Apollo81

These examples you give aren't for the benefit of Bridge. They are merely freeloading. For the price of one WBF official insisting on being pampered, we can instead have a vu-graph. Answers on a postcard which provides better value for money. Wow. This makes me ill.

Partner's hand was: ♠AJx ♥K9x ♦AJTx ♣876 I think the ♥J is the best play on trick 1. Even if pard has a singleton there (unlikely) then this may not cost depending on pard's trump holding. Declarer probably doesn't have a stiff ♥K, for that would mean pard led the ♥4 from ♥984 (wouldn't most lead the ♥9?) There are certainly cases (pard has ♠AQx x and didn't overcall clubs because of poor suit quality) where it is right to give the ruff. Partner could have made this easier by leading the ♥K from this hand, no? The ♥J is the best play anyway I think.

I guess this was a bad post, as 3♥ seems unanimous. (3NT is silly imo) I passed at the table, figuring if pard has 5+ quality diamonds as a PH then his hearts are not too good and 3♦ may actually be better here. I was right, but the replies and thinking about it make me think I should have bid 3♥.

I am usually the one overcalling in questionable situations, but this one gives me pause. The vulnerability stinks, as we may profit more by defending or we may go for too much (even undoubled). The ♥QJ is a terrible holding; I might have two unstopped suits. I don't really know what is right here.

RHO opens 1♦ in front of you. See the intial post.

2nd seat, both vul, MPs ♠ 86 ♥ QJ ♦ AKQJT ♣ KT84 RHO opens 1♦

3rd seat, both vul, MPs ♠ KQ7 ♥ J6542 ♦ Q2 ♣ KQ7 p-(p)-1♥-(2♥) 3♦*-(p)-? * fit-showing (5+♦, 3-4♥) 2♥ was Michaels 4♦ would also have been fit-showing

♠ 5 ♥ AJ753 ♦ Q64 ♣ KJ54 4th seat, unfavorable, MPs (1♠)-p-(p)-2♥ (2♠)-3NT-(p)-p (4♠)-Dbl-(all pass) lead: ♥4 dummy plays ♥2: ♠ 962 ♥ QT62 ♦ 982 ♣ T92

My experience with Exclusion has been that its very useful and you usually are just looking for one keycard from partner for slam. I strongly uspect that Ace of clubs may have been the best lead on the actual deal anyway. -Noble

Pass, obviously. How can one even consider doing anything else. Partner could easily be 4-6 majors, but since these are juniors you can't trust anyone to have their bids in HCP. -junior

vs suit contracts pard and I play the 1st signal on opps lead is suit preference. Works well. We play Smith vs NT too, but it seems to matter less.

IMPs, unfavorable, 4th seat ♠ K1087 ♥ QJ73 ♦ AJ107 ♣ 7 (1♥)-p-(2♣*)-p (2♥)-p-(3♣)-p (3♠)-p-(3NT)-all pass * game forcing

5♣ any colors/scoring seems normal. For each time you miss a biddable slam, I'm sure there will be 10+ times that the preemptive effect of this either causes you to win the board or not lose the board. I play a convention with regular p where a 4NT opening shows a very sound 5m opening (that is, a hand that would normally open 5m but is concerned that the partnership will miss a slam) If this option was available, would you use it? 4NT does give them extra bidding space..... -Noble

Object to 3H, strongly prefer a responsive x and can later correct to 3H if need be showing this hand type. Direct 3H would be stronger.... Keep in mind that partner does not know about the psych yet. The auction looks legit from his hand, and for all he knows opener is about to jump to 4♠. I think he should show what he has (5+ hearts) rather than make a vague responsive double.

Partner's hand was ♠ x ♥ K98xx ♦ QJx ♣ 10xxx I don't think partner is supposed to pass 2♠, yet slam is terrible on these cards. Was curious whether anyone can stop short of slam here. The♠K is offside, the ♥AJx is with opener, and the ♣J does not fall, so 3NT only takes 8 tricks as well on best defense. You had to bid 3♠ then pass if pard bids 4♥ to avoid disaster on this hand. -Noble

If I was 2-4-5-2 then double for takeout seems reasonable since I will like it if pard passes and am prepared to handle any other rebid/shape from pard. Here, I do not want to put pard in a position if he holds 4-4 in the blacks with bad spades, so I will pass, expecting a small plus.

I think doubling 5♦ is better. When 5♥ is right its not a big difference; when 5♥ is wrong (switch ♣Q and ♥Q) it's huge. -Noble

In my infrequent 2/1 partnerships I prefer: * using 2♦ (or 2NT if 2♦ not available) as opener's "default rebid" if available so that a 2M rebid actually means 6+ most of the time * using 1♥-2m-2♠ as not showing extras so that responder can rebid 2NT on a hand like ♠AQxx ♥Ax ♦Kx ♣10xxxx * 2♣ response to 1M frequently made on a 3-card suit to allow opener room to make the 2♦ default bid. 1M-2♦ shows 5+ I do believe in cutting partner a little slack on his openings, (and hope for the same in return) so I would probably respond 1♠ and raise 1NT to only 2. If partner rebids 2 of any suit, my hand contains far too many working cards to merely invite, so I would bid either 3NT or 4 of our major fit depending on the rebid.

I wish I could reset the poll somehow. Anyone know of a way to do this? -Noble

The original post said that 3♥ showed 5+ hearts by agreement. ACK - I posted the wrong hand. The previous posts may have been in response to ♠AKQ rather than what is there now. Sorry about that.

ALERT!! Some of the comments below may have been in response to the above hand with ♠AKQ rather than the cards shown above. I fixed it after 2 comments had been made. Apologies. IMPS, red vs. white, 4th seat ♠ AQ76 ♥ Q76 ♦ AK10 ♣ AKQ (p)-p-(1♠)-Dbl (2♠)-3♥-(p)-???? (see notes) 1♠ was Precision 2♠ was limited to a bad 8 points 3♥ shows 5+ cards -Noble

IMPs, favorable, 3rd seat ♠ --- ♥ Q7653 ♦ J64 ♣ K8654 1♦-(1♠)-Dbl-(2♦)- 2♥-(pass)-????

IMPs, all NV, partner was 1st seat. ♠AJ54 ♥A4 ♦K7 ♣107654 1♥ - 2♣* 2♥**- 2♠ 3♣ - ???? * game forcing ** any higher bid would have shown some extra Please answer the poll in the context of the auction and methods in use at the table before complaining about them. Complain about them afterwards :rolleyes: -Noble

Playing Meyerson over 1NT, I would probably bid 2♥ (natural) and then double 5♦. Hopefully partner can tell by his own hand I am void and make the most intelligent call. I'm also pretty tempted to double 1NT planning to follow with 3♥ playing these methods. That might be better than bidding 2♥ directly. Of course it doesn't help in this situation :rolleyes: -Noble

Hand #1: East's 4♠ bid is astoundingly horrible. West is stretching a bid with 4♣ but it's still probably the best bid. Hand #3: Best bet to reach the slam is 1♣-1♠-2♥-2♠-3♦. Since it's unclear what opener is doing, responder should probably bid a temporizing 3♠ and then correct 3NT to 4♣ to show a good hand. Opener's sequence should show doubt about 3NT and I don't see how it can be right for responder to sit here. Now opener can bid RKC or just plain 6♣. Noble - welcome to the forums. Why would the 1=4=2=6 want to create doubt that 3N is the best contract when holding a double stop in the 4th suit? 3NT instead of 3♦ is also reasonable/maybe right. Since the hand is a really a 2♣ opener though I worry that if I bid 3NT that I have underdescribed my values. (I would still open 1♦ if not playing the convention Fred mentioned - you sort of have to) So 3♦ not because I'm worried about diamonds; 3♦ because I'm worried about missing a slam. West certainly can't be criticized for bidding 3NT. I doubt that any/many pairs in a typical game holding the West hand would bid anything different. -Noble