Hanoi5

MP's, w/r ♠T9x ♥x ♦AQ87x ♣QTxx (p)-p-(p)-1♣ (p)-1♦-(p)-3n (p)-???

Double.

3♥. How's the vulnerability?

If spades are 4-4 I'll try giving up a club before winning hearts, eventually falling on the diamond finesse. If they are 5-3 I'll try endplaying North in clubs after winning 4 hearts. How do I know? The lead, the cards played, was the ♠10 played under the K.

I play CRASH, so 2♦.

Red vs White, ximps: ♠Ax ♥A7xxx ♦Kxx ♣KJx (2♠*)-X-(4♠)-? *Spades and a minor (at least 5-4+), 6-10

All red, ximps, dealer passes and you hold: ♠ ♥AQT9xxx ♦AJ ♣KQTx If you open 1♥

White vs Red ♠AQ97 ♥Jx ♦Qx ♣JTxxx (3♥)-X-(4♥)-? What do you play double to be in this position? What's your call? After you decide, what if

I pass. And I guess I also pass partner's double if it comes to that.

I misvoted. 6 Spades made and 6 Spades +1.

I'd say so, 'cause responder is supposed to bid the Major he doesn't have and opener bids 3NT when he doesn't have 4 cards in the not-mentioned-but-meant Major.

I'd say penalty. I'd bid 3♠ with your hand instead of double and probably wouldn't have bid just 2♥ previously.

1NT. Might be one of those hands where the first to bid it wins. But I'd pass at the table.

X-Imp's, white vs red: ♠K8xx ♥x ♦AKJTxxx ♣J 1NT*-2♣ 2♥-? *12-14 Do you try to play in diamonds or just bid 3NT?

I prefer redouble with balanced hands 10+: business.

White vs Red, imp's: ♠x ♥9xx ♦Axx ♣AKTxxx 1♣-(Pa)-2♥*-(3♠) Pa-(Pa)-X-(Pa) ??? *13+, could be balanced with no 4-card Major, Solid/Semisolid Hearts or Club support Partner's double shows the balanced type but unsuitable for 3NT, your call...

4NT. 1♦-1♠-2♥-3♣-3♠-3NT-4NT-Pa

Would you double 2♠ directly with ♠Tx♥Qxx♦AQxxx♣Kxx?

Thanks to all the people who contributed with an answer. I don't neccessarily think the convention should be dumped, just improve the agreement by defining it better and talking out the proceedings after such a situation. Anyway I think it should be done with stoppers in all unbid suits but as mentioned first by EricK you can have an 'unsuitable' hand for NT, like Ax or Qxx as a stopper. Double would work fine in such a situation but then I wonder if there's a way to double for profit, but the answer I suppose lies with opener: with some trumps (like 2 to an honour or 3) s/he should double to give responder the opportunity to pass for profit (especially in this situation where the Vulnerability makes it worthwhile) and reserve pass to hand where you want to wait for partner's description.

You hold: ♠Jx ♥AKQ ♦JTxx ♣QJxx Your partner deals and opens 1♣. You have a gadget to show balanced hands with no 4-card Majors 13+ by means of 2♥ (but this is also used to show 13+ with strong hearts or 13+ with an unbalanced support for clubs), however before partner can use the relay to ask what you have LHO preempts in spades and partner passes: 1♣-(Pa)-2♥*-(3♠) Pa-(Pa)-??? Opponents are red and you're white, partner's pass should be 'nothing extra in my hand' (?). with the hand shown: 1. You shouldn't have tried to show a balanced hand lacking a stopper in an unbid suit, but then what if you had QJx AK JTxx QJxx? 2. If you don't agree with 1 or if you do and hold the second hand instead, what would double mean? Under this Vulnerability would it show the balanced hand that wants to penalize? If you lack the stopper or have an 'ugly' stopper (Q32) would you prefer doubling or bidding something? Pass is not an option, is it?

I prefer 1♦.

First hand of a team match, all white: ♠AK9 ♥J94 ♦KJT5 ♣J53 (Pa)-Pa-(2♦*)-Pa (2♠**)-Pa-(Pa)-??? *Either weak in a Major or strong 4441 17+ **Invitation to game if your suit is hearts Do you let them play or do something?

How about: ♣A, ♥A and ♥ ruffed, ♦A and diamond finesse, ♦K throwing a spade from the board and ♣ to the Ace, ♣ ruffed.Now I have: ♠AJx ♥ ♦ ♣J6 ♠Qx ♥Jx ♦7 ♣ And I guess clubs are not good, so I play my last trump and West is squeezed having to let go of a spade and making dummy's good after the finesse or letting go of one heart honour (he has to have KQ), making my J good when I give him a trick there. All in all I need a lot, ♦Qxx with East, ♠K and ♥KQ with West but not that bad from the bidding and lead...

That adds up to 11.

I mostly blame East, West was a little exaggerated with getting to 4 so maybe 70-30.