Rossoneri

[hv=pc=n&s=sq8742hkt953dct84&w=s93ha62djt8652c63&n=sak6hqj8dkq3cakq5&e=sjt5h74da974cj972&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=pp2cp2dp2np3dp3nppp]399|300[/hv] 3♦ was unalerted. NS agreement is a transfer. After the J♠ lead, NS made 12 tricks. Scoring is Butler IMPs. The director was called at the end of the hand. South claimed that he said "I think there's been a misunderstanding." when East made the face-down lead. East disputed this. After further questioning, the players agreed that South did say that before East had faced the lead. On his turn to play, West asked what 3♦ should be and was now correctly told that it should be a transfer. How would you rule?

Well, what if you are not playing Smith? Also, you would play the same even in the second case?

Say you decide to lead the T from AT9xx against a NT contract. Dummy comes down with 3 small. Partner overtakes with the J and declarer plays the K. What would you place partner with? Would it matter if your agreements are modified slightly from standard so that from a suit headed by T9 you would lead the 9 instead?

I lead the ♥7 as well.

I like this auction. Also with 6 diamonds and 5 hearts do most people bid 2H over 1S instead of 2D?!

Table result stands. South is allowed to deviate from partnership agreement provided there is no concealed partnership understanding/agreement, which leads to the second question - yes, if South has a history of doing the same with the same partner, it points to a (very likely) concealed partnership understanding/agreement. The change would be that I would give N/S a warning or PP (depending on how experienced/previous offences). As for the table result, I quite agree with Richard so it will still stand. In both cases, I think a recorder form would be appropriate.

Saw this on vugraph. [hv=pc=n&n=s873htdakj9874c93&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=p1s3d3sp4sppp]133|200[/hv] What do you lead? Do you think that A♦ is clear cut?

But play ceases after the objection to the claim, no?

I started my account Dec 2003, after starting to learn the game and being told that BBO was far better than Yahoo or MSN...

2N. Pass seems like a good way to concede a bottom.

Of course, it gets even better when 7 of clubs gets you a naan, 7 of hearts doughballs and 7 of spades clearing all debts isn't it? (Although we have decided to change 7 of hearts to something else due to the fact that Coventry doesn't seem to have a Pizza Express anywhere at all...) Fun part was last month when partner racked up 3 naans and 3 beers and I won the last trick with the 7 of spades playing 4H in the last board of the session.

Well, on this side of the pond, "fittest" would be right as well.

5♣ seems fine. This seems like an auction where no one knows who is sacrificing.

Thanks for the replies. At the table, I tried 2 rounds of diamonds with AK after winning the club lead, EW following both rounds, and played off A and J of spades, winning the second round, and seeing the Q fall from West. After some thought and deciding that it was a true card, I ruffed a spade, ruffed a club, ruffed another spade, cashed K of clubs discarding a heart and now I played a heart off dummy to my K which held. Now I could draw the last trump and concede just a heart at the last trick. (So the trumps broke 2-3 and spades broke 2-4) Needless to say, if East had gone up with the A and returned a club I would be in trouble... I couldn't quite work out what the best line was at the post-mortem as well.

So, this seems to be the best line if diamonds break 4-1?

[hv=pc=n&s=sk7532hkq6dqj83c3&n=sajh873dak54cak86&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1sp2cp2dp2hp2np3dp3np4dp5dp6dppp]266|200[/hv] J♣ led. What is your plan to make the contract? (Apologies if some might find it too easy!)

This sounds very reasonable.

Polish seems obvious, as is Italian. I've not personally seen any myself, but I think there exists the possibility of some gems in Chinese somewhere.

Well, with 31 HCP, it's not very likely that bidding stayman will be tipping off opponents, hence I disagree. I do agree with other posters that with that many points, 3N usually rates to be the better contract, but there is a real risk of missing a cold 6♠. Jorrit probably sums it up the best.

First of all, why is 2NT not available as a major raise? :P Well, back to your question, I bid 4♥ and I'm timid that way.

1. Are you playing IMPs or MPs? 2. You've got a combined 31 count at least, when would you think it's right to bid Stayman then?

Well, for starters, I am looking at the diagram on the first link and having some doubts about this guy's claims already. Skimming through the long report, I am not getting a very good idea of how the comparisons are being made. Feel free to correct me if you've read it in detail and found something I've missed.

Which airline(s) is/are this/these? Personally, I've noticed Emirates airfares going up every single time I check and they never seem to go down, so this means more of my money going to Singapore Airlines. If it's one of the budget airlines, things might be different though.

Would have passed as well. I have no idea what Woolsey is, but surely there must be a way for North to show that kind of hand?

The full hand: [hv=pc=n&s=sa86hjt543d854cat&w=sq943h2da93ckqj96&n=sjhakq9876dj2c532&e=skt752hdkqt76c874&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=4hppdp4s5hppp]399|300[/hv]