badderzboy

Interesting hand given the current thread on Jac 2NT running elsewhere! Using the 'old' fashioned version would it go... 1♠ - 2NT* 3♣(1) - 3♥ (2) 3♠(3)- 4♣(4) then either 4♦(5)-4♥(6) then 4NT or direct to 4NT (7) - 5♦(1 or 4) 6♠ IMPS or 6NT MPs depending on scoring? (1) Singleton & better than minimum (2) A ♥ (3) Nothing to cue yet (4) A♣ (5) K ♦ (6) Second round control must be singleton (7) Do u RCKB or ask for Spade Quality? Steve

Partner opens and you hold [hv=d=s&v=n&s=sakxxhdaqj109xckxx]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] We play Splinters etc how do you respond to 1♠? If you're using Jacoby 2NT what do you rebid if partner bids 3♦ showing a singleton / lead? If you bid 2♦ - delayed game raise partner bids 2♠? If you bid 4♥- splinter partner bids 4♠? If you RKCB ptr replies 5♠ 2 & Q and over 5NT ptr shows 1 king... Do u bid 7 and do u bid 7♠ or 7NT given it's MPs? Steve Full hands [hv=d=n&v=n&n=sakxxhdaqj109xckxx&s=sq10xxxxhakxxdxcax]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] How do u get to 7♠

PS Just a BILlie and I know you're a far superior / better player (honest) but I must admit I prefer ACOL to SAYC for the natural nature of all the bids and the pre-emptive value of the weak NT.. The reason I don't like Acol is with hands like this: AKxxx xxx J AKxx when partner bids 2D after my 1S opening, I can't rebid 2S as forcing. I would bid either 3♣ or 2NT here forcing, partner can bid 3♠ with 3 card support after either bid? :huh: What do u do with Kxxxxx xx J AKxx if 2♠ is forcing as a matter of interest? :( I also hate having to open 1H on 3433 16 counts. When partner bids 1NT, I now don't know whether to look for a game, which usually ends up in 1 off in 2NT, or pass, with 9 tricks cold. I also hate having to invent suits to establish a force (also a problem in SAYC, but I'm going to limit this to Acol). Yes agree with the 3433 hand and I'd pass any 1NT bid - awful shape for 3NT even with a max from partner and yes I lost 7 Imps in a team match recently with exactly this scenario ? :huh: Advantage of strong NT but also lets opps bid 1S if they can... Acols advantage here is that if you open a major then you have at least 5 or a strongish hand and 1NT is nicely pre-emptive... :) I live in the UK, and started off learning bridge by playing exclusively Acol for the first 4 years. This is why I have come to dislike it. I live in the UK too and started with SAYC for 6 months o/line then 'had' to switch to ACOL for the last 2 years to play regularly F2F I suspect you see the failiing of the old and benefits of the new when u switch as I much prefer ACOL! :ph34r: I accept that Acol can be improved on with lots of discussion, but the more you change it the less like Acol the system becomes Very True :)

I think the 3♠ bid is strange, you've denied a 5 card major by your opening so was it asking for a stop I wonder which is dangerous if u have no partnership understanding ?. Over 2NT East should just bid 3NT, you've limited your hand and shape and East knows that you don't have slam as with a max you would have 30pts... :P Much easier playing a weak NT 1NT-3NT.. :lol: Steve

Guilty too of defending my fellow BILlies People should ironically learn to bid first (priority 1 get to right(ish) place )and defend (we defend twice as much as we declare) but ... In terms of learning - Defence tends to be the last thing to learn as we all love to be declarer so we hone skills there. There are some excellent works by Kelsey on defence but you need the rudiments of the bidding to understand what opps bidding means so u have a clue what they have and what your partner is likely to have too after seeing dummy... Signalling - LTPB2 has a great section on Attitude/Count and when to use them - BUT you need to play them with a regular partner and agree which type - I play Lavinthal with one set of partners - Revolving with another and none with a less experienced partner who is learning revolving. I play Suit preference when giving a ruff too again it's in LTPB2 I think (Thx Fred v much for LTPB2 transformed my game in places!)... Conventions - we start off loving gadgets then forget most of them as we never use them apart from : stayman / transfers / blackwood of some description I also play U2NT. Michaels, Puppet Stayman, splinters & cue-bidding, neg dbls, UCBs, Grand Slam Force, Landy and ( Transfer Leb hopefully soon) and that's about it I 'know' others but I can't remember last time I used them and yes I know how to respond effectively to them all as does my fellow BILlies I regularly play with. Leads - hard to tell when watching someone there are different lead methods so they MAY play them some lead K from AK, some people lead 3 & 5ths etc, some play MUD from xxxx others always 4th highest and yes people underlead A's - I got a top f2f playing against a good pair who underled the A hehehe so not restricted to BILlies... In terms of teaching - the f2f class I go to has players who are equivalent to BILlies and the teacher has been covering Card Play both Defence and technique and it is hard work for most. I think it's the hardest to teach too and hard to 'make' up demo hands. Online, card play is well covered post tourneys with the teachers explaining when they can various techniques when they review the hands and MEMTI I think tends to have prepared hands. Finally, I agree with Justin - your effort depends on your goals - My first was to get onto the Roll of Honour in the comps at my local club ( did it winning below Masters tourney in my 1st year!) now I aim to teach in about 5 years time and win a local competition(years away lol) and who knows after that... Steve

In addition to Waynes reply too! Some of the comments re-inforce the purposes of the BIL - a place to LEARN and to make mistakes. There are some very good BILlies arclight and I would say you may have alienated any who read the forums! 1) absolutely no one there uses Count signals. A few use Attitude. (I am reduced to the point of considering buying a computer Bridge program so I can have someone to practice card reading and signaling with.) Attitude is standard in pick-up ptrships hence the vast majority of the time it is also in MBC too! I can & do use them with regular ptrs in BIL! in specific circumstances so INCORRECT! 2) Some people have a ton of conventions listed, yet they misapply them. Such as messing up a Blackwood response (or RKCBW). Or mistaking a splinter for a cue bid! Yes, the way to learn is by experience and getting something wrong is the best way to get it right and so do Adv+ I suspect! The initial excitement of the game is I need all these gadgets then after a while you learn you rarely need them! Part of the learning curve and should be more prevalent in BIL so what? 3) Not only are Ace underleads against a suit contract common, I've seen Ace underleads from AKxxx against a suit contract. (also undearleds from KQxxx against a suit contract) True, I see it in the classes I play in f2f too. I don't do it lol but once did People learn once you get burned by singleton Kings a few times... 4) People blasting into Blackwood without cue bidding, only to be set when they find they are off 2 Aces. Cue-bidding is for experienced pairs not pick-up too much chance of misunderstanding !!! 5) Few use standard carding, such as following with the lowest of touching honors from a sequence. Or leading 4th best (or whatever lead convention you like) Cannot agree at all with that comment !!! Most do BIL is with Vugraph one of the best places on BBO which is the best place to play and learn this game especially given the opportunity to see new ideas and systems from elsewhere in the world! Steve

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=saqxhkxxdxxckq10xx]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] This was a live hand which generated some interesting discussion about some fellow BILlie standard players. You are playing Acol with Weak NT 12-14 and your partner bids 1♣ natural What do you rebid as you have to make a false bid (too strong for 3NT directly) :) My feeling is to bid 1♦ for a number of reasons I need to make a delayed game raise looking for NT's,I don't want partner to raise a major bid to game and I really want to deflect a diamond lead! You could bid 3♦ as stopper asking for NT but then you're ignoring the possibility of a club slam etc? My fellow BILlies were horrified that I'd bid a 2 card suit here but if partner raises it I bid 3NT anyway <_< What would you do and what criteria do you use when selecting a false bid? Steve

I agree, the little trick I use is to mark such players as enemies! I also mark people who I occasionally play with as such too so they don't pop up everytime they log in but very regular ptr's do! I don't have any enemies hehehe ( I hope) but you can use the filters to display friends,enemies & world class. It would be great to have an 'acquaintance' option! Steve

As a recent learner, At first as a beginnner you think it is all about conventions determines your skill level and then after playing for a while wonder when was the last time I used convention X! I did focus on learning conventions and then found I never use them and it usually causes chaos when you do! A player needs to start as a Novice and play and play and play a bit more in the BIL ask for advice from fellow BILlies ( although remember we are just BILlies lol) - a great friendly place where people will happily provide advice and guidance cos' we've all just gone through the same learning curve! I think going through LTPB by Fred avaliable on the ACBL.org website gives a good foundation in SAYC and BB Basic and I'd upgrade to Beginner and play in BIL to cement the bidding and once comfortable then use LTPB2 to "improve" to Intermediate and likewise attend the excellent classes in the BIL. In terms of Conventions, the only ones to learn at first is Stayman / Simple Blackwood and leave it at that until you're comfortable with normal bidding to add in extra's with Transfer's first and neg dbls not far behind ! Steve

♠9x ♥ AKQJ ♦T98xxx ♣K Assuming that ptr has at least the following :- ♠AKQxxx ♥? ♦A? ♣A? Don't we have 13 off the top unless spades break Jxxx(x) or worse and ptr has at least 1 ♥ or no club lead if he has no ♥'s? Steve

Over the 1♥ then 1♠ would promise 5 ♠'s here I think! In an unopposed auction then 1♦-1♠-3NT-6NT would be the likely auction Steve

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=saxhkj10xdkqjxxcaj&s=skjxxhqxxdaxxckxx]133|200|Scoring: IMP Bidding... ..N....E....S....W... 1♦..1♥..2♥*....P 3NT...P....P....P[/hv] 2♥ is showing a good hand but no meaningful bid and is forcing. We also play Negative doubles promising about 8-11 and min 3 card support in a major... 6NT makes - who made the bad bid and how should it go instead? Steve

From a little bit of surfing... kibitz, kibbitz v.i., v.t., kibitzer n. related to kiebitzen, Kiebitz "kibitz, kibitzer": to look on and interfere or give unwanted, meddlesome or intrusive comments, advice or criticism, especially during a card game; to chat, converse [< Yiddish kibetsn < German kiebitzen < German thieves' jargon kiebitschen "to examine, search, look through, go through", influenced by German Kiebitz "any of several birds called peewits" (imitative)]. Never been called akin to a Peewit something close but not a Peewit! Steve

I only recently "learnt" how to count and I did it with advice I found elsewhere in the forum. First learning the hand patterns by rote (I think it's in BIL forum somewhere) - makes it easier to recognise them ... and then by looking only for outstanding significant cards in a % of hands then by painstakingly counting one suit a % of hands in a session then after the brainache & haze have eased tried two suits and then three and by definition 4! There's also the fun of counting opps hands v's the bidding to occasionally finding that extra clue - I blame Kelsey et al for that lol It does become a lot easier and more automatic the more you practice and after a while your brain does stop hurting! Now I just need to work out how to use it more effectively! Steve

Acol Bidding was 1♣ - 1♠ - Dbl - 1NT Dbl - 2♠ - pass - pass Dbl? As a BILlie I would look at the situation this way What has opener got and what hasn't he got :) ? If he has a balanced hand then he is 15+ and is 4-x-x-4 shape as he didn't open 1NT and did not support ♥s or ♦'s after the sputnik double and hasn't made a game NT try with a cue-bid etc. If he is unbalanced then he must be 5-x-x-4 shape or more shapely with a nice hand to double NT and then ♠'s. For the double over 1NT I would strongly suspect 17+ points and so I would take the last double as a penalty. The overcaller may have only 5♠'s and his partner 0-2 (he did'nt pre-emptively raise the suit over the double as what would you have done with this hand? [hv=s=skqjxxhxxdkxcxxx]133|100|[/hv] over 1NTx? Feel free to point out the flaws in my thinking :D

[hv=d=n&v=b&n=s4hqj10542d764ck106&w=s1076h7dq102cqj9873&e=skqj83ha8dakj3ca5&s=sa952hk963d985c42]399|300|Scoring: IMP Benji Acol (both pairs) RONF over weak 2's[/hv] Bidding at our table was 2♥-DBL-4♥-P-P-P-DBL-PPP (1) Is 4♥ a good bid here - possibly down 3 doubled Vul - Feel free to criticise I bid 4 ♥ - we were down 2 as West missed opportunity of leading through ♣ (2) Would u slam try on East's hand? Thanks Steve

I'm running 3.9.9 and it's nice and quick but noticed a strange thing? Playing in BIL - Table displayed 28 Kibs and only 11 displayed it got higher to 48 with only 6 kibbing - not a major problem but have a screen print if it would help? Steve

If I remember right - LTPB2 (download for ACBL & maybe BBO) covers this quite nicely for various hand types - It may be worth checking it out there? Steve

[hv=d=s&v=n&s=sk98hdakjxxcak1097]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] Playing in a relatively new partnership with an experienced player... Bidding is ACOL although same opening in SAYC? N.....E.....S.....W ..............1♦ - 3♥* (11-15ish jump o'call) 3♠....P....??? 3♠ promises a 'goodish suit' (1) What should I bid as South here 4NT(RKCB) , 4♥ or 5♠/5NT (asking for spade quality or just bid 6♠??? (2) Also if you bid 4NT (I did!) partner bids 5♦ (1 or 4)? What do u bid next? (5) What is 5♥ here best as Q ask or Heart control for NTs? I bid 5♥ and partner replies 5NT - what do u bid next??? Steve

After the 2 ♠ encouraging, could partner could help you by playing the K on the second round therefore prominsing the Q? You play off your A and then play to his alleged Q and bingo? Steve

Helene, you got mugged since (1) when do you alert your NT range if not 15-17 or is it an ACBL requirement? , opps can ask (I must admit I always alert the range to be polite so people don't get narked as I plat ACOL). (2) Your bid is not a psych as you do not significantly misrepresent your hand and the extra length and texture of the hand surely makes it worth 15-17, a question of judgement which a director cannot rule on surely?. It's a shame people try for the double play, if the dbl works I'm happy if it doesn't I'll moan and try and get an adjustment! I play a weak NT and this is too strong in my opinion for 12-14 and I would happily rebid 1NT showing 15-16 after a 1♦ opening Steve

I have been writing a document on takeout doubles and the normal repsonses to it 0-7 Suit bid at lowest level 8-11 Jump bid in suit 12+ Cue-bid of opening suit Jump to game - ?? pre-emptive long suit weakish hand?? 1NT 6-9 balanced decent stop in opps suit. What should 2NT mean here? I thought about this approach but expect this is either slightly mad or already exists ( if so what's it called?) where after 1♦-DBL-p-2NT* 2NT shows a two suited hand 5/5+ with 7+HCPs with any two suits excluding openers. Partner then rebids his shortest / worst suit (if 4-4-4-1) which should determine the best fit for the partnership. You can then bid game in the other suit with weak 7-? or cue-bid etc with a stronger hand looking for slam. Steve

Sorry Ben, I've corrected the 2♥ to 3♥ bid! I assumed as East - West play a weak NT (12-14) that East was at best 5-3-3-2 and I needed him to have 2 low spades so I decided to play West for Qxx of spades as any other combo and I am down 1. The only way I could see making the contract was if the spades were 3-2 as I must lose 2 diamonds and a Heart unless I can get rid of a diamond on Club BUT I'd need to draw trumps first and not lose to Q♠ on the way.. I did play the J Clubs covered by the Q and then J♠ and let it run! It did so a low spade to the King and a Heart ruff - draw the last trump with A♠ and played off Clubs which broke 3-3 as well to make 4♠+1 690. The reason I posted was I can't believe this was the best line just lucky it worked. [hv=d=n&v=n&n=sk3hk42d8632ckj106&w=sq54haj108d1095c543&e=s72hq973dakq7cq98&s=saj10986h65dj4ca72]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] PS East should have opened 1NT and I would bid 2♠ Steve

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=sk3hk42d8632ckj106&s=saj10986h65dj4ca72]133|200|Scoring: IMP Bidding N......E......S......W P.....1♥...2♠(1)..3♥ 3♠...4♥....4♠....P DBL? Ace heart lead followed by a club[/hv] (1) Intermediate jump overcalls (typically an opening hand) How do u play the hand? Steve

Any thoughts on a (i)Gambling 3NT bid if dbl goto 5♦ or (ii)an ACOL 2 bid of 2♦ (iii)A Benji 2♣ (acol 2 or bal 23-24) followed by 2♦(waiting) then 3♦? Steve