vuroth

Is Delayed Game Raise obsolete then, or does it just apply to a specific sort of hand? V

As a novice, I concur. Double then 4C sounds like you believe we have a shot at 6C. As a novice, an immediate 2H or 2S would probably be recognized as artificial and strong, but without some sort of an agreement, I really wouldn't know what exactly the bid meant. I'd probably just describe my hand, and let partner drive to whatever contract we're headed towards. 0.02 V

None of those hands look like anything I'd pass, in the balancing position. Again, doesn't partner know that I may have a 13-16 HCP hand with a flaw that prevents me from overcalling?

My novice bid is pass, but I see I'm in the minority. I know I'm out of practice, but I may get the chance to bid again. And if I don't, then maybe it was never meant to be. The way I see it, if I pass, partner will be open to the possibility that I have an opening hand which isn't suitable for an overcall. If I overcall, partner will expect me to have better hearts than I do. At this point in my development, I'd rather lose the hand because opponents preempted and I couldn't fit a bid in on the second round than because I misled my partner, however small the lie was. 0.02 V

I get the whole 1♠ vs 1NT thing. Whichever way you prefer to open, though, once partner shows hearts, why are you not immediately thinking NT? 5-3-3-2, with partner bidding your short suit, sounds to me like a hand that should be in NT, especially if partner isn't supporting our 5 card suit. 2♦ sounds to me like a request to chose between playing opposite 5♠ or 4♦, if I'm minimum. Am I wrong, or is north saying that their hand is better for suit play than notrump? If that's what's going on, why? V

Did north bid impeccably? I wonder. South overcalled, which promises what, at least 8HCP? With 9HCP, North should know that E/W are light for their 3NT (at most 23 HCP). Yes, it's looking like one of those 60HCP-in-the-deck deals, but the only person you're obliged to trust is partner. If E/W had bid clubs on the way, I might be too afraid that they have long running clubs to double. But neither opponent names clubs as their best suit, so how are they making? It does require a bit of reasoning, but shouldn't any beginner/intermediate be able to find the double, as north? V

Nice thread guys. Ubundu Feisty, had it install Wine. Updated bbover.ini. Muddled through installing symbol.ttf when my suit symbols were not working. Have not yet tested everything extensively, but thanks to this thread, getting BBO working was pretty easy. V