rogerclee

I would just play a low spade towards dummy at trick 2.

I would just bid 6D but would never sell out to 6H.

I think if you double with this hand you probably play some kind of ELC, which would make it reasonable (correct, IMO) to make a takeout double.

2N, even if we have no spade stopper in 3N they can't cash five of them.

Double, it gets you into the auction while not being as risky as 1N. IMO it is much better than 1N or pass, but if I had to choose, it would certainly be pass.

n! sort

main()

Low spade, I don't even consider this to be trying to be a genius, this is just our best shot at two fast tricks.

How can you treat this as 22-23 balanced? I think on average if partner has 3 spades we belong in 4S instead of 3N, but also that describing your hand as 22-23 balanced instead of strong with spades and diamonds is ridiculous for slam bidding.

What? Obviously you do not believe this, unless you would really bid 2C with KQx xxx xxx Jxxx or something. Anyway to me it is normal to try to get out in 1Sx in our 4-3 spade fit when I have 3 spades. Them choosing to bid 2C even though they almost certainly have 3 spades is a big reason to play him for Kxxx as opposed to Jxxx.

Why would it be better to bid 3C then 4S as opposed to 4C (or 3H?) now? Both ways we are showing a big two-suiter in clubs and spades, but the first is more dangerous. How would you bid KQxx void Ax KQxxxxx?

4H over 3S was extremely obvious.

I think the B-side medley on Abbey Road is their best work by far. I also think Sgt. Pepper is hugely overrated, but I always liked the pop music they made more than the other stuff.

I think either is fine. Is this a trick question?

No, it is just ridiculously unlikely that both 1N and 2H are down, among the usual reasons to bid. Anyway agree with jdonn, though we could have slightly less.

cuebid for hearts

nm

Might just be me; I would always bid game but do as much as possible to try to get a club lead. In a standard system if my opps were bad I would try to make a natural game try in spades or diamonds if that was possible, if my opps were nonbad I would make a natural game try in clubs and hope partner rejects so I can bid 4H anyway. I don't know how to do that in your system, I guess I would make a short suit game try in clubs.

You have a great extra chance - that you can reach a position where RHO will be squeezed in the black suits (I would not play LHO for the ♣K).

I'm sure I would double with the south hand and pass with the north hand. Looking at both hands, it looks like playing 3N is best, and 4S is also quite a good spot, meh.

lol

yeah pass

I would win in dummy, cash one diamond, go to my hand in hearts, and take the diamond hook. Cashing AK of diamonds just leaves us in too terrible a position if it's Q9xx onside (likely given the bidding). If it is Q9xx onside though, things are quite tricky, and I would not draw the last trump and run the heart jack.

I think it is only by a passed hand where it plays x = majors.

My understanding was that a corrollary of the Law of Total Tricks is: "Bid to a number of tricks equal to the number of trumps you and your partner hold (and no higher) in a competitive auction." You are abusing this principle badly. The reasoning behind your "corollary" is to put pressure on your opponents when they haven't described their hand yet, and also to bid to the maximum level as a two-way shot (maybe it makes, if it doesnt maybe it's a good save against what they can make). In this situation you aren't really that worried about them bidding anymore, and you are bidding at least 3H, so you should just try to bid what you think you can make.