skjaeran

I beg to differ. Law 31B: "When the offender has bid at his partner’s turn to call, or at his LHO’s turn to call if the offender has not previously called, (11) (penalty) offender’s partner must pass whenever it is his turn to call (see Law 23 when the pass damages the non-offending side), and the lead penalties of Law 26 may apply." ((11) Later bids at LHO's turn to call are treated as changes of call, and Law 25 applies.) The 2♠ bid happened after LHO had passed, thus at partner's turn to call. This is a BOOT, not a change of call.

This is an automatic 1♦...2♣ for me. If partner makes a preference to 2♦ I'll raise to 3♦. The latter is absolutely obvious if partner's first response is 1♥, not as obvious after a 1♠ response, but I'd still raise 2♦ to 3.

For each of those there is a Axxxx AQxx Qx Jx where 4♠ is 40% and 3NT is 90% (and when that is down, 4♠ was down two doubled). I think of it this way, either game could be best but some amount of the time that 4♠ is best, partner will pull 3NT. But if 3NT is best there is only one chance to get there. So I just describe my hand as being much better for notrump than for a suit, and let partner decide. I agree with Josh on this. Partner will almost always take 3NT out if he's 54 in ♠ and a red suit, either with 31 in the other suits or a weak doubleton (two small) in one. Those times partner passes 3NT we'll most probably be in the best game - if there is a making game at all.

agree Me too.

Agree with Cherdano. I'll cue 5♣, agreeing ♦'s vs partner's 6-bagger and invite slam. I don't understand Ken's 4NT without a ♠ control. And certainly not the case for raising 5♦ to 6 after this, still missing said control.

I strongly dislike faking a reverse and absolutely never fake a jump rebid. But there's no other plausible alternative than reversing with 2♥ this time. On this hand it's no problem, since I can always support partner's ♠'s next.

I'll play for partner to have a doubleton ♦ - as his signal implies. Declarer should be 4252 then, and we'll need to make 2 ♦'s, a ruff ♥AK or ♥K♣K and need a trump trick in addition to set the contract. There's a danger though. If partner holds the ♣K and I continue ♦'s, declarer will throw a ♣ from dummy. The ♥ switch will be ducked to my king. If I switch to ♣'s now, dummy will win, ♥A is cashed, followed by ♠ to the ace and a ♣ is discarded on the ♥Q. If I instead continue with my last ♦, another ♣ is discarded from dummy. Declarer wins the ♥ return with the ace and plays the ♠Q, pinning partner's potential J and again makes the contract. What I need to do to set the contract whenever it's possible, is to switch to ♣'s. A wide awake partner wouldn't encourage ♦'s holding the ♥A and no ♣K (since I'd switch to ♥'s if he discourages) and we'd still have the tempo for the ruff. Partner's hand: Jxx Jxx xx KJxxx.

He won't know that you have 5-card support though. If you pass partner will never save.

For me the alternatives are 3♥ and 4♣ (choice of major suit game). With ♦ support I'd make a forcing raise. 3♥ seems best to me. I don't think we're missing game if partner passes this.

2C is certainly reasonable being a passed hand, intending to bid spades later, partner will get the message. With regards Marlowe Playing Drury, that would be a really nice description of my hand. :rolleyes: Having passed initially, I'd bid 1♠ over partner's 1♥ opening and rebid ♣'s later.

I voted "other", since I'd not be playing the poll alternatives. My choice would be either 3♦ (Jacoby) or 3♣ (Puppet Stayman). I'd go for 3♣, hoping for 4♥'s or 5♠'s in partners hand. Failing that, I'd bid 3NT.

I'm on the same page as Josh. Partner hoped for something better, like 3NT or a penalty pass, and when that didn't happen bid his normal game. I'd never be holding 4♠'s doubling 3♥ here, so 5♣ as a splinter is way out for me.

Agree with Richard, Josh and Frances. Open 1♣ and rebid 2♣ over 1♠, reverse with 2♦ over 1♥. Over 1♦ I'll raise to 2♦ - close to 3♦, but not really good enough IMO.

Sure. Partner can't have any 4441 or 44M

I might help them get to a making grand, but since I expect our save in 7♠ to be good vs 6♣ at this vulnerability, I'll go for 6♠ now. If it goes P P 7♣, I'll be bidding in front of partner at the 7-level. I'll pass then and think partner will save without a defensive trick.

Being a light opener, I might in fact decide to pass this, since a game our way is heavy odds against. If I've got to act, my bid would be 2NT, since I don't fancy X-ing with three small ♥'s.

Basically I agree with what Foo said, and Mike's post before that. But I put the limit between an overcall and double+overcall a little higher than Foo. On the three example hands quoted, I'd overcall 1♠ with the first two and double first only with the last hand.

Some Europeans maybe. I know some teached like that in Norway too, but that's a long time ago.

ditto: but, in any event, I don't open at all Ditto.

All tables play the boards in increasing number, going to series 1 after the highest numbered series. Your assumptions regardig board movement is correct. The best is to make a table with information on NS and EW pair to play and which boards is to be played for each consecutive round for each table. Put in information for the pairs about movement after the round (NS move to table x as NS/EW, EW move to table y as NS/EW). Boards moves to table z.

Exactly!

Here's the starting positions for 13, 14 and 15 tables Howell movement. The numbers from left are: Table no, NS, EW, Boards 13 tables: 1 26 1 1 2 16 11 2 3 19 8 3 4 15 12 4-5 5 18 9 6 6 2 25 7-8 7 24 3 9-10 8 17 10 11-13 9 21 6 14-16 10 14 13 17-18 11 20 7 19 12 22 5 20-24 13 4 23 25 14 tables 1 28 1 1 2 23 6 2-3 3 22 7 4 4 17 12 5 5 26 3 6-10 6 20 9 11 7 18 11 12-13 8 19 10 14-15 9 27 2 16 10 25 4 17-19 11 8 21 20 12 16 13 21 13 24 5 22-24 14 14 15 25-27 15 tables 1 30 1 1 2 19 12 2 3 29 2 3 4 24 7 4-5 5 11 20 6-8 6 18 13 9-13 7 27 4 14-17 8 26 5 18 9 17 14 19 10 22 9 20 11 28 3 21 12 23 8 22 13 16 15 23-26 14 21 10 27-28 15 25 6 29 Boards are described as series number. With 2 boards per round, 3 equals boards 5-6. When several series are allocated to a table in round 1, they're supposed to play the first and deal the rest. Making guides, remember that every pair (except the highest number) follows the pair wiht the preceding number (8 follow 7, 1 follows the 2nd highest).

1♣ - 1♦ 2♦ - 3♣ 3♦ - 3♥ 4♠ - 4NT 5♣ - 5♦ 6♣ 1♣=2+, natural or balanced 11-14/18-19 1♦=transfer 2♦=reverse in ♦ or ♠, showing <3♥ 3♣=natural GF 3♦/♥=cuebids 4♠=splinter Then RKCB 1430 We might decide to relay after 2♦, but that would most probably make it harder to reach 6♣

I'll open 1♣ and bid ♠'s an appropriate number of times.....

Agree. And I'd have to be very desperate too.