rogerclee

I would rather lead from xxxx than Txxx, so if east has Txxx, we have restricted choice on him having a side 4 card suit. If he doesn't have one, he is 3433, making playing east for the ♣Q slightly more likely. He might also prefer to lead a club from 98x, so if he doesn't have this, he is also slightly more likely to have the ♣Q. Overall it's not a lot to go on but I would play east for it. Then again Crane's rule says west has it.

I would drop in the first situation and hook in the second one. I don't think the lead/switch gives you anything interesting to go on.

I don't see any compelling reason to hook other than being down 16 IMPs.

3N, I like to be very aggressive in these situations where LHO is leading/defending in the dark and we know a lot about the hand. It's true we had garbage when we opened, but it has improved a lot, specifically Jxx of diamonds.

3N, bidding anything else seems pretty bad to me. Even if 3S was a punt, we don't have that, we have a minimum misfit that probably just wants to play 3N unless partner can move. Agree with 2C btw.

I wouldn't practice this, since a lot of time on almost anything else would be more beneficial. But if you just wanted some quick agreements: Multi: play option 2, but I would make the adjustment that x = 14-16 bal or strong opp a PH Flannery: X = like a strong NT or any strong hand, 2H = takeout of hearts, 2S = natural, 2N = minors Mini-Roman: you probably won't play against this Precision 2D: X = like a strong NT or any strong hand, 2M = natural, 2N = tricks (usually with long diamonds), 3C = very strong with diamonds, 3D = diamonds, 3M = stopper ask Transfers to 1C: X = that suit but could just be a lead director with 4, bidding the suit they have = takeout of that suit (Justin posted a different defense awhile ago but I forgot it, and anyway this one is easy) Kaplan Inversion 1H-1S: 1N = takeout of hearts, X = spades Kaplan Inversion 1H-1N: X = takeout of the majors, 2H = strong minors I would discuss what to do also if they bid, over your 1N opener: 2C = majors; 2D natural, 2H = minors, 2S/2N = like 4 suit transfers, but you bid stoppers instead of shortness after the transfer, 3 level systems on 2D = majors; same as above, but 3m is natural and weak 2D = 1 major; x = cards and 1 round forcing with all subsequent doubles penalty, 2M natural and weak, 2N lebensohl Also make sure you have all your continuations over their weak NT discussed. How long are you in a force? Do you want to play transfers? Some of these defenses are not the best. My feeling has always been that that's fine, it's more important to just be able to easily remember what you are playing, and these are simple.

The short version is that you should definitely play the heart Q right now against "typical" opponents. Long version: If east is 5422 with the DK then this was a normal way to pitch for both opponents. If east is 5422 without the DK and with a heart honor, then this was not a normal way to pitch, he would let go of a diamond and 2 hearts. If east is 5422 without the DK and without a heart honor, then most people would let go of 2 hearts and 1 diamond, but we're not 100%. If east is 5332 with the DK then this is not a normal way to pitch (most people would let go of 2 hearts and 1 diamond). If east is 5332 without the DK then this is not a normal way to pitch (most people would pitch a diamond). If east is 5512 then this is a normal way to pitch, but then someone might have bid something, and this shape is not as likely to start with anyway. If he is 5422 with the DK and Kxxx of hearts, then he could either pitch a spade a heart or a diamond. To me it is not human to pitch 3 hearts stiffing the HK, he would be much more inclined to stiff the diamond with only 1 pitch. He might also have let go of a spade, but that is a weak play, though it's also very normal-looking to the average bridge player. With the DK and Jxxx of hearts this is exactly how he would pitch, so we play for that. To me there are only two reasonably likely hands for east that are relevant, QTxxx Jxxx Kx xx and QTxxx xxxx xx xx (we can't make if he has QTxxx xxxx Kx xx, but this hand is also possible), and of those two hands, the first is much much more likely. A more subjective question is how good of a player can east be until this analysis does not hold. IMO there are very few people you should not play the HQ against.

Doubling with this hand is terrible to me.

[hv=pc=n&s=sqjt5hk5dk4caj952&n=sa3haq63d9862cq84&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1dp2cp2hp2np3nppp]266|200[/hv] Matchpoints, LHO leads a 4th best ♦7 to RHO's ♦Q. Your plan?

I think a problem with pass is that they will usually lead a trump, and on this hand that will be really good for them. Unless partner has both minor aces, we don't get any ruffs in our hand, and partner is left with a mess, even if he has 5 clubs, but especially if he has only 4. However if we bid 2S, they will often go with a heart lead, which should be good for us.

Wow I think 2S is pretty reckless, we have a doubleton heart and ridiculously bad spades and are vulnerable.

1) Pass 2) X

East's pass was automatic, and west's pass was right in my opinion, but that's more debatable.

I think pass is pretty clear actually. Bidding 3H is asking for a lot, if we have 1 heart and 4 diamonds then game is usually bad or hopeless, and if we have 1 heart and 5 diamonds we are still not out of the woods, we still need partner to have the club ace or 3 spade tricks on a heart lead. By the way if we are actually w/r as opposed to w/w, then I think bidding 3H is even worse, since RHO is more likely to have values (namely a minor ace).

I lol'd.

Very sad, I hope you feel better soon.

Ah this is right, we need three pitches if we ruff the club, heh.

I would double, there's not much to say beyond the usual. Double is a safe medium that makes it hard to get to 1N when it's right, and 1N could be right but is very risky.

I think responding with this hand is extremely bad no matter what your style is, assuming your opening bids are pretty standard. 1) We have Q J J, which is probably enough to stop them from bidding/making any game, so we have too much to steal. 2) We have 4 spades, so if they do have game, it's probably not going to be 4S. 3) We have a stiff heart. 4) We hate all of partner's most likely rebids if we respond either 1S or 1N.

We can: 1) win in hand pitching anything, and play for 2-2 spades along with 3-3 diamonds or Qx/stiff Q in either hand 2) ruff in dummy and take the diamond hook Let's suppose we take line 2. If we're wrong then we're down 2 (500 and 550 are both lose 11 though), but if the DQ is on: 1) RHO covers with the Q Then we are just going to play for 2-2 spades or RHO having 3 spades and 4 diamonds. 2) RHO doesn't cover with the Q The jack holds and we play another diamond. Now if RHO plays the Q, then we just hope spades are 2-2. If they play low though, and our T holds, then we can also make if spades are 3-1 either way and diamonds are 2-4. I'm not sure holding the ♦Q makes returning a club more or less attractive. They might not want to pick up their partner's Jxxx, or they might think we could have a choice of red suit finesses to make 6 and want to make it more attractive for us to take the heart hook, so maybe it's slightly more likely they have the diamond queen. Anyway this was sort of rambling, but I would ruff in dummy and run the DJ.

Double, I think people are over-estimating how good slam will be opposite random 12-14 balanced hands. This is an auction where RHO is often void in a suit, or the first two tricks can go ace and a ruff. It's not that surprising in this situation to go down at the 6 level due to bad breaks. We could also just not have enough firepower to make anything at the 6 level, we do have a 12 count after all. 5N can work, I don't think it's terrible, in fact it's probably good opposite diamond 1 suiters and hands with 4M+5♦, but I am just not that optimistic.

I think 4H is an overbid, it's 1 under game and you have no keycards. Not really surprising you will get too high too often opposite a hand that couldn't do more than bid 2S. That said you are limited in the sense that you have a stiff heart but passed over 2H, so partner expects you to have about 10-11 at most, but even then we just don't have enough to make a slam try.

I hate 2N. You miss all your light games with a spade fit, go down in 2N when partner is weak when 2S would probably have been easier, get to the wrong game a lot, etc. 2N gains when partner has 8-9 and no spade fit, but then we might not make 3N anyway due to the poor fit, and when we are NV I don't think it's that bad to just stop in 2S opposite this kind of hand. At the same time when partner has 3-4 spades and/or a stiff heart, it is probably critical for us to play in spades, whether he is weak or strong.

I thought the article was interesting, thanks.

I think it should just be penalty. 2S is inherently risky, since opener can never really have a great hand and is always opening themselves up to a significant number by bidding. This is not exactly an auction where opener can have unexpected extra offense, and our speculative defensive tricks are more likely to cash. Also at matchpoints I don't think we need that much to double them. As long as we are talking about how things should be played, we can do 1N P P 2H 2S ? X = penalty 2N = 3m bid in either minor 3C = minors 3D = strong heart raise 3H = weak heart raise