Little Kid

[hv=d=e&v=e&s=sk9752hqt5dkqt7ct]133|100|Scoring: IMP (2♣)-Pass-(2♦)-Pass (2NT)-Pass-(3♣*)-Pass 3NT-All Pass *3NT: Puppet Stayman[/hv] RHO opens 2♣ and they land in 3NT, what do you lead?

2♦. Partner can still move over 2♦ with 15-17, if he doesn't I'm happy in 2♦.

You must play 2♣ as F1 ? Not as forcing but I expect partner to pass very rarely (playing 2♣ as 2+). If he bids 2♥/2♠ it looks like a raise to 4. If partner has 5+♣s I will get raised opposite 8+. If partner has a weak hand with ♦s I don't want to be too agressive and force to game. Hopefully 2♣ will buy me some time to figure out what partner has and make a decision based on that. Only when partner has a weak hand with clubs and short spades will I get to play here, which I don't think is very common. In that case 2♣ should be a decent contract if the opponents don't balance.

2♣

Partner said this was a completely straightforward pass for him. I liked double on this hand because of the aces, the vulnerability and the (relative) shortage in diamonds. With shortage in the preemptors suit I try to act when possible in order not to put too much pressure on partner to bid in balancing seat with length (especially as opener could definitely have only 6♦s at this seat and vul). Thought I was going crazy here for not finding pass obvious, thanks for the responses! :rolleyes:

[hv=d=e&v=n&s=s964haj8da7cat952]133|100|Scoring: IMP (3♦)-?[/hv]

2♥ for me.

Oops yeah!

Declarer most likely has 2443 (possibly 3442/3451/3433 depending on their agreements). Declarer also showed 0/3 keycards. If he had 3, he would have to have something like AKAK/AAA if he doesn't know for what suit was keycarded. It seems more likely he has 0 based on the fact that responder has a) shown much more points and b ) keycarded. I suppose it is definitely possible responder only has 0-1 ace, it just seems less likely. Responder looks like he has 5♠s, maybe something like 5323/5332/5233. If partner has anything in ♠, they'll have to work on that suit for their 12 most likely anyway, so it can wait. If partner did have two spade tricks off the top, partner had a double of 6N anyway. Partner probably has +- 7points so we should try to find a lead that can set up his king if he has one in ♣/♦/♥ (he is likely to have an ace too based on bidding). It looks like declarer is not the one holding the aces on this had so I just need to find which suit to attack. The only suit I am definitely not leading is a ♠. My vote goes for a ♣ because that is the suit which is most crucial to attack if partner has the king there and an outside ace. If it backfires it is not likely to give much away in terms of tricks (responder didn't jump to 3♣) and partner's honours may still take two tricks later on. It is also the suit where the opponents do not have many cards in, making it a more likely they won't be attacking this suit for their 12 anyway. So: ♣>♥=♦>>♠ Not very confident about this decision though, a ♦ or ♥ may easily be the right lead too.

[hv=d=e&v=n&s=sq32hj85daq2ckj95]133|100|Scoring: IMP (1♥)- X- (1♠) - 3♣ (3♠)-Pass-(Pass)-X (Pass)-?[/hv]

Are there conditions where you play the raise of partner's preempt to be a slam try in that suit (assuming the opponents do not interfere)? If you don't, do you have other tools to look for slam? On the last one for example, how would you look for slam if you had a ♣/♦/♥ void? Here are a few auctions: slam try or not? r/r 3♥-(Pass)-5♥-(Pass) ? r/r (Pass)-2♦-(Pass)-4♦ (Pass)- ? w/w 3♦-(Pass)-4♦-(Pass) ? r/r (Pass)-3♣-(Pass)-4♣ (Pass)- ? w/r (Pass)-2♦-(Pass)-4♦ (Pass)- ? r/w (Pass)-4♠-(Pass)-5♠ (Pass)- ?

I blame North for the same reason as everyone else: 4♥ after partner denied a good hand. I would also bid 2♣ over 1♠ but really don't think that is why NS got too high. 4♠ over 2♠ is not something I wouldn't even consider, I think its a terrible bid.

Can't believe I actually laughed at this one :lol:

My partner and I didn't agree on this one. I said he didn't have anything to bid on with holding a flat 5332 and lots of finesseable honours under the overcaller. He suggested I shouldn't raise to 2♥ holding: [hv=v=b&s=sq76hq53dt7643cj8]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Would you raise or not?

[hv=d=n&v=b&s=s43hk8762dk95caq5]133|100|Scoring: IMP Pass-(Pass)-1♥-(1♠) 2♥ - (2♠) - ?[/hv]

A lot of people play fit jumps in unbid suits after interference if I am not mistaken. In the opponents' suit I would take a jump as splinter, like here.

[hv=d=e&v=n&s=skj5ht853dkj7cj54]133|100|Scoring: IMP (Pass)-Pass-(2♠)*-3♥ (Pass)- ? *2♠ = 5♠ + 5 minor [/hv] This might be obvious, what do you do next? EDIT: 2♠ is weak

[hv=d=n&v=b&n=shk6da975cqjt9865&w=st94hqj98dt82ck73&e=sqj8753h74dkq63c2&s=sak62hat532dj4ca4]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] We ended up in 6♣ off one, ♣K was offside and no squeeze.

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=sak62hat532dj4ca4]133|100|Scoring: IMP 1♣- (1♠)- 2♥-(2♠) 3♣-(Pass)- ?[/hv] Partner is a strong declarer. What will it be now, 3NT or go for slam?

No way I'm passing, partner opened 2♣.

At IMPs you open 1NT and partner transfers to ♠ and bids 3NT, showing a 5332 shape. You hold a 4333 hand (3♠) and need to decide whether you will correct this to 4♠ or pass it out. Do you consider this to be a close decision? If you are more likely to correct, would you do so at MPs too?

If 2♥ is forcing, does 2N always promise a stopper? I would try bidding 3♦, if partner can bid 3NT that's great and if he can't then ♥s should be a better contract.

Double! (I just had to get 101 posts! :))

3♣, sue me :)

No, he doesn't.