Hanoi5

I went with 3♠ because of the singleton heart. 2♠ would be my second choice. 1♠ always takes me places I don't like.

What's wrong with 3♠?

I agree with NickRW and Siegmund. I also believe jjbrr has it right about playing a lot. I was amazed at nigel_k... I remember when I started playing serious bridge I wanted to find a way to remember every single card played, so that I didn't miss how my 7 was winning because the 8 came down under the K, or whatever. Somehow after playing LOTS of hands I realized bridge memory includes 'a memory of the future', i.e. you have to make a plan and that plan should help you realize what to memorize, what to keep better track of in the present hand, etc. Teaching taught me this also, all students used to ask 'but what can I do to help me remember every card played?'and the only answer I could give was 'well, not all the cards are important, you have to know what to look for'. And that's why it is so important to make a plan. I don't know if it is because of the law of attraction (if that even exists) but then I started reading a book by Klinger on how to improve your memory and that was one of the advises given: 'find out about the critical suits and cards and keep a better track of them' (or something to that effect). I think even Clyde Love sort of mentions this in his famous book. Another thing/book which helped me a lot was the thing mentioned about patterns. A teacher I had adviced to play the first card only after having formed an image of the posible patterns of the hidden hands. Reading 'Killing Defense' also showed me the importance of this and also of counting HCP's and tricks (patterns, HCP's and tricks have to be counted/studied in order to better defend a hand). Probably one hand makes it neccessary to count only HCP's and another only the pattern while one of them would need you to count two or even the three aspects, so you better count all three until you've learned to recognize which are neccessary/useful in which situation. For learning the patterns (which will help you think faster) I followed the advice by Kelsey: when going to sleep instead of counting sheep, count patterns (4333, 4432, 5332, etc there are only 39). I'd love to see Justin's answer to this thread but if he says he remembers like nigel I'm gonna be disappointed in bridge (or in me...) By the way I use(d?) to have the same attitude than jjbrr to chess: I was always trying to compare and contrast the 2 games and of course think of bridge as coming on top. Chess will someday become an open game: the answer to who should win once white starts (or if a draw is imminent) will appear in a headline in the following years. Bridge will never have this problem...

3♦ is natural. I believe the double of 3♥ should have the same meaning as the double of 3♠, but is this meaning 'natural' or does it depend on an agreement?

I pass 4♥ and If I had to bid anything I think 5♥ would be my choice.

Don't you plan to win 5 spades anyway in NT? I think the issue is that if you have no stoppers in a suit and it happens to be partner's doubleton you're likely to lose 5 or 4 in NT instead of only 2 by playing in the Major. If I have all suits stopped I'd prefer to play NT, and I think this should be decided the moment partner transfers so that I don't stop over 3Nt and let them know I have a problem deciding whether to play in a trump or not with the 4333.

Bidding goes: 2♦* 3♦ 3♥ Pa 3♠ Pa Pa X Where 2♦ shows weak in a Major.

4♥ and 2♦.

I'm winning and playing a diamond to my ace and a club towards the King. I'll see what develops...

I thought about leading a heart to set up partner's tricks but then I thought I might as well lead the ♦A to have a look at dummy and then possibly continue the suit in order to get a ruff or switch to hearts.

The ♥K looks like such a bad card. And the hand is too flat and you don't even have 4♠'s. I'd pass.

4♥. I was thinking of doubling and then 6NT over 4♠ but that's just like bidding 6NT right away. Besides, openener is missing the 2 top honours in his suit, he should have some values in spades, I guess.

I'll try to ruff out the diamond King. I win if it is at most 4th in ANY hand. I hope this is a little more than 50%.

Since I'm at the table with the ♥A I'm playing a spade from dummy towards my ♠J. I don't feel confident at all about what might develop in fact I don't even know where the hand might head afterwards, especially if a diamond is returned. This one is pretty harder than the first one I think. I hope the answer is not as easy as 'play for doubleton ♦KQ'.

I'd play opener to have ♣K. I'd cash spades, hearts and diamonds (tossing clubs from my hand) and either endplay opener in spades or drop the ♣K. I think it's a fairly easy problem for someone having an idea about squeezes, endplays and such. There is always the possibility of opener not having the ♣K, in which case a simple finesse would suffice but you'll have to know that person's style beforehand and it would have to be part of the problem.

White vs red you hold: ♠8 ♥9 ♦QJT84 ♣KT9874 The dealer on your right opens 1♦ playing SAYC and showing at least 3 cards in the suit. 2NT would be ♥+♣ and 3♣ (or 4♣) pre-emptive in ♣'s. Do you?

On Wednesday this same topic came up in a class I had and I told my students a solution but it's also a business idea so I don't think I'll let it out for free...

ditto dizree?

Im trying to check a students performance in BBO by looking at his myhands but his nick doesn't work. There is a dot (.) in his nick, like: xxx.numbers, can anyone help me to find this data?

I'll open 1♦ and rebid the suit over 1NT.

The suit is really ugly for 2♣, but I would have bid, too. I'm passing now though.

Probably wrong but I'll bid 4♠.

Red vs White: Pass Pass Pass ... And you hold: ♠AKQT8xxx ♥ ♦ ♣AKJxx

Pass on the first one. 3♥ on the other and I think 2♠ is OK.

I think I'd double. 3NT is my second choice. 4♦ I don't really like. Pass is dangerous... I don't think 4♥ with the moysian is that bad.