OleBerg

I held the hand and figured: "The 3♦ bid is probably created to cater to very light openings, and opener has signed off. Still, 3♠ is raised to game, why? Maybe because dummy hopes to run a suit; hearts." So I figured an active lead was called for, and thus led the A♦. My analysis was correct, (allthough not to much avail): [hv=d=e&v=b&n=sq65h753dj103ckj73&w=sa109hak964d87c985&e=skj743hqjdkq64c64&s=s82h1082da952caq102]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Was I just a lucky fool?

The beaten path. 1♣ followed by a reverse. Should partner reply 1♦ I will "naturally" have the agreement that both 2♥ and 2♠ are artificial, one of them containing a strong hand with diamond support.

[hv=d=e&v=b&s=s82h1082da952caq102]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Opponents bid unopposed: 1♠ - 3♦ 3♠ - 4♠ 3♦ = 11-13, 4-card support. 3♠ = Minimum. Lead?

OK so let's say you pass. The auction proceeds: P-(P)-1♦-(1♠) P-(2♠)-Dbl-(P) ? 3♠ wtp? (Partners!)

In Denmark 3♦ is standard for showing a F1-heart-raise. I like it; Saves space when we haven't found a fit. (3♣ = spades, F1 or GF accordibg to agreement.) Edit: And it is a completely obvious bid.

For me 3♥ is last-trainish, expressing doubt about 3NT. I will bid it, with great anxiety though. It might easily be right, but partner might easily bid 3NT where we belong in 5/6 diamonds. (And by the way, what does partner bid on 2♥, if he is 6-x-4-x?) And 3♥ isn't free if we are going to go forward, as our club-cue is now gone if partner bids 3♠. (4♣ will now be agreeing spades).

Opponents bid undisturbed: 1♥ - 1♠ 3♦ - 3♥ 3♠ - 4♦ 4♠ - 4NT 5♦ - 6♥ 3♦ = GF 3♥ = Sets hearts, stronger than 4♥ 3♠ = Cue 4♦ = Cue, denies a club-cue. 4♠ = Club-cue 4NT = RKC 5♦ = 0 or 3 Your hand: [hv=d=e&v=n&s=s8h87dj932caq10652]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] How do you rate the leads: 1) A spade. 2) A heart. 3) A Diamond. 4) A club. (The Ace.)

1) [hv=d=n&v=b&s=sa62ha852dk8cj964]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] (1♣) - Pass - (1♦) - Pass (2♥) - Pass - (Pass) - X (Pass) - ??? 1♦ = T-Walsh 2♥ = Unbalanced minimum with exactly three hearts. 2) [hv=d=n&v=b&s=sa62ha852dk8cj964]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] (1NT) - Pass - (2♦) - Pass (2♥) - Pass - (2♠) - Pass (3♠) - Pass - (4♠) - ??? 15-17 and transfer ordinaire 3) [hv=d=n&v=b&s=sa62ha852dk8cj964]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Pass - (1♦) - 2♠ - (3♥) Pass - (3NT) - Pass - (Pass) ??? Opener cannot hold a balanced hand.

Another thing the double has going for it, is that it is unlikely to volunteer any usefull information for declarer, quite the contrary. If partners hearts are Q or Qx, the double might persuade declarer to take a first or second round finesse, where he might have chosen to play for the drop otherwise.

So I doubled a 4♥ where the opponents had a misunderstanding, but got lucky. So what? 5 away is no big deal.

To me it seems fundamentally different, as there is a technical difference betweem playing the ace and the queen, but not betweem the king and the queen in your example.

Typed all for hands into the evaluator (with all spots.) Results: North: 10,30 South: 11,70 East: 10,40 West: 5,20 In all: 37,60. It seems to me, that the calculater, or at least the way it is used, is not perfect. On the NS hands, 3NT is completely laydown, while any of those hands will not make a laydown facing the East hand. Edit: Ok, not laydown, but will often make. It seems to me, that as the calculator is geared to handle bot balanced and unbalanced hands, Aces and Kings might be overrated for balanced deals, while intermidiates are underrated. Looking at the North hand, it seems quite likely, that this could be such a deal. Edit: Thanks to rhm, see below.

50/50 Opening hand + opening hand = Game.

One of the downsides of weak NT in 4th seat seems to be that you can't play 1M anymore. You also are opening 1N less frequently. Of course on the plus side sometimes you will get to play 1N when they could have found a making 2 level partscore otherwise. And they have to make the blind lead, often an unenviable position.

I generally agree with the other posters. Slightly off-topic, your partner may have been confused by this: Some people play, that when you split your honours, you play lowest from two, but highest from three; So if dummy plays a small, and you want to split, you play J from QJ, but Q from QJ10. (When falsecarding is not an issue.)

A first for me: I completely agree with Ken.

Well, thank you for your nice words. And you are correct indeed. I do feel however, that if partner has opened 3NT he shouldn't pull. And the blame for for the silly contract might as easily lie with me, as it was a casual partnership, and we hadn't discussed the difference between 1./2. and 3. hand 3NT openings. The only thing I found really interesting, was whether you would add an almost 100% certain 300 to your opponents score, in return for a far-out chance to win the contract. Scoreboard, quite competent field: 3NT D 5 800 10 -10 5KL D 8 500 4 -4 5KL D 8 500 4 -4 5KL D 8 500 4 -4 5KL D 8 500 4 -4 4KL 8 100 -6 6 4HJ 9 50 -9 9 4HJ 9 50 -9 9

1) 4♠. Take-out doubles shpuld be taken out. 2) Pass. I'll probably regret it real soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sNJhX0x7yI

A little worrying that no one even mentions my lead at the table: ♠A Wanting to go for the "peasant-defense", cashing three tricks and a ruff, that was my choice. If I want to find partner in clubs, a view of the dummy would likely help me to figure out which club to choose. Furthermore, partner might encourage with the ♠K. (Leading K from AK helps here.) And lastly, should partner hold a first or second round round stopper in hearts, he should be able to figure my void out, at the time he gets in. If for no other reason, then that all other avenues of defense would be gone. As you can see, there was no way to defeat the contract as it was: [hv=d=s&v=n&n=s1063hj74da10983c74&w=skq87hdkqj52ckj85&e=s54hakq9532d764c3&s=saj92h1086dcaq10962]399|300|Scoring: XIMP[/hv]

Disclaimer: Not a hand for result-merchants. [hv=d=s&v=n&s=saj92h1086dcaq10962]133|100|Scoring: XIMP[/hv] 1♣ - (1♦) - Pass - (4♥) Pass - (Pass) - Pass Yeah, they bid like that. Lead?

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=sa63hadkj84ckj1042]133|100|Scoring: XIMP[/hv] Pass - (Pass) - 1♣ - (2♦) X - (2♥) - X - (Pass) 2♠ - (Pass) - ? 1♣ was Natural or 15-19 bal. The first double is not discussed beyond "negative". Second double is not discussed beyond "not penalty".

[hv=d=e&v=b&s=sa74hq8dakq42ca74]133|100|Scoring: XIMP[/hv] (1♠) - X - (1NT) - Pass (Pass) - X - (Pass) - 2♥ (Pass) - ? Agree so far? What now?

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=saj6hakjda92c9532]133|100|Scoring: XIMP[/hv] (1♠) - Pass - (1NT) - ??? 1NT is 6-9.

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=s1073hkj103dq652c64&s=s854h4d9cak1098752]133|200|Scoring: XIMP[/hv] Pass - (Pass) - 3NT - (X) Pass - (Pass) - Pass How do you describe partners pass? (You are long time friends, and have a friendly but rough tone, so creativety is allowed.) The lead is the ♥7, fourth best. What do you play from dummy?