crazy4hoop

Now? You thank the bridge gods that you're gonna be on lead. So it's pass or double. Both opponents may be void in hearts and your diamond void means declarer probably can't get to hand to hook you out of the ♠K if the Ace hits in dummy unless they have the ♣A, which is probably not a favorite given the 5-level takeout double. Sounds like declarer is 4-5 or 4-6 (maybe 5-6 but doubt it) which means you must have a club trick if you lead one right now to go with either a trump trick if they're locked in dummy or a diamond ruff. It also means that declarer has at least 3 clubs so if they put you the test (easy hand for you - not a test!) by ducking trick one with Jxx clubs in hand, you just continue with the queen, allowing partner to ruff if they try to play a third club. I guess we better light it up and track the ♣K.

I like the penaltyish use for double, even vs. a strong NT, in the sense that I (rightly or wrongly) feel as if my opponents will be less likely to psych a 1NT opener against me or if they do so, they may be less than successful. I do, however, understand the popularity of the 4-card Major and longer minor use.

Thank you all again for your input and suggestions. If there is more to add, I'm all ears (or eyes I guess, since I'm reading the responses). :P

Thank you all for the input and the info.

Hi all, I manage a bridge club in White Plains, NY and am becoming increasingly frustrated with how inaccurate players are when filling out not just the travellers but the pickup slips as well. It is almost equally frustrating trying to score the game when I get six director calls at once during either the last round or the penultimate round (or both). I have heard of both bridgemate and bridgepad and was wondering if anybody out there knows which is better. I'm not sure what the criteria are for one of these products being "better" than the other but I imagine two important issues are cost and how easy or hard they are for the players to use. I feel that my directing staff and I could learn real quick. We have anywhere from 4-10 tables for an evening game, 11-23 or so for a morning game, and 18-36 or so for an afternoon game. If anyone has any useful information, it would be most welcome. Thank you.

RHO switched to the same ♣2 that is in dummy?

Not too sure but I would also guess a max pass with something like a minimum of 3 clubs to an honor. Partner can decide what to do with this information I guess.

Sounds like the first auction 5NT should be GSF with these bidders only bidding and raising one suit and in the second auction I think 4NT should have made an appearance after 4♠, leading to a much more sexy push.

Almost makes me want to open this hand 1♥ (I can always say I missorted my hand at live bridge) but of course we'll probably get too high in hearts and partner won't want to play with me again (well, s/he may have other reasons for that but, whatever). I don't really "like" any rebid, but I go with 1NT as the least of all evils in this situation.

Pass. Give partner a chance and let partner know his/her input is valuable.

I think Alan Truscott wrote an article about this and he entitled it "Crosswires." As to the auction, maybe the NT opener meant to pull out 2NT and when his partner had enough to raise to game, he leaped to 6 upon seeing he had only bid 1NT with his 20-count with a good 6-card minor and was taking a chance that they could make 12 tricks opposite a 9-10 count. I almost feel like the stronger the pair is that does this and it makes, the more I would want to get the director involved, not just with this pair, but also to get the next table to discuss the hands a hell of a lot more quietly, if at all. Of course, a novice could overhear something, too, so I would still call the director and explain what happened or maybe even speak to the director privately about what happened (at least if it were a club game). If a tournament, I want the director and recorder involved after the hand regardless of the result in case such behavior from this pair has become or will become commonplace.

Low ♥. I'm sure I'll chalk up minus at least 400 and be faced with the challenge of not tilting the next few boards.

Not sure how heavy partner may be over there, having overcalled 3♣ rather than 2♣. I would probably not double, as I expect my teammates may be playing negative doubles and might be going plus in diamonds anyway. I don't think I have to try to win this board by myself but I find that the doublers all have valid reasons for doubling and am not saying they're wrong.

All excellent points but I feel that if the director were to follow correct policy by suspending this player and informing ACBL, it should be done so highly publicly, so that the majority of the club's patrons would feel like they are playing not only where the rules are enforced, but also where the behavior of the revoker's partner will not be tolerated. From a monetary standpoint then, I get the feeling that the majority of the players would want to play in such an atmosphere, thus giving the club owner repeat business from most of the club's patrons (a good thing I think).

I guess I wasn't sure that double was penalty there (was it?). I thought if cards or takeout, North might be 1255 or 1264. Curious that North didn't bid 5♠ on the way to slam as a grand looks like a favorite opposite x AKxxxx KQxx Ax. Then again, South might jump to 6♦ with that hand. That's enough rambling from me on this interesting hand.

I voted club and am leading a club here. The stiff King looks wrong, there are 4 hearts on my left, and I automatically lose the postmortem by leading a diamond (not that I play for that reason). So, even though partner didn't double 2♣, I still lead one, as he wouldn't necesarily double with QJ10x, AQ10x, AJ10x, or other decent club holdings where the fear of defending 2♣XX exist.

I guess I go ♣A, agreeing with the previous comment. I would be tempted to try a trump in the hopes that partner's expected heart length combined with a trump lead might leave declarer short of the requisite number of tricks (I'm sure there's something wrong with that thinking and will check back to read about it). At the table, I'm positive I could find a way to go -1370.

Not thinking, I voted for the first pass as the worst bid, figuring that this hand should not sit for a reopening double and should therefore bid an immediate 2♥. After thinking about it some more, I guess this hand could always just bid 4♥ over a reopening double so if I could change my vote, I would make the 2♦ bid the most egregious call made in this auction (again, as on poster stated, assuming playing negative doubles).

I guess I like 3♣ regardless of which red suit partner bids. I think the hand is too control-rich to bid only 3NT over 2♦ and and won't feel like I've accurately described this hand should partner pass 3NT after bidding 2♥. I understand we won't lose out on the 4-4 spade fit in this second case and may even get to 6♠ but if partner doesn't have spades, he takes a ton of tricks in 3NT while we miss a slam.

Reasons to bid 2♥ (in no particular order): 1) 3-card heart support 2) ruffing values in diamonds and/or spades 3) a 6-card suit on the side 4) 8-loser hand 5) probably accepting most game tries (maybe not in diamonds but maybe) Reasons to bid 1NT (again, in no particular order): Oops, I can't find any, but here are some reasons not to bid 1NT: 1) If nonforcing, you are probably in a worse contract if partner passes 2) If forcing, you may miss 4♥ if planning to bid only 2♥ over a 2♦ rebid from partner

West has the nuts here. If his partner is about to beer him, he gets one for himself, too. If his partner isn't about to beer him, he saves money. Looks like a win-win situation for west.