shevek

Correct, as per usual. If HA, East can throw South in to lead away from SK at t13. Thanks for the tip

[hv=pc=n&s=skt2hq8542dt2ca54&w=sq753hj76dj5cqj83&n=s9864hat9dk43ct76&e=sajhk3daq9876ck92&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=pp1dp1sp2np3nppp]399|300[/hv] ♥2 led, 3rds & 5ths.

These old Rubens advances have merit. Ironic to see them now used for responses, rebids, soon maybe opening bids (if the ACBL makes that change to their charts) Of course, you can't show the red suits, like a negative double. In this auction, Joe Amsbury didn't like 2♣ as a cue raise. He wrote something like "Why let opener's red suits back in when your partner has gone to the trouble to shut them out." SO 2♥ as the raise is maybe a bit better.

In a mild way. Our opening method is strong club with relays. Over 1x, responder bids the step to ask, many of the rest are non-forcing. A similar style with overcalls: (1♣) - 1♠ - (no) - ? Now 2♦/♥ by advancer are constructive non-forcing. 2♣ is what the English (used to?) call an unassuming cue bid. Advancer might have: ♠54 ♥KQT4 ♦AJ654 ♣64 or some strong hand or a good raise

In Australia ... 2♦ - 2NT - 3♥/♠ is not allowed. So 3♣ shows hearts, any strength. One advantage of this is that responder will declare game in opener's suit, whether weak or strong. This is quite important. After 2♦ - 2NT - 3♦ responder bids 3♠ to invite, which opener obviously passes with a minimum, accepts with a maximum. On hands where responder is interested in game in one major but not the other, p/c response of 2♥/♠ works fine. So Helene's is always available as natural, forcing if you wish, though could be a GF spade raise, requiring opener to cue a shortage.

I'm sure all you guys are right but I would tend to play West for ♣K. Run diamonds throwing a club, cash the other top spade then four rounds of hearts, throwing in West with ♥Jxxx. Slightly inferior maybe ...

[hv=pc=n&s=sk864hq84dk983cq5&n=sqj72hjtdqjtcakj7&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1np]266|200[/hv] So nothing makes. East had ♠T3 ♥AK52 ♦7 ♣T86432 and 4♠ was lost two ruffs for -150. 3NT has no play on a heart lead but a club lead would test West. Prefer 3NT on the South cards. Likely to be lacking the firepower to hold the defenders to 3 tricks. Admittedly, the North hand turned out to be very notrumpy. Terrible hand so there is a case for raising to 2NT. (Hoefully via 2♠ = clubs or a raise)

[hv=pc=n&s=sk864hq84dk983cq5&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1np]133|200|15-17[/hv] IMPs, nil vul. Stayman or 3NT, or ....

Against that, 5-1 clubs favour taking the hook. Give East something like ♠KJT ♥xxx ♦Kx ! ♣QJxxx Now hooking ♣10 gains because you find out next trick that clubs won't come in while there is still time to revert to diamonds. It's close ....

The full hands .... [hv=pc=n&s=saqht84d53cakt986&w=s976543ha32dt6c54&n=s82hk765daqj982c3&e=skjthqj9dk74cqj72&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=2d(multi%2C%203-7%20pts)3d3h(p%2Fc)d3spp3nppp]399|300[/hv] ♠7 led, East playing ♠K. The first point being that spades are blocked. West could have this suit or maybe ♠J97xxx. Winning is to retake the diamond hook, then cross to the ♥K, almost certain to win. What you can't do is cash ♣AK first, which gives them 5 tricks to cash. If you think spades are not blocked and decide to go for clubs, have to hook ♣10. Actual club layout and West having ♣Hx are equivalent. [hv=pc=n&s=sqjt76hajt9d7ca97&w=s4hk643dkt9653c63&n=sak92h72da84ckj42&e=s853hq85dqj2cqt85]399|300[/hv] 6♠/S on ♦10 lead. You take the heart hook, then draw some trumps (okay 2 is better) and lead a heart off dummy. Restricted choice suggest trying for ♥Qxx onside before turning to clubs but the 1-3 trump break slightly skews it. Would feel bad if it lost with the club hook working. Most got it right. [hv=pc=n&s=sk53hat842daj4ckq&w=sajt87hk73d9765c2&n=s42hq96dkt32ct987&e=sq96hj5dq8caj6543&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=pp3c]399|300[/hv] I could have asked what you do if you double and partner bids 3♦. Anyway, 3♥ seems "best" for -100. Double then 3NT looks like -200 on a spade lead. Worse on a club lead and ♠Q switch. Double then passing 3♦ could be -300 when partner gets trumps wrong. Double is flexible of course and gains when partner has a 5-carder. Against that, you will miss a heart fit, when partner has 4-3 majors. With the actual, double then 3♥ would work, problem being that partner would take you for (a) a better hand and suit or (b) 4-5 majors if you you play Equal Level Conversion here.

[hv=pc=n&s=saqht84d53cakt986&n=s82hk765daqj982c3&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=2d(multi%2C%203-7%20pts)3d3h(p%2Fc)d3spp3n]266|200[/hv] West leads ♠7, 3rds & 5ths - 2 - K - A. You take a diamond finesse: 3 - 6 - Q - 4. Now what? And this one: [hv=pc=n&s=sqjt76hajt9d7ca97&n=sak92h72da84ckj42]133|200[/hv] You play 6♠/S on ♦T lead. They know that you are 5-4-1-3. They didn't bid. Heart finesse at trick two loses to ♥K. Ruff the next diamond, cash ♣A, draw trumps ending in dummy. East had 3 of them. You lead a heart off dummy. Small. And you? (Feel free to dispute the early play) Bonus bidding question: [hv=pc=n&s=sk53hat842daj4ckq&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=pp3c]133|200[/hv] Enjoy

W_N_E_S P1 P2 P3 P4 1 natural pass 2 13+, any 3 could be a good hand (bids are obstructive) 4 near Yarborough This has happened a few times, almost always successful for us, the strong passers. Once I passed out with a flat 2-count to find opponents had 620. Never tried this 3rd in hand opposite a 13+ pass in first seat. Seems less likely to gain.

[hv=pc=n&w=sakhaqj5daq9642c9&e=s763hk732d875ct85&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=2cp2dp3dp4dp4h(Or%20is%20this%20a%20cue%3F)ppp]266|200[/hv] Is this auction possible? If you would have opened 1♦, ignore the rest. Do people play a second negative over 3♦? Can East bid 3♥ over 3♦ with four? Is 4♥ normally a control bid here? (In which case you can never find a 4-4 major fit at this level) TIA

Where you play, what does this mean to most people? 1♣/1♦ - (1♥) - X Is it a) takeout, nearly always exactly four spades b) takeout, denying four spades, since 1♠ would show 4+ c) shows 4+ spades (because people play some sort of inversion where 1♠ is takeout without four spades) Or something else

This is unhelpful advice for directors. AK5 & 742 are clear I guess. Let's say West has ♠8 and declarer has ♠J7. Jack first because it has a pretty picture on it? With ♠T7. 10 first because it's an honour? With ♠97. Bad luck. One down. Don't really care but clarity would be welcome.

In practice, 4D is a trump ask, so not used to find a good holding in suit x in order to play slam in y. With that, you are stuck with SPs & DCB. I think we play 4D - 4M - 4NT as natural invite.

Describer doesn't know the trump suit. Say bids 4H and asker then bids 5D. This says "Bid on with extras including good diamonds". (Where "good" is defined as Hx, Hxx, HHxx, etc. Think of it as natural Denial Cue Bidding. after 4D 4H = min or extras with bad hearts 4S = extras, good Hs, bad Ss 4NT = 9+ SPs 5C = extras, good majors, bad clubs .... Can also use it after SPs known. Then functions as a trump ask.

Continue after sign-off. If shape is out & asker bids - say - 3NT, describer resurrects with (a good) base +4 SPs, so 9 for a positive to 1C.

Never liked or used 4D end signal. Partly a memory issue. A jump to game before shape is completely resolved is natural. Dicey if you switch to RKC just because shape is out. We use 4D as a mild slam try. When shape is out but strength unknown, 4D says "Bid 4H with any minumum, bid bad trump suits upwards with a max" (Bid 4NT with a resurrect) Max is loosely defined as +2 SPs or +1 Kontrols. Sometimes you will have AKxxx opp xxx. Takes ages to track down whether one of those xxx is the queen. 4D does this Say partner's 3-2-6-2 positive comes out at 3S (See other thread!) AKJxx, AKxx, Kx, xx Qxx, xx, Axxxxx, Ax would be nice, if marginal. Bid 4D over 3S to check it out. Then 4S over 4H (or pass 4S) Responder continues with actual. (And can reach grand with D-AQxxxx as well) Note that 4C strength ask is pretty useless.

We still resolve those shapes, basically so opener can check for the 5-3 Major fit. These came out 1 step lower with us, so last shape can zoom: 3H = 2236 3S = 2326, 5-6 SPs & split 3N = 2326, 7-8 SPs 4C = good 9SPs, etc

Well, ultimate B is strong pass. We once did a bidding challenge with opener being dealt 13+ any (or equivalent), no intereference, otherwise random. We had our one opening call of PASS. They had their usual SAYC. Expecting a loss, we had a narrow victory and a credit to relay. Must try it again one day with BOT interference.

This I don't understand. If I open a 15-17 notrump with ♠JT5 ♥K7 ♦AQT54 ♣A93 no books get thrown, nor system cards edited.

I played against a pair who would open 1♦ with 5M332 10-12. That seems legal most places and has some merit. So their 1♦ was any 10-12 bal. 2♣ & 2♦ where natural, no major since canapé.

The full hand: [hv=pc=n&s=sj64haqj84dkj5ckt&n=skqhkda9863caj742]133|200[/hv] I don't mind Jxx, prefer it to Qx. Would ♠JTx make all the difference? Kaplan - Ruben is skewed towards suit contracts. For NT, this might be better than ♠Ax ♥AKxxx ♦Axx ♣xxx This certainly makes 1NT a better choice than 1♥. You can see where this is heading ... The field opened a 15-17 NT and North ploughed into slam. 6♦ made with Qx in the pocket. (& hearts 4-3) 6NT had the extra chance of dropping ♦Q then club finesse or squeeze. I reckon it's a 16-count. The alternative is to get with the stength and switch to a 15+ club to avoid swings like this. I don't like today's "Standard" to dictate our ranges.

These decisions are often crucial. If you stretch to open 1♣, you sail into a tight game. [hv=pc=n&s=sj64haqj84dkj6ckt]133|100[/hv] Straight Precision with 13-15 1NT. 1♣, 1♥ or 1NT?