rogerclee

1) All White, Second Seat ♠J ♥AQx ♦J9 ♣Q987xxx (1♥) - ? 2) All White, First Seat ♠x ♥KTxxxx ♦xxx ♣9xx P - (P) - 1♣ - (1♠) P - (2♠) - 3♣ - (3♠) ? 3) All White, Fourth Seat ♠x ♥KQx ♦KJxxx ♣AKJx (P) - P - (4♣) - ?

You may need two dummies at the table - one on your left, the other on your right - for 3NT to be "single-dummy cold." Unless the hearts are blocked, you have 4 heart losers and the ♦A to lose in 3NT. ♠xx ♥KQx ♦AJ9xxxx ♣x, lead the ♥K against 3NT? ♦A then switch to the ♥K? I don't understand your desire to make a post like this.

I passed for a very ugly -470; partner had ♠AKxxx ♥JTx ♦x ♣AKQJ, and we could only take one club, two spades, and a diamond. Meanwhile, we are single-dummy cold for 3NT. I thought pass was clear at the table and this was ordinary bad luck; glad to see the forums agree.

Matchpoints, All White, First Seat ♠Qxx ♥9xx ♦KQx ♣xxxx P - (3♦) - Dbl - (P) ?

1) I don't think you should play support doubles up to 2♠. 2♥ is high enough. 2) I think this is a game try without discussion.

1) It is much harder to make 2NT than 1NT. 2) It is reasonably safe to balance at the 1-level because partner is marked with some values, since RHO is supposedly broke. When you balance at the 2-level, RHO could have a misfitting 17-count.

2NT is clear, this is closer to being a minimum than a maximum. It sounds like you play "balancing NT overcalls" still in this position. This is not a good agreement, and I would suggest you stop playing them immediately.

3♣ then keep bidding spades.

IMPs, All White, Third Seat ♠Ax ♥KJ9xxx ♦JT ♣QJx 1♣ - (P) - 1♥ - (2♠) P - (P) - ? Plan?

Redouble should be first round control, or pass and allow the cuebidder to clarify his bid as first or second round control (by either redouble or bidding).

The hand is invitational with hearts, however I do that in my system (if I can show clubs along the way with SAYC, awesome).

Uhhh, strong club? :) Anyway agree, 4♥.

I would be 100% surprised if someone establishes that routinely passing balanced 14-counts (or 13-counts, or even passing good balanced 12-counts) is winning bridge. Unless you define bringing "PO" back to your teammates' -600 is winning bridge.

I agree wholeheartedly with your well-thought analysis.

Well one reason it it's completely intuitive that for a reverse by either player the first suit is longer. Even regardless of that, you're saying responder bids up the line and opener doesn't? That seems really weird to me although I can't say I have a good reaosn why. So I guess I have two reasons, and neither one is a real reason :) I thought Walsh style is to bypass diamonds unless you have either an inv+ or gf+ hand (seems like some diverging views on which). Does this only apply for 4-5+, and walsh people ALWAYS bypass diamonds when they have only 4? When I reverse I promise 5-4.

I think 3♥ is clear. Aces are good. I have about as much defense as partner can expect with a lot of offense for hearts. Partner will check this out when we are easily cold for 4♥.

To find a 4-4 major fit to play in instead of 1NT when partner is too weak to bid stayman. This is important at MPs, not as much at IMPs.

I guess the answers I got were sufficiently different enough to poll this. 1m - (3Y) - Dbl Dbl establishes a GF starting at what suit Y?

I would bid 1♦ at MPs and 1NT at IMPs.

Are there really two threads of detailed discussion about this decision? Passsssssssssssssssssss.

No, the situations are exactly the same. It's a 2/1 overcall in which you have a singleton in an unbid major. The scoring is different- one is MPs NV, the other is IMPs Vul. If the decision on both is based on venue, say so. Me, I don't buy it. On the one hand, Match Points gives you a little more leeway when NV. On the other hand, -150 is probably a loss of 1 or 2 IMPs, but darn close to a 0 in MPs. I would not feel more comfortable if partner raised me to 3♣ on this one if we were NV in MPs than if we were Vul in IMPs. Partner knows the scoring too. Overcalling 1♦ is not the same as overcalling 1♠. Also, a holding like QJ98x is much more offensive than AKxxx (though obviously AKxxx is a better holding).

Agree 10000%, please sticky and send a PM to all members about this.

2♣, wooooooo.

Pass. I have reasonable defense (with partner's short spades) and no particular reason to believe that 4♥/5♣ will be an easy make, so I'll take the money.

Okay, the auction has been corrected. I would just pass. We pushed them up to 4NT. Maybe he is taking a shot and this is not making, but I am not comfortable taking the sure minus at the 5-level.