wank

west underbid. singleton in opps' suit and all working cards = limit raise.

east bid his hand like a misftting yarbourough. kx of spades is a monster holding and it would be premature to write off kq of d. tx of clubs is plenty opposite 2c, 3c. bid diamonds first, ok, but then investigate a club slam.

because 4H would essentially force to game with a flat 10 count.

What continuations are 1RF/nf/GF after 1C-1D-1H-2C and 1C-1D-1S-2C and what should 2D be? One source I have says 2D is a shape enquiry, minimum, but that after 1C-1D-1S-2C, 2H is also natural, minimum. That doesn't make much sense to me. The other source has 2H natural GF. They both have 3m defined as 46. What then with 4M531 shapes GF? I'm guessing it's 2NT, but that seems like a way to play it wrong-sided. Or does that hand go through 2D?

totally normal pass. passing once doesn't mean passing forever.

I have nothing to do on Thursday. Are these 1 day or 1 sessions things mind-numbingly low standard? If not, I'd be free if anyone wanted a game for fun.

liversidge seems like an aspirational variety of n/b. in general i think people who bother to post on the forum to get answers are sufficiently keen that they'll be rapid improvers, to whom one should talk up, but yes there's obviously a balance to be struck. UK bidding teaching and perforce knowledge is terrible. I think it's a grossly overrated convention, but in Croatia, where I live, more than half of the room at the bridge club plays gazilli. as for what you wrote about 2NT range non-specific, that would reduce the number of ranges you can show from 3 to 2. by playing jumps as extras you have 3 ranges: 1) jump = extras but limited, i.e. something like 15-bad 17 (yes this hand might well be too good for it) 2) min bid then raise later beyond game = max extras, something like good 17-bad 19 (assuming 1S was nf) 3) min bid then pass = minimum. by always bidding 2NT then deciding whether to raise later or not, you would just have 2.

Pass is definitely in the game at matchpoints - possibly collecting 200 on defence when you'd be going negative bidding and some of the time when you're making game partner can protect. Double is ridiculous imo - your target is tiny, essentially aiming to stop on a pin head in 4m. With 2 honours you can't ever expect partner to pass. Kx is a pretty poor holding for 3NT - can't duck. 4S as suggested up-thread would be one of the worst bids of the year. 3S is not a bad bid, but I think pass is better.

passing this type of hand and hoping to show a 2 suiter later is fine, but this is just too much with 9ish tricks, and i certainly don't pre-empt with 9 tricks in 2nd seat, so mark me down for 1H. as for what to do having passed, 4H should show a 2 suiter, given the non-opening, but the question is which one? personally, i would expect 4H to be something like 5H6D. in the circumstance i think 3H is ok. after 5C is Xed, you're in an awkward spot obviously. i'd gamble on a fit and bid 5H (partner should then know you have a major 2 suiter).

you may know the concept of fast arrival: that once you're in a game force jumping to game shows a minimum, on the basis that with a good hand you would take it slow to investigate slam. i know many good players who erroneously think this applies in no-trumps too; it doesn't. jumps in no-trumps always show extras. over 2C 3NT would be an option with that hand then, in purely HCP terms. this hand doesn't want to commit to no-trumps though. with no spade stop, despite having bid them, you might find yourself going off in 3NT with slam cold when partner naively passes with e.g x kqjxx qxx kjxx the traditional bid with this shape over 2C is 2H which is conveniently low - there's no rush and your hand is as playable in every suit as it could be after starting 1D-1H-1S . You may think 2H shows 3, but unless you're French, it's normal to raise immediately on 3 card heart and a minimum with an unbalanced hand (like 4351), ignoring the spades (partner can bid them himself if he's got enough to invite/force game) and with 4351 and extra values, you would rebid 1S and jump to 3H now (having shown your shape and values so nicely the space consumption isn't so important). if you're 4351(4360) with extras and partner makes a weak 2nd bid, you just bid hearts at the 2 level, e.g. 1D-1h-1s-1nt-2h = extras 4351/4360.

anyone suggesting south should bid 4h at adverse vul is resulting. when lho has passed and you've got a chance for 3 defensive tricks in your own hand, you don't offer up a possible 1400, just in case RHO has 11 black cards and LHO has a max pass with the perfect honours. 3H would be on the sporting side.

10 tricks isn't enough for a reverse? still, opening 1H is a better idea because you expect the auction to be rather competitive.

North has a WTP double of 3C. Don't piss space away unless you're confident you know the right contract.

if the west hand had a 5cM obviously you would show it and make a slam try. this idea that you don't do the same with a 5 card minor is just due to poor methods and perhaps a matchpoint hangover.

Double shows hearts. Specifically 4 or a weak hand with more. Double is not take-out. It doesn't show clubs.

4s. This isn't aggro at all.

It would be auto at MP. I pass at imps. Aside from the risk of getting smacked, you'll often force partner to convert a plus score on defence into a minus score on offence. He obviously won't be expecting A9 of trumps.

too strong for a 2h rebid? 3h should be forcing even in acol. anyway, east has to game force with this hand over 1S in standard methods.

i'd just go for the simple option unless rho has a singleton spade: win the heart, draw trumps, exit a heart. if rho wins and leads a diamond win the ace of diamonds. play 3 round of clubs. makes when lho has qc, when rho has it doubleton/singleton and when rho has kd, singleton diamond or jt doubleton. if rho turns up with short spades, i suppose that changes the odds. it might be better to go after diamonds then.

2nt showing values. if partner bids 3nt you can try 4c if you like. hopefully you'll get an opportunity to offer hearts at some point.

If declarer has the ace of hearts he can always make just by establishing diamonds. He just has to duck a trump before running them.

I'd lead a low spade towards dummy and build my ruff. After Lho leads from kjt of hearts a void is more likely than a singleton.

double and bid 3nt. you've even right-sided it in case partner's got qx or jx in spades. yes it might go 5 off or something but you have to assume partner has some points when they pre-empt or you'll get nowhere. the only other option would be to downgrade the hand to a 2nt overcall. that would be rather negative. you want partner to declarer to no-trumps to protect any minor spade honours he has and you want to get hearts in the game, so it's not my cup of tea.

most likely it's just a clueless player who doesn't understand what 1NT should have there. a psyche has to be deliberate. bad players often misdescribe their hands unintentionally. as for alerting, they don't have to alert that they're bad players.

North obviously. Double isn't penalties so why is he passing with a void?