OleBerg

Give the man a break. He politely asks for help on a hand he has found difficult, and people starts to bitch about the semantics of his headline. Furthermore, he is right. At least about me; I do need to get a gf/wife, instead of farting around on the internet.

6♥ wtp? (Assuming partner had a second negative.) Partner will never be able to knwo what is working and what is rubbish. And some people cash aces against slams.

Warning: Asshole comments below: 1♦: Not my choice, but fine if that is partnership style. Passing 1♠: Belongs in another forum. Doubling 5♣: Not my choice. I don't expect it to gain substabcially, but as it is unlikely to give declarer any information, I'll live with it. Lead: I voted small spade without thinking. Regrets. If this one is not down in cashing tricks, we need to establish a trick in one of the side suits, before it can be discarded on winners in one of the red suits. ♥A stands out. It will show me dummy. Hopefully, a heart-continuation or a switch will be obvious when I see dummy. And partner will still have clubs to stop declarer from running a side-suit, before he knocks out my ace.

Hmm...

1) ♥K. (And yes, I'd do at the table too.) One exception: If I am red vs white, and opp. are not known to be traditionalists. In that case it is a small heart. 2)♠J. In a "best-case-scenario" for a club-lead, partner has 8 cards in the major-suits, making him a favourite to hol 2- clubs. If one opponent has four clubs, which I cinsider very likely, a club lead will often cost. A spade trick will typically only cost, when we have clubs coming in. (Disclaimer: I am a believer in passive leads against such conracts.)

Plan well in advance, so that as few things as possible will distract you. This migth very well include: - Being in reasonable physical shape. (I'm not talking health-freakness, just a litte.) - Plan your eating. Again, not a health freak, but eat so healthy, and in amounts that makes you feel well afterwards. This migth include smaller meals for shorter breaks. Meals like a piece of fruit, or something less healthy. The important thing is to feel well, and be neither hungry nor bloated. Your body and it's functions/malfunctions should not distract you during the game. Even very moderate excercise will get you to know your body well. - Plan in advance where to eat, sleep and any other "away from the table" things you have to do. (Or plan who will do it for you, if you are so fortunate.) - If you need to regain your composure betweem rounds, do it. If people want to strike up conversations, tell them firmly but friendly, that you need to relax before next round. - If possible, arrange your life in a way, where the most sressfull times is not the time around the time of the tournament.

If partner is allowed to bid 3NT without showing anything than a desire to take the chance, then I pass. If I didn't, having 2NT as non-forcing wouldn't make any sense. I do not hold anything I haven't shown. Partner is at the table too, and has as much license as me, to shoot for tough games.

Without any gadgets in my system, I would raise without hesitation. However, on a theoretical level: The 18-19 NT ougth to be included in a 2♠ bid by opener. So opener should be allowed to bid 3NT on a maximum weak opening. So if I had that agreement, I would pass. You know, the opponents migth make a good lead too, knowing partner has some sort of spade-tenace.

[hv=pc=n&w=s75hqjt5daj9653c5&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1s2dp3c3hppdppp]133|200[/hv] Looks like you need a bidding lesson, but maybe you'll get lucky and make a little profit here. What do you lead to make the most of it. (3♣ was natural and forcing.)

Pass. 4♠ is basicly banking that partner has single diamonds and then some luck in the soft suits. Best-case scenario: ♠AQ109xxx ♥Qxx ♦x ♣ xx and we still need the ♣A onside, or a major FCK-up. Theres is also the chance that opponents might misjudge and compete. (Well, at least if the skip-rules are enforced.)

At the table it would never have occurred to me, that 4♣ is non-forcing, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. South has only supported 1♣ to 2♣, and should be in no position to set up a force, unless invited to do so. And there is no reason whatsoever that North should not be able to show 5-5 in the blacks, without commiting to 3NT or 5♣. After all, if North want to force, he has 4♦ and 4♥ available. All this within the "5-5 in blacks are opened with 1♣" context. It's not my method, but I like the actual bidding-sequence. (Or rather, I would have, if NS had the cards to fit it.)

This is a lead-problem.

Smack the pony, Mahoney. If your teacher says different, get a new teacher.

When I wrote "Kinda bad luck" I was referring to the combined NS effort. Looking at all four hands, I's expect 3♠ to be minus very often, -2 on a very sunny day. I also assumed the second double to be take-out. (If it is penalty or DSIP (Whatever that is), I don't like it.) North-South has a difficult time on this hand, with 24 hcp and 3♣ as last winning spot. I am not saying that their actions are standout, but looking at all four hands, I'd still rather defend 3♠X than play 4♣. Of course I'd prefer to defend 3♠ undoubled, but North simply has to take another bid. Also, there's the odd chance that 3NT might still be a winner. Hard to get there after 4♣. This time, what would normally have been the winning action, backfired. I'd still write it off as "***** happens". Edit: I didn't put those stars there :P

Bidding a tough 3NT, wtp? Play: Crossing to a spade and playing the ♥10 seems like another wtp?, but I might be missing something?

1) Kinda bad luck. You'd expect to beat 3♠ a large amount of the time, and 4♣ is auto-down. Of course, if the second double is penalty, it stinks. The 2♣-overcall has all the defence partner should expect. 2) Degrees of obviousness. North has an obvious 5♣. South has an even more obvious raise of 4♣.

If I bid (Double) it will be: ♠ 32 ♥ 765432 ♦ 5432 ♣ 2

Is he supposed to raise 4♣ to 6♣? (Mind you, I agree that pass is incomprehensible. I believe in my double, but consider 4♣ a reasonable alternative.)

Which might make.

X When I convert 4♥ to 5♣ partner will know diamonds is a possible denomination.

+2

np.

Thx all!!!! :D

1) Yes under my agreements*, and I would expect it to be forcing with any pick-up-expert partner. If my partner wanted to have an agreement that it was non-forcing, ok with me. 2) Double. 3) I'd still double, but I'd be even more inclined to have a non-forcing agreement. (Not only is partners values limited, but he also has more freedom to bid high with distribution/playing-strength, with few hcp.) 4) No. * We have invitational values, and they bid at the 5-level. (Yes, I know we have bid game, but in competitive sequences we are allowed to do that with invitational values. Maybe we should coin a term for that.)

Don't like the 2♥-bid either. The fact that 2♦ can be 4-4 and also 6-5 makes everything look a little awkward. On the play: I don't try to second-guess the result in the other room. So many different things can happen on such boards. (They might start with a double or a 1♥ overcall, or East might support diamonds on the first round, or someone gets to high. Or something else.) So I simply take what I believe to be the percentage play for the contract: ♠A and a spade to the jack. And if you really want to try and second guess, it is when they also play 5♥ in the other room, it is most important to take the percentage play. And I see no reason not to believe they do that.