wank

double isn't takeout. double shows exactly 4 hearts or a weak hand with more.

2NT = max, doubleton heart in the second one, 2S = 4153, wants to scramble (e.g. play 2NT)

3nt

if my partner passed, i'd be calling him an ambulance.

He didn't say a word in the chatbox during the whole match [i don't use sound on my computer, so he may have been doing audio commentary], except to advertise his paid-for classes. I consider this to be rather annoying.

3S for sure. your hand is probably going to be a big disappointment, moderately in terms of HCP, majorly in terms of a fit, so best look for a trump suit.

good players do it in a targeted manner, so i wouldn't call it very 'common' at all.

yes, 3c didn't show 8. got to bid em again.

of course not. you only take safely plays at matchpoints when you're in contracts you don't think other people will bid. even at club level everyone will get to game and shouldn't go overboard. if lho had stiff king and i hooked into it, i would expect to get a 0. there's nothing 'safe' about that.

not true at all. i'd call it very good technique to avoid a spade through the king when north has the king of clubs. if clubs are 2-1 he's pretty much 100% to get 2 spades away off dummy. finding them 3-0 onside on this bidding has to count as rather unlucky. declarer essaying the 7 of H of hearts or playing a 3rd round of trumps wasn't so clever though.

well, call it speculative if you like, but north obviously has a reasonable expectation of it making. the north hand is roughly what one would expect in terms of shape for such a call. as for east's defensive expectation against such a north hand, i'd say it's limited. if north required a diamond fit he could have taken a slower route. that he didn't, suggests he's got a very short holding or one that's sufficiently long that he can forsee his partner being short, as he has here with 7 of them. from east's viewpoint, if north has very long diamonds, it's more likely south that has the shortage than west, after all where are west's non-clubs? maybe 3 in spades and 2 in hearts, leaves at least 8 cards in clubs and diamonds.

why's that? north is obviously bidding to make. does east have reason to doubt north's judgment? considering he's got 9 points for his [sporting but non-absurd] opening bid and 4 cards in his partner's suit, plus plenty more shape, i'd say "no."

well, 'takeout' implies playability in more than 1 suit. double here only guarantees hearts.

I had forgot I was going to this. Now I need to locate partners/teamies as I have precisely none. I would only want to play in higher standard events and have a chance of doing reasonably well. Alternatively, I'm a whore and would do anything, including some less than 10000 MP thing, for cash.

double isn't 'takeout'. it shows 4 hearts or 5+ with a hand too weak to bid 2♥

that's amazingly negative bidding from south.

bidding on looks crazy to me. partner's bidding implies he was too strong for a direct 4H, but our 1.5 tricks isn't enough to move.

we couldn't have a better hand. i'd bid 6c, just in case 7's on.

XX should be inviting partner to compete to 3C. something like a balanced 9 count.

'unsupported' doesn't mean 'singleton'

My flight was cancelled so I didn't turn up in time anyway. 600 euros in compensation from British Airways for not being able to sit on my arse all day in Atlanta seems like a fair deal.

no sympathy here.

no, because 1C-1D-1S-2H is supposed to show 6-7 with 5 hearts, so that can't be in 2C.

Double

You don't rebid 3c on a 5422 hand