jules101

[hv=pc=n&n=sj8632had5cakj876&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=1n(12-14)p2n(trans%20to%20diamonds)]133|200[/hv] If 1N is passed round to you then you'll bid 2S showing 5♠ and 4+ minor. After (irritating) West has used 2N to transfer to ♦ can you find a bid to describe your hand? The transfer to ♦ may be a very weak hand with 6+ card suit, or could be the start of a sequence to show an invitational or much stronger hand. You are vulnerable, but with this 5116 shape you are keen to compete, especially when one of your singletons is an Ace! Ideally you'd like to get both of your suits into the auction. [i'm guessing 3♦ over 2N transfer might imply both majors, but you have no agreement! So that's no good!] Any thoughts?

[hv=pc=n&s=sh765432dkqjt742c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1h(4+%20card%20suit)2h(Spades%20%26%20a%20minor)]133|200[/hv] Cue bidding opps known suit (ie 2S) would invitational or better in pard's suit. 3S and 4C would be splinter. But maybe these aren't good (high) enough!

Thanks for answer to supplementary questions. I have been declarer, and thought before playing from dummy, but wanted to think some more about the hand after WINNING trick one before leading to next trick. This seemed reasonable. I didn't want to think for ever-and-a-day, but a short time to think about the whole hand again seemed reasonable. Perhaps it is my weakness that I wanted to all trick one cards left face up because I find it easier to visualise the whole hand. LHO was being "Mr Ungracious" (having made a wrong judgement and a poor score on the previous hand!). He'd turned his card over, and on request, had flipped his card up for a moment, but refused to leave his card face up. Next time I know I have right to ask for cards to remain face up (Law 66A, and in relation to being pain in the @%&!, then Law 74A2). Cheers

Ooops - i posted reply twice - deleted this one!

Pard opens 1C (4+ cards) and in a non-competitive auction you have a weakish hand with 5♦ and 4 of a major (say up to 10 hcp max). Do you recommend: 1) bidding you major first, or 2) your longer minor suit first, so 1♦, or 3) does it depend on suit quality/something else, etc! eg what do you bid here? 1♣ [P] ?? ♠J7xx ♥x ♦JT987 ♣KQx And what if your majors were reversed? 1♣ [P] ?? ♠x ♥J7xx ♦JT987 ♣KQx

I'm looking for tips on when to upgrade a balanced 14-count to a strong NT. 1) What advice can you offer? 2) Does venerability or seat affect your decision? 3) Do either or these hands qualify for an upgrade to a 15-17 strong NT hand? i) ♠Ax ♥Axx ♦KQJxx ♣Txx ii) ♠Ax ♥Kxx ♦AKTxx ♣Txx

Supplementary questions ... Having asked oppo to reveal their cards again.... 1) May you ask them to leave cards face up while you think on? 2) If oppo flips their card over for a millisecond before returning their card to face down position, may you ask them to turn them face up again and leave them there? 3) If oppo performs action (2) and refuses to return their card to face up position again as requested is this acceptable?

Two hands where opps open 3m non vuln, next hand doubles and third hand raises to 5m (could be good expecting to make, or preemptive - you are on a guess!) What action do you take in 4th seat and why? Hand 1: [hv=pc=n&e=st62haqj84d9763c5&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=3cd5c]133|200[/hv] Hand 2: [hv=pc=n&n=s832hq9732d8cq943&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=3dd5d]133|200[/hv] I look forward to your thoughts!

[hv=pc=n&w=s84hqj6dkt82ckt97&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=2s(weak%206-cards%2C%206-10%20hcp)pp]133|200[/hv] North (dealer, V vs not) opens a weak 2♠ - 6-card suit, 6-9ish (10 max) hcp. After 2 passes do you reopen with West? You do have ♠ shortage, so maybe need to protect pard's potential penalty pass, but you are "a bit minimum" in the hcp department (understatement!), and don't want pard to get "carried away"! Do you reopen with double, or pass meekly? EDIT - this was match points, not IMPs I should have thought to include this piece of info in original post.

The full deal [hv=pc=n&s=sk2hqt864d743cq65&w=sq93haj93dckj9832&n=sat76hdakjt9652ca&e=sj854hk752dq8ct74&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1cd1hp2h3h(stopper%20pard%3F)p3n4h5dppp]399|300[/hv] I thought I was too strong for an immediate 5♦, but played in a miserable 5♦+2 anyway. :( Slam is a bit lucky tho isn't it?

[hv=pc=n&n=sat76hdakjt9652ca&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1cd1hp2h]133|200[/hv] X then 3♦ should show a very good hand, 8+ tricks, but could be passed in partner has a bust. So what do you fancy for your 2nd bid?

[hv=pc=n&s=skqj876hdq73ckt64&n=sahj9642dak64caq3]133|200[/hv] North is dealer. No opposition bidding. Is it possible to bid a slam with these hands (let alone a grand slam)? You can make 13 tricks in ♠ as the EW hold 3♦ each, and the ♠ split 4-2. 1♥ - 1♠ - 3♦ would be GF, but I think should have a better ♥ suit? You are aided here by seeing both hands. Can you suggest a realistic auction which gets to slam?

NS play weak 2-suited 2s. 2♥ = 5H + another 2♠ = 5S + a minor 2N = minors All pre announced. [hv=pc=n&s=sqj6hkq8da5cajt84&n=sa9753h763dkq873c&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=2n(mechanical%20error)p(asks%20about%202N)5cp5dppp]266|200[/hv] North meant to open 2♠ (5S + minor], but makes mechanical error by pulling out 2N. South alerts 2N. An alert is expected by N as 2♠ should be alerted. East asks South, and is told that 2N is weak with both minors. It is her partner's explanation of North's bid (not the alert) that makes North realise she has made mechanical error. ISSUE A 2N was an "Unintended Call" (Law 25A1), which "a player may substitute his intended call for an unintended call but only if he does so, or attempts to do so, without pause for thought." North only realises the mechanical error once South explains the 2N bid. Does Law 25A1 apply here? May North call director and seek to change her bid for the intended call of 2♠, or is it too late given her partner has explained the bid? South has not yet bid (Law 25A2). Or given does the explanation given by South (even though it was before South bid) mean North now has to just leave her bid as it stands? ISSUE B North didn't attempt to apply Law 25A (cos she didn't know about it!). She now bids 5♦ over 5♣. Is 5♦ a logical alternative to pass? Or is she compromised by her partner's explanation of 2N. NB For info if 2♠ had been intended (and was alerted, but not explained), then 2♠ - 5♣ would be pass or convert, intending to play in North's minor. Converting 5♣ to 5♦ with North hand would therefore be perfectly normal after a 2♠ opening. ISSUE C When 5♦ returns to South it looks as if the wheels have come off somewhere during the auction. Given 2♥/♠/N are all weak bids then 5♦ can't be a forcing bid, suggesting extra values/extra length. May South pass here, or should they take other action? ISSUE D 3♦ is 2 off. EW call director at end of the play and say they would have doubled if they realised what was happening. Frankly it should be evident to both EW that the wheels have come off. East holds a 5-card ♣ suit, and West (who made the final pass in the auction) is holding ♠xx ♥xxx ♦J9xxx ♣Kxx. What action should director take at this point if any? Should West be allowed to apply a retrospective double instead of her final pass? If West had doubled instead of passing then, it's unclear that this would have ended the auction. It is possible (not sure how likely tho) that NS might declare 5♠ making or 5♠X making. Deep Finesse tells us that: 5♣ by South is 4 off 5♦ by North is 2 off 5♠ by North makes on the nose 3N makes up one by N/S. As it happens 5♦-2 is a top anyway for EW, but it is the principles that we are interested in here! Do you let the table result stand? Over to you!

You are playing a weak NT (12-14) and open majors with 4+ cards. [hv=pc=n&e=sakj853ha965dkca7&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=1s2cpp]133|200[/hv] Too strong to open 4♠ first in hand, not good enough for a game forcing 2♣ opener, but after any noise from pard I was planning to bid game. Do you fancy double? Strong hand, and then supporting ♥, or rebidding ♠? 2♥? This is NF, and maybe you don't play in a 4-4 fit? 3♠? Also NF, but must be showing a very good hand (just short of a GF hand I suppose), with 6+ card ♠. Or something else? Please explain your choice. Thanks very much in anticipation.

I really can't remember the play cos it was played Jan 2010. I just remember the comments and atmosphere. And the result too of course. The other post reminded me of the incident, and I just looked up the deal and result on club website, so both the hands and the result are accurate. They aren't the strongest of players, and perhaps LOL Number 2 was rather discombobulated by the sight of dummy! My pard did suggest (very gently) to LOL Number 1 (after her 2nd comment) that perhaps she shouldn't have made the first comment. This suggestion went over the top of both of their heads I'm afraid. Some 18 months later they haven't changed. It's always "fun" to see what infraction they will incur next.

One of my favourite postmortem moments was.... [hv=pc=n&s=sj93ha42dq43cqj42&n=sa54ht963da986ck5&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=ppp1h(*)p2c(**)ppp]266|200[/hv] * LOL Number 1 - "I suppose I'll have to open then" ** LOL Number 2 has steam coming out of her ears when she sees dummy. Rooms gets increasingly steamy as she loses more and more tricks, and goes four off for a coast to coast bottom. LOL Number 1 (once hand had been played) - "Well I did tell you I didn't have very much when I said "I suppose I'll have to open then"", thus justifying her opening bid and subsequent pass! It was an occasion to savour.

Not online. In local club with a playing director. Given playing directors aren't always available immediately - they might be in middle of a tricky defence or declaring - I think others (wrongly) sometimes feel an onus to "sort things out" without calling TD. This often crates extra bother!

[hv=d=w&v=e&b=16&a=1n(12-14)p2cp2hp2n3d]133|100[/hv] .... after East bid 2N (invitational) South was having a short think about bidding a lead directional 3♦. West (a LOL - lil ole lady) bid 3N out of rotation BEFORE South made her 3!d bid. Before the director made it to the table, the 3N bid was undone, South bid 3!d, and West now bid 3!s rather than rebidding 3N. The director was now asked whether West may substitute her earlier 3N bid with 3♠. I think Law 31A applies here - "Bid Out of Rotational at RHO's turn". Is it correct that West may * repeat her earlier bid (in which case her partner could bid again - not applicable here, but might be on other auctions] or she may * substitute her earlier bid with any legal bid (including pass), but her partner is now silenced? So, for instance, if she bids 3♠ here, then this is where she plays if her oppo don't bid again. It would have been better of course if the players had called the director to the table at the time of the bid out of turn rather than 2 bids later, but this didn't happen.

[hv=pc=n&n=shak9daqj9cakt973&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=pp2c(GF)p2d(relay%20%22not%20a%20bust%22)2s(see%20below)3c3sdp]133|200[/hv] EW do not play weak 2s, so a 2♠ opener for them would be an 8 playing trick hand, with 5+ card ♠ suit. One may surmise that West has a good weak 2 in ♠, but frankly you are on a guess! They might have anything. Double suggest partner has some wasted values in ♠. What now? Pass? 4♦? some number of clubs?

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt972ha875d7caq6&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1d(4+)dr(no%20agreement)2c(could%20be%20forced)2d]133|200[/hv] There seem to be lots of points in this pack! The auction returns to you with 2♦. What now? Pass, double again, support clubs, bid a new suit?

[hv=pc=n&n=sakq8hqt8dakt96c5&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1d2h(weak%2C%206-9ish%2C%20but%20reputation%20for%20bidding%20with%20bus%20tickets)3c3h(will%20also%20raise%20with%20bus%20tickets)]133|200[/hv] Your call!

[hv=pc=n&w=saqj43hkt8dcaqjt5&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=p1d]133|200[/hv] You don't have a bid to show 5-5 in the blacks. Do you prefer to double or bid 1♠? Or have you something else in mind? What's your plan?

Ha - what larks Paul. So from North's perspective the auction will go something like.... [hv=d=s&v=e&b=3&a=2d(GF)p2h(relay)p3s(sets%20suit%2C%20asks%20pard%20to%20cue%20or%20sign%20off%20in%204S)p4c(cue)p4h(%22cue%22)p4n(RKCB%2030/41)p5c(must%20be%203%21%20)p5d(asks%20QS)p5h(to%20play%20from%20South%2C%20but%20North%20thinks%20QS%2C%20and%20KH)p6s(to%20play%20%3A%5D)p6n(yikes%21)dppp]133|100[/hv]

[hv=pc=n&s=sth742dkqt982cj76&w=sa954hak63da4ct53&n=sj876hjt98d6cakq2&e=skq32hq5dj753c984&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=2d(9+%20tricks%2C%20GF)p(asks)2h(relay)ppp]399|300[/hv] South opened weak 2♦ (forgetting they are playing 2♦ as GF). They play change of suit after 2♥/♠ as F1. So if South had not been woken up to his misbid by his partner's alert/explanation one would imagine South would raise partner's ♥ with 3 card support and a singleton. If auction returns to North as... [hv=d=s&v=e&b=3&a=2dp2hp3hp]133|100[/hv] ... then North who is playing Benji (as per system card), South is now showing a 9+ trick hand, with 5+ card ♥ suit.... With a singleton, good 4-card support, and AKQ in a secondary suit, one might expect them to end up rather higher than 4♥? PS You can see why West was a tad surprised by the "GF" opening bid in front of her when she's holding AAAK!

[hv=pc=n&e=sq974h9862dj75caq&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=ppp1c(4+)p1hp1n(15-17)2d]133|200[/hv] Your methods: weak NT, open majors with 4+ cards; 1m is natural, always 4+; minor suit based, so with 4m and 4M you open 1m; 1N rebid is 15-17, doesn't deny 4-card ♠ on this auction; responder can employ checkback Stayman with invitational values to find out more about opener's major suit holdings. As East you are planning to bid 2♣ checkback over partner's 1N rebid (15-17), but North scuppers that plan. Over 2♦ from North you consider 2♠ is probably GF, and probably implies longer ♥ than ♠. West's 1N has denied 4-card ♥ with you, and if you bid 2♠ you may end up in 4♥ in a 4-3 fit with your lovely ♥ suit! What is X now from East? Take out or penalties? I know the smart people will say "it depends on a agreements", but how do the smart people recommend that we play double here? What action do you take as East?