Apollo81

♠Ax ♥K10x ♦QJxxx ♣AJx favorable, MPs (1♠)-Dbl-(3♠)*-??? *weak

The actual hand was clearly a maximum, and game wasn't a terrible place to be (better than pass or double). Game would have been the right spot if partner had the ♦AJ10 instead of the ♦AJx.

I'd switch to the ♣8 hoping partner had ♣Jx(x). Also declarer could assume the ♥2 was standard and decide to win in dummy and play on diamonds trying to pitch a club. For instance if his hand was 6-2-2-3 then he might make this play even with both black jacks.

I would probably go with the spade. Tough lead.

If I believe LHO I would pass. Otherwise I'm not sure what to do, probably would pick 2♠ or 2NT.

I guess the moral of the story is that GB 2N would be helpful so we know whether pard has a min (pass, bid 4c or what have you) or not (double, bid game)

IMO playing partner, a 4th seat opener, for a hand that sets 3♥ and won't make 5m here is a huge position.

I agree with Justin. The risk reward ratio does not justify this double at IMPs. I'm not 100% sure I'd double at MPs either,

What if you're playing with someone who thinks it means "bid 7 if you have 2/top3, bid 6 otherwise" For that matter, is there even a consensus about what bids mean when you are playing that you can show other degrees of trump honors besides "2 or not 2" ? I think my partnership that has an agreement about this plays step responses in this case so 6♦ would show nothing, 6♥ would show the trump Q, 6♠ would show the K or A. I dunno what normal is. Maybe I have it wrong.

Exactly. This is what I meant in my post by "it's not" I was too lazy to spell it out. IMO it could certainly be a stiff. Or it could be three small. I think both of these are true for this bid in this auction even if you have an agreement to only cuebid aces/voids.

First of all, I'll say that if I had to choose a contract now, it would hands-down be 7♠. In fact, the only reason I am not doing that is because partner is not guaranteed to have the ♥A. If Exclusion was available (it's not) then I would use that. I would bid 6♦. This clearly shows the ♣A and a diamond void. Hopefully partner will bid 6♥ over this with the ♥A. I think this makes it more clear what we are looking for than 5-level cuebids do. edit: I'd be fine with cuebidding 5♦ and then cuebidding 6♣ over a signoff too. We can't do it the other way (clubs then diamonds) b/c partner will think we need the ♣K. I dont think this is better than just bidding 6♦ now, but its hard to see how its worse either.

I'd also lead a diamond. I don't think he has a club void.

I would want to make a slam try in clubs that does not set the suit. If there's a way to do that you didnt mention, then I choose that. Otherwise I'll bid 3NT.

Clear 4♥. We have the nuts.

I dont understand why everyone likes this hand so much. Even if we have 27 HCP I am not convinced we are making anything. 2NT which should be natural here is my second choice. I think they will make it a fair pct of the time if we double it. HCP does not always equate to tricks.

Since this is in the B/I forum.... I don't initially teach beginners about preemptive raises to game. If either player in the partnership isn't aware of this concept, I would answer "13-16" For anyone more advanced than a true beginner, the raise to game should be a hand with 4+ support, less than opening values in high cards, and enough distributional value (either 5+ trumps with some shape or just 4 trumps with crazy shape) to merit the preemptive raise to game level. For instance, Qxxxx xx xx KJxx and Qxxx --- Kxxxxxx xx would both be acceptable raises to game, in my book.

South was clearly worse. Except for the 6♥ call, I'd have replicated North's bids.

3♣. Partner has to have 6 clubs here (else he would have doubled 1♥), and I'm not sure pard will play me for 4-2 minors if I bid 2NT, and They are more likely to bid 3♥ over 3♣, and It's not 100% clear we want to be in this 4-4 diamond fit here anyway if pard is 4-6.

I consider myself aggressive on weak twos, but not on higher level preempts. I would open this 3♦ at favorable 1st/3rd and 2♦ otherwise. If you pass on this sort of hand you are letting your opponents off way too easy.

I'd just pass

I considered this a close decision when I had this at the table. If my ♦J9 were the ♦Qx I would have insta passed, but since I didn't think a ruff would help me, I thought I did not have enough defense to sit and pulled to 3♥. This turned out to be wrong. 3♥ failed, partner had ♠K109xx ♥AQxx ♦Ax ♣Jx. Diamonds were 6-1 with the singleton ♦K in my LHO's hand. I'm not sure I would have reopened with his hand, but it's hard to fault it since it could have led to a top if I had done the right thing.

At the table, this hand's partner hesitated significantly over the 1NT opening. This hand reopened with a double in the position given which obviously was rolled back later by the director. In the course of the director call, two of the local experts were asked about this hand and both said they would have doubled anyway. One even said that pass had no merit. Personally, I think double has little merit at these colors given partner could not act over the 1NT opening.

Assume you've agreed "Capelletti" but haven't discussed it in any further detail.

MPs, none vul ♠J ♥J1097 ♦J963 ♣Q1084 pass-(pass)-1♠*-(3♦) pass-(pass)-Dbl-(pass) ??? * 11-15

♠KJ64 ♥Q6 ♦Q63 ♣Q954 Red/white, MPs pass - (1NT)1 - pass - (2♦)2 pass - (2♥) - pass - (pass) ??? 1) 10-12 2) transfer to hearts