Hanoi5

3♣?

Was this the original post or did it change while I was out?

Abstain. I wouldn't be defended 2♣. Maybe 2♣X, but not 2♣. Against 2♣X I'd lead a trump I guess.

4♥. Or 4NT. Looking forward to more educated bids, I need support and spade control for a slam (in fact 3 small spades in partner's hand, even Kxxx, means possible 3 losers in the suit) so I think 4NT might be a bit too much. But maybe that's just pessimistic.

3♠ 4NT

By bidding 3♦ partner probably expects us to have a rebid now. 4♣ comes first to mind, 4♠ comes in second.

After 1♣ and a positive response and a new suit by opener (which doesn't deny a fit in responder's suit) how does responder continue? Say: [hv=d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1c(16+)p1h(8+%20HCP%27s%2C%20at%20least%205%20spades)p2h(Natural)p]133|100[/hv] Does responder continue 'naturally' (no trump without a fit, a new suit at least 4 cards, repeating his/her suit at least 6 cards, supporting at the 4 level weaker than supporting at the 3 level)? Can responder 'say' how many controls s/he has? Can responder 'say' how his/her support for opener is? What's better?

Scoring? I might try the ♦6. But they seem to have a slam so it might not matter. ♠A to give partner a ruff? Too creative, ♣A to cash out, maybe at MP's.

Reminds me of an engineer's joke that women were designed by an architect, (tacky joke ahead)

Vulnerability? Scoring? I like double first but it might get us to trouble (partner will bid hearts first with 3-3 in the Majors). 3♠ for me.

1♦-2NT 3NT Ugly but I can't think of other.

I would double 3♠, maybe we can find a heart fit and play there? But I'm gonna move and try for a slam, that's fo'shizzle. I wouldn't bid 2♦ with South's hand, not even playing aggresively. 3♦ looks better, it shows what the hand is about; and I wouldn't bid 3♦ being vulnerable.

Pass is a call. A bid includes a number and a denomination. In the hand discussed I would prefer bidding 1♠ than 2♠. Pass is not to be criticized either. 1♠ > Pass >>>> 2♠

1♠ promises 4 spades, that's standard. The thing is that when responder bids 3♦ it is normal to expect him to have more spades than diamonds (or maybe the same number, usually 5-5). Is 5♣ 0-3 KC? Then what's the problem with 6NT? Is it 1-4? Then it's OK to play 5♥. I think with this powerful hand responder can KC over 2♥, maybe even cue-bid with 4♣ if s/he wants to be more scientific. I'm not a fan of the 3♦ bid.

1. 4♦ should show at least 6 diamonds (5 might be possible I suppose but unlikely) with a hand with at least 13 HCP (it's forcing game, you don't pre-empt over pre-empt). 2. 4♥ should be natural. 4♠ is a cue-bid showing a great hand, I'm not sure whether it shows diamond support or not, though, but I'd say it tends to. 4NT could be natural or RKCB, I would take it as the later but some might take it as the former. 3. The best bid might be 4♠, but then partner might want to play in diamonds. I would just bid 6♣, expecting partner to have the heart control. I suppose 5♣ is another possiblility, and then partner will take us to slam (but that might not be true, we would bid 5♣ with a small singleton diamond and a loser in spades, though that sounds pessimistic). Whatever you decide to do pass shouldn't be an option and partner also had the possibility to make a negative double so his hand should be stronger and probably doesn't want to play in NT. I'd bid 6♣ myself but I think your partner could have bid it over your 5♣.

Growing up? Or watching too much senior trials? :lol:

Playing teams, red vs white you receive: ♠AJ ♥AQ4 ♦AJT987xx ♣--- Your RHO passes as dealer and you... Let's suppose you opened 2♣ (you can explain why it's not a good choice), LHO bids 5♣ (natural) and your partner bids 6♣. You have no agreement on this sequence with partner (who does? You can explain what you think it should be though) and RHO passes, what's your bid? For another take on the same hand:

Several questions come to mind. 1. Do you play Walsh: can responder have a Major with a -12HCP's hand? 2. Were diamonds 5-2? That's the only reason I see for 6NT not being available as East. I have mixed feelings about 1♥. It could be right if partner next bids 2♦ with quite a poor hand, but it might get awkward if partner bids NT. Here I think it's fine if it goes 1♣-1♦-1♥-1♠ FSF, now opener can bid 3♠ showing his/her shape (pretty much, 4441 is still a possibility) and then it's up to West to bid the slam.

4♦ by opener and 4NT (KC) over 4♠. If responder happened to bid 5♣ opener would go on with 5♥.

With a 5 card Major it is better to overcall than to double.

I'd say is a takeout for the minors.

Was Killer the name of the cat? Talk about programming...

And try finding and reading magazines with MSC type of problems, like: http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?d=n&v=-&s=s98hakj9d862ckq82&a=1c1d1h4dpp? But of course in the magazine you'll find the answers. And comments by great players. I'd recommend subscribing to one such magazine (like the Bridge World). And of course, play some more (and go over the results).

♥J, wtp?

This is one of those topics which come up very seldom and which really belong to this board. I would always lead the K from KQTxx. I would have thought about not losing to a singleton or doubleton J, never about entries as when leading from AKxxx. You read, you learn... *sits and waits for people-who-know to answer the question*