655321

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=37602

I don't think this is a big concern. Partner knows we were under pressure, and he did hear the opponents open the bidding, so I wouldn't expect him to raise to slam just because he has a few high cards. Something like a void, a big fit, and some useful high cards perhaps.

Always at w/r, never at r/w. Possibly at equal but I do feel that having an Ace would be nice, especially when vulnerable, so would probably pass.

Partner has made a 100% obvious lightner double, however we seem to have a guess between the red suits. If partner is doubling on a void a heart seems marginally better, if partner is doubling on a red suit AK then a diamond seems marginally better. I will guess to lead a heart, but really a diamond seems just as reasonable.

I could easily be sold on a limit raise instead of mixed raise. I guess it partly depends how strong a preemptive 3♠ can be. If a preemptive raise is less than 6 points then this hand does look too strong for a mixed raise, if a preemptive raise can be up to 6 or 7 when we are vulnerable then I don't mind the mixed raise.

3♠ is surely a heart raise even with no agreements after opps bid to 4♠ and we have 3 small spades. My first thought was 5♥ (minimum, but no interest in defending 4♠), but then I noticed we have 7 hearts not 6 (AK5 not AK4), plus partner has made a strong bid. Perhaps partner has a very strong hand but is worried about diamonds - either the King which will be led through at trick 1, or just 2 small diamonds (with a bunch of card outside diamonds), he won't move over 5♥. We have a diamond control. I like 4NT RKCB now. If partner has a spade void and no ♦A we need good methods, but with most hands we should be able to get to the right spot.

4 card mixed raise for me. I don't like to make a simple cue raise with this sort of hand when knowing about the 4th trump makes such a difference to partner's evaluation.

In the unlikely event that partner has 4 diamonds and 2 clubs, he also has 3 or 4 spades. If opener had a takeout double available over 2♠ then many hands with short spades can be ruled out, and defending 2♠ looks a good option.

Ruff a spade and finesse. Do you want to count the hearts again?

3♦

Usually for play problems the carding and spots are important, but you have chosen to complain on a hand when they are not. LHO made a jump overcall r/w opposite a passed partner, what diamond spots or carding agreements would cause you to assume this was a 6 card suit?

Agree with double then pass. Don't see any alternative to the first double. If we pass, partner won't play us for this much and will usually pass out 5♣ even when we can make a contract, or when they are going 2 or 3 down. I certainly won't bid 5/5 with this balanced 10 count either, so nothing is left except double.

I can't find the other thread everyone is talking about, gwnn help me please?

This is how I feel about the hand too.

Even playing 2/1 I would open all of them except (3), playing strong club I might open (3) as well, anyway I would open it w/r. Your partner's rule sounds good to me - force to game on all good 12s and all 13+. I have occasionally seen some people claim that because they 'open light', they don't force to game as responder with 13, even 14, but this is just bad bridge. I am not talking here about some 8-12 type of opening system, just natural systems or normal strong club systems with (10) 11-15 type openings.

I find that very easy to believe.

? Everyone agrees that the hand is not worth a game force, but possibly you and old york are the only two people who agree that it is not even worth an Acol two, so not sure where "we're all" comes from.

We have 5 small clubs and there is a singleton club on our left. A club lead just seems horrible to me.

Pass

1♣, but if GIB passed or opened 3♣, that is not a bug. OTOH, if he opened 1♠ or 1NT...

I would bid 3♠ because partner will almost certainly pass 3♥ out even when we are cold for 4♠, and because when 3♠ is wrong, we will often get away with playing there undoubled.

Michaels then 5♣ doesn't show extra values to me, rather it shows extra shape.

1NT looks obvious. I agree that game is quite possible, but I struggle to think of these hands with five hearts that make 4H yet don't overcall because we are an unpassed hand. This reason for failing to overcall is new to me.

Better would be to have one hex number for AKQJ - i.e. each suit either has the Ace or not, has the King or not, etc. So AKQJ would be represented as 'f', and none of the AKQJ would be represented as 0. So, AKQTxxx Kxx - Qxx could be represented as eT3 42 00 22 or as e4 42 00 22 depending on whether or not you were interested in tens.

Agree with 4♦. http://0.media.collegehumor.cvcdn.com/23/96/372c518bb307a368cae8a424b196f8e0.jpg