dake50

"Nobody in for a voidwood ♥?" -- Free The most feared mind is devious unpredictable. Might work here. Surely gets the "don't trust this guy" reputation.

"Preparation for success involves a number of factors. 1) Making sure you are well rested going into an event 2) being able to "take time off" as dummy if you need short mental rests during an event 3) eating right and light on the booze 4) being disciplined enough to get up and take a water break after a disaster and then refocus *!* on the next hand 5) having a routine which involved analyzing and counting on every hand before you play to trick one *!* [i use acronyms ARCH: Analyze lead/ Review bids/ Count winners and losers/ How to amke the good score Declaring. And FARTP: Forcing lead?/ Attack?/ Ruffs?/ Trump lead to stop ruffs?/ Passive? That at least assures I thought to think of what I know] *!* and I'm sure some others as well." -- CSGibson

S:KQJ + H:Q + D:QJ + C:AKJ mostly in the opening hand. Let's see which. 8xD out and no D-raise. 8xS out and no S-suggestion. H-void West but with no honors? So, no raise, no negX? H-void East but most (no raise, negX left for West) of the missing honors? . D:AK,D-ruff. Club toward C:Q1053. Let's see how much West shows.

"dbl shows 4 or more of the suit at hand. It does not promise any quality in this suit and opener may have a longer suit." -- straube . I much prefer dbl to show misfit "featured Major" (spades if no Major bid as in this auction). Then penalty try is clearer: no M-game missed to try for penalty bonanza.

1C always. With both minors in a minimum opening, I'm never advertising to opponents they have majors with half +/- the deck. Let my rebid be 1NT ambiguous. Get to 17+ and I look to reverse 2D.

I can start 2S suggesting a big 2-suiter in unbids. I have various D-raises + fit bids, so this is what's left.

With a strong club, p p 1C <X> 2C(->D) <4H> 5D p 6D(w 2xA). Only 5D limits 1C, so 2xA no grand. Real problem for natural as never know a missing A. Never limited the opener, still 11 to under GF-opener. How to avoid 7D??

VUL Forcing pass is on as "volunteered" game. I'm interested in 6H, so pass. . non-vul must make my best guess. Offensive shape, 6-suit got raised, only D-ruff maybe surprise in defense, 5H. . Interesting what a hem-haw then 5H would suggest. Certainly no D-interest as 5D on-the-way to 5H. So S-stuff and missing H-honors.

I'd guess you lost club tricks to set. S:AJ for what discard? Clubs. And now.

Using forcing pass here instead of double must have 0-1xC and solid spades. With that, I like 5H control show.

I kind of admire the devious C-splinter, then keys ask to 6H.

What's your "4441 help me decide our fit, partner" bid? I'd use that. (about 3% of strong hands)

Partner likes his offense else he plays for 4+tricks vs. 4D-X. So I'm liking 6H.

Partner's passed hand double fits maximum for passed. I have DA + H-single. I'm going 6S. The only flaw is through D:AQ in 6S; to D:AQ in 6C.

Take out partner's direct calls. Enough good types to try for? Double for me with my methods (mostly 5-3 minors).

Close. but as mtvesuvius points out XX--> next suit ** must have 3+DT. ** Why a signoff in that lowest suit? Won't be allowed to play there. So XX: 3+DT and next suit; or 3+DT and can handle likely developments.

Try 3-option: both 1C and 1D unrestricted!! Partition as you wish. 2-suiters + bal in one, // 1-suiter + 3-suiter rest in other; 3-s + bal // 2-s + 1-s 1-s + bal // 2-s + 3-s have short // bal C+2nd in 1C // D+2nd in 1D

Am I misunderstanding? This hand was not slammy over 2D: could be Acol-2S, but now is slammy?

Is this suit + hand good enough to double then 3S? I cannot believe Doublers intend not to show 5xS after 3C nor do they intend to pass 3C. This 3S is wa-a-y overbid. **2S and let partner show.

How weak does West think partner's double may be? Does that double promise 4xS? West has a monster for what I expect partner to have: S:top honor 4th, AQ-6th suit for tricks, H-void partner cannot expect. Start 5H, force to 6S. 7S try if I can repeat Q: 6H =H-void.

A poser. What more to start 4N as UnuNT? What more to start 2D, then rebid 3C,4C,5C,6C cheaply? After 2N and 3m, is this 5m or keys then 5m,6m? Jump 4S next as exc-ask? Are you showing S-void or not?

You hit one. 'Standard' starts double, but you pointed out the flaws. So 'Expert' hashes out this problem type. I convert 2C Q-bid response 2M,3M to 3D,4D. This shows srtonger than intermediate 3D. Exclusion-ask if 4M.

As I play spl (using max space), 4+controls with Axxx/Kxxx (Qxxx support allowed only if void) I just key for 6S/7S.

Cyberyeti, "AKQJxx, Kx, Kx, Axx (or better) is perfectly possible" -- won't this hand just A-ask? (the 'Nor slam hunt' case) "He didn't slam hunt because you'd make the same bid on ♥QJ109xxxx and out." So the given hand's correct start is 3H? 3H>>4H. Which of 3H, 4H may be slammy? the hog, "pass is highly amusing opposite a strong 2 with 2 Aces and a singleton." I guess I misunderstand what 4H may be: 2xA +semi-solid 7-suit + single. Yet partner is not slamming? WHY? That's why you see slam and I see partner fears any higher fails. Can a 5-loser SS spade open 2D and misfit hearts -- so I offer 2xA only?

Why did partner not let 4H play? Nor H-slam hunt? He must fear no slam and poorer play in 4H than 4S. Have I enough to slam try? NO! Pass.