Trudy1959

1. I would bid 1♠ 2. I would bid 3nt over 2♦ ... we have the values and likely the tricks (♦ suit) for game ... I want to protect my round suit tenaces and play in the likely best scoring game 3. 4♦ if this is slam-going Tru

I choose to double because i have a bad hand for declaring and a good hand for defending. - 5♠ seems wrong without any aces, or voids/singletons - Pass seems wrong because I have defensive values that 2♠ did not show. - 5♥ is a possible alternative, although only in my most regular partnerships. Tru

I bid 4♠ with this hand because: 1. My partner will always have a good hand and a decent 5+ card suit (usually distributional 6 card suit or better) 2. I want to put as much pressure on the opponents as I can; maybe they will take a phantom sacrifice in 5m, maybe they will make a bad lead and let 4♠ make 3. If I pass, I don't have any clues as to a good lead (is a trump lead right? a small ♥?). Tru

i am uncomfortable bidding 2nt given my shape and shoddy intermediates (although 2nt seems to have some preemptive merit vs. opponent's potential major suit fit) nonetheless, i bid 1d (and if partner bids 1H, i resign myself to 1nt) ... this line is suboptimal, but may induce opponents to enter an auction they had best stay out of. hopefully i am winning sklansky matchpoints. Best, Tru