Apollo81

Of the four options offered: 1. Raise to 4♠ 2. Cue 4♥ and pass 4♠ 3. Cue 4♥, 5♥, and pass 5♠ 4. Drive to slam I have no strong opinion on 2,3,4, but #1 is definitely just plain wrong.

I actually think that South should have bid 4♣ in the given auction. Surely North would have five clubs for his bidding, and if North was weaker he could have bid 3♣ directly over 1♥. Of course I'd also have bid 2♥ with the North hand over 1♥, but I don't think the failure to do so kills NS chances to get to 4♣.

pass pass (pecks at ground)

Unfavorable, MPs ♠KQJx ♥--- ♦AKxxx ♣AKxx (2♥)-p-(3♥)-Dbl (p)-3♠-(p)-??

right

I'd probably have passed over 4♦ regardless of whether 3♥ was weak or strong.

3♦ - partner can still bid 3♠ if he has the hand you are worried about

I would convert this at MPs and bid 4♣ at IMPs.

i play 3♣ Muppet Stayman (3♥=no major; 2NT-3♣-3♥-3♠=5) 3♦/♥ Transfer 3♠-->3NT (then 4♣/♦ = minors unequal length, 4M = one minor RKC) 3NT play 4♣ 55 minors 4♦/♥ Texas 4♠ 44 minors (slam try)

I'd pass. BTW it's not clear to me that double should ask for a heart lead in this auction.

i also play: 4NT = RKC 5♣...5♠ = please bid six if you like that seems to handle all the cases

Most of the time I pretty much have the same stuff I'd preempt with in 1st chair. Favorable or Allwhite-MPs are exceptions where I'll open more stuff (mainly 5 card preempts I wouldnt do in 1st chair). Favorable MPs 3rd seat I pretty much have a mandate from heaven to weak2 on whatever i feel like, though I weak2 so much crap that I rarely if ever do it on a good hand.

club control, assuming double showed 4spades

Allow me to quote myself from my previous post:

I'd have raised on the first one but it's a hairline decision. I'd have replicated your decisions on the other two.

I hate both 2NT and double on this hand. 2NT with Kx is just asking for them to duck the first round, win a side entry, and run the suit. Double with xxx hearts and 2 spades is just asking to lose several trump tricks due to spade ruffs/overruffs.

Partner's signal effectively means "doubleton diamond or nothing in hearts" Since the former is unlikely the latter must be true (or partner's HCP are in spades and it doesnt matter). If partner discouraged the diamond I would probably cash the other high honor and switch to a heart. Exactly. I can promise you that 99.99% of all declarers are not deep enough to take this into account and will just read 9-3 as a doubleton and 3-9 as a 3-card suit. Even those who are deep enough probably won't make the effort since this is a partscore. He could make 10 tricks by ducking, and he will always make 9 unless you defend as such. You've held him to 8 tricks here. I'm sorry overtricks in partscores aren't exciting as slams, but I liked this deal. It came from a MP game where the difference would have mattered quite a bit. So you're implying that this hand wasn't interesting? I think this hand was more interesting than most everything people post.

The play has gone dA c3 to Q,K,x d to K c9 to ? No hearts have yet been played. How does declarer tell whether you started with the hand you have or this hand: Kx J9xxx AKx J93

Anyone who played a club gets a 9/10. For a full 10 out of 10 you needed to specify that you would lead the ♣3. Here's why. It's likely that given the trick 1 signal that partner wants a club switch. If he has three or five clubs nothing matters, but it does if he has four. Suppose you lead the ♣9, Q, K, low. Partner returns a diamond to your king. Now you lead another club. At this point declarer has to guess whether to finesse the ♣10. If you have led ♣9-3 he will simply rise ♣A and play two rounds of hearts setting up his ♥Q to pitch the remaining club. However if you have led ♣3-9 he has a legitimate problem and may go wrong. This was exactly the case on this hand, partner has xx Jxx Jxxx KJxx.

When youre playing against people that aren't good there are just times when you know you can win the hand in the bidding. I think that's sorta what Justin's saying.

No one likes my play problem huh I challenge anyone to get this right.

Well this isn't right. It does show four hearts. If partner tries to raise them, you will bid spades and partner should understand what's going on. I wouldn't make this bid opposite someone who is just going to keep putting me back in hearts if he has 4 no matter what.

I second Josh's comments.

♠K9 ♥K10987 ♦AK85 ♣93 1♥-(Dbl)-2♥*-(2♠)-all pass * 5-8 You lead the ♦A and dummy shows: ♠A732 ♥Q64 ♦Q2 ♣AQ102 Declarer calls for the ♦2 from dummy, partner plays the ♦3 and declarer the ♦6. You are playing low encourages. What's your plan for the defense?

I would double.