Hanoi5

I created a poll: http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=30510 I hope it has all the suggestions.

There's a topic in Suggestions for the Software (http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=30228) where some ideas were being discussed about how to improve the forums. The main concern appears to be that a lot of silly questions are being asked in the wrong forum and that there isn't a forum where only experts can discuss their matters. The Adv/Exp forum is 'designated for experienced and adept bridge players to discuss more advanced topics', yet some people ask questions that belong to the B/I forum or some people answer claiming to be experts in their answers or defending bad proposals/answers to death. It's not a matter of separating players/forumers according to their level of play or rating, it's just a way of having things work the way they were meant to. Experts usually answer questions at the B/I forum and they are more than willing to help those who ask. In fact, having a look at an experts-only discussion is surely more helpful to those learning than having to read a bunch of different answers or approaches without having any idea of what is right or wrong, expert or intermediate. The ideas in the poll were taken out of the mentioned topic as it was suggested that it would be a great idea to have the opinion of more people and in a poll. I'll try to explain some of the options: - The first suggestion was to create an experts-only forum where they would be able to have the discussions of their level and all would benefit from reading such discussions. - This might create the problem of where to ask the opinion of an expert, so it was also suggested that an 'Ask an expert' forum be created. - It was also suggested that all people could write in this new forum but their posts would only appear after being approved by a (group of) moderator(s). - I suggested to have a special board where an expert has the right to approve what is published and this expert is changed from time to time. - It was suggested that a group of moderators move the topics where they belong. - Several suggestions were made on how this 'experts-only' forum would work and then some 'little' changes were proposed (like adding a tag to topics or limiting the amount of posts per day or adding an ignore user function, etc) - One of the last suggestions was to re-classify the boards according to their function, so we'd have an 'Ask an expert' forum and a 'Assign the blame' forum and the 'Experts only' forum, maybe 'What would you bid?' forum, etc. Of course all forums would be readable by everyone and some would have restrictions only to create topics, etc. I hope my post covers all the suggestions made so far and I also apologize in advance in case some of the options are not even available in the present board software. Edit I mean topic when I say thread.

Well I still have the diamond finesse, RHO is 4=6=2=1 and even if the finesse is not working I have 10 tricks. What did I miss?

When partner sees a singleton or void in hearts in his hand, do you think he'll take the double as another try for game in spades? I believe in these situations partner should take a look at his hand and the auction before deciding what the double is. Am I right? What was the end of the story anyway?

If you understand South why do you think North should squirm? Partner knows he's a passed hand and all... I think a reason to leave this double in is that it doesn't give a game to the opponents if it is made, and South has nothing interesting to bid (no fit for partner's suits) and there is a fair chance to defeat the contract. Leaving this double is also dependent on the style, for if partner can double with: ♠QTxxx ♥Tx ♦KTxxx ♣x Or a very poor distributional hand, then chances are they're making it and it might be better to say something. Also pass is clearer in MP's.

I think you have: 3♦ to compete for the part-score or just to compete, i.e. non-forcing. 3♥ to either ask for the stopper or support diamonds later with a strong hand 4♦ to invite to game when you're not sure whether 11 tricks can be taken in diamonds 5♦ to play If is true then I have no way to invite to game, and why would the invitation be given up when there is a way to show it easily?

I blame South for bidding 3NT. Another possibility is that North had bid 3♣ over the double giving partner a choice in the Majors :lol:

So you were criticized by the AKQxx(x) A holder, am I right?

The first or second club? How are spades?

Hm, I'd return to my hand via a trump and ruff my last heart. Then I'd play ♣AK and try to enter my hand by ruffing a club (if A or K hasn't been ruffed already). I don't want to give up on the ♦ finesse.

I don't know about the expert opinion but I accept bidding 1NT with this hand but no 2NT (as in a recent problem).

I also think North should have gone to game. By bidding 4♦ we accepted that suit (we should have at least 4 cards for that), we didn't show a minimum and we didn't show extra values in spades (which we would have done with diamonds and spades interchanged by bidding 3NT). It would be interesting to know JLOL's or Frances' opinion in this one. There are 12 tricks in ♦! 3♦ is also an interesting bid. Is it forcing? Does it show a game-going hand?

♦K and another ♦. I don't see how we're defeating this contract unless my partner has a trick in hearts and spades to go with my two diamonds, and then where is declarer's opening?.

Erm, what does the double of 3♦ show?

I thought this bid was intended as an asking bid in diamonds to try to play seven if partner held the ♦K or a singleton or another source of tricks in which to throw diamond losers.

Of all the proposed bids I like 4♦ best. I don't want to support hearts (3♥, 4♥) as my partner might need to ruff in the long hand. I don't want to bid NT for I already did and I want to be able to show my diamonds. 3♠ could be perfect for I show support in my partner's second suit but what if he thinks I have too much values in that suit or a control I really don't have. 5♦ could be on but what if we lose 2 clubs and a spade? So 4♦ seems to cater for most of my concerns, I show support in diamonds, leave the door open for 4♥ and the only drawback I see is that we cannot play 3NT anymore...

I finally read through the whole topic. Whenever I post in the A/E forum I do it expecting to see the A/E opinion on a matter. I have received answers rejecting a previous decision not being discussed, probably showing that an A/E player would not have needed to reach the decision being discussed. I agree some of my hands might not be of an A/E nature, but again I imagined that board was supposed to give A/E answers, not only for posting A/E problems. I think an interesting idea not offered here yet could be creating a 'personalized' forum, where its moderator chooses which topics deserve to be in and which don't. Let's say the first of these boards is JLOL's, he'll be able to post the kind problems he wants, read the topics/posts from people he wants to read from and have the meaningful experience he expects from the expert's forum; everyone is invited to read and if they're not 'allowed' they could send private messages to JLOL in order to make a question or give an answer, which of course JLOL would allow or not depending on his opinion. Maybe this could go on for a month or two (or whatever time frame is agreed upon) and then another poster would get the opportunity to create his/her board. These personalized board would get as many allowed posters as the current moderator allows, so maybe JLOL could invite some friends who have never been in the board or who have gone away (where is han-8888-posts-then-gone?). I'd love to see what develops from this thread and suggestions. (I also liked the idea of a poster of creating theme-sub-forums and then putting a tag to threads in them).

I think the best solution is the one where moderators choose what posts belong to the 'real experts' sub-forum and all the others can go to the 'normal A/E'. How these moderators are chosen beats me, but creating a board where only certain people ask and answer won't solve any problem for those people might as well talk on the phone or IM among themselves.

1) If 2♦ is natural I bid 3♦. 2) If 2♥ is natural I bid 3♥.

Add the hands and explain a little better.

I'd double, hopefully partner will pass. If he bids a major I'll bid 3NT.

3NT, Pass, 4♦, 3♠, in that order.

7♠. 3♣ should show a King more than opening or an equivalent hand: ♠AJxxx ♥xx ♦A ♣KJxxx This is the minimum I'd expect.

This idea should be followed by other countries. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, JEC sound interesting I think you could add Sheryl Crow, Hugh Hefner (would he know a bridge playing bunny :lol: ) and some others. The radiohead guys, I think Coldplay, too...

This is all nice, but you know that hand would not be here if everything is honky dory. Lets say you follow this line, but when you cash K of ♦, RHO discards a spade. What next? I just ruff a diamond back into my hand and ♠K for a ruffing finesse.