mikl_plkcc

Here are two hands which I don't know what I should bid: [hv=pc=n&s=sakq5ht4dakq63c63&n=s986432hak3d7432c7&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1dp1sp]500|300[/hv] How can I prevent the auction dying out at 4♠? [hv=pc=n&s=st6hak842dkjt3c94&n=sa9532h75daq952ca&d=s&a=1hp1sp2dp]500|300[/hv] How can I get to 6♦?

I have two questions about Standard American bidding about forcing or not, stated in the poll. 1. Is opener rebid at 1-level forcing or can be passed, if responder has a minimum? 2. Is responder rebid showing preference at 2-level after 2/1 response forcing or can be passed, if opener has a minimum?

It's pretty standard to make a takeout double with 10 HCPs with the perfect shape. The shortness worth a lot here as a fit is guaranteed. The 1♦ bid is just an escape because allowing the opponents to play in 1♣xx is a really bad idea even if the partner has 5 good ♣ against a singleton, when our side has few points. In this bidding, N/S is guaranteed the majority of strength, where W may have just a 5 or 6-card ♣, few points and no suits to bid.

I have got some good results opening a hand with traditional 2♦, where it would be passed if 2♦ is conventional because it is not long enough to open 3♦. Note that I stick to the traditional weak 2 at the 1st or 2nd seat, including shape and honour requirements, therefore the partner can treat it as a picture bid.

The dominant system in the UK is Acol.

In a robot challenge, the E/W robots at a 4-robot table correctly bid a game, but at my table, they failed to bid it and let us played in 1♦! The difference was I opened 1♣ having 4-4 in the minors, and the robot opened 1♦. At the all-robots table, the bidding was pretty standard: [hv=bbo=y&lin=pn%7CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C3sqj4h97dkq86cajt3%2Cst52hakq6d2ckq752%2Cs983h2dajt753c986%2Csak76hjt8543d94c4%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7Cboard%2013%7Csv%7Cb%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C1d%7Can%7Cminor%20suit%20opening%20--%203%2B%20%21d%3B%2011-21%20hcp%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7Cd%7Can%7Ctakeout%20double%20--%203-5%20%21c%3B%202-%20%21d%3B%203-4%20%21h%3B%203-4%20%21s%3B%2012%2B%20total%20points%7Cmb%7C2d%7Can%7Cfree%20raise%20--%204%2B%20%21d%3B%206-9%20total%20points%7Cmb%7C3h%7Can%7Cjump%20in%20competition%20--%204%2B%20%21h%3B%2011-%20hcp%3B%2010-12%20total%20points%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C4h%7Can%7C3-5%20%21c%3B%202-%20%21d%3B%204%20%21h%3B%203-4%20%21s%3B%2016-19%20total%20points%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7Cdk%7Cpc%7Cd2%7Cpc%7Cda%7Cpc%7Cd9%7Cpc%7Cs3%7Cpc%7Csa%7Cpc%7Cs4%7Cpc%7Cs5%7Cpc%7Ch5%7Cpc%7Ch9%7Cpc%7Cha%7Cpc%7Ch2%7Cpc%7Ch6%7Cpc%7Cd3%7Cpc%7Chj%7Cpc%7Ch7%7Cpc%7Cc4%7Cpc%7Cca%7Cpc%7Cc2%7Cpc%7Cc6%7Cpc%7Csq%7Cpc%7Cs2%7Cpc%7Cs9%7Cpc%7Csk%7Cpc%7Cd4%7Cpc%7Cd8%7Cpc%7Chk%7Cpc%7Cd5%7Cpc%7Cc7%7Cpc%7Cc9%7Cpc%7Cht%7Cpc%7Cc3%7Cpc%7Ch8%7Cpc%7Cd6%7Cpc%7Chq%7Cpc%7Cs8%7Cpc%7Cck%7Cpc%7Cc8%7Cpc%7Cs7%7Cpc%7Ccj%7Cpc%7Ccq%7Cpc%7Cdj%7Cpc%7Cs6%7Cpc%7Cct%7Cpc%7Cc5%7Cpc%7Cdt%7Cpc%7Ch4%7Cpc%7Csj%7Cpc%7Ch3%7Cpc%7Cdq%7Cpc%7Cst%7Cpc%7Cd7%7C]399|300[/hv] However, if I opened 1♣, West obviously couldn't bid anything even with 14 HCPs as it had no other 5-card suits. Whether East bid or not after 1♦ is a matter of style here, but here, West shouldn't pass out the 1♦ having 14 HCPs and a singleton ♦!!!!!! A major game was very likely given the information. [hv=bbo=y&lin=pn%7Cmikl_plkcc%2CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C3SQJ4H97DKQ86CAJT3%2CST52HAKQ6D2CKQ752%2CS983H2DAJT753C986%2CSAK76HJT8543D94C4%7Csv%7CB%7Cah%7CBoard%2013%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C1C%7Can%7CMinor%20suit%20opening%20--%203%2B%20%21C%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C1D%7Can%7COne%20over%20one%20--%204%2B%20%21D%3B%2011-%20HCP%3B%206-12%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CS9%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cmc%7C8%7C]399|300[/hv]

In a robot challenge, I got a board where the robot played 3♥-5 and another table played 2♥-4 with a 3-2 trump misfit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On both tables, South opened 1♠, North responded 1NT, East, holding a single-suited ♦ hand with 15 HCPs, T/O Xed the 1NT. I overcalled 2♠, and East balanced with another T/O X again!!!!! and passed the forced 3♥ response make with only 3 ♥!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As the result, the robot played in a suit with 5 trumps only!!!!! On the 4-robots table, South didn't repeat the ♠ suit, and the robots behaved the same, just a level lower. [hv=bbo=y&lin=pn%7Cmikl_plkcc%2CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C1SAQ9652HQ54DJ9CK6%2CS8743HA72DKT4C854%2CSKJHT9863D2CQT973%2CSTHKJDAQ87653CAJ2%7Csv%7CN%7Cah%7CBoard%2015%7Cmb%7C1S%7Can%7CMajor%20suit%20opening%20--%205%2B%20%21S%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C1N%7Can%7CForcing%20one%20notrump%20--%203-%20%21S%3B%206%2B%20HCP%3B%2012-%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CD%7Can%7CTakeout%20double%20--%203%2B%20%21C%3B%203%2B%20%21D%3B%204%2B%20%21H%3B%202-%20%21S%3B%2013%2B%20total%20points%7Cmb%7C2S%7Can%7C6%2B%20%21S%3B%2014-18%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CD%7Can%7C3%2B%20%21C%3B%203%2B%20%21D%3B%204%2B%20%21H%3B%202-%20%21S%3B%2017%2B%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3H%7Can%7C3%2B%20%21H%3B%207-%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CS9%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CDQ%7C]399|300[/hv] [hv=bbo=y&lin=pn%7CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C1saq9652hq54dj9ck6%2Cs8743ha72dkt4c854%2Cskjht9863d2cqt973%2Csthkjdaq87653caj2%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7Cboard%2015%7Csv%7Cn%7Cmb%7C1s%7Can%7Cmajor%20suit%20opening%20--%205%2B%20%21s%3B%2011-21%20hcp%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C1n%7Can%7Cforcing%20one%20notrump%20--%203-%20%21s%3B%206%2B%20hcp%3B%2012-%20total%20points%7Cmb%7Cd%7Can%7Ctakeout%20double%20--%203%2B%20%21c%3B%203%2B%20%21d%3B%204%2B%20%21h%3B%202-%20%21s%3B%2013%2B%20total%20points%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C2h%7Can%7Clongest%20suit%20--%204%2B%20%21h%3B%2016-%20total%20points%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7Cht%7Cpc%7Chj%7Cpc%7Chq%7Cpc%7Cha%7Cpc%7Ch2%7Cpc%7Ch3%7Cpc%7Chk%7Cpc%7Ch5%7Cpc%7Cd3%7Cpc%7Cdj%7Cpc%7Cdk%7Cpc%7Cd2%7Cpc%7Ch7%7Cpc%7Ch8%7Cpc%7Cd5%7Cpc%7Ch4%7Cpc%7Cct%7Cpc%7Cca%7Cpc%7Cc6%7Cpc%7Cc8%7Cpc%7Cd8%7Cpc%7Cd9%7Cpc%7Cdt%7Cpc%7Ch9%7Cpc%7Ch6%7Cpc%7Cc2%7Cpc%7Cck%7Cpc%7Cs8%7Cpc%7Csj%7Cpc%7Cst%7Cpc%7Cs9%7Cpc%7Cs3%7Cpc%7Ccq%7Cpc%7Ccj%7Cpc%7Cs2%7Cpc%7Cc5%7Cpc%7Cc9%7Cpc%7Cda%7Cpc%7Cs6%7Cpc%7Cc4%7Cpc%7Cc7%7Cpc%7Cdq%7Cpc%7Cs5%7Cpc%7Cs7%7Cpc%7Cc3%7Cpc%7Cd6%7Cpc%7Csq%7Cpc%7Cs4%7Cpc%7Csk%7Cpc%7Cd7%7Cpc%7Csa%7Cpc%7Cd4%7C]399|300[/hv]

I'll say that a bid is natural is it suggests the denomination to be played. For example, a 3NT bid based on a solid long suit can be said as natural because it is intended to be played.

In the game of bridge, we are required to disclose the agreements on our bidding and defense playing. What will happen if this requirement is removed, such that the game is played with secret agreements that we don't need to disclose the meaning of our bids and defense playing to the opponents? I think it will be more interesting as without disclosure, the bidding systems will be designed in a way such that the communication can be done without opponents' guessing the meaning, while disrupting their bidding as possible. Also, it will be harder to deduce the opponent's holdings from the bidding, when all the meanings are kept secret, so you need to use your own communications, and make a guess on their biddings.

Why do you think it's a good idea to let partner play in a most likely 5-1 misfit? If the opponents are long in spades, they will definitely allow 1♠ to pass out, no matter how strong they are, and collect the lovely penalties watching 1♠ goes down rather than competing in a partscore themselves.

The hand is follows: [hv=bbo=y&lin=pn%7CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%2CRobot%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C1sqj543hktdak82cak%2Csakt9872hj8432dc6%2Cs6hq975dq93cjt873%2Csha6djt7654cq9542%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7Cboard%203%7Csv%7Ce%7Cmb%7C1s%7Can%7Cmajor%20suit%20opening%20--%205%2B%20%21s%3B%2011-21%20hcp%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7Csk%7Cpc%7Cs6%7Cpc%7Cd4%7Cpc%7Cs4%7Cpc%7Cs8%7Cpc%7Cc7%7Cpc%7Cc2%7Cpc%7Csq%7Cpc%7Chk%7Cpc%7Ch2%7Cpc%7Ch7%7Cpc%7Cha%7Cpc%7Cd7%7Cpc%7Cd8%7Cpc%7Cst%7Cpc%7Cd3%7Cpc%7Ch8%7Cpc%7Chq%7Cpc%7Ch6%7Cpc%7Cht%7Cpc%7Ch9%7Cpc%7Cd6%7Cpc%7Cd2%7Cpc%7Chj%7Cpc%7Cc6%7Cpc%7Cc3%7Cpc%7Cc4%7Cpc%7Cca%7Cpc%7Cs5%7Cpc%7Cs9%7Cpc%7Cc8%7Cpc%7Cc9%7Cpc%7Csa%7Cpc%7Cd9%7Cpc%7Cc5%7Cpc%7Cs3%7Cpc%7Ch3%7Cpc%7Ch5%7Cpc%7Cdj%7Cpc%7Cck%7Cpc%7Ccj%7Cpc%7Ccq%7Cpc%7Csj%7Cpc%7Cs7%7Cpc%7Cda%7Cpc%7Cs2%7Cpc%7Cdq%7Cpc%7Cdt%7Cpc%7Ch4%7Cpc%7Cct%7Cpc%7Cd5%7Cpc%7Cdk%7C]399|300[/hv] North robot, holding 5 HCPs and a singleton in opened suit, PASSED the 1♠ opening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, leaving South robot playing in 5-1 trump misfit getting 1♠-2. I opened this 2♣ as a matter of style, and ended up at 3NT, which is a much better result. However, after 1♠ opening, the auction should be 1♠ - 1NT - 3NT.

Why does a double asking for a ♠ here?

What does 3C (jump cuebid) mean here?

My system has weak suit game try instead (that the suit is bid when holding xxx) - but it is difficult to see when I should use it.

A plausible auction for me will go: / - (1♣) - 1♥ - (/) 1♠ (encouraging but not forcing, denying 3 ♥) - (/) - 2♣ (showing a maximal hand, intend to show support later) - (/) 2♥ (preference, showing exactly 2 ♥) - (/) - 4♥ (double fit - voila) However, it is for me a borderline between 2♣ (maximal hand) or 2♠ (intermediate hand) for the second bid, and if I'm more conservative the bidding will end at 2♠.

Without previous agreement, I would have treated 3♥ as weak and preemptive, showing approximately 4 HCPs, at least 7 ♥, and no outside values, where 2♥ shows 10+ and 5+ ♥ which is forcing. As North, I would have bid 2♣, meaning limit raise or better, and South, having further interest, would bid 3♣ to indicate willing to explore something more than 4♠ and creating a GF auction. North, having no further interest, just bids 3♠ to show a minimum, and the auction stops at 4♠. I won't have a slam interest in this hand.

If I was at the table I would have bid 3♠ without thinking, as the hand is near to a maximum overcall. I can't really understand the above reasoning as an overcall is about 8-16, therefore I expect a raise to have about 8-12. Bidding 3♠ here is to tell the advancer to go on 4♠ holding a maximum, and stop holding a minimum. A cuebid response to an overcall is the catch-all forcing bid, without showing or denying support, as all other bids are non-forcing.

If the clubs were 3-2, I was guaranteed 5 tricks in ♣. However, if the clubs were 4-1, what I was doing was to play the ♣A first to see if ♣Q will drop, then if not play a small ♣, hope that the J could become a trick if it was held by East (if the J was on West there would be no way I could take 5 tricks in ♣), such that I could take 5 tricks as well.

I had a board today which, as a result of misdefence, got a bottom, causing the opponent to made a normally unmakeable contract. [hv=pc=n&s=s9643ha8dk642c987&e=sqhkjt9652d953c53&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=1s2dpp4cppp]266|200[/hv] Opening lead by partner was ♥7, and the first trick was 7-2-A-Q. I couldn't understand what the opening lead meant, and I returned another ♥. I didn't return a ♦ because, given our ♦ fit and the extreme bidding by declarer, I was afraid declarer might be void in ♦, as my partner might very likely to have 6 of them by making a 2-level overcall at these colours. Therefore, I played for the declarer to have 5=3=0=5, and for my partner to have 1 ♥ and 6 ♦. It turned out that the declarer was 5=1=1=6, my partner had 5 ♦ only, and my partner led the 7 from ♥743 (I normally played MUD but for this particular partner we didn't have agreement). Declarer ruffed and took 11 tricks eventually. Double dummy analysis said the correct return was either a ♣ or a ♦. How do I understand the situation of ♥ that I shouldn't return it?

MP scoring [hv=pc=n&s=sk82haq854daj6cj8&n=sa743htdqtcak7653&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1hp2cp2np3nppp]266|200[/hv] Lead was ♠9. There are 6 top tricks, 1 slow ♦ trick, and 2-3 ♣ tricks after it is established, therefore I played it for 9-10 tricks. I first raised with the A, played the ♣A, then a small ♣. The ♣Q immediately appeared on the East to take my ♣J down despite it is hidden in the closed hand. ♣ were proven to break 3-2, with only 1 left at that point which will be taken down by dummy's K. East returned a ♠. I ducked. West returned another ♠ and forced my K out, and exposed ♠ were 3-3. Therefore dummy's ♠7 became established. I then turned to ♦ as an attempt to drive the ♦K out in order to establish the ♦J. The ♦K appeared on the East. East played a ♥J, I raised with an A immediately. I then played a ♦J to dummy's Q as the only remaining entry, and the whole of dummy was established, with 10 tricks as the result. I was shocked that I got 0 MP for this board. All 4 other tables took 11 tricks at 3NT. What did I do wrong here? How should I play this board in MP?

The sit-out boards simply don't count in the results.

Some bids which are taken for granted (not alertable) in ACBL land are alerted in EBU land, such as * Stayman (announced in EBU after an opening or alerted after an overcall, but taken for granted in ABCL) * Strong 2♣ opening and the associated 2♦ response * Forcing 2NT response over a 2-level preempt (in contrast, in ACBL, a natural 2NT needs to be alerted) * A natural 2-level opening is always announced in EBU, while the weak meaning is taken for granted in ABCL. Any more examples of that, and from other country's regulations?

I really don't understand now what hand I should bid with a 2-level overcall. Should I only overcall with a 6-card suit or a solid 5-card suit?! Does that mean I should even pass 1♠ with ♠xx ♥AK ♦AJxxx ♣KJxx ?!

I still don't really understand here. The criteria I use to overcall at the 2-level at the direct seat is "opening value with decent suit quality, where value and quality can complement each other", which this hand certainly does (11 HCP 5422 headed by AQ). The minimum I overcall is ♠xx ♥xxx ♦AKQxx ♣xxx in order to show the offensive values. And this is nothing to do with takeout double. With the perfect shape (4441 or 5440) I double as few as 10 or even 9 points, and pass any response. With ♠x ♥kxxx ♦aqxx ♣qxxx I always double a 1♠ opening.

Here means I have slam interest even if partner is a minimum, and I don't want the bidding to die at 4-level. I just want a forcing bid to set trumps such that I can start cuebidding in the next round.