firmit

Hi It's been a long time since I last posted here - thought I'd share a hand, which me and my new partner did not quite agree on which route to take. [hv=pc=n&s=sk542hakq82d8ct43&n=saj93hdj942ckq852]133|200|North dealer[/hv] We are trying out transfer bids over 1♣. We started like this 1♣-1♦ 1♠-2♦ 3♦ What does 3♠ actually mean here? What type of 3NT would "fit" best here? How would you bid this hand? I question whether 2♦ is correct - what would 3 show; jump i 4th suit? Must be mini-splinter of some sort, right? But I am not sure I like the range, as the bid is limit or strong slam interest.

If I remember correctly: Kx Tx AKxx K10875 - QJ AJxx J10xx AQx Spade lead. Then club A.

From real life. First table against opps. Contract is 3nt. W opened 2S. I have 9, if this clubsuit breaks: K10873 - AQ5 I have communication. From table, I play the 3 to A, seeing a small card from E and 9 from W. I need 5 clubs to make 9. You have no stoppers left in spades. How should I play my clubs? Would it make any difference if east's card was the 4? Is this really a wtp?

I recieved the Bridgemaster level 2-4 as a gift from BIN after having an article published. But I don't have windows installed. However, I am able to use wine with BBO, so I thought it would be easy to install BridgeMaster under wine as well. But nooo - the cdrom is required - and the dreadful cdrom check prevents me from using it under Linux with wine. Is there any - ANY - way around this? I'd really like to try this out... (I have the codes, reciept and everything if you wonder).

Holy crap! This is awesome! Very nice, Fred! B)

I agree. I am no expert - faaaar from it. I have only been playing for a couple of years. However - I do have some feelings with regards to consistency with the system I'm using. (1) Every jump in partners suit is pre-emptive ( obviously ) - regardless of opps interference (2) Bid vs dbl vs pass - is respectively (normally) patterning/weak/strong if initially partner made ANY forcing bid, after opps make any action besides pass. (3) When competing - if new suit is bid by advancer, one always have secondary support in overcallers suit. Everything else is common sense! This works for me. I may be way off, though! ;)

I'm placing ♣K in LHO - why did he not lead trumph? I might lead from Kxx - so I place trumphs Kx - Jxx. I am expecting the diamond finesse to go - if not, I am already down. If RHO has 3 dia's + Jxx of trumph + ♦K - it might just make. Same : ♥K then ♦Q

You hold: ♠- ♥A7xxx ♦K10x ♣K109xx Sitting South. MP - vul N/S - you hear RHO open 1♠. Your call please - and what is your forecast for this auction?

I upgrade to the latest version - 10.0.12.36 on my 2.6.26-686 kernel, using Iceweasel/Firefox 3.0.3. It works on my laptop. Still need to try it on my desktop when I get back home, though, but I suspect it should work now :)

I held this hand yesterday: ♠ AQT ♥ A9xx ♦ xx ♣ ATxx MP - First seat, vul. Playing in a intermediate field - I choose to upgrade this hand. The reason for doing it, was that if I opened 1♣, and partner said 1♠, I felt that I would be to strong for a 1NT rebid... Another thing - I don't use Zar points all that much, but when thinking about upgrading/downgrading, I tend to use it to get a "second opinion" - here I have 14+10+6=30zars - which may be 1 point short - but... swap the cards around, and I believe one can construct numerous hands where 1NT is the "obvious" choice. Do you agree? What is your criteria for upgrading a 14hp balanced hand to a 15hp - so you can open a strong 1NT?

I am unable to login - I am using Linux - Debian with Iceweasel (Firefox) - the Flash loads , but I get Connection lost EVERY time. What is that all about? It worked in earlier versions. This also means, I am unable to use BBOTV for vugraph. Any ideas why this happens?

I read a fairly interesting article about Palin today: http://www.newsweek.com/id/160080/page/1 I must say - the author is well articulated!

Well - that was actually my follow-up question - what do you open with even length in the minors (i.e. 4-4 minors). I guess there is no problem when you have opened 1♦ and respond 2♣ to the 1♠/neg.dbl - it is simply a preference and support bid. But given the agreement to open your lowest 4c suit (open 1♣ with 4-4 in minors) - should 2♦ promise reverse values as in the OP? Or do you always open 1♦ with 4-4 in the minors?

Assume a natural system. Bid them up the line. Lowest 4c suit. 1♣-(1♥)-1♠!-(pass) 2♦ - where 1♠ denied 4 c spades - thus minor oriented or strongish. In the actual situation, she rebid 2♣, holding 4-1-4-4 and 12hp - because she felt any other bid would be reverse. But what is 2♦ in this position - given that 1♠ is "take-out"? Is it reverse, or natural preference?

Agree. In most expert system, 2♥ 100% RF. But for SAYC - 2♥ is merely patterning out - is it not? What is taught to beginners, is that a new suit below your first suit is NF, if not FSF. At least in Norway this is common practice.