Hanoi5

If you have an agreement that to use 2NT you need a good hand (13+?), then it is a psych. If there's no agreement and responder can ask with any hand then it's perfectly normal, however the 'meaning' of 2NT has to be checked for opponents might need to know that ogust can be made on a very weak hand, such as the one you have.

X and X. It's MP...

3NT. Well, it depends on what 'plays the spots off the cards' means.

That's different from: So I'll concede it wasn't as bad as I had first thought. Anyway, you have to recognize that you were angry and that your answer was out of anger. Even writing it here, you describe your opponent as being 'snippy' and you say ME instead of Me. Ok, maybe a little exaggeration from me but just try to be a little more patient on f2f situations, after all the Director was there and you can always appeal if he doesn't take the correct decision (or come to us for support :rolleyes: )

I'll try to stick to the plan hoping LHO is 4=2=1=6 or 4=3=1=5.

I expect partner to have bid an automatic lebensohl. I have the stopper so 3NT. If he's too scared he could bid 4♣ over 3NT, but I'm not passing 3♣.

Let's say I open a table. I can choose what form of scoring will be used (even minibridge I just learned!) and amongst the options I can play some hands from a Vugraph match and some 'lesson' hands (finesse and transfer I think). Is there any way to prepare hands and play them at the table I'm opening? Thanks in advance.

I think TC has made a great job of presenting us with this problem the way he did. No matter what 2♦ means (invitational or invitational +) we have two possibilities in general: Pass or getting to a slam. Our agreement is not the problem! The problem is how we judge the hand, and probably that's why there's so much fighting about it. That has been settled, then the tank before bidding 5♣ is what should lead us to pass (a Logical Alternative), and that's exactly what the Director ruled 5♣ +1. On other point, I do think TC was a bit rude when he said "I'm sorry, but I just don't believe you". He's not only implying that the opponent is unethical but also calling him a liar. And I do not know what Zero Tolerance means but, I'm sure calling people liars is very bad.

Is this a record?

You know that person, too?

3♣, though I'd really prefer my clubs (and therefore my hand) to be better.

I don't understand this answer to the previous post, did you read what he had to say about marketing Bridge to Spades players? If you are or were in a position at the ACBL (and I think you are from your previous post here) you should be 'lobbying' for this idea to go through. I agree with some people in this and the rec.games.bridge post and I also disagree on a lot of stuff. I think my conclusions from what I have read so far are: 1. The Bridge playing population is diminishing due to several factors. I'm not sure at what rate but it certainly is worrying, 'cause it could lead to an eventual disappearance of the game altogether. Therefore something must be done by EVERY person interested in the game. It doesn't matter if you're ACBL or not, why don't YOU advertise bridge in a Spades game? Why don't YOU advertise bridge to your students? Why don't YOU teach bridge to your friends and relatives? 2. An important marketing strategy that should be use is in fact a very easy one: Publicity. Publicize bridge as much as you can, using any means available. Good publicity, bad publicity, it doesn't really matter whether the news talk about a young life master who just received his/her title or a team who denies having voted for the current president in their country. Drop pamphlets at universities/colleges/highschools, push sport channels/newspapers to cover stories (or plays) about/of bridge, advertise everywhere you can about classes and clubs and tournaments, etc. I was just watching this news bit about how the economic recession is leading the American families to play more board games; birdge is not a board game but, why couldn't it be mentioned? Just let people know that bridge exists and that people play it and have fun or drama with/in it. 3. Find sponsors. Some people should take care of this and even in the present economic situation find people/institutions willing to donate money for bridge. What about teaching in companies that would then compete amongst themselves? Can you imagine in the news "AMD bridge team beats Intel", or "Donald Trump's bridge team beats Bill Gates'". And guess how these teams will be trained? By bridge teachers and/or coaches who'd find a more interesting job than teaching old ladies in a country club (and leaving that job to someone else, of course). 4. Create a Universal Beginner's Bridge System. Let's gather teachers and theorists from all over the world and have them devise (or choose?) a system to be used in all beginners classes everywhere in the world. May the WBF impose all NBO's this system as the starting system for all new students. Let each NBO design and adapt it's present teaching program to teach this system adding some defenses to whatever is common at club levels. And then, let everyone play whatever system they choose according to the tournament level but let all beginners be able to play together, no matter where they're from. If, though I don't think it's possible, systems seem to begin to 'dissappear', create events where your inventiveness (or memory capacity for learning a new system) is rewarded, put beginners in the 'next level' by teaching them a new system (2/1 or Polish club to give examples, depending on the club). 5. Charge more money to those who can pay it, and less to those who can't. Let's face it, a teenager would rather spend his/her money in something else than in a bridge tournament or NBO fee. Lower the charges according to age! Or according to several factors, whichever they be. I hope I have not forgotten any of my ideas, so these are my two cents.

Like your crotch?

Happy Birthday!

But in this case I think the 'stupid bid' was 5♦ and so E/W should have that. N/S will be benefitting from the absurdity in East's bidding.

[hv=d=s&v=e&n=st73hk74dq84caj62&w=sq94haj3d962ckq87&e=s652ht652dkj53ct5&s=sakj8hq98dat7c943]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv] This was the full hand. East bid 5♦, which was doubled and paid only 800, though it was a complete zero for E/W. E/W complained that West was told that 2♠ was a reverse and that it showed a 6-5 and that was the reason for bidding 5♦. They wanted 4♠x -2 as the result...

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.b...459c7b443cded4# It's called 'Marketing Bridge'. There are two important positions, I think: 1. ACBL (and other NBO's) should invest more into recruiting new people/marketing the game. 2. Systems are hard to learn for the laymen. What are your opinions?

You hold this beauty: ♠652 ♥T652 ♦KJ53 ♣T5 Exact spots. You're vulnerable, they're not. Bidding goes: 1♣ Pa 1NT Pa 2♠ Pa 4♣ Pa 4♠ X Pa ??? Apparently 4♣ was not alerted, but it surely was some sort of cue-bid. What would you bid if: a. You were told at some point that opener's bidding indicated a 6-5 in the black suits with a strong hand (which I guess is the normal meaning). b. You were told by your screen-mate (responder), 'Are you going to pass? It's a 5-6 strong hand, you know...' c. You and your partner are World Class players.

Pass.

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=shkqxdaq8ckqj9xxx&s=skqjtxhaxxdjca87x]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] With this auction: 1♠ 3♦ 4♣ Pa 4NT Pa 5♠ Pa 6♣ Pa 6NT AP I received a heart lead and legally made 13 tricks. I love squeezes. Many roads lead to Rome, another player received a diamond lead to his Jack and then played the ♠T, which was ducked all around. Yeah, there are 7♣, how do you propose to get to that contract? Even without the 3♦ intervention it would be hard...

♠65 ♥AQ652 ♦9 ♣A9532 Would you open? Using the 'rule of 20' it's normal to open this kind of hands, but is there any way to 'show' it during the bidding? Let's say it goes: 1♥ - 1♠ ??? Would you bid 2♣ or 2♥? If you bid 2♣ how do you handle it after 4st suit forcing? Would you ever repeat your hearts to show a minimum hand? When? Would you just bid the hand normally and expect partner to understand you opened on 10 hcp?

That's a good point you're raising, ArtK78. However, I did bid clubs, and although I might have 4, why would I play the Queen if I didn't have the Jack?

Diamond to the Queen.

Exactly. What would you return then?

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sq98xxxxxhxxdxcxx&w=sjhtxxxd9xxckqjxx]266|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv] 1NT 2♣ 4♥ Pa 4♠ Pa Pa X All Pass You lead the ♣K and continue with the ♣Q, partner playing lo-Hi (UDCA). What do you return?