Hanoi5

[hv=pc=n&w=saq432haq3dca9876&e=skt7hk97djt52c432&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=3dpp?]266|200[/hv] MP's. Some wests doubled, some bid 3♠. No leaping michael's (is that the solution to this one?). Double is better than 3♠ if East action is pass to both, but should he always pass?

Why would I lead anything other than a heart?

I'll stop in 4, thank you very much. I used to be too optimistic and go down a lot at the 5 or 6 level. I guess I've matured...

I think 3♦ instead of 5♣ is a must.

Exactly my thoughts.

West, who leads, holds the missing spades without the Q (which is singleton with East) and the missing clubs and his only red card is a heart, of course.

[hv=pc=n&w=sa942haqtdj5cakt6&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=p1hp1sp3sp4cp4dp4np5h(2%20and%20no%20trump%20Queen)p?]133|200[/hv] You're missing the trump queen so 7 might be out of the question. However you're playing MP's, do you bid 6NT? how do you try to find one of the red kings in order to 'feel' safer? Would you have bid differently previously? (East opened 1 Heart)

After the 1♥ opening bid some people: 1. Support hearts with support and forget about holding 4+ Spades unless they have a good hand. 2. Bid Spades with 4+ no matter the point count. How do you cope with bidding spades and then supporting hearts with 6-10 or 11-12 HCP's? ♠Jxxx ♥T9x ♦Axx ♣KQx For example?

I'd double.

Yeah, I was actually surprised at how accurate he was. And not only in this topic, the 1NT-overcall-and-penalty-double-and-partner-bidding-3♦ one also got a pretty similar-to-what-happened description by him. Either I'm thinking like him or he's reading me too well.

I'm really sorry Mikeh is mistaken but dummy held four spades and six hearts to the K, Jx in diamonds and the singleton club 10; Declarer held 4 spades, six solid clubs and Ax in hearts with a singleton diamond. After a diamond lead there was no way to make 4 tricks.

Really? What about: 2 KQJ9 - AT873 654

[hv=pc=n&s=sh64dc&w=shkqj95dc&n=sh2dc&e=shat873dc]399|300[/hv] South opens 1NT. West leads the ♥K which asks for count. East plays the 8. ♥Q, East's 3. West switches and they take 9 tricks. Usually there's a lead to ask for count and another for attitude. Is count the right one to ask for here? Should the signal change when there's a singleton on the table? Is this too basic?

[hv=pc=n&w=sa75hj953dqt62ct9&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1c1n2sd(Penalty)p3dpp3spp?]133|200[/hv] MP's Your agreement is that doubles after a strong NT are mainly for penalty, so 3♦ is partner bailing out somehow, what do you do at this point?

MP's [hv=pc=n&w=saxhqjtxxdt864cxx&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1c1hp2d2s3d4sdppp]133|200[/hv] What should you lead? What's your partner double? What do you make of the bidding?

Mp's: [hv=pc=n&e=sahq52dk853cak963&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=3dpp?]133|200[/hv] Pass or what?

I'll follow Gonzalo's route here.

I'd double. Hopefully partner will support with two cards... What to do over 3♣ is the interesting question...

(1) 5N to show the Heart King? I guess it's fine, 6♣ probably sounds like the Ace. (2) 6N

I pass. 4♦ seems like the Ace and that is great for parking my third club but I need very specific cards in order to make slam a good proposition. With those cards partner might as well have asked himself.

I'd double both. I think it's clearer in the 2nd one though.

Nice lesson about preemption. Many people tend to bid twice on these situations.

Say you're checking your summary after winning a tournament and find out a top from the pair in second place was 'transferred' to you. If you let the Director know of the mistake you'll come in second and they'll win, what would you do? I personally wouldn't like to win that way but could it be considered a 'rub-of-the-green'? What if you hadn't checked? I have on several occasions found mistakes and reported them and have gone up or down in the positions because of this, but I know some people don't care (for example, they only check if they lose).

[hv=pc=n&s=sj2ha93daj98ckq75&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=1cp1sp1np2spp3dpp3spp?]133|200[/hv]

♠10, but I did consider the 4th club.