vuroth

I really really hate adding gadgets to my game just because they're there, but I'm actually having a hard time seeing how to cuebid effectively without this gadget....

Win in hand, play the Ace then Queen of clubs. I sure hope clubs are 5/3 or better though (EDIT: tbh, way better to be true than the 50% finesse.....).

Knowing the field is obviously important. If the field can't even find a plain major game, then pushing to 6 fearing a zero is wrong. Also, if the stronger field isn't bidding past 4♥, why is exploring for a slam so defensible? I still don't see why 4♥ couldn't be as short as a singleton, even having read the explanation. The only reason you didn't get a zero is that your opponents made an atrocious, inexcusable lead. I understand that slam might have been on if the stars aligned (opps silent with a 10 card fit, etc), but not every slam is biddable, right?

Thanks. Been thinking about slam bidding lately, and I always seem to have a concern once we start cuebidding that nobody's going to know how to avoid going slam when we both have minimum openers with decent controls....

Rather than write down my guess as to what these are, could someone please explain what these conventions are? Specifically, what problems they solve, what to do if you don't use them, when/if B/I should use them, what you give up by adopting them, etc. For reference, this is a spinoff of jillybean's thread - feel free to use this auction if it helps.

Not really sure how [hv=n=skqxxhakxxdxxxcax&s=sa98753hqt3dk95cq]133|200|[/hv] is a good slam. I'm not sure how to stay out of slam when it's not there on these types of auctions. I guess my plan is bid 4♦, bid 4♠ over 4♥, and pass 4♠? Incidentally, this seems like the kind of hand where a lot of B/I would bid 4♠ right now, embarrassed that they'd already overbid their hands. V

Honestly, sometimes I pass these, sometimes I bid 1♠. If my partner opened 4 spades and I held 16?? anything I'd probably be really ticked off, and I seldom get upset with partners...

Without reading Justin's hint,

I don't see

I'd better

I agree with GGWhiz. That article was a little overblown. Heck, half of it didn't even apply to the Coulter case - different law, different criteria, different decision. I would prefer a US-style free speech law, but I don't think the Canadian situation is overly onerous. The only case I can recall when the hate speech laws were successfully invoked were for Ernst Zundel, and I don't miss him at all. That said, I think UofO embarrassed itself mightily on this one. Someone should have gone the extra mile to make sure Coulter would get her chance to speak. V PS - if next time I google Playboy jdonn and WinstonM are my first 2 matches, I'm going to hate you all forever. ;)

Hopefully it's just geography, but I would treat 2♦ as NF

I'm far too young to pretend to know the greatest. Since I've enjoyed the thread, I'll pay back with some juxtaposition. ----- Sun comes up, it's Tuesday morning hits me straight in the eye guess you forgot to close the blind last night Oh, that's right, I forgot, it was me I sure do miss the smell of black coffee in the morning, the sound of water splashing all over the bathroom, the kiss that you would give me even though I was sleeping, but I kind of like the feel of this extra few feet in my bed Telephone's ringing, but I don't answer it 'cause everybody knows that good news always sleeps till noon Guess it's tea and toast for breakfast again maybe I'll add a little T.V. too No milk! God, how I hate that Guess I'll go to the corner, get breakfast from Jenny She's got a black eye this morning, `Jen how'd ya get it?' she says, `Last night, Bobby got a little bit out of hand' Lunchtime. I start to dial your number then I remember so I reach for something to smoke and anyways I'd rather listen to Coltrane than go through all that ***** again There's something about an afternoon spent doing nothing Just listening to records and watching the sun falling Thinking of things that don't have to add up to something and this spell won't be broken by the sound of keys scraping in the lock Maybe tonight it's a movie with plenty of room for elbows and knees a bag of popcorn all to myself, black and white with a strong female lead and if I don't like it, no debate, I'll leave Here comes that feeling that I'd forgotten how strange these streets feel when you're alone on them Each pair of eyes just filled with suggestion So I lower my head, make a beeline for home Seething inside Funny, I'd never noticed the sound the streetcars make as they pass my window Which reminds me that I forgot to close the blind again Yeah, sure I'll admit there are times when I miss you Especially like now when I need someone to hold me but there are some things that can never be forgiven and I just gotta tell you that I kinda like this extra few feet in my bed ---- They met in a hurricane Standing in the shelter out of the rain She tucked a note into his hand Later on they took his car Drove on down where the beaches are He wrote her name in the sand Never even let go of her hand Somehow they stayed that way For those 5 days in May Made all the stars around them shine Funny how you can look in vain Living on nerves and such sweet pain A loneliness that cuts so fine To find the face you've seen a thousand times Sometimes the world begins To set you up on your feet again It wipes the tears from your eyes How will you ever know The way that circumstances go Always gonna hit you by surprise I know my past You were there In everything I've done You are the one Looking back it's hard to tell Why they stood while others fell All I know is one cloudy day They both just ran away Rain on the windshield heading south She loved the lines around his mouth Sometimes the world begins To set you up on your feet again It wipes the tears from your eyes How will you ever know The way that circumstances go Always gonna hit you by surprise I know my past You were there In everything I've done You are the one

Agree. For reference, 3 card support is okay-ish with a side singleton or void, and some ruffing values. Obviously 4-3 fits aren't the best, but if partner shows up with 5 you're golden. I've mastered the fine art of passing with 12-15ish and flat hand over opponents opening bids. Actually, I might pass TOO often, but it's not as bad an action as it may sound. IMO.

Actually, I was thinking that the comparison with soccer, where many people fake injuries to take advantage of the "fair play" of their opponents, was hilarious.

It's clear to me.

I agree that partner has AK. I was tempted to try hearts before I read han's post, but I think he's got it right.

Tsk tsk. hehe.... 3NT for me, but what do I know? (That said, the treatment fro 4♠ makes sense to me....)

Ding ding ding! Agree. Forgive my vast and overreaching ignorance, but... Meckwell may well have felt that, if they did not call the director, the second round opponents would have, and fundamentally Meckwell would have faced a slightly different opponent (one allowed to use Multi) than the rest of the field would have (an opponent barred from using Multi). Ergo, since this was the first round, the more ethical move may have been to call the director immediately, to keep the playing field level. All that said, I really don't have a horse in this race.

So? Were hearts 2-2?

Was the location of the K♥ that important to you??

I voted 3♥, but I'm reconsidering 3♠. Not only does it help partner if the next bid is 4♠, but it's not easy to build hands where 4♥ has no chance, even if partner has wasted strength in ♠s.

Thanks. The reason I asked is that I'm pretty sure this is an easy one for a B/I to rate as below GF, as I probably would have done not that long ago.

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=sj53hakq953d963c5]133|100|Scoring: IMP P 1♠ P ?[/hv] Playing 2/1, how was my 2♥ response?

Doesn't that disincline lenders from offering mortgages on properties they fear might decline in value? Loaning out 100k to get 85k back in repayments is not good for stockholders....