Hanoi5

Well, I messed up the topic tittle by ten years but the result is the same. 2♠ stands out as a cue-bid with a wide range of possibilities BUT at the time it showed a spade stopper. The winning bid in this situation was 3♥ which nowadays would show support and probably an invitation.

MP's, red vs white: ♠74 ♥K9 ♦K72 ♣AKQ876 Pa-Pa-1♠-2♣ Pa-2♥-Pa-??? What would you bid? An maybe more importantly, what is 2♠?

Changing my sig

6♦.

I might just lead a small spade. Partner may have trumps and either a spade honor and later make declarer ruff or short spades and ruff a spade when I enter with the trump ace and return the suit again.

I think North has a better chance of doubling, holding AQT in diamonds.

I think I like 5♣…

Oops. I didn't see that one.

Really? What are you going to do when hearts and diamonds break badly and the ♦A is not ruffed?

Win the Ace. ♣A, club ruff. ♥K, spade to the King. ♥AQ and a diamond. Except when hearts are 5-1 or 6-0 (or other freak accidents like clubs 6-1) this line makes all the time.

[hv=pc=n&w=s73hqjt632dkj7cj7&e=saqt6hd832ckqt543&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=1d2cd2hd2sp3hd4cdppp]266|200[/hv] Is 2♥ too much? Is Pass after the double of 2♥ a viable option? Should West realize what's going on and bid 3♣?

South is a VERY strong player. Trumps were 4-1 and he held 4 (even though he also held AQJxx!). I thought the lead would also be meant to make me ruff a heart (as it did) and shorten my trumps (besides the fact that the King was likely to be in dummy). But I didn't think of this at the table. Can you extend on the reasons why it wouldn't be such a good lead when holding the Queen? Is the 4-1 break 'suspectable' after this lead? Would you then play for 9xxx-Q, which is what they were (I just realized the contract is too hard to make if trumps are Qxxx-9)?

You're right. You used it first. And then we all chose to copy your name. But then we all reverted to normal names (Republic of ...). Venezuela was the first to declare itself independent from Spain (19th April 1810). Probably ships arrived faster with the news that Napoleón had taken over Spain... And about that article, that is such a naive thought! The US will never stop caring or meddling in Latinamerican affairs as long as they are a world power. For example, there is this judge in Venezuela who got rejected by the regime (after serving them for 12 years). He got to talk to the DEA: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/19/world/americas/venezuela-ex-judge/index.html Do you think the US wouldn't love to Norieguize Chavez?

3♣ was checkback. What is the normal manner to play the trumps? Small (8) to the Ace and the finesse back because you can do it twice? Thx to Inquiry for changing the auction.

[hv=pc=n&w=sa52h973dakqjca85&e=skjt84ht6d84cj642&d=w&v=0&b=14&a=1dp1sp2np3cp4sppp]266|200|![/hv] You receive the ♥A lead and an 8 from North. South continues with the ♥Q, North ♥2. A small heart to North's King is the beginning of the third trick. Take it from there.

Opening 2♣ with a two-suited hand is not recommended. In the first hand I'd open 1♥ confident that I'll be able to rebid almost any number of clubs in my next turn to make it game-forcing. I compare it to this next hand I faced yesterday: ♠AKQxx ♥AKT9x ♦K ♣KQ Opening this hand with 1♠ will very likely leave you playing there. It's better to open 2♣ and then try to describe it. The second hand doesn't call for a 2♣ opening either (unless you play precision ;) ). I'm more thinking of 5♣, instead.

Partner being a passed hand and doubling a 1♠ overcall does not neccessarily put me in a minor suit game. I think it's better to double, though 4♦ is very tempting.

The whole continent is called America so all its inhabitants are americanos. Some people refer to the not-English speakers as latinoamericanos or suramericanos (but the last one leaves out the Mexicans and to some extent the people from Central America). It's a matter of politics, I suppose. People from the left will claim we're americanos and call Americans gringos or estadounidenses. Unitedstatian, maybe you should adopt that word... In fact it is something weird, as many countries are called officially the united states of XYZ. So in a way the US stole the name from all americanos. Probably this reinforces the idea that they think (or know?) that everything below the Rio Grande is just their backyard...

First seat, red, vs white, balanced... No.

So... when did they approve insufficient bids?

♠Kxx ♥109xxxx ♦98 ♣Jx Imp's, red vs white ( :( ): (1♠)-2♥-(X)-??? What if RHO bids 3♦ instead of double?

♠JT8xx ♥T8x ♦J ♣AQJx Imp's, red vs white, partner opens 2NT in 4th seat: P-2NT 3♥-4♠ ??? 4♠ is a super-accept, showing a 4-card fit. If the 2NT shows 20-21, do you continue? If the 2NT shows 21-23, do you continue?

If bridge was so simple all the time we'd probably be discussing the weather and playing words with friends instead of posting so many questions, answers and discussing so much. Mp's is clearly the hardest form of the game because of all the things you have to think when bidding, playing or defending.

Which little town Gonzalo? In Venezuela few places have free wifi, one of them is a park in Caracas, called Miranda. The government pays for most of the free or cheap things Venezuelans get. Our budget is based on the assumption that the oil barrel costs $50. So the other 50 can be used for this kind of things, and for keeping our gas at merely some cents. And for the pockets of politicians, of course. That's XXI Century Socialism, our government absorbs EVERYTHING and then tries to manage it. I think it's creating a monopoly. Let's see how long it lasts.

So this is just♥ another matter of agreement. I've always played the jump to 4 as the ugliest hand. But I've also heard people who play second negative, so after 2♠ they'd bid either 2NT or 3♣ to show a REALLY bad hand. However the problem is a theorist said he'd bid 4♠ with that hand and also if the diamonds were Qxxx. He said that the opener should move over 4♠ with 2 losers (instead of 3 for example). Is this playable? Opener had: ♠AKQJT ♥AK ♦K ♣AKxxx It's hard not to move even over 4♠, but on a bad day that's all that can be made when partner tables a yarborough.