bid_em_up

I think if you would have overcalled 3N over a third seat 3D preempt initially, then you need to bid 3N now to stay with the field, especially now that partner has promised some non-minimal values. RHO could have opened 2D or 3D in third seat. In either case, you would likely bid 2N and get raised to three, or you would be bid 3N direct. I see no sense in choosing to defend now instead of going with your normal contract, unless you have the expectation of beating this more than 2 tricks. You cannot have this expectation on your holdings. jmoo.

Now that partner has promised some values with his X (meaning he wasn't using garbage stayman), I think you must bid for several reasons. Assuming RHO has any semblance of a preempt, the majority of the field will open 2D or 3D in 3rd seat, and will likely end in 3N with your hand anyway. Partner is either 4-4-1-4 or some 4-3-1-5. He also has a likely 8-10 count, and all of those values are probably outside of diamonds. Give partner a hand like: K10xx-Qxxx-x-K10xx and 3N is quite likely to make, but you are probably only beating 3D by one or 2 tricks. Improve this any (another J or two), and your chances of making 3N only get better, but the odds of beating 3D an additional trick do not increase substantially. You say RHO is a pro and REALLY crazy. But you do not say if he is insane. :P Assuming he hasn't totally lost his mind, he could just be crazy like a fox.....he has a reason for bidding like this, we just don't know what it is. I suspect the layout is something like this: [hv=n=skjxxhqxxxdxck10xx&w=sxxxxhkxxdkxcjxxx&e=sxxhaxxda10xxxxxcx&s=saqxhj10xdqjxcaqxx]399|300|[/hv] I think we have to bid 3N now.

at the bottom of the main BBO forum page, it says: "Most users ever online was 452 on Aug 22 2006, 03:59 AM" So what exactly was going on at 4 am on 8/22/06 that made 452 people log into the forums? Inquiring minds want to know.....

After spending all afternoon writing an extremely long post (even for me), I changed my mind about actually posting it. I do have it saved for later though.... I refuse to answer this question on the grounds it is a trick question. No matter what I choose as my lead, the corresponding hands are going to reflect that another lead would work and mine wouldn't. I know what the right lead should be, given the auction and my holdings. However, I think it is such an obvious choice, that I am positive Frances is going to attempt to claim partners double is asking for something else, which, imo, is equally likely to be wrong. There, thats the short answer.

yup, I certainly did. Thx. :blink:

Ok, what am I doing wrong? I click on full hand, I enter all the cards for all 4 hands, at least one of the hands contains a void (in the hand I am trying to enter both North and South have a void (in different suits). I have tried leaving the void suit(s) blank. I get an error message saying: Cundefined in North, South hands. I cannot put a hypen in for the void suit, I cannot put the word void in the void suit. So how do you enter the void in full hand? It also does not appear to work when entering two hand combinations (S/W, S/E, N/E, etc), but it does work by leaving the suit blank if only entering One hand.

Your friend is mistaken. Partner (you, in this case) has almost zero chances of finding the right lead without the double. The whole "purpose" of the Lightner double is to say "I think we might can set this but you need to lead something other than what you are likely leading if I don't double". Under this context, you have a much better chance of finding the spade lead, than you do without the double. At least it was still an average board. :) His partner did not double. He passed instead......giving him no reason to do anything except make his "normal" lead.

On the holding you give, is it really partners "normal" lead from the spade king into the spade bidders hand? I dont think so. That's OK, you can not think so... but I do. Suppose partner chooses to make an aggressive lead. A diamond, into the hand that bid NT voluntarily, certainly counts as an aggressive lead...... I will rephrase it. Given our holdings (which already include the AK of spades), we can reasonably expect partners normal lead to be either a diamond or a trump the majority of the time, on this particular hand. (I said, at least 95% earlier, but thats just a number I am guessing at). We would be attempting to discourage either of these "normal" leads with the double. I think partner should be able to find the spade lead, given that it is not possible for us to demand a heart as the only lead we think may set the contract. We cannot be ruffing the heart, and we cannot know how many (if any) hearts are cashing. The only factor in favor of pass that I can see is that the problem is given as an individual game. I probably don't know if this particular partner will be capable of working all of this out or if he has ever even heard of a lightner double before. :)

On the holding you give, is it really partners "normal" lead from the spade king into the spade bidders hand? I dont think so.

I'm not certain that part of your analysis isn't flawed. :) Double does not call for a heart lead. It calls for an unusual lead, which is normally dummies first bid suit, usually because we are going to be ruffing it. Yes, I am positive you already know this but, on this auction, partner has to realize it is impossible for us to be ruffing a heart. And we most certainly are not doubling on the AQxxx of hearts (its possible we have that holding, but we would not be doubling on it), since we can expect no more than one trick with this holding anyway. So I'm not sure partner is required to blindly lead a heart now. He is still allowed to consider other "unusual" leads, and the spade lead certainly is one. Agreed. I think an expert partner should realize that you are aware the "normal" lead is a diamond. He should also realize it is practically impossible that you really want a heart lead (either because you are ruffing it, or because you have a decent heart holding). This, to me, would leave a spade as being the "unusual" lead. I think you are right in the fact that a heart lead might prevent the contract from making in these scenarios, and that the double will probably work. But I think that with the double, partner is more apt to lead a spade than you appear to be giving him credit for. :) And although I voted pass in the poll, the more I consider it, I think double is quite likely to work. Either partner now leads a heart and we still have chances, or he works out that I really cannot want a heart and leads a spade instead. I would expect a top-class defender to find the spade lead after the double, but stranger things have happened. In either case, its two chances better than leaving partner to making his "normal" lead of diamond. jmoo.

Is marijuana legal in Canada? If so, we have our answer.

NMF denies this hand. Look at Root and Pavlicek's discussion of NMF in Modern Bridge Conventions. The sequence you suggest is strictly invitational and not game forcing since you have this 3♥ bid available and didn't use it. I guess this depends on whether you consider NMF as forcing 1 round, or g/f. I much prefer g/f.

Nobody plays NMF anymore, followed by some # of hearts?

Opps silent usually means the opponents haven't bid. B) So it is 1C p 1S p ?

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=saxxhkqxdacaq10xxx]133|100|Scoring: IMP Opps silent. 1♣-1♠-?[/hv] Your bid? If anything above 3N, just check other and explain. I couldn't think of any plausible bids higher than 3N, so they are not included in the poll. System is 2/1.

Ok, I'll sum it up for now. Partner opens 1H, I chose to bid 2♣, picking the good 7 card suit before the broken 6 card suit. The auction continued: P-P-1H-P-2C-P-2D-p-2S-p-3D-p-3S-p-4S-? And righty can no longer contain himself holding, xx AQxxx AQ AKxx, he doubles. Partners hand: Kxx KJ10xx KJxxx void :blink:

Like what seems to be the majority, I also passed and as I hinted in the previous post, the auction proceeds: P P 1♥-P-?

Really? Even if the opps don't bid? ;)

2N does not exist (normally). There is no reason to fear 3N because you have stiff heart. Partner has 15-17, you have 11, simply raise to 3N. The field will be in it, and so should you. If it goes down, thats life. My partnerships use 2N as 4-4 in the majors and max NT, but it is not a "normal" bid.

I wouldn't get too worked up over this. Three hands later the same person opens 2S on: 109432 74 J743 108. The opponents then bid to 3N and his partner now doubles. Making of course. Lose 7. The next hand, holding AKQ98532 Kx void Axx. he has this auction: p p (1H) 6♠. Down one. Lose 12. It really appears to be the bidding of a madman, and nothing more. I seriously doubt he has won hundreds of tournaments this way.

Sorry, Basic system is 2/1, sound(ish) openings agreed for 1st/2nd seats.

The setting: Imp Teams Random Teammates and opponents Fairly new partnership (you've played probably 50 boards together) Not vul. vs. Vul 1st seat You get dealt: [hv=s=saj97xxhdcqj1098xx]133|100|[/hv] How do you intend to bid this freak?

Are you serious? 3♥ is indeed encouraging but it is also non-forcing in any system I know. You must surely force to game with that hand. Whether you bid 2♦, 3♣ or 4♥ is a matter of agreement, but I certainly don't want to risk that 3♥ is passed out. Do you think he will raise with J10xxx x xxx Kxxx Roland No, I think he will pass 1H on this hand like he should and let opps reopen which then allows you to bid 4H at your 2nd call. Alternatively, having lied initially, he will bid 3S. Competent partners are not passing 3H though on your suggested hand. 3H is effectively 100% g/f unless partner has responded some crappy total bust that is void in hearts, imo. Btw, 2D is non-game forcing in any system I have ever heard of either. I can't stand jump shifts into 2 card suits, so that eliminates 3C or 3D (at least for me, although it would work nicely on this hand). 4H tends to shut out the alternative contracts and say this hand only plays in hearts. And if partner cannot raise 3H to 4H, because of a suggested hand like yours, it is very unlikely 4H is making. Yes, on your suggested hand, 4H would make. Change it to 10xxxx x Kxx Jxxx and how do you like your chances in 4H? Not so good anymore, are they? Would you expect partner to bid 4S over a direct 4H? After you just said, HEARTS ARE TRUMP!!! If anything, 4S now would be a cue agreeing hearts at that point, right?!? So you preclude him from that. He might, however, bid 3S over 3H, allowing you to reach the makeable spade game. This leaves 2N or 3H. Yes, both are flawed. Sometimes it is an option of picking the lesser flaw. I happen to choose 3H on this particular hand as the lesser of all evils. You are free to do whatever you wish.

Personally, I don't like the 4S call holding only KQx of spades and a solid 6 card heart suit. I would have rebid 3H instead (or possibly a flawed 2N). But I wouldn't say anything about it at the table. As far as your partner's comment goes, ignore it. It is obviously the comment of someone who wouldn't know what a keycard was if it jumped up and bit him on the butt. As you mentioned, he had 0314 in his profile, you have shown 0 or 3 keycards (confirming your side has all of them; from his holdings, it is impossible for you to have zero and a 4S bid), and he had a trump queen ask available. Over 5D (Q ask), I think you can easily bid 6H confirming the trump queen and putting emphasis on pitches that will be available in the heart suit. It should be easy for him to bid 7S now. Additionally, his leap to 6S normally confirms you are missing a keycard. The failure to ask for kings tends to imply either you are missing a keycard or have no interest in a grand. On this particular hand, I'd give you 10% blame (4S call), and him 90%. I want to give him 100%, but I really dislike 4S. :lol:

3D. I will pass a 3N bid by partner, raise 3H to 4, or raise 3S to 4. Partner is likely to have some hand that contains 3 diamonds, on his failure to reopen with X which leads me to believe 3N might be the right contract.