andy_h

Bidding on AQxxx is giving the opponents many bites on the cherries. You allow them to double you when 4 might be going off, tell them where the club honours are located and based on that whether they should even try for a slam or not. Just pass and if lefty cuebids 4♦ I'm sure partner can figure out to lead a club.

Matchpoints, sitting south. Partner is dealer who passes, and RHO opens 1♠: [hv=s=sxxhaqxdk98xxxckx]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] 1) Are there any colours that you would not overcall 2♦? 2) Would your answer change if East were dealer (and partner were not a passed hand)?

Can 5♠ not be pre-emptive?

Definitely not.

2♣ and 3♦. On the 2nd one if 1-3♦ are all available to me (no IJO), what I hate is pass and wouldn't like 1♦.

I'm supposed to bid with this 4333 and partner hasn't promised anything yet except for five spades?

Yes to both.

I wouldn't GF on this. If I had AKJxxx x x AKxxx then I would.

If there's no other way to set diamonds, then I would like 4♦ to just set it as trumps to be followed by cuebidding so we can avoid silly slams if we're off AK in a suit.

We are also saying a few things with the 2NT - that is, what we didn't say.

3D and this is a wtp. The vulnerability is not a factor of consideration for me.

Stayman and invite in all cases.

East has an obvious 3♦ bid. It may be "only a 10 count" but bridge is a bidder's game. If you're not appreciating your AK1098x enough then you will lose many imps in the long run. Who knows, maybe our heart suit may be key that it's opposite a singleton a slam is cold or maybe partner has a doubleton heart Hx and our ♥10 will be a 2nd stopper in 3NT. Too many good things can happen and it's a good thing that they pay bonuses for games! However, if we're 1 off in game then it shouldn't be the end of the world.

East, for not subsiding in 3NT as the auction dictates that most of partner's values are in hearts and clubs. Imagine ♥KJ ♣AQJ and there's not much space left for the suits that East is interested in. Isn't a typical West hand some form of 3325? That makes slam even harder especially the spade situation and if West doesn't have the ♦K and they lead a club, there's hardly time to unblock hearts. I'm also in the 2♣ camp with West's cards. Even at matchpoints, 1NT is going a little far for me, what's wrong with a really good club suit to show that we may never be able to do so if we don't bid it now?

I'd double

A typical tuna example hand :P

All the best! gratz

4♠ and change system. By having 3NT as a million possibilities you will never be able to judge properly. "balanced or to play" what does to play consist of? Can you not just start with a 2/1? If you should keep the balanced option it is recommended that it should be bid on either as a hand full of controls or a hand filled with quacks.

I would bid 2♦

FP is crazy

Oh yeah definitely open both. Thought the second one was a ten count and was wondering why it should be opened. Although I'm not a light opener myself, some good players have suggested to me that it is paramount to open these hands NV at matchpoints and the first seat status makes it even better. Reasons, not just confined to these ones only, were that it's good to initiate the bidding to put the opponents on defensive bidding and locating your fit quickly. Both hands have two four card majors so I'm happy to open them.

I think you must open the first hand especially 1st seat nv at matchpoints.

If the advancer has lengths in both minors then sure he would not find it hard by doubling, but if he is say 5-3 in the minors then he may have a hard time. Or maybe he has a single suiter like AK-6th and out and may be afraid to bid at the 3lvl if it would usually promise more values. 2♥ also precludes a 1NT by the advancer and it also freely allows partner to compete further if he so wishes. I still think it's an obvious 2♥ :)

With the overcall, it's somewhere between preemptive and invite. It also depends on vulnerability as well. With a "reinvite", to bid 4♣ usually means we have a shortage (most likely hearts in this case) and most likely we would've just bid 5♣ or 4♥. With slam interest you can bid 3♥. On the 2nd one, it's slam invite.

I think 1♠ shows 5, typically with 5143. Hands with 4♠ can pass first and decide what to do (pass or remove) when partner makes a penalty double with examples such as 42(34) or 4144 or 4153 etc. By not giving partner a chance to double 1♥ should show one's own suit and hence a five card suit. This is in conjunction with the auction of P-P-1♣-X; XX-P-P-1♥; P-P-1♠ being a 4 card suit.