andy_h

agree with 2H

3S

RHO (east) is dealer, at r/r, you hold: [hv=d=e&v=b&s=sakqhqdaktck87543]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] RHO opens weak 2♥. What's your plan?

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=sqt6hj93dq2cqt942]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] RHO (east) is the dealer and the opponents have an unobstructed auction of: 1♦-1♥ 1NT-4♣ 4♥-4NT 5♥-6NT 1NT = 11-14, can have 4♠; 4♣ = Ace ask, 4♥=1 Ace, 4NT=king ask, 5♥=2 kings Opps are known to be a bit below intermediate level. What do you lead?

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=sakhaq87d632ck987]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] We are East. North (RHO) is dealer and opens 3♦.

i'd pass, too much of a gamble

agree with roger

easy 3H.

I cannot imagine passing with South's hand - Dbl is perfect. What's there not to like? We have AAK, a decent suit and most importantly we have short hearts (Having Axx of spades [3 of them rather than 4] is a very minor factor for me, the most important is to act with shortage). I don't expect partner to be acting every time he has 3-4 hearts and some balanced 12 counts or w/e. Now over 4H, North has a decent hand but doesn't have a clear bid. I haven't talked with my partner what direct 5S vs. 4NT (2 places) then bid 5S would mean. After 5H and X, I think South has a clear pass with no extras and see what North is on about and if he still asks me to pick a suit (?), I obviously then would bid 6D.

I thought those bad limit raises that were suggested of Q KQ Q would bid 4S over 3C?

Playing with a BBO pick-up? 1S then 4S. I'm not going to bid anything else to avoid confusion.

I have got no idea what 5H is. He has a pass over 4C available. I give up.

Been here before, and I still stick by it. Form of scoring is also important as Han pointed out. http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=24279&hl=

I'd dbl

Don't think I have anything to add. I also would have bid as you did, and I certainly don't do anything special after (1M)-p-(1NT) except with just natural stuff and X = takeout. Interestingly, this kind of hand came up in Beijing and this was the layout: [hv=d=s&v=b&n=sq8hq65d873cat876&w=sthjt98743d54c943&e=sa7532ha2daj2ckq5&s=skj964hkdkqt96cj2]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Our opponents bid up to 4♥ on the auction of 1S-P-1NT-P 2D-P-2S-P P - 3H-P-3NT P - 4H - All Pass It appears out of 18 tables, only 4 of them got to 4♥.

agree with easy x

Look at the hand ♠Q ♥Q ♦Q ♣K we haven't got gold. umm? We have only heard 1♠ from partner. There are also the subset of hands where ours fit inbetween gold and disaster... How do you know we haven't got the nuts? Even with a bare minimum as AJTxx AKJx Jxx x or KJxxx Kx KJ AT9x or AJTxx Jx AKxx Qx and game is easily in the picture (Note that moving on with these hands after a 1NT-->2S can turn out really bad. Maybe if you change a card or 2, surely hearing a 2S response will delight you way more than a mere 1NT-->2S which could still be based on a doubleton support). Knowing if we have 2 or 3 trumps is a huge factor in helping partner out. I would go as far as saying that 1NT is just 100% wrong.

This seems like an easy pass.

By bidding 1NT puts a lot of pressure on partner sometimes. Playing 2/1 I would say this is a mandatory 2S bid. Like others have said, support with support. If you do bid 1NT with this, how is partner ever going to know you have 3 card support and a decent hand but less than invitational values (assuming they go through 1NT)? After a direct 2S raise, there's also nothing stopping us from playing 3NT as well. Let's say you do bid 1NT with this hand. The auction then goes 1S-1NT; 2x-? Obviously now you have to bid 2S as 3S is a huge overbid and most of the time this sequence doesn't even promise 3 card support unless it's in the 4-7 range or whatever it is. Now sit in partner's seat. If he has some unbalanced 5431/5422 type of hand, he sometimes has to guess whether or not to bid on again with marginal invitational values. He could hit gold or it could be a disaster. Telling partner about the fit will greatly help him judge what to do for the remainder of the auction.

You are playing MPs. You're in 4th seat (South) with West as dealer at r/w holding: [hv=d=w&v=n&s=s63hq983dq93cak85]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] You hear the bidding go: (P) -- P -- (2♠)* *2♠ = 5♠4+m weak You decide to dbl for takeout and it goes all flag. Rightly or wrongly, you lead the ♣A to ask for attitude from partner. This is what you see: [hv=d=w&v=n&w=s75hakt2dk7654ct9&s=s63hq983dq93cak85]266|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] Dummy plays low, partner contributes the 7 (playing UDCA) and declarer the 2. What would you do now? I'm not looking for a "definite right answer" or something, but just like to hear other people's thoughts. I thought the choices were either cutting down the 'club ruffs' or lead a red suit and shorten declarer's trumps? I had no idea what to do.

pass

2D. Now or never.

roger loves to lurk

Singleton in partner's suit is a bad sign. Double might result in partner making an unfavourable bid. 4H seems just right. Preempts work, and now I have GF with 6 hearts by the AK so I will bid them.

ditto