maggieb

Pass, I think it is very likely that this will result in +800 for our side. It is also possible that partner won't reopen because he is so weak that we can't make game, in which case I am happy to defend.

:)

My preference is to play a raptor 1NT by a passed hand. Undiscussed it is definitely minors.

This hand isn't an opening? :unsure:

gnasher and han, it sounds like you play redouble as a much stronger suggestion to play than I do. I like a very cooperative style of redoubling. In my opinion, it is very important to collect a number here when responder is just balanced with 8+ points. I will lose when we really have them nutted, but it seems worse, just based on frequency, to wait until this happens.

His hand is about a queen or king too weak to pass.

3♣ was not a good bid (agree with josh's 2♥ to set up a game force), but I would have bid 3♥ with the north hand.

Why? After a start like the actual auction, we are headed towards 3N instead of 5♣. Maybe we don't need a diamond stopper, I am satisfied to play 3N as long as my RHO is on lead. A similar auction where it is obvious we would rather take a shot at 3N is if partner bids 1N over a 1♠ overcall. If we have a club loser, I think we are unlikely to make 5♣ anyway, though it is true that 3N will probably result in more undertricks. However, if both are going down, 5♣ is much more likely to be doubled, so maybe the undertrick concern is close to a wash. I agree with you, though, that fears of going for 500 or 800 are irrational and are only a small part of why 1♣ is better than 5♣. Going minus here is only a very secondary concern compared to getting to the right game.

1♣, it is, in my opinion, a 100% necessity to keep 3NT open as an option.

4♣ followed by blackwood. 4NT here is quantitative.

1) Double, yeck. 2) Pass, just a little bit too weak. 3) Pass (preempting 2♠ on this hand is terrible!) and now 1♠. Bid spades when you can, it works!

Really? Do you make this stuff up? In this four card ending: [hv=n=s10hxdxcq&s=sxhak9dc]133|200|[/hv] or [hv=n=s10hxdxcq&s=sxhak9dc]133|200|[/hv] The last diamond is played from dummy. South pitches his last black card. Now, tell me how either hand can retain 3 hearts and a black suit high card when coming down to 3 cards? One hand (it doesn't matter if it is East or West) is forced to keep the club K, and therefore can only retain 2 hearts. This hand will have already been forced to discard any high spade that it held originally. The other hand will be forced to keep the only remaining high spade. Therefore in the 3 card ending, it will only be able to retain 2 hearts as well. The last heart in hand will be good. The Vienna coup wins in 6 out of your eight cases, losing only to case 1 or 8, when one hand holds both black suits. I'll stick with my line, tyvm. LOL!!! (did I do it right? B))

Well there are many reasons why I don't play 2C as puppet stayman. For example, I like to play drop-dead-stayman, where 1NT-2C-2D-2H is a weak hand with both majors. I also think regular stayman leads to quicker auctions, with fewer bids that can be doubled for the lead. With my regular partner I do play 3C as puppet Stayman.

...

What are your new years resolutions for 2009? Are you planning not to yell at partner? Are you planning to count every hand, and think before you play to the first trick? Will you finally write down all those little agreement you and your partner make? Are you planning to take the next step in the coming year, and if so, how?

pass of course

4♣

Oleberg! :o I do not see what Josh did to deserve such a tirade. He didn't understand what you said, what's the big deal? That is no reason to become a vicious pottie mouth, trust me that it only makes you look bad not him. :( I think the forums would be a much happier place if you would start behaving the way my signature suggests instead of the way this thread title suggests. :)

If I can show a diamond void, that is clearly the best way to start, since that is such a huge feature when I have 4 card major support. However, if all I can show is diamond shortness, I think 3♣ is a better description.

I know very good players who think a hand like this is a 2♣ opening and very good players who think a hand like this is a 1♠ opening. I would open 1♠, but I can't say I have a strong opinion about it.

1) How are you getting there on all these hands where 4♠ makes? 2) They can make game in spades 30% of the time? Please double-check this, it is obviously wrong.

If you want to bitch about poor language go to the spelling club. Everyone knows what I mean, so I guess you're just proving your intelligence here... I don't know what your original post means. Does it mean that just because you have an agreement that this doesn't promise a heart stopper with your favorite partner, that this hand is a nonproblem? Does it mean that if you don't have such an agreement, that this problem is "impossible" to solve? Both of these are complete nonsense, as Han said, so I hope you meant something else!

I object to this being called "normal," most American experts play 4N is two-suited and double is just takeout (but could be based on a strong NT type hand without too much in spades). Yes, there are tradeoffs. I would pull with the west hand, probably a good save if it's not making.

If you bid 1NT: 1) Do you think LHO is likely to bid 2♠ next? This seems like a stretch. It is certainly possible that this will happen, but it's not too likely to occur, and even if it does, it is not necessarily bad for you. Most hands that are 4-5 in the majors will just pass. 2) RHO already did not bid 1♠, do you think he will bid 2♠ now? Lawrence's concepts about balancing are good, but it is important to recognize when they don't apply.

I have a balanced hand with 11-14 HCP. Let's not overthink this one, boys.