Hanoi5

From the looks of it we'll reach the same contract I did: 1♥ 1♠ 2♣ 2♦ 3♣ 4♣ 4♥ 5♣ Pass Partner's hand: ♠--- ♥AKJT9 ♦Q9x ♣Q8xxx

This is madness and this is NOT Sparta.

If using a 30 VP's scale when you're bye you get 18 VP's. That's standard. If you're using a 20 VP's scale, what do you get in a bye? Is there an internet source where I could read this? Thanks in advance.

Can I say 'scary' and not be called prejudiced?

Then we have: Pa 1♥ Pa 1♠ Pa 2♣ Pa 2♦ Pa 3♣ Pa ??? Your choices: a. 3♦ b. 3NT c. 4♣ d. Something else.

Yeah, evidently A853 doesn't even compare to A863, how could you?

So far it's been 2 votes for 2♦, 1 vote for 3NT. I'll wait some more hours before continuing the bidding, we can discuss afterwards if we would have arrived at the same contract or a different one with othe bidding and clearly 1♠rs (I belong to that group) should realize by now that there is a problem.

Erm, if the players who were ruled against felt they were misjudged, why didn't they appeal?

4C as cue-bid, 4NT as quant

Well, 7 votes for 1♠. The tray goes back and forth: Pa 1♥ Pa 1♠ Pa 2♣ Pa ??? Your choices: a. 2♦ b. 3♣ c. 3♥ d. 3NT

They're vulnerable, you're not: ♠AKJ9 ♥5 ♦J875 ♣KJ74 It goes: Pa 1♥ Pa ??? You: a. 1♠ b. 1NT (forcing) c. 2♣ d. 2♦

1♥, wtp? 1♥-1♠ 1NT

I didn't read Phil's post through but I'm going for a heart to the 10. I believe clubs are 3-4 in this hand and LHO has 8 cards in the majors.

That's a good one, BBO.

2d was multi? I'd bid 3♣, though it's horrible and I wouldn't know what to do over 3♠, but if it goes 3♣-3♦/3♥ I can safely bid 3♠.

Is there a link to the hand and such? What Jdonn claims is also interesting though I'll play devil's advocate on it. If there's a hesitation on a side of the curtain it should be 'felt' on the other side to have any importance. If the other side was not aware, how would it have affected the player making the weird lead? However, if my partner makes a mistake (like not calling the director in this situation) I can try to 'fix' it as dummy and I'm able to (and legally can) call the Director at the end of the hand to announce that there has been an irregularity. In this case the irregularity was a hesitation on my side of the curtain, so the first thing the Director should do is ascertain the fact that there was such hesitation (meaning asking the players on the other side if they felt it).

1NT though I could understand pass, expecting to pass partner's double.

I think the real reason is that the spade finesse can and should be repeated in case it wins while the club finesse has to be done but only once, and usually when you have two finesses it is better to do do the one you HAVE to do first than the one you really don't need (if the club finesse works you could decide not to do the spade finesse, if the spade finesse works you need the club finesse anyway for an entry).

My first thought was 2♥, but double is very close and surely better.

Can you elaborate on why you need the club finesse first?

Pass and let partner decide. He probably should double.

2NT would probably have been 16 to some ugly 20. 3NT is probably some good 20 to 23 but partner probably has the minors. We might have a shot at slam, I'd bid 4♥. Maybe 5♥ is pick-up a slam, or Maybe 5NT. I have values everywhere (except hearts, but that should be taken care of by my partner), so 4NT might also do the trick. Pass might be also right, depends on partner's style.

It's a matter of agreement. I believe it's fine to play system on.

Right, I meant 6♥.

Both Vulnerable, you dealt and hold: ♠T9 ♥Q97xxx ♦J87x ♣4 It goes: Pa Pa 1♥ 2NT 4♥ 5♣ 5♥ 6♣ ???