, that destruction is usually limited to a concentrated area. In the case of a hurricaine, it is usually not how bad the destruction was that is the problem, it is the cleanup and restoration of services in a widespread area.

Not that I am disagreeing with 2C here, but, The downsides to 2♣ are that it is going to allow LHO to double and easily show his red suited hand at a low level and its unlikely to encourage partner who is likely looking at a stiff or two small clubs. I'd really like to be able to bid 4N RKC here. Given that I can't, I slightly prefer Jacoby 2N (at least we might hear about partners stiff club, if he has one) and if we do, we stop in 4S. If we don't, now we can RKC over partners bid, and stop in 5S if necessary. Even if this goes minus, we may actually be taking a good sac undoubled with 4/5 of a red suit making the other way.

Huh? I'm bidding 2♥, doubling isn't an option. No, seriously, not only is double not an option, it's not even a legal call. :P (I assume Phil was joking?)

That's more important than some championships of course. You can hope, pray if you like, won't change a thing. In China there are many who cannot prepare for something like this. Consider it to be like a hurricaine similar to Katrina or Andrew (which still may have no meaning to you). While the brunt of the storm is over in a day or two, it can take years to recover from the damage. IOW, its hard to hold an event in a hotel if that hotel no longer exists, has no power/running water, or is inacessable due to other conditions. This, of course, is trivial compared to the possibility of loss of life that may result.

1) Nothing wrong with it, just make sure you don't give it back to the original giver. :P 2 & 3) are dependent on the item, the recipient and the occasion. Is it a close friend that wants the item? It's probably ok. Is it your boss? Not ok. Noble, you don't specify what types of items they are, but if you have items that you need to "dispose" of and are unsure of a means of doing so, always remember that there are those in the world less fortunate that you (or I, or most if not all of us) and that donations to Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. are tax deductible. This, of course, assumes they are items that can actually be used by others (i.e. not gag gifts). When I moved from my house that I had lived in for many years, a lot of the stuff that I accumulated over the years was 'disposed" of in this manner. The eBay stores work also, but they usually want somewhere around 50% of the sale price + fee coverage, which for me at least, has made the use of them unfeasable.

Given the choices listed, I'll pick "Something Imbecilic or idiotic or both", which is par for the course in my case. 2♥. It effectively makes the same lead directing bid that 1S does (assuming partner happens to end up on lead, which is already unlikely). It clues partner in that there might be a second place to play (1S does not). It lets the lead run up to partners hand (we have no reason to want the lead coming into our hand). The hand is about the expected strength for a non-vul michaels call, so partner shouldnt get carried away. Of course, it helps that I prefer to play suit specific michaels where 2H shows spades & diamonds (two higher unbid), so partner can now accurately judge what to do immediately. Personally I think 2S is umm, one of the "I" words, when the force starts immediately on your five card trump suit with no guarantee of a fit, but thats jmoo.

Sympathize ("z" please) is just fine. Sympathise is mainly a British variant. http://dictionary.reference.com/ "sym·pa·thize Pronunciation[sim-puh-thahyz] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –verb (used without object), -thized, -thiz·ing. 1. to be in sympathy or agreement of feeling; share in a feeling (often fol. by with). 2. to feel a compassionate sympathy, as for suffering or trouble (often fol. by with). 3. to express sympathy or condole (often fol. by with). 4. to be in approving accord, as with a person or cause: to sympathize with a person's aims. 5. to agree, correspond, or accord. Also, especially British, sym·pa·thise." Sorry that we don't speak or spell Brit on this side of the pond, but please stop trying to correct our English.

Yep :P I have a hard time passing with a stiff in p's suit Why is the Q a good card in p's suit? Because 2H is non-forcing. You are not required to bid simply because you have a stiff heart. Because it is one more card in his suit than he may have in yours. Because it is an honor card helping to solidify his suit. Your suit: AK8742, partner has a void, stiff or small doubleton. The NT overcaller may well have QJxx in clubs. Partners club holding is unlikely to solidify your suit at all. You have at least 1 and quite likely 2 club losers, regardless of how many clubs partner holds. Partners suit: AJ10xxx, or KJ10xxx you - stiff Q, likely one loser in his suit. If partner has a stiff club, at least he might be able to take at least one pitch on the clubs. Partners hand may take ZERO tricks in clubs, but several in hearts. IOW, his hand may be totally useless to you in a club contract (he will have very little except long hearts and minimum values), but your hand will likely produce at least 3-4 tricks for him in a heart contract. The 2H bid in this scenario is the equivalent of a 2H/3H opening bid, preemptive with hearts. With values and a suit of his own, partner will usually double 1N. If partner had opened 2H in 1st seat, followed by pass to you, would you now bid 3C with your hand? No, you would pass 2H. This is the same principle.