Hanoi5

What happened to Brazil at the BB? I thouhgt they were gonna do so much better!

Ok, so important tournaments lately have been using bridgemates and similar devices to calculate results quicker. As usual machines are built and made for perfection but there will always be the human mistake present. I've been the coach/captain of two teams with those conditions and we always check our results manually after finishing a match. There've been msitakes. Are we the only ones that check manually? I'm sure we're not but, are there people who doesn't bother to check? I believe it's not a good policy.

East could overcall 2♥ and West should X 2♠.

More than 19500 were logged on to BBO this afternoon which I believe is a new record. Way to go! (it took a while to load the program, is it just me or will some changes have to be done with the new amount of people coming in?)

I think the situation described shouldn't be accepted. With the current laws play has to cease and the director must make a decision. Many bridge laws require directors to excercise their judgement and make a decision and this is one of them. Maybe you could add to law 68D or 70C3 adding somewhere 'The Director can ask the play to continue if he deems no UI has been produced by the claim, the rejection or the Director's call.' But that would only makes matters worse than they already are.

I-m making this up and maybe it won-t work (or it-s too late for the answer to be of use) but you had to stop the tourney make a progression of what-s gonna happen and then realize you-ll have some pairs in the 4th round (and afterwards) encountering the same boards they played on the first round: have them play a different set introduce 25-27 and have it shared between two of these tables. I-m sure there is a solution but it involves bringing a new set, have other tables share boards.

4NT, 5♦ over 5♣ and maybe Pass 6♣.

88% in 3. 50% in the first.

Yeah. Bridge is ruled in a way that partner's are supposed to know EVERYTHING they do in terms of meaning and opponents are entitled to know this, too. Unfortunately as we are not computers we can forget or err when we bid or think of the meaning of a call, which means that the way F2F bridge is played wrong explanations and bids are bound to happen (with the occasional UI) but if BBO's system were in use in F2F (and i agree this system might make more sense) then cheating would be just too easy: 1♥ 2♠ (self alert: 6 spades to the AK with an Ace in the minors: while partner listens...) Two tables later: 1♥ 2♠ (self alert: weak in spades!)

The thing is that partner might be leqading a spade and I would prefer a heart but other than that I'll just pass and collect (I hope).

Since some recommendations have been made on old movies (from the 90's) I'm gonna recommend (hope no one else has) 'Groundhog Day'. Excellent movie. You can watch it in youtube, but don't tell anyone I said so.

I'm with the 5♣ crowd as the message seems clear: I'm interested in slam but have nothing is spades.

Why eat less?

You hold: ♠Axxxx ♥Jxx ♦Kx ♣Axx You open 3rd hand 1NT (12-14) and LHO bids 2♣ (Majors), Pass by partner, 2♥ by RHO, Pass, Pass, Pass. What's your lead? (you entered the match losing by many imps and have gotten so far some regular-nice results but you know you need imp's. This is the last hand) Did you decide? Well, let's say you lead the ♦K and dummy comes down: [hv=w=skqjthak8xdj9xxcx&s=saxxxxhjxxdkxcaxx]266|200|[/hv] Partner plays a middle encouraging diamond as declarer wins the Ace. Now he leads a spade and you... ...take it with the Ace to play your other diamond, which your partner wins with the queen and plays the ♦2, ♦10 from declarer and you ruff. What do you lead now? [hv=w=skqjthak8xdj9xxcx&s=saxxxxhjxxdkxcaxx]266|200|[/hv] Two things you don't know (check them after deciding what to play): 1. 2. This was so exciting. Two of the matches in today's Youth Congress were won (or lost) by one imp. I'm talking about a quarter final and a semifinal. So interesting and exciting!

Artificial systems are certainly problematic for natural players who are not accustomed to their use. The Polish club is a little more bothersome as its 1♣ shows many types of hands as well as their nebulous 1♦. What is a good defense? What are some common places in defenses against artificial systems?

Partner having doubled a 3rd seat opening gets me to think a bit more on bidding. I like X, just to leave many windows opened (in case it'll be taken as showing some cards).

Could you write the address we'd need to give a taxi to take us to the University Campus? I'm not sure we can take the proposed vans, so I need to know what to tell a cab driver. Also, what's the price he'll ask? Or better, what's the price I should pay.

No.

What happened to China???

Double, these guys should be going down.

I'm bidding 4♥. I don't expect partner to have xx xx AKQJT xxxx and double, so he should have some scattered values that will allow me to make either 4♥ or 4♠... I hope. I would have michael'd if it could be weak, but with this hand I think I prefer to bid 2♠ and hope for another chance to bid my hearts... A chance that might not come and might give partner the wrong idea about what I have but bidding 1♠ and passing 3NTX will not usually have a good ending... I think.

So, no more ACES?

Maybe North had ♥A with the diamonds... West should bid 3NT... Possible.

Are under-26 and under-21 playing together? Teams, I mean.

3♦ after 2♠-3♣. If 3♠ then 4♣, if 3NT pass.