Apollo81

Absent discussion, single jumps (not to game) are invitational. Higher (not to game) jumps are weak.

Why didn't partner preempt here? I do agree with 3♣ since pard shouldn't have 1-suited hearts. I don't see how I can take another call here.....I suspect pard is 4711. Pass.

I don't think this hand is good enough. Pass for me.

Rescue. Presumably 2♥ shows my shape.

Oh his 7-card minor was quite real on this deal: J9 x 10xxxxxx xxx 4♥ cold since the strong hand is on lead. 5♦ only down 1. 4♠ was misdefended and was also only down 1. LHO has ♠xxx ♥Q9x ♦A ♣AQ8xxx The defense was ♦A cashed, heart to ♥K and ♥A, spade to ♠J and ♠K, cJ to king and ace. ♣Q cashed. Heart. Now I get out for down 1. Better to be lucky than good eh? =P Perhaps pard should have taken this out to 5♦, but the jury's still out on that one...

or his 7-card minor =)

The funny thing about this hand was that it didn't matter which suit you bid at the 3-level....you get about the same result. (going down 2-4 tricks undoubled) pard has 6-1-2-4 shape, the opps can make 4h but can't reach it unless you pass. (LHO has a balanced 15 count)

All white IMPs Q10 8654 KJ9643 2 2♠-(pass)-??? Partner is not the type that constantly preempts 5-card suits.

It's a different problem of course. You haven't shown extras, but partner is now in a position to raise with a spade fit. If you now double to show that you want to compete on, partner makes his decision bearing in mind you have 5 spades (in other words partner makes a much more informed decision!). Compare the two auctions: (2♥) - 2♠ - (4♥) - P; (P) - Dbl (2♥) - 2NT - (4♥) - P; (P) - Dbl/4♠ If you bid 4♠ in the 2nd auction, you are effectively overcalling 4♠. I don't think anyone would agree you have the hand for that. Now comparing the doubles, the first auction is much more informative than the 2nd. Furthermore if partner has say Jxxxx of spades and not much in high cards, he's going to be much more willing to compete if you've overcalled in spades rather than if you'd bid NT. Whether you pass or not in each of the auctions is up to your judgment, but If you feel that you want to compete at the 4-level, I'd much rather have bid 2♠. My point was that I'm not convinced that my hand is good enough for a double having overcalled 2♠. Obviously if I double partner will understand the kind of hand I have. If I bid 2♠ and it goes 4♥pp, I know pard prolly doesnt have 4♠. If I bid 2NT and it goes 4♥pp, I know pard doesnt have too much strength. Either way there is a piece of the puzzle that is missing. I'm not denying that 2♠ is the percentage bid, I'm just saying its not all that different than 2NT in terms of advantages/disadvantages.

I'll admit 2NT wouldn't win in a bidding contest. It isn't __so__ bad though. If I had bid 2♠ it would also go 4♥pp, and now I havent shown my extras. Am I supposed to double now? Similar problems IMO. At least pard is likely marked with a few spades in the auction we had. BTW, no one has mentioned that LHO failed to double 2NT. Should that matter?

I only go for 1100 when i overcall an 18 HCP 1NT over their 1M or when i have an 8-card suit =P

♠AQ1043 ♥A54 ♦KJ2 ♣K10 All Red, IMPs (2♥)-2NT-(4♥)-pass (pass)-??? I dont care if you disagree with 2NT. Thats what you bid and now deal with it.

Here's what we know: - declarer is marked with (probably) the ♥J from his duck from dummy. - partner is probably 5-5 since he is at unfavorable, doesn't have many HCP, and has poor suits. This makes declarer most likely 2236 or 2245 most likely. Let's assume for the sake of argument that declarer is 2236, although it doesnt really matter. Now we have to decide if it is more likely that declarer has A9 Jx Qxx AKJxxx or xx Jx AQx AKJxxx. Partner has AJ10xx Kxxxx x xx in the former case and J10xxx Kxxxx A xx in the latter case. I think partner would have led a spade from J109xx rather than from Kxxxx, so it seems like playing declarer for the ♠A also requires declarer to hold the ♠9. On the other hand, declarer is less likely to have opened 1NT with just a jack in the majors (and only 4-5 major suit cards to boot). I think partner is equally likely to have bid over 1NT with either hand. My experience has shown that in guess siutations it's best not to make too many assumptions about the opponents' decision making process in the bidding, so I will go ahead and play the ♠K.

I would bid 1NT over 1♠ whether 1♠ was forcing or not - move the ♦J to ♠ and I pass. Your 1♥ overcall is auto. 3♠ seems like the best option over 3♦, as other people have said. Pard can bid 3NT with a partial if hes not passing.

1nt opening would have saved the day here

;) This kind of problem has very limited meaning for every day bridge. I of coruse did not post this trying to figure out what is right. I am more interested in what people would do here and what their reasoning is in hopes that I can learn something and apply it to my advantage in the future.

MPs, all red x AJxx xxx AKxxx (1♦)-1♠-(X)-2♣* (2♦)-2♠-(3♦)-? *2♣=NFConst (1) what would you do at all red (2) would your decision change at different vulnerabilities

♠Q ♥AQxxxxx ♦x ♣K10xx MPs, vul vs not (pass)-1♥-(6♠)-? RHO bid 6♠ in tempo, without any sort of tell. He is an expert, and is the type that could be bidding this as a preempt or gamble.

4M was a psych at both the only two times I have seen this sequence.

Kx x AKx AKxxxxx This looks like a reasonable hand for pard. hm....5♣ is cold, so I bid it. Yeah, the first pass is normal. The only initial raise i'd make is if pard had opened 1♠ and RHO had doubled. The preemptive value is too great to ignore.

I'd double if I could whisper "we're not beating this" to partner. Pass in the real world.

*sigh* 3♥. I'm sure this will draw criticism. 4♣ over pard's 3♠ and 4♠ if pard bids 4♥ over that....

I'd bid 5♠ in a strong game playing opposite a partner that opens aggressively (systemically or otherwise) 4♠ otherwise.... I'd consider a 1♥ overcall too....pard didnt preempt so he can only hang us so high.

ditto

How can pass be forcing over 5♠? Pard has shown less than half the deck and my hand has shown nothing at all. It seems a bit presumptious to say it's not their hand just becasue they bid 5♠. Added later -- well maybe I am being too naive. LHO is a PH after all. Still, I might bid 5s on something like AKQxxxx --- x AQJ109 Especially if all of you think that pass is forcing over this.....