Hanoi5

I'd bid 1NT with this kind of hands but I haven't gotten great results. If you're winning the match 2♣+3♣ later might be enough.

All Red,Bidding goes: 1NT 2♠ X ??? ♠ ♥Qx ♦KT97xx ♣T8xxx Do you bid or pass? Double is for penalties, partner should have spades only.

It's very abnormal but it could be: 6-7 HCP with 3 clubs and spade stopper. 'I didn't bid 1NT earlier 'cause I didn't have the HCP's but if your clubs are so good and you have the other stoppers we could have a go at 3NT, if not just bid 3♣' It could also be: 10-12 with good spades and either 'Now that you rebid clubs I don't want to penalty-double them' or 'Since you rebid your clubs I don't think I'll get to penalty-double them, so NT is our best strain in my opinion'. Crazy ain't it? But that 2NT is. I guess it's meaning it's just a matter of partnership.

Age is overrated. But yes, I do think that more should be done to get more young people for bridge. And young people who play should be more helpful in this respect.

3♣ ought to be forcing. Unless partner isn't allowed to jump to 4♠ after our 'support' double. We should be passing minimum hands, so 12 with 5-5 could be passed expecting partner to reopen.

3♣, it should be fifth but X would lead to more trouble.

White vs Red, RHO passed, you hold: ♠Kxxx ♥KQxxx ♦Qx ♣Jx Your call?

I think bidding is more than 10% important. I'd say about a 15% or 20%. The thing with bidding is that there are many more possibilities and it seems very important (being the first part of the game and having so many rules). Also, if you learn bridge and start playing and have bad results and go to a teacher s/he'll add some conventions to your repertoire and you'll feel happier using them, naming them than going to a class and learning about planning the hand, etc. Also, people can get away with playing bad sometimes, I've seen so many people making 'mistakes' in the play and being rewarded by a friendly lie of the cards; and of course they think they're doing great. But a mistake in the bidding is easier to spot ('partner I just played in a 3-1 fit, you'd better learn splinters'). I do agree with all the previous comments on the importance of studying play and defense. These are the base of the game. And the numbers provided by the OP just show this: dummy play and defense just accounts for the 20% of difference in scores, that only means that their ability is so similar that it doesn't affect the score that much. And if you think that's not what it means, just check the way hands are played at that level, a beginner or intermidiate would hardly predict what happens, and an advanced player would usually just understand it. And if anyone still doesn't believe it, I guess a team match could be set up between the two factions (those who believe bidding is 80% important, those who believe is less than 20% important) to play ... minibridge. Only play and defense abilities will matter there.

Go to a witch and get a talisman. Then it won't happen again. As for this case, you're... done.

You're red and hold: ♠109xx ♥xx ♦AKQx ♣987 It goes: 1♦ Pass 1♠ 2♥ 2♠ Pass ??? Do you pass, invite, get to game? You expect 4 trumps in dummy (support double is on).

I think 4NT could be taken as a sign-off, but 4♠ should be forcing. What's the problem with bidding 6♣ right away?

And only one government and economic system.

I think West is lying about opening 1NT with that hand. Or very bad.

I'd let the result stand and keep the money. Why is South complaining? He didn't know what was happening and doubled with three tricks in a suit where dummy has 5 cards, which could result is setting up that suit, what did s/he expect?

Though I admitted that I was tempted to pass after thinking about double and 4♠, a simulation showed me that 4♠ is better because when it doesn't make it usually turns out to be a good sacrifice. Minors suck according to that simulation.

My first thought was a club (the Ace) but that could be very wrong so I decided it might be better to play through dummy's strength in spades.

Does this rate to be a normal contract? Yes, I'd say it's pretty normal though there might be a contender by greedy MP players: 3NT How do you plan to play trumps? I had planned to play the King first, before finessing, but I guess a singleton 9 is a bit more likely than a singleton Q. When might you play to ruff the ♠7 and when not? Again I hadn't thought of this, I just imagined parking it in a diamond... After you decide on trumps, how to play the hand if no trump losers, or if one trump loser? If no trump loser I suppose I'd play diamonds from the top, throwing the losing spade on the third top diamond. If diamonds are not good I'll let the ♣10 run unless it's covered. If I lose a trump I'll be depressed and probably finish down (unless the diamond miracle occurs, though I guess I can try the diamond finesse if the ♥ finesse loses to East. What is the best chance for 11 tricks? Running the ♣10 if diamonds don't behave. After finessing trumps, of course. Is there a line where you might make 12 tricks? Of course! By ruffing a spade, winning all hearts and winning 5 diamond tricks... Line 1 sounds like 12 tricks. I ruff my spade in dummy and see if I can get 5 diamond tricks. Line 2 doesn't seem so good. I draw trumps and try to see how diamonds behave.

3♦, I guess. I'm not sure we belong to NT but I don't know how to tell this to my partner. 4♠ over 3NT afterwards?

Death is just a part of life. It's probably one of the things which you better think about with faith rather than science.

What about redouble? Would it show a first-round control in hearts? Then that's my choice.

I don't quite like your defense to Multi. I think I would have bid 3♦ instead of clubs in both cases, but your choice might be better to help partner to get to 3NT. Anyway I think I would double 3♥ in both cases but then my defense to Multi consists in anchoring the bid to hearts, so partner wouldn't expect spades as I think he would in your case (?).

Well, the book does explain that you need to pay close attention at certain kinds of texts. What really surprised me was the vocalizing thing. Who reads without hearing the words being read in his/her mind? Well, it could be worse, I've seen people moving their mouths as they read.

I've just started reading Speed Reading for Dummies. I'm going slow with it though... Have you read about it? Do you use that sort of technique or do you vocalize when you read? Would it be possible/profitable to read bridge books using speed reading?

I don't think it's the same. And in what language is effect femenine? In Spanish it's masculine, in Emgllish it has no genre...

♣Q and 4.