kayin801

Except the 4 can possibly mislead your partner on the defense of the hand (and not just at trick 1) and can cost you tricks that a double dummy simulation wouldn't pick up.

http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/46244-whats-game-forcing/

I've been spoiled by playing strong club so I get rusty on these sequences. (Yes, this is a gratuitous cheap-shot at 2/1) 1♣-(P)-1♥-(1♠)- 2♠ Playing support Xs, this probably shows a big hand without 3 card support and no spade stopper. 1) Is 2♠ GF? 2) If not, what bids by responder are NF and what bids are forcing? 3) Opener had 9xx, AQ, Axx, AKJxx. Agree with 2♠? If so, is a 3♥ followup to whatever responder bids forcing or NF? (or does it depend?) Thanks in advance.

This is a great problem, I'll just echo that much as what others have said. Are there other people who feel strongly one way or the other as to what 2NT is here? (gnasher and quiddity think its scrambling, I guess, and so do I.) Aren't we only screwed then when partner is 2425 and we make that call, otherwise we find an 8 card fit. (And I guess we leave partner guessing with 1435 as to what to bid) Maybe if I make a really slow double partner will be less likely to pass :P

To be clear, 4♠ after X by N is the obvious part to me, I was more wondering how crazy 4♠ is after a pass by N. (In addition to whether N should X) *Waits for someone to look up myhands to see if I did it or not*

[hv=pc=n&s=sqj963hj4dqt983c7&n=sak5hkq9da752c642&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=4c]266|200[/hv] IMPs, E/W are silent otherwise

Thanks for the input all, I guess one area we have to work on is the notion of upgrading/downgrading with borderline GF hands.

This X is 150% ♥+♦ To clarify, I play maximal doubles on when we have: - Established a fit - Have no room to make a game try with another bid. Typically this occurs in an auction like 1♥-(2♦)-2♥-(3♦)-?. Now X is a maximal double and a game try, while 3♥ is merely competitive.

[hv=pc=n&s=sq5h82dakqj3ckj93&w=saj986haq753d9cq7&n=sk43htdt864cat654&e=st72hkj964d752c82&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1c(16+%20artificial%20%5B17+%20if%20bal%5D)1sd(5-7%20any)2hd3h4cpp4hdppp]600|450[/hv] +200 is less than +600. Comments on who should bid the game or if it should be bid? This is the second hand I've recently posted where we've had an A and a K and it's been considered 5-7 and we've "underbid" so I also wonder if there's anyone who plays strong club who considers that holding to be a GF.

1a) Blindfold myself and reach wildly for the bidding box. 1b) Now I pass, the damage is done. 1c) ♦, wins when we get a ruff or when they can't pitch a spade loser they may or may not have. 2) 4♠, forwardgoing cue, ♥A is probably opposite a void but maybe it will let us pitch a diamond loser that we couldn't ruff.

There's more than one format of bridge and there are formats that are won based on the criteria you prefer. Just like there's matchpoint vs. IMP events there's also Swiss vs. head-to-head events. If someone thinks matchpoints are dumb, I'm not convinced they should crusade to make the scoring of all games of that format similar to the format they prefer :P Matchpoints is probably an appropriate analogy in this situation. In a 12 board match a team could win 11-1 at BAM and lose 14-11 at IMPs. (Yes I know people will play differently under the different formats)

Don't bid your hand twice. Agree that XX should be to play anyway.

Cheat sheet provided within, for those who are stumped:

With regards to the full hand: Obviously with the listed hands 4♣ sets you on the right path, and considering the immense disparities in suit length and strength it certainly gives the best picture of your hand. Suppose that the auction goes (as if opener's majors were reversed): (2♦)-X-(P)-3♦ (P)-3♠-(P)-? Is 4♣ now better off as a cue confirming spades, or a second suit?

[hv=pc=n&s=sq2hj832dcakj9874&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=2d(weak)dp]133|200[/hv] Your call? You have Lebensohl available here. If you bid 2NT (Lebensohl, your way if you'd like): Full hand, propose an auction if you'd like, but please respond to the first question before looking and proposing an auction :)

http://www.chaobell.net/newgallery/d/2264-2/monty-python-my-brain-hurts-4001113.jpg

Aaaaaaaand +1 (I think anything but 3♠ is crazy btw, so long as it's forcing)

This is a good rule, and one we usually follow. This specific hand came from online practice where my partner and I either sometimes goof around, or we make unusual bids so we have stuff to discuss later Not really insulted, but sarcasm in, sarcasm out. Recent quote from partner: "Fit bids. Sooooo trendy it hurts." (Cause we haven't really played them, but clearly we should!)

Thank you for your extremely valuable input. I will be certain to take your comments into account! In all seriousness, I am aware that not knowing exactly what each bid means is a problem, and I wouldn't post this if I wasn't looking for recommendations as to how to play this sort of hand. My partner and I discussed this and we didn't come to a full consensus, hence the reason for posting the hand. Thank you to those suggesting alternate ways to bid the hands, it definitely helps a lot.

3NT, our suits are behind their suits. Hate 3♣ or pass, we're way too strong, hate X, we're way too likely for partner to insist on hearts, gonna put it in the most likely stopping place right now. Downside is we might miss a minor suit slam when partner's the one with our missing minor suit honors. (Edit: Geez, now that I think about it, x, xxxxx, Qxx, Jxxx isn't the world's worst club slam. 3♠ for the minors might not be awful here too, though I'd prefer a 5th diamond)

On the first, we don't have an agreement on 3♥, I would take it as a minnish GF, flatter hand with no stopper though (though 2♥ shows that). I guess we'd prefer to keep it low so that jump is somewhat discouraged. Part of the question, though, is whether to interpret that hand as a GF or not, and then if you choose not to, how would you catch up? (Or how much do you hold back if you call it a GF?) On the second, 3♦ was the only clear raise, though we've been discussing and think 3♥ might be better served as some sort of raise rather than a weak jump. Other bids would be natural, though I know there's also people who play 2NT as a raise here.

Scoring IMPs on both hands. We play a strong club system, so please note the alerts in the bidding sequences. 1) [hv=pc=n&s=sakqt3hkq2dq9876c&n=s7642hdakt3ct6542&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=pp1c(16+%20artificial)1hd(5-7%20any%20shape)p1s2c3hp4dp4sppp]400|300[/hv] We actually made 7 when LHO lead the ♥A, but 6 is still very good. 3♥ wasn't really discussed fully but it looked like a good spade raise to both players. North took 4♦ as a cue, and thinking it was shortness signed off. (3NT would have been serious here, too). Assuming that the auction must be the same through 2♣ (unless you consider N to be a GF after the 1♥ overcall, where he could bid 2♣ or 2♥ to begin to show this hand), how would you reach 6? 2) [hv=pc=n&s=sk8543hkt75dat6c2&n=saq76hq842d7c9865&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=p1s2d3dp3sppp]400|300[/hv] Made 5 when the stiff ♥A was with lefty, but again, still pretty good for 4, and certainly a contract you want to be at vul at IMPs. Thoughts?

If X was lead directing (and not showing real hearts) I'd bid that.

3♣

Oh, one more scenario then! I knew I forgot something when I posted this yesterday: We're playing face to face. I open 1NT on my 16 count and my partner announces (correctly and loud enough for me to hear) 10-12. (oh$4*t) Partner then bids 2♥. 3a) Do I announce 2♥ as a transfer, since that's how I would have interpreted it since I "cannot hear partner" or should I stay quiet? 3b) I would never have passed before, so is it acceptable to pass now, or am I obligated to bid (xfer acceptance or super acceptance only, of course, bidding anything else seems like massive UI usage to me) In other words, what's the ethically correct action here? Thanks again.