MarkDean

[hv=d=s&s=saqjt6hajda83ca73]133|100|Scoring: XIMP[/hv] If your balanced options are 19-20 and 21-22, what do you open this hand? I chose 1♠, and partner surprised me with a 2♦ call, normal 2/1 stuff, what is your call? Any plans?

[hv=d=w&v=e&s=sj95hak985dak863c]133|100|Scoring: XIMP[/hv] (1♣) P (P) what is your call/plan?

I would open 1♥ and rebid 3♥ over either response. Yes, the suit is bad, but that is the reason we may want to play in hearts - it will take too long to set up in nt. I would not open 1NT - just too many hand for partner where 4♥ will play better than 3NT. Then again, I have seen experts open 1NT/2NT on hands that make me cringe, so I perhaps I am just not modern enough.

I pass and am not close to bidding. Given my auction so far, my hand is quite defensive: A,AK, plus Kxx of their suit and a void. It seems rather likely that partner is sitting on a boatload of clubs other there - I certainly would have expected him to bid 2♠ with basically any hand with 4+ spades last round.

I figured they were going to bid a lot of clubs, so I bid 2♥, planning on diamonds next, which was probably a poor plan. The bidding continued with a support double on my left and partner jumping to 4♥, ending the auction. Partner had: AKx JTxx AKQx xx. So, 6♥ is decent, but there is a diamond ruff threat (not relevant on this hand as LHO has the void and heart ace), but 6♦ is quite good.

6♣ is a very good contract in fact, and somewhat difficult to reach.

And we have a winner. At my table, the person with the hand in the OP did not seem fazed, and bid 4♥ immediately (within 5 seconds). Partner has: Axx T xxx KQxxxx, and had missorted the spade ace.

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=s82hakj984dkqcaj4]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Partner opens gambling 3NT as dealer, pass to you. What is your call?

I would bid 5♦. I want partner to value his diamond king, and hopefully he can picture my club shortness, especially as I cannot be bidding on power.

Well, I meant if an honor appears on my right, I have to decide between playing RHO for HH or HHx. Given that HHx is more likely, and that playing the jack next also picks up HT on my right, I think I would take that line. I can't pick up HHT on my right with just one entry, against correct defense. I did an excel calc, and assuming clubs are 44 and using no other information (negative inference on bidding leads etc.), HT/HHx on my right is exactly half as likely as HT, HTx, HH, HHT. And indeed, the heart ten coming down is more likely, I had not even considered that line. So I did not misplay to the line I thought, just to one I did not even see...

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=sj7hkq98djt97643c]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] (1♣) x (1♠) ? Partner does not double on the same crap y'all do - she is a pretty sound doubler. What is your call/plan?

To me, these were the competing lines. Line 1: hook the spade, then hook the diamond 9. Line 2: spade to the king, diamond to the jack. In both cases, if an honor appears on your right, you have some guessing to do. I spent a long time picking, and as one might expect from it ending up on here, I chose the wrong line. I chose 1, and 2 was the successful line. RHO had KQx of diamonds and the queen of spades, and stated that he was playing low on a diamond from the board, so I would not have even had further guessing. I think 2 is probably correct: does having two entries to the board really allow us to pick up the suit for one loser twice as often?

[hv=d=s&v=b&n=sajt9hq976d74c973&w=shdc&e=shdc&s=sk86hajdaj9832ca5]399|300|Scoring: XIMP[/hv] 1♦ - 1♥ 3♦ - 3♠ 3NT. 3♦ denies 3 hearts in your system. Opening lead is the two of clubs, RHO plays the king. What is your plan? (They play fourth best leads)

No this shows a great 5♥ overcall. I take the push. If its wrong, I explain how I was doubling when it came around to me and would pass when pard bid 5♥. haha, so you raise, but if you are wrong, you tell partner it is his fault? B)

I would double, but think it is close.

Sorry for the hijack, but this dialogue reminds me of a story. I am always one to trust, and sometimes hang, my partner. Perhaps I took it too far a few years ago in the IMP pairs. It was day 1, last round, and it feels like we are right around even - toss up between qualifying for day 2 or not. We sit down against my parents, with my mom on my right. I do not remember the hand exactly, but partner opened 1NT, I bid 2NT, showing diamonds, and he bid 3C saying he liked diamonds, which my mom doubled. I had a great hand, so I jumped to 4D which we had agreed as keycard. Partner showed 1, and I had 2. However, I had the ace of clubs, and given the points I had, we could not be off two keys if my mom had a club card for her double. I decided to trust partner, and bid 5D, with 12 tricks lay down, and we did not Q. Afterward he gave me a hard time for not trusting my own mother.

I think this is a tough hand. It feels to good for 2♥, but not enough for 3♥. I think it depends on our agreements, if 1♠ denied a balanced hand, sure sounds like heart shortness, and I would take the low road, otherwise I will bid 3.

So if opener actually has his bid, what does he do?

I thought I had already bid a fair amount for my hand, and had trouble visualizing a hand for partenr where slam was good consistent with the bidding, so I passed, and partner helped me with that visualization when he put down 9xx xx xxx AKQJx.

I would bid 3♦ - it takes up a lot less room.

Understandable - sounds like the kind of comment I would make.

But so does small to the ten... then how do you pick up Hxx on your left playing small to the ten? Lol what is going on, is this an April Fools Day prank you are playing on me or have you been hitting the bottle early today? :mellow: Probably just being a moron, but I really am confused. AJxxx Txx You play small toward the ten, and RHO plays the king. What do you do next round? If you hook the jack, then you pay off to KQ on your right. If you play the ace, you pay off to Qxx on your left. What am I missing?

But so does small to the ten... then how do you pick up Hxx on your left playing small to the ten?

Small to the jack also picks up HH with RHO.

It probably depends on who LHO is. If he is a weak, or random, or hyperaggressive player, I would just take the diamond hook. If I can count on him to be likely to have six hearts (especially if he had another bid with 2551), and more likely to bid with the king of diamonds, then I would play for the squeeze: I agree with others, easy to do if you have seen it before, very hard if you have not.