nekthen

Playing Acol, I look at these hands and ask if I would open 1N (12-14). In this case I would not, so I pass. I want a 6 card major, then I think we all open this hand. The danger of being outbid by opps who would otherwise have passed out is too great. Playing SAYC, it is even worse, I open 1♣, opps bid 1♠ and partner does not even know how many clubs I have.

I think the auction shows how important it is to give weight to 4 card majors that are going to be hard to bid. I may be out on a limb but I prefer double to 1H and I prefer 1S to 2D

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt87hq986d986caj&w=sj94ht5dkq53cqt76&n=sahkj73dajt2ck832&e=sk6532ha42d74c954]399|300[/hv] This is the sort of deal I imagine TBH if opps have their bids I do not see this going down. The K♦ lead does give South an option at trick 1, he may well decide to take his ace and draw trumps. Partner can now return a ♦ and get a ruff. On any other lead this is a routine 11 tricks. This also works if you swap the red aces

I think I would lead K♦ The bidding appears confident and I think any other suit risks a trick. There is also the scenario where partner has a doubleton and a trump entry, which results in a diamond ruff. This may give us a magic -620 against -650 for any other lead.

Just out of interest what is the difference between 4♥ and a double of 3♠? You do not have enough to bid 4♠ Either way I will agree that East needs to bid again

I remember a piece of advice from Andrew Robson.You should make an effort to "switch on" for the first board and the last board of a set. It is all too easy for you to be on autopilot on those two hands.

I open 2C to show 8pt in a major or GF p bids 2D at least 1 trick So 2c 2d 2h 3c 4h 4N 5d 5s 6h

Using Gazzilli I would bid 1H 1S 3H GF, then the auction continues as above. I think part of the point of Gazz is that 1H 1S 3H is GF

OK This is an odd one. I disagree with doubling for penalties, as partner is surely going to bid on most of the time, we need to take this down three to make a profit compared to the room in 3N. I would assume that this was a support double showing 3 card support with no implication of strength. I would now bid 2♠ to show my 3 card support and lack of a ♥ stop. On the topic of bidding after the double, I generally start with a xx when holding a ten+ count. Now any double by partner is penalty but given the extreme distribution I would still bid 2♠ after p doubles 2♥, which would be GF.

No! Berate partner for not bidding 2♦. Nothing like enough playing strength to reverse especially when partner has shown values in your void. I guess you have to bid 3♦ though I admire pass. Hopefully, partner has the wit to pass.

I think North is totally wrong to mastermind the situation he has 9 hcp and his partner knows about 6 of them He would not be my partner next week!

Partner knows that you have two side suit Kings. He did not bid 5♥, which indicates he has AKxx(x) in spades. We must be missing an ace otherwise why bother with 4N. So partner hand looks like AKxx x(x) AKQxx Ax(x) So maybe the double is designed to scare you into 6N allowing a lead through your ♥Kxx as 6♠ making is going to be a good score the double is a low risk tactic. The reason partner bid 4N is that if you showed an ace he can count 12 tricks and bid 6N, but when you show up with 2 kings, one of them needs protection from the opening lead. Therefore, I am sticking not twisting. I might even be tempted to stick in a stiletto with a redouble even though it will make no difference to the final score If we are down, the PM will be interesting!

I disagree with those who want to cue bid; we want to know about AS and KQC once we get the nod on those using RKCB our next bid is 5N. Now with both red Kings partner bids 7C which we convert to 7N. In this case he will bid 6H and we will bid 7C because we have extra chances by ruffing spades. If I start cue bidding, partner might do something stupid like bidding 5C, in which case I will probably have to settle for 6 or punt 7 with little to go on. PS It would be nice to have 4C or 4D agreed as minorwood. It does not matter here, but, other times, we can't afford the luxury of 4N

I have come down on the side of opening 1N with 5332 and 5422 hands (except with 9 cards in majors) I think it is important to use 3♣ as Puppet Stayman in this scenario, this generally makes sure you are in the right game. Part scores are more random as to which is better but there is nothing worse than reaching the wrong game. I like to know that when my partner rebids his suit, he usually has 6 and if he rebids a minor, he is likely to have a singleton somewhere, again a convenient rebid can nullify this e.g. 1S 2C 2D may be a 15-17 hand with xx in hearts, whereas 1S 2D 2S could be hiding a 4 card club suit and an inabilty to bid NT e.g. 5314 and 12-14 count. I also play a 2/1 response as 10+ instead of the old school 8+ There are always hands that make you query your choice and even those that you decide to bid against your own system, but at least you and your partner agree what you should have :)

Disagree P- 3S - dbl - p 4c - p - p - p As an Acol player I am sure I would open 1N. Now 3S is a real pain but I think it should go dbl 4C Even after 1C 3S dbl p, I would surely show my 5 card club suit in preference to my hearts

Playing your methods always open 1♠ Suppose it goes 1♦ p 2♣ p? What is your rebid? It has to be 2N which may have by passed a 9 card spade fit A hand like this is shown in every bridge primer with the instruction to open 1♠

I am much more worried that partner has a hand like this [hv=pc=n&n=sj4hq84dak62cqt32]133|100[/hv] 3N does not stand a chance and even 5♦ is iffy

I think this may be a hand where 5♦ makes and 3N fails. We have 3 aces but no stuffing. I am not certain that p has less than 4♠ as I would bid 1N to show my range and then partner uses xyz to find out more about my hand. So I bid 2♦ artificial GF and listen to partner. e.g. He may bid 3♣ indicating a 3244 hand now I bid 3♦ and partner can choose which game he wants to play. You could do something similar with 2♣ checkback or nmf. If you do not use any gadgets here then you can bid 3N and watch partner go down on a spade lead, when p has xxx or xx in spades and one of the opps has 5 spades

First thing to say is North could have saved himself an awful lot of grief by opening the bidding. This meets all modern standards for a light 1 diamond (or 1N if playing 12-14). We have 2 and 1/2 QT we meet rule of 20 and we have an easy rebid whatever partner says. To make 5 partner must have a heart void and cover 3 cards in my hand and not have an opening bid in 3rd seat Axxx - Kxxx Kxxxx I think that covers it, so 5♦ it is.

Has this method got a write up anywhere?

I vote North. The double should have some spade tolerance at this level. North could have a weak NT hand with a 5 card spade suit (assuming SAYC) and may go down in 4S but 4C may even make in that scenario. If playing Acol, worst case scenario is a 4333 15 count when N presumably passes and hopes for the best.

My partner would rebid his excellent spade suit 1♦ 1♠ 2♦ 2♠ 4♠

Bridge is always a balance of probabilities. Yes, once in a while, I will lose. IMO I will win more often than I will lose and that is what matters. Also my partner will strain harder to bid again because the top end of my 2♦ is known to be high.

[hv=pc=n&n=sq842h63d72ck8432]133|100[/hv] You are all getting too excited. Partner may well have scraped together a response. He can bid again with a decent hand. Here he can pass 2♦ and get an easy top in this room.

This happens on bbo a lot. Patzers know about takeout doubles but cannot resist doubling with a trump stack. You as their partner know what is going on because you have short trumps and oppo did not raise. My question is do you attempt to school your partner and bid normally or pass for an undeserved top? In a random individual tourney I think I would pass. I also fill in a note on partner in case he ever asks me to partner him!