Poky

4♣ = nothing special Opener probably has some 6124 hand offering responder to pick a game.

If you double with a wide range (read: any crap), partner will lose security in competition when it gets to the 3rd level. Your hand isn't quite an "ordinary hand". Besides, with this hand you can protect 2♦ with a double (if you hate let them play a contract so much).

With singleton spade, you have a decent defense against 2♦ too.

Bridge is all about finding and implementing profitable bidding strategies. Bidding with Hxx in opponent's suit and shortness in partner's suit is one of most unprofitable solutions ever (you have a classic situation like: xx-Hxx-Hxx-Hxxxx after 1♠-2♦...). Keep doubling with hands with decent equity (partial length in partner's suit, partial shortness in opponents' suit), passing with bad hands (especially when they have much passive values) and you results will on the long run be much better. Pretty easy stuff even for a non-world-class player, I would say. However, even 2♥ is better than double (since 2♥ only places the contract while the double virtually promises a 2nd spade).

Obviously not! There's no connection between the eventual infraction and the balancing decision. 3♣ is a gambling bid in both cases. Besides that, it's even possible that the "wrong" information favors bidding 3♣ more than the "right" one. North is just trying to mud the water making pressure and intimidating the director. In a fair world he would get a penalty pretty much instantly.

East should be ashamed. What does he even want? Does he claim 15-17 1NT is a MI too!?!

Nothing except pass with north's hand is a LA. Not even close. The guy has a minimum balanced hand with 3 spades. I mean, what kind of AC could say that doubling has no LA, even as a joke?!? Do they chose the most inexperienced and bad players around?! Anyhow: Blatant use of UI. Automatic procedural penalty. Not much of a problem. 2♠ undoubled played.

South would have passed the XX with the "correct" information!?! Give me a break, please. If the director has no power to penalize him, at least should be so kind to let the board score stay. "Decent hand" carries no information about spade length, neither south asked for it (guess why). Horror attitudes, horror ruling. Sycophancy at his best. The line between a self-serving statement and a pure childish lie is very thin. P.S. In my opinion, naming players involved in such cases is by far the best thing that can happen.

Excellent convention! Never met a problem after 1♥-pass-1♠. Just make it sure 1♠ is up to 11 HCP (bidding 2♣ with a balanced hand containing spades).

When you have poor methods everything could go wrong in various ways. Play 2♣ artificial and keep direct jumps to 3_new_suit as 5-5 invitational (some 15-17). Then North has an easy 3♠ bid. Bidding 2♥ would have been crazy. South has a nut hand.

It depends. If they are good enough, they will be angry the same amount even if the slam on ~75% fails. If this is the case and my teammates maybe will not be in slam, I win, potentially preserving 1 IMP. Otherwise, I could duck it. This move should have a decent EV. Did you duck it? B-)

Probably ♥Axx, not sure about 3NT.

Bidding 3♠ with a nut-hand instead a space-preserving 3♣ is pretty bad. But if I was forced to bid against myself, keycard now should be obvious.

[hv=pc=n&s=sk82hjt2dk9cq9642&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=3dppdp]133|200[/hv]

[hv=pc=n&s=sj8642hjt2da2caq2&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1s2hdp]133|200[/hv]

[hv=pc=n&s=sjt98h54dt54cjt98&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=1hp2np3cp6hppp]133|200|1H= 8-11 2NT= 4+H, asking 3C = 10-11, any hand[/hv]

Polarized. Pure penalty or thin takeout.

Wrong. In the first case partner will return a heart, because: a) overcaller could hold KQ (or KJ) tight; b) logic of leads; c) restricted choice principle. In the second case partner will never lead a heart because it is so obvious club is the lead with the best expected value, far ahead the heart lead.

Not bidding 4♠ at IMPs is a serious offense against bridge. Could understand (but not like) 3♠ at MPs, since the scores are field-depending.

Play heart. Ruff return. Give club to RHO. Ruff the spade king. Play the A♦, and duck a diamond (preserving the J♦ to avoid the club throw in). If RHO has something like KJx-(A/K)xxx-(K/Q)x-KQxx, we make it.

Anything but 1♥ is a crime.

Very easy board. When you have 3154 and 11-13 you raise 1♠ to 2♠. When you have a doubleton spade, you bid it on the 4th suit forcing. Therefore, the sequence: 1♦ 1♠ 2♣ 2♥ 3♠ shows exactly 3154 and 14-16. Responder can now bid 6♠ even directly.

No real expert plays smith echo when is it time to give attitude in a side suit. Maybe you understand mechanics of this convention (btw, used when declarer plays some neutral suit), but you do not understand bridge.

Before overruling or not overruling the maths it would probably be better trying to understand them properly. :rolleyes:

LHO has 4 empty spaces (4S, 3H, 2D fixed). RHO has 4 empty spaces (2S, 6H, 1D fixed). From this point of view, the chances are 50%-50%. But NS are unfavorable. Since nobody should ever be inclined to open a multi with: ♠xx ♥A(J)xxxx ♦Qx ♣T9x but some aggressive player may open it with: ♠xx ♥A(J)xxxx ♦x ♣T9xx finessing is clearly better play than trying for a drop.