wank

This is a strong event - the most prestigious in Britain. Just done my coconuts in this.... 2 key boards. Firstly, void AQxx Atxxxx Jxx Everyone's vul. Bidding goes 2♣ strong on left, 2♥ from P, pass on right (showing better than a double negative) What do you bid? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Secondly, Ax AQT8x xx 109xx Love all 1♣ from P (you're playing 14-16 NT, 5cM and 1♦ is 5+ unless 4441 so 1♣ is pretty meaningless. you routinely open feautureless 11s), 3♦ on right, 3♥ from you, 4♦ on left (suggesting a save, 4♣ would have been a raise with no saving interest), 4♥ from P, 5♦ on right, you double, all out. Your lead?

i don't see what's wrong with X on a 2164 shape - opposite 5413, it's likely 2s is the best contract.

methinks you're missing the point. it's 3rd in hand - responder isn't trying to bid game. he's just trying to avoid going for a chunky penalty. i don't have any suggestions for 2nt/3c but i do suggest your main response is pass - this makes it much harder for opps to defend. obviously you're going to be clocking up a lot of undertricks so this is best used non vul. beware though that your method is brown sticker and illegal in practically every event you'll play in. i presume you're english by your norwich badge so you might consider changing it to any of H/D/C which would make it legal in ebuland, but that makes it much less potent as they can bid in the expectation that 2sx isn't likely to be floated. to get around this problem i play 2C = 0-5 with 4+ diamonds/hearts/spades which is ebulegal. because you're only showing 4+ cards outside, you often have a club sidesuit and play in 2cX which makes it difficult for the opps to double to show whatever balanced values they'd like to show.

west has AI from south's pass that east has at least as strong a hand as the opener which would be sufficient grounds for hesitating (i would expect double of a mini to show 13ish+). so the ui tells him nothing extra, so no adjustment. as for table feel online, you're having a larf.

because she's not very good

surely it's bad tactics to pass against bunnies. even the worst players can count upto 11 for an opening bid (or 12/13 as seems to be required in america). to give them an opportunity to do some carving you need to prolong the board, though i suspect that if i was being paid to play in this event the only thing i would be prolonging would be my trips to the bar.

i see everyone saying how they never downgrade, but i'm sure they would be nodding sagely when talking about upgrading some juicy 14 count. does everyone have an in-built penchant for over-bidding? just because your nt range is enunciated as 15-17 doesn't preclude you from using judgement. if i used my judgement i'd say this was below maximum for a weak nt and so open it a club. as for it being nt orientated, true, but if we play the hand, i'm very likely to have the opportunity to get no-trumps in as a rebid.