luckyloser

you are green vs red. Matchpoints P opens 1♦, you play better minor rho overcalls with 1♥ you hold, what now? ♠ 863 ♥ J85 ♦ KJ8 ♣ Q965 all possible bids tell a lie, which one do you choose? Dbl promises 4♠ 1NT promises a ♥ stopper but shows the distribution and strength 2♦ promises 4♦ but shows support and gives a clue if P is on lead pass shows less than 7 HCP but does not promise anything for me dbl is out but the other 3 choices are all sensible. at matchpoints it may be necessary to compete, also at this vulnerability there may be a save. on the other hand it is only a bad 7-count.

p surely has the c K. in fact partner was waiting for a clue. declarer´s hand is totally unknown, it can be a monster or maybe below average. his 3nt call tells very little. so it may well be that he has to cash the h A before it gets lost. oviously a count signal is useless since p will know the exact c count on the next trick, there simply are no more c out. playing the low card shows interest in the lower suit, so p can switch to d with very good results. a high c would normally show s but here it simply shows no d interest.

we assums the bidding goes: 1♣ 1♥ 1♠2♠ what now? should opnere try for game, or bid it or pass?

MP, E opens 3♣, W bids 3NT. P leads ♥2 (you play length signals throughout, so low from odd) and you see this dummy and your hand: ♠AQ ♥xx ♦x ♣AT98xxxx ♠J32 ♥J9 ♦AKT987 ♣64 dummy plays low and you the ♥J which declarer wins with the Q. now decl plays the♣J which p covers with the Q and dummy wins the A. Whats your plan?

♠AQJx ♥ ♦Kxxx ♣KQxxx ♠xxxx ♥KQxxx ♦xxx ♣x NS play better minor. N declarer, not vuln. N opens 1♣, S responds 1♥, N bids 1♠ how should the bidding continue? should S bid 2♠? he is minimum but has a ruffing value and a good sidesuit which p knows and thus can judge easily? if S raises, should N bid 4♠, try with a minor or 3♠ or pass?

I agree on your analysis. however I think 3 s does not do justice to your hand. it shows , as you suggest 9-10 p. you have a (modern) opening bid! also 3c does not raise the level more than 3s nor does it compel to game it merely gives a strong invitation. I consider it the only possible bid now with 3s far too timid. I would prefer 4s to 3s. you also know something about openers hand: he was more or less compelled to reopen with short clubs. he would dble with 5332 or 5341 or 5431. he did not. he either has very long and strong s or a void in c with no other suit. so he is very likely to hold either excellent s or more likely at least 6. your 2 aces will pull full weight. a Q behind the strong opp also. I dont think you could be stronger for a mere invitation, so make the strongest possible.

thank you all for your comments! my conclusion is the following I am pretty sure that game in notrump is much less likely than in 4s or even some other suit. opps are going to lead c and may well get in to run them. however the first bid can only be pass, 2s, 2nt or 3c. all have drawbacks as you pointed out. I gave the actual pass and opener rebid s. interestingly most of you did not make it clear what to bid now. for me any number of nt is out. pass, 3c, 3s and 4s remains. what is your opinion? does opener at least have a sound opening bid with good s? if we think yes, then our pass could not be good. is game likely? should we invite game (3s or 3c) or bid it and will p know to accept with just a smidgeon of reserves?

both green, you (N) hold ♠ 56 ♥ AQ3 ♦ A56 ♣ Q5432 playing better minor P opens 1♠showing 5 and rho bids 2♣ you elect to try for a trap pass dbl and pass (would you?), lho passes P now bids 2♠ and RHO passes, what now?

♠A98765 ♥9876 ♦5 ♣K5 RHO opens 2♦ (normal weak two in ♦). It is Matchpoints, You are green they red. Should you stick in a ♠bid or await developments? Would you consider a 2♠bid as silly, normal or excellent?

the auction is not relevant if opps pass (if they has bis i would have given the auction) throughout and how you bid to 6 s makes no difference your Analysis is correct. when there is no Information about a possible bad d break cahing the second top seems normal. then you must decide about the h Position. since lho with 8 Clubs to the A would surely have bid, playing for the h J onside seems best.

i meant 6♠! the lead is a smal ♦, lets say the 7. the auction is not relevant. you take the d leed, draw trumps in 3 rounds (lho discards 2 small c). then you cash the second Diamond honor. the only possible Problem arises: lho Shows out. so he had a stiff trump and a stiff d. take it from there.

♠987 ♥QT2 ♦J543 ♣KQ2 ♠AKQ234 ♥AK3 ♦AK62 ♣- IMPs. I shall give some additional Information later if need be but you can make your plan now. You are in 6♠, a ♦ is lead and RHO inserts the 7. Trumps break 3-1 with LHO discarding 2 low ♣. Over to you.

♠AQ65 ♥J4 ♦98753 ♣94 Matchpoints, both vulnerable RHO opens 1NT (15-17), LHO passes and P balances with 2♣(majors, at least 5-4, HCP more or less unknown). RHO now bids 3♣. Is your hand worth 3♠ or not?

the 5h bid can have 3 meanings: is your ♥suit better than you promised do you have a ♦ control is your hand better than you promiesd if you can solve the stopper issue in a different way, then the bid asks for ♥quality here however the bidding was too high. p (N) could not show his ♠ and ♣ controls and a ♥fit and also keep the bidding open. therefore you must show the ♦A by bidding 6♦ and a second round control by bidding 6 ♥. if you are shy because your hand is very weak, you may just bid 6♥ the third meaning is absurd on that level

matchpoints, better minor, all red ♠Axx ♥AKQJ10x ♦Q109 ♣Q rho passes, you open 1♥, p responds 1♠, what now?

all green, matchponits, you play better minor rho passes, you open 1♣ on ♠AKxx ♥xx ♦Qxx ♣QJxx lho bis 3♥ an p dbles. rho bids 4♥, you 4♠ and lho 5♥. p passes. what now? is partners pass forcing? suppose lho passe over your 4♠ and rho bids 5♥, would your pass be forcing?

green, matchpoints your system is better minor (5card majors, 15-17 nt) you hold: QJ10xx 10 Kxxx J10x p opens 1♥ and after your 1♠ response jumps to 3♥ do you pass or bid on (if so what?)?

thx, this is my opinion too. surely this dbl does not offer ♠ or ♥. if it is a pure penalty or an optional dbl with ♦ and ♣ is open. both bids (pass or 2♦) would have led to a top. the actual bid (2♥) forced p to bid 3♦ which could not be made. this was ps hand: ♠A23 ♥2 ♦AT567 ♣JT56

♠J65 ♥AQT76 ♦J98 ♣K6 is your hand at MP with none vul. you play sayc (more or less). you elect to open first in hand with 1♥, p responds 1nt, rho intervenes with 2♣ and you face this decision soon: 1♥-p-1NT-2♣ p-p-DBL-p ? What do you know about partners hand and what the hell does his dbl mean? Most of all what do you bid (and what not)?

this is a matter of style. knowing what partner expects is critical. if, for instance, you reverse with this hand and your partner is a BBO-robot you will end up in 7nt opposite many hands that just qualify for game.

a high spade shows interest in ♥. yes

not quite... but, anyway, what do you bid?

♠KD87 ♥T63 ♦T65 ♣D85 pairs. opps are vul (not very strong). you lead high from even, show count and lavinthal. odd is encouraging. p passes, rho opens 1♦. lho bids 1♠. rho bids 2♣ and lho now bids 2♥ (natural, not strong). rho bids 2NT which is passed out. you lead 8♠ dummy goes down with ♠AT54 ♥DB82 ♦8 ♣BT32 dumms plays low an p the 6 (count). you hold the lead and continue with the 7♠. dummy inserts the T and p wins with the J, decl discards a ♦. P returns the 9♠, won by the A in dummy (decl again discards a ♦. dummy now leads the ♣J passed to you (p playing the 6). What now? Be specific!

♠3 ♥T64 ♦AT986 ♣9865 pairs, you are vul. rho opens 2s and lho raises to 3s. p bids 4c. do you or don´t you?

pairs, both green. lho opens 2h (normal w2), p dbles and rho raises to 3h. after two passes p dbles again. rho passes, what do you bid? Qxx Qx Qxxx JTxx to my mind you have at least 4 reasonable choices: pass, 3s, 4c, 4d one choice is very good, one good, one unlucky and one bad... which is which?