kayin801

Agree that this isn't B/N when you're taking more complicated situations into account. But I don't think it's right to just ignore that the good heart suit sets up other possibilities. Not to nitpick too much, but if the point that OP really wanted to get across was "we can set up a 3rd spade pitch on hearts with a discard if hearts are 4-4 and that's the only chance to make the hand" then perhaps they should have chosen worse heart spots so that it wasn't even a possibility to pick off the opponent's honors. FWIW I think it's a fairly interesting situation on the I/A level with the hand as written. Sorry if I hijacked the thread with my post though :(

Rollback from 6♣ is karma for that opening.

I don't really like 3♠, I would just bid 2NT or 3♣, but I hate 3NT. It's not MP, we have AKJ 6th in opener's suit, what holdings can partner really have where 5♣ isn't just as good, if not better than 3NT? The shorter opener's clubs the longer his spades, which lends to our spade honors being well-placed (though makes us susceptible to ruffs). After 3♠ looking for a stopper I'd bid 4♦ which can't really be taken as anything but a diamond cue for clubs. Yes, it's weird that we have AKJ in overcaller's suit, but if we didn't we'd still likely only have one spade loser and we'd have points elsewhere. Slam is almost as good when S has the other pointed ace and 5♣ is still pretty good if those 4 points are gone altogether.

If W preempts in spades it seems like a pretty good slam. 1♦-(2♠)-X 3♠-3NT is still probably a much more practical auction. Only way to slam at this point is if N makes a move over 3NT, which seems anti-percentage, despite the high probability (100%?) of a diamond fit.

Yeah, Frances and gnasher hit on what I thought were the cooler points of the hand. Only other thing I have to add is that if you try to test diamonds in case B (perhaps the most 'normal' thing to do, though in retrospect it doesn't really pay to test them immediately), then on the run of the clubs you come down to this ending: [hv=pc=n&s=sk32hdkt32c&w=sqt8hdj987c&n=sa4haq2da4c&e=sj97hkj87dc]399|300[/hv] Now W can win the 3rd spade, but declarer can't untangle the diamond suit. If declarer tries to cash all 3 aces and duck a spade, W can unblock the spade Q under the A and E has to be very alert to go up with the J on round 2. Edit: think this last part is nonsense, now declarer can play diamond A and heart A in that order, if W lets go a diamond declarer sets up a long diamond and if they let go a spade declarer plays his spade honors and ducks a diamond. This is similar to what xcurt was mentioning earlier.

Yeah sorry I meant when LHO had 4, obviously RHO can have 4, though if he does, you're still in decent shape, especially if RHO followed to a trump since odds are they have only 1 club. Now you can play your second spade first, guarding against a 7-2 break with fluffy's QJ or Q10 tight, and still come home when LHO has to win the 2nd club and can only return the suit. I'm not sure I have a line to make the contract when the preemptor has K10xxxxx, -, J1098, Kx

Check this one again :) You're right that it's unmakeable, but it becomes makeable if W tries to keep a heart. Also Case B W can unblock, but...

This is a variation on a hand that came up in a Swiss in Memphis. We lost a swing when the opps stumbled into 7C with our teammates bidding 6NT at the other table. (actual hand diamonds are 4-1 and both spade honors are with S) I will provide commentary in the spoilers since I think it's sort of fun to play with first. [hv=pc=n&s=SK432HDKQT32CQJ32&w=SQT86HT97DJ9876C6&n=SA5HAQ2DA54CAKT54&e=SJ97HKJ86543DC987&d=n&v=o&b=1]399|300[/hv]\ Case A: 6NT in S on the heart 10 lead Case B: 6NT in N on a club lead In both cases, E will have preempted 3H and W will have raised to 4.

2NT is really bad but not the worst thing ever for helping partner see what our hand is, should we want them to take control. Granted that seems inappropriate on this hand, hence the reason it is bad. Not bidding over 3NT to show 4 card support makes me want to drink heavily. I would use NMF with the N hand, but 3NT is the 3rd worst call. If S got pissed at N for his bidding...

Dislike X at turn 1 a lot. Think 2NT is the only other bid I would consider. Actually not really sure which one I like better. 2NT is better with point count and the spade suit is so blegh. But it distorts your shape. After 2S I would be trying for 6, and 4♦ looks forcing and we have 7 solid ones, though 4♥ showing a good spade raise is okay too. Edit: Whoah A+A+A+K is not 18 points, like 2NT less now though still think it's not completely crazy.

Fixed, N deals.

[hv=pc=n&s=sa86432hdakt9cat7&n=sq7haq76dqj64cq63]200|300[/hv] Edit: North deals, sorry. Also, we play 2 way NMF if you wanna use that, but I don't really care what conventions you use.

Declarer must have missed the ♦9 in dummy or they would never have ducked at trick 1. Well, that and the fear of a club switch. I would always get to 3NT here. Cute end-play in there after the lead of the ♦ 8.

4♠ seems clear to me, after any noise by partner. I would take a "non-minimum" to be around a min opener in value at worst? FWIW I am in the "2♥ should be an artificial game try" camp since it's the only available bid below 2♠ and it would be nice to be able to stop low if our ♠K was instead a spot card. We're never stopping in 2♥ so we have plenty of time to find a true heart fit by opting to bid 3♥ or 4♥ as part of our game acceptance. Without real hearts we can just go back to spades. I'm willing to give up a 4♥ cue for this.

On the actual hand S overcalled 3♠ and N bid 5♦ after 4♦. 5♠ went down 1 on a normalish lie of the cards. I figured most people would X 4♦ if S passed, but was curious of the actual overcall, and then how strongly they would move with the N hand after a 3♠ call. Not sure how right it is to field this kind of overcall by only bidding 4♠ but I thought 5♦ with the N hand is probably the right bid after an overcall.

I would X, I have some values and defense and I can tolerate whatever partner decides to do/bid, and I have a normal lead. Sometimes they make.

[hv=pc=n&s=saj9874h983dqca64&n=skqthaj65da4cq972&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=3d?4d?]400|300[/hv] IMPs Any commentary on how things would change at different vuls/formats is welcome

A bad 3♠ bid is still a 3♠ bid.

I would X but something is fishy. They're at the 5 level on this kind of auction with a 9 card fit? Hopefully partner wouldn't X 3♣ with a stiff. I wouldn't be surprised if W had something like x, AKQx, xx, KQJ10xx and partner has the missing pointed honors. I'd stick with X but I think we would have made 4♠.

This is exactly what I'd do. I'm guessing 2♥ is probably non-forcing or artificial in their methods, otherwise I can't think of any reason not to bid it. As they bid it, maybe 4♣ instead of 3♥ would be an offer to play since they couldn't go to 3NT. After 3♥ I think N should bid 3♠, having withheld support for so long, and now S can bid 4♣ forcing.

Pass is certifiable.

w/r, RHO's failure to bid clubs as a passed hand combined with LHO's failure to bid 3♣ is very strange. Wonder if that means it sounds like RHO has some points and clubs but not the club A. Unfortunately I've already read the whole thread so it's hard to look at it objectively anymore.

I posted a hand similar to N's hand a while ago except the major was spades and everyone thought I was crazy for not starting with X. I'm actually pretty sure this one is better than mine so I like X to start. Maybe then it goes, with no opps bidding, 2C-2H-2S-3C-3D-3NT.