mikegill

I'm going to go with 20/80 to North/South. If South trusts North, he should switch back to hearts, since the hA has to be from A/K else why didn't North just start by leading the singleton. He will likely get another chance to play the 3rd round of clubs after he overruffs dummy in hearts (unless North has 7 hearts which is surely possible). North gets some blame since he can see what will happen if south plays another club, and he should just ruff his partner's trick and play a top heart just in case. Strictly speaking this does cost a trick but surely it's worth it to guarantee the set.

[hv=d=w&v=e&s=skj9xxhaq9xdcatxx]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] LHO opens 2♥ and RHO insta-5♦ after partner's pass. Opponents are bad club players.

This is on the border for me, so I might bid or pass depending on mood. I would certainly overcall 1♠ against most opponents, maybe pass against really good players.

On the first one, I'm going to assign the blame to responder, since I think he should just bid keycard over 4♠ (surely this is what 4n means almost regardless of your other agreements). Maybe he wouldn't have gotten a response, but certainly opener can bid a slam over this if they interfere holding 3 keycards and an extra trump. Turns out slam isn't even making - North might take out insurance in 6♠ instead of lightner doubling though. On the second one, I think responder should bid 6♣ over 5♥, or at least 6♥. Heck it might even be making if partner is void diamonds or if they try to cash one too many rounds of a pointed suit. Surely you aren't letting the opponents play in 5♠ (which it seems very likely they'll bid) holding two known 10-card fits (his partner must have 4 hearts to have freely bid 5 over 4). If partner can't double 6♠ (assuming they bid it) then maybe you have to take out insurance and bid 7♥, but these types of decisions are much easier away from the table. If you bid 6♣, partner will know his A of clubs probably isn't worth anything and he may well make this decision for you.

I'll go with X also. Any 5-level bid is a shot in the dark about strain and could easily end you in a ridiculous contract. My second choice is probably 6♣ - at least that will probably get us to the right strain even if at the wrong level.

1) [hv=d=e&v=n&s=sxhk98dtxxxcakjxx]133|100|Scoring: IMP 1♦ 2♣ X P 2♦ P 3♠ P 3N All pass[/hv] 2) [hv=d=e&v=n&s=sxhk98dtxxxcakjxx]133|100|Scoring: IMP 1♦ 2♣ X P 2♦ P 3♠ P 3N All pass[/hv] Opponents are bad flight X players if that matters to you, and they are not playing flannery.

1) Agree with Jlall. 2) I feel like 4♣ may be the correct bid in a really good field, but 4♥ may be making and even if it isn't many opponents will believe you and take the save, and partner will be in a good position to judge what to do. 3) Agre with Jlall.

At matchpoints, my understanding is that it means "partner I have a maximum non-invite, please use your judgment as to whether we should play 3s or 3dX." I think opener pulls 100% with 4 spades, a majority of the time with 3, unless he has very good defense, and sits nearly all the time with 2. I don't think it specifies a # of diamonds because most of the time their diamond length is tied to your spade length, so partner going off of your fit in spades will -usually- be a reasonable guide as to whether or not to defend. At IMPs, this is a little more complicated, since we aren't ever doubling them for -1, and thus can't really pass the X just because we don't have a spade fit. I think I agree that the X should be takeout, showing short (2 or fewer) diamonds and a maximum non-invite. There are two unbid suits that we could be playing in, and this also allows you to nail them when opener has a stack (although I actually play opener's X as penalty at the 3-level too, but surely most of the time he doesn't have it down in hand so can't X on his own). Plus, it's really hard for responder to X for penalty anyway, since he's under the diamonds, and he doesn't know the degree of spade fit.

1) 2♣ - if partner were a passed hand I think I would bid 3♣, even though the hand doesn't really feel preemptive to me. 2) Would have Xed first time, I would bid 4♣ now. All white MPs != bridge. 3) Easy pass.

Or what about this... suppose you make the agreement to play penalty doubles only against opponents who have "very light preempts" checked on their card. 1) Is this even legal? It's legal to play different defenses to a 13-15 and 14-16 NTs so it seems like this ought to be legal since the different in the preempts is pretty minor too. 2) Can they just decide to use their judgment and not open a very light preempt when they might have otherwise given the knowledge that we're playing penalty Xs? 3) Could you call the director if they didn't open a very light preempt when you think they would have normally? Can they always use their "judgment" to not preempt against opponents who are playing penalty Xs? It seems like this question really has no good answer.

South 100%, certainly seems like he/she has an auto-cuebid over the XX.

I'm going to put in another vote for 3♥. Partner could easily pass this out in 3c=, when we're cold for game. We have a 7-card major and shortness in clubs.

I would preempt this at MPs, but not at IMPs.

Strongly agree with 1n, I assume 4♦ is a self-splinter. I would bid 4♠ I guess regardless of its meaning.

[hv=d=n&v=e&n=sjxxxxhxxxxdcaxxx&w=saktxhat98dtxxckx&e=sxxhkjdaqjcqjt98x&s=sqxhqxxdk98xxxxcx]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv] Club was, in fact, correct. Only lead that really blows it is a heart. At the table a diamond was led (not by me) and declarer guessed the hQ wrong to go down 1. [hv=d=n&v=e&n=sjxxxxhxxxxdcaxxx&w=saktxhat98dtxxckx&e=sxxhkjdaqjcqjt98x&s=sqxhqxxdk98xxxxcx]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv] Those who underled in hearts struck gold, but not because of club ruffs. I tried the underlead in diamonds, but that didn't work so well. Fortunately, it didn't matter, since declarer is likely to get it right anyway.

[hv=d=n&v=e&s=sq8hq64dk987432c7]133|100|Scoring: MP P 1♣ 3♦ 4♦ p 4N* p 5♥ p 6N all pass * straight blackwood[/hv] [hv=d=n&v=e&s=sq8hq64dk987432c7]133|100|Scoring: MP P 1♣ 3♦ 4♦ p 4N* p 5♥ p 6N all pass * straight blackwood[/hv]

Yes, I think you would get nearly unanimous agreement for bidding 2♣ if it were clubs and another suit. Unfortunately, that was not an option at the table so you're stuck with 2n or pass.

[hv=d=e&v=n&s=sxhxxdajxxxckt87x]133|100|Scoring: IMP 1N ?[/hv] This hand was from a GNT A knockout, opponents are about average for the field if that matters to you.

I don't think you can let the tank talk you out of doubling here with a hand this good.

4♥ - it seems possible that partner won't reopen when this is cold, so I don't think I can pass. Hopefully partner doesn't put me in 6. No form of scoring doesn't matter to me.

2♣ for me. Isn't anybody else worried about wrongsiding NT with 2n? I think if I had Ax Kxxxxx Kx AQJ, I would bid 2n, but with this hand, can't partner have like Qxx or KJx in diamonds and we need NT to be declared from his side? This seems more likely than him having JTx and we need to declare from our side. If partner had bid 1n over 1h, I think 2n is probably the right bid.

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sq8xxhdjxcakqjtxx&w=sthqjxxdt98xxxcxx&e=sakxxhaxxdakqxcxx&s=sj9xxhktxxxxdxcxx]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv] Unfortunately, RHO led a spade from the AK and they take the first 5 tricks. 3♠ can be beaten, but the defense is not so easy - it's a control game and bad opponents are really bad at that type of problem. I guess wdo for eschewing their 10-card diamond fit to double the opponents at the 3-level. I'm sure that RHO thought opener was like 4045 or something before she doubled, and had no idea he could have 7-solid. I also passed 3♣ and didn't think it was very much of a problem, but maybe this layout isn't so uncommon.

[hv=d=s&v=n&s=sj9xxhkt8xxxdxcxx]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] You pass as dealer, as does LHO. Partner opens 1d, 11-15, 0+♦. RHO doubles, and you XX showing hearts. LHO passes and partner bids 1♠. RHO (who is not very good) immediately doubles this, and your table presence tells you she intended this as pure penalty. You decide to pass (would you?), and LHO pulls to 2♥. Over this partner bids 3♣, showing at least 4-6 in ♠-♣, probably 4-7 given the colors. You alert, since they're probably not expecting this hand for partner, but RHO doesn't ask what the alert is, and after 30-60 seconds finally Xes, not looking the least bit happy about it. Which doubled contract would you like to play? LHO isn't very good either if it matters to you.

I think you have to bid 3♠, or else you will lose too many partscore swings and miss too many games. Occasionally you will go for a number but at least you're favorable, and they haven't doubled yet.

This seems like a normal 4♠ bid to me. Maybe it'll make, maybe they'll bid 5m and go down. Let them guess who's making what.