rogerclee

Partner had xx KTxx Axx xxxx. They can take 8 tricks in spades, you can take 10 tricks in hearts (LHO has stiff Q, RHO has the spade A). LHO had her bid, xxxx Q xxx KQT9x, and did well not to bid more the first time, since then we would be in 4H. +200 was worth about an average (brutal), so presumably +420 would have been worth a lot and +100 not very much.

Actually I did have a logic hole since partner should bid 5H also with something like void Axxxx Kxxxxx xx, but that wasn't really relevant to my point that 5H would tell you that partner is very likely 5-6 in the red suits with the ace of hearts and the ace or king of diamonds. Mike I guess I don't know what to say when I basically proved you were wrong and you didn't take the time to even think about what I wrote. Anyway it's not really my problem.

I have a hard time believing that you think I don't understand the difference between a priori and current odds, but thanks for the math lesson. This is actually not hard, just ask yourself some questions about what kinds of hands partner is likely to have: How many spades do you think partner has? How many hearts do you think partner has? Do you think partner has a balanced hand? If partner has no shortness, what is his shape? If partner has some shortness, do you think it's in CLUBS, or HEARTS? Do you know how much more likely an 11 card fit is than a 12 card fit? Lets assume for the moment that we should not pass 5D (I think the above questions, when you answer them, make it obvious to bid again). What kind of hand would bid 5H? Well, we don't have a void in clubs or spades, I would always cuebid that since it's the most important part of our hand, and I really can't be 55 and make a grand try, especially since I personally would have even opened a hand like x AQxxx Kxxxx xx. That makes me 5-6 or 6-5 in the red suits. Do I have 6 hearts? I guess it's possible but my argument doesn't really hinge on this, so let's say we know we are 1561 or 1651. What is my honor structure? I can't have 3 big cards as a passed hand, so I have two. The ace of hearts is one of them. Is the king of hearts the other? No, x AKxxx Jxxxxx is not a grand try, and I didn't open 2H. Maybe x AKxxx Qxxxxx x is, but that's also an opening bid to me. So my other card is not the HK. I must have a diamond card! So now partner knows my hand is something like x A?xxx ?xxxxx x or x Axxxxx ?xxxx x, where I have the A or K of diamonds and may or may not have a secondary heart honor. So you can either bid 6D to play, or you can bid 5H so that partner knows exactly what your hand is and can make the final decision. Or I guess you could pass! FWIW none of this is contrived at all in my opinion, it's pretty amazing that within 3 calls partner can look at his hand and know exactly what I have just using basic logic. LOL

I guess the most likely thing that is going on is that we have 12 diamonds, they have 11 clubs, and partner has no heart control. Anyway, the auction could have gone P P 1D X 2H 3C 5D P 5H P 7D AP Bridge is an easy game when you think about what partner has and then describe your hand!

Without saying anything about south's bidding, passing 5D with the north hand is hopeless. What did he think his partner had? There are almost no reasonable 5D bids where 6D isn't just a claim.

w/r MP Kx AJxxx KQJx xx P 1S 2H 2S 3H P P 3S P P ? 3H was partner's only heart raise below game. 3S was fast, but your opponents are both bad.

FWIW this has happened to me before also, GIB was on lead against 6N (undoubled) with AKxxx of spades and led a side suit.

IMPs 1) Kx KQ J9xx ATxxx 1S-4H (splinter) 4S-P 2) Jx xx AQJxxx Txx 2D P P 4H AP

Both of these hands were my (strong) opponents' problems. 1) My opponent bid 5C which turned out to be terrible. The last making contract was 2H actually, even 3C is down. Partner has AQJx Jx xxx Axxx. 2) My opponent passed both times which I found surprising. Opps can make ten tricks in diamonds or 9 tricks in hearts on a spade lead, 3S (doubled) is down 1 on a club ruff (partner has Q98xxx xxx A Axx).

MP, r/w, 2nd seat Tx xxx KQx KQJxx 1H P 2H X 3H ? edit: changed the hand MP, r/r, 2nd seat KTx Txx Q9x KQxx 1H P 1N 2S P ? Partner is aggressive, if you pass it goes X P 3D ? back to you, your opponents are non-terrible. edit: If you bid 3S it goes X P 4D ? back to you.

The HP Envy line has been getting good press.

1534 with stiff spade honor in rhos hand? I wouldn't hold my breath. But anyway I would also ruff 2 clubs and it seems clear to me. Assuming clubs are either 33 or 42, which is fine because other layouts are either unlikely or irrelevant, picking up all 33s and a third of the 42s is easily better than 50 percent.

If I think something is routine but one of the best players in the world does something else, I am always interested and think it's a constructive use of my time to think about it some more.

Try to hook up with the good/young Singaporean bridge players (my guess is that you are youngish). Being friends with good bridge players and discussing hands with them is the best thing you can do for your game.

If this thread is about what the second best action is, that is sort of interesting and I would pass. Just to add to this, here is a hand from the Rosenblum R64 yesterday: [hv=d=n&v=e&n=st842hq76dj2ckjt9&w=skj9h532dq95c8654&e=sq653hjt4da4caq73&s=sa7hak98dkt8763c2]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] P 1C 1D P P ? At some tables east doubled and south had the guts to redouble. Not really for me (discuss?), but it was wildly successful, since west had a pretty clear 2C bid which goes for 500 against nothing.

1) P P 1H X P 1N P 4N AP I think north should be a little conservative since he thinks things aren't breaking and any potential heart hook is off (even if it's a total psyche he still rates to have 5 hearts imo). South of course will pass. This seems like a reasonable spot. 2) 1H 1S 2S 3S (2S = 3 card raise, limit+) 4C P 4N P 5N P ? Edit: Actually 4N seems like a big overbid in retrospect, I would just bid 4D with the south hand. With the knowledge that north is void in spades, the most likely shapes for north are 05(53) 0544 06(43) 06(52) In each case it is very likely that 6N will play as well as 6H given that south's trumps are so bad, especially in the case of 0553 or 0535. Basically if north has 5 hearts then obviously 6H is very risky, and if partner has 6 hearts then the two pitches will often take care of any need to ruff a loser. The form of scoring makes it obvious to bid 6N, but even at IMPs it seems very correct.

I would bid 2N and call it pretty normal. 3H lies about support so we will be playing the wrong game a lot and also be too high a lot when partner has a weak 55 and raises to game thinking we are in a 5-4, but at least it has the advantage where if partner would pass both 2N and 3H then 3H is probably right. 3C doesn't show values, avoids 5-3 heart fits, and is probably not even the right partial when there is no game. Pass, well, there is not much to say about that.

Why not cash some majors first? Looks like we can't afford to cash 2 hearts but if spades are 5-1 it feels really right/intuitive to me to duck a diamond. If spades were 4-2 it seems intuitive to me to play on clubs.

r/r void JT AKJ53 QJ9764 1S 2N P 4C P ? 2N = 5+C, 5+D, 12+ total points, forcing 4C = The Law: 10 trump -> game support, 5+C, 4+ total points My options are: 4D/4H/4S here are all cuebids showing 27+ total points 4N = blackwood for clubs, 29+ total points 5C = 5+C, 5+D, 25-26 total points 5D = 5+C, 5+D, 12+ total points FWIW I eventually decided to bid 5C and GIB passed with xxx KQ 9xx KTxxx pretty fast

Agree with the previous comments, now I guess you could bid 6D to try for the grand but 6S is practical. Passing would be very bad, we are more likely to make 7 than go down in 6.

I'd just open 1D for now, no need to rush things at equal vul.

I enjoy playing a style where I can open 1S with this, but it's not for everyone. If my only options were 2S or pass I would pass, this is just not a r/w 2S opener at any form of scoring.

1) Agree with pass, now 4C, which might be wrong double dummy, but they don't always get their spade ruff. 2) 3C would have been a second negative I'm assuming. Anyway I think we have too much potential to just bid 3N now even at matchpoints so I will bid 4C and hope partner either rebids diamonds or shows some life.

In these situations we should hope diamonds aren't running (else our chances to beat this are bad), so main goal is to kill dummy's potential side entry with a secondary goal of trying not to give up tricks. A heart lead accomplishes neither of these goals and is basically just trying to set up tricks, which I think is not our best way to beat this. The club ace is the best way to try to kill dummy's entry (we can continue or switch after looking), but is also the most likely to blow a trick. The spade looks safer but I think needs way too much. Overall even though it looks really weird and I don't expect a lot of support (maybe because it doesn't deserve any) I like the club ace lead.

Agree with Josh.