Jlall

Another one that people almost always get wrong is AQxxx opp KT for 5 tricks. The correct play is low to the ten, and if you think about it it's obvious. But the much more common holding of AQTxx opp Kx is the one people learn, there you play for the drop rather than finessing. So most people would find it counterintuitive to hook when it's KT doubleton.

You guys are good. Almost all beginners/intermediates are taught and drilled into very early on "cash the honor from the short hand." This is so they don't block suits like Kx opp AQJxx etc. It is a fundamental rule. So suit combos like KT opp A9xxx or even more often KT opp AJxxx are not intuitive to them, because they want to cash the honor from the short hand. If you don't think about it and just go by rules, that's what you'd do (unless you have some very refined rule!). People get this one wrong pretty much every time against me. KT opp AJxxx is even more common, and I've seen some very good players get this one wrong.

2H is infinitely better than pass to me. Also it seems like a safer plus (lol), and does not risk something stupid like going -280 cold for 4H. Actually any bid on this hand is infinitely better than pass to me. Passing is just a complete joke.

What? You are just auto beating this cuz you have a trick?

I cannot really emphasize enough that playing in a 4-4 spade fit at the game level would be a complete disaster when we have this hand.

4H

I would game try in spades

Too strong for me

I certainly am not one of those...do you actually know anyone who is? Really? QJT xxxx QJT QJT I bet you'd bid 1N ;)

2C, I plan on bidding hearts next.

Declarer thought for 30 seconds at trick 1 so it doesn't matter. Agree if declarer played quickly though. As for the hand I'd duck, a lot of it depends on partner's lead tendencies though and if they just randomly lead a trump on an auction like this or not.

Maybe, but if they are bad enough to bid this way they're likely bad enough to ruff the CA lead. Since you already have almost a zero for defending 4S making, if you knew all the hands it would probably be worth it to lead the CA and hope they mess up. You'd think this. But partner did lead the ace of clubs, and declarer discarded a heart from dummy. So good declarer play at least. I guess when you play in this partnership, you learn some technique for playing 4-2 fits. ;) lol so brutal

Sorry Frances, I do not understand how a 10 count with partner is consistent with this auction. RHO opened 1N, and LHO doubled 4H, and we have 12 points. So at best RHO has 12, and LHO has doubled 4H with 6 points? Even if that were the case, SURELY he has a heart void at least to be doing this, in which case 5H is STILL down at least 1 and on a bad day 2. To play LHO for 6 points and a stiff heart just seems lol. I would never XX no matter what the match score is, partner obviously was just preempting. Even if I somehow had the crazy notion that jumping to 4H showed a good hand and not just 8 hearts and whatever or 7-4 and whatever, I might re-think that when this auction was happening and realize it's not possible for partner to have an opening bid. I might remember that XXing is generally only good if we have some surprise for the opps, since they are not making random doubles. A balanced hand with Tx of trumps is not much of a surprise for them. It just is really really bad no matter what the circumstances in my opinion. Also, if you're down a lot redoubling in general based on a bid partner made is a terrible idea because partner also knows you're down a lot.

Alanis Morisette might agree that this is ironic, but...

I will say if you actually know the suit is 3-2 and you don't play for the drop when they drop the ten on the right, you're making a huge mistake against most people imo. Of course against Gnasher or Sandqvist you should hook though. Edit: There was a hand in the vanderbilt where I had AJxx opp KTxx, so I led low to the king, and RHO dropped the 9. Then I led the ten, and LHO played the 8. So I LOLed and played the ace dropping the queen. Because people, even "experts," play nowhere close to randomly, I was able to drop Qx in this specific scenario. If you don't believe that playing somewhat randomly matters, you are really wrong.

To what extent are system restrictions slowing down the improvement of bidding? eg if transfer Walsh is clearly an improvement over Walsh, then surely there is a reasonable chance that transfer openings are an improvement over standard. I agree there is a chance this is true, especially in non strong club systems. In strong club systems if you played transfer openings you'd have to play 4 card majors to make it playable imo (Hi Moscito!) which is probably a loss imo; I'm not sure how much the transfer element makes up for it. I could imagine you could make it workable in a standard system that 1C is whatever, 1D=5+ hearts, 1H=5+ spades though. Anyways your question obviously wasn't about the merits of transfer openings since that was just your example. As far as system regulations, I don't really know how much they've hindered bidding development, I guess I'd say a lot. For instance, if forcing pass systems were allowed I think they'd be the dominant system among top players since they seem theoretically better to me (obv not sure, just my opinion). That being said I think system regulations are definitely necessary for the health of the game, and have tried to never post on the forums my views on system regulations because I hate those threads/debates so I won't go beyond that ;) I'll just say that I don't envy the people who have to make the decisions and try to balance it all, I think it's a tough problem with no great solutions sometimes.

Yeah I mean an easy rule for everyone for all of these situations is that a more even combination is always more likely than an uneven one. Eg one 3-3 combo is more likely than one 4-2 combo, and in this case one 2-2 combo (QJ) is more likely than 1 3-1 combo (stiff J). But of course you're right about the reason that this is true.

Maybe, but if they are bad enough to bid this way they're likely bad enough to ruff the CA lead. Since you already have almost a zero for defending 4S making, if you knew all the hands it would probably be worth it to lead the CA and hope they mess up.

If you always play your lowest card, declarer picks up stiff Q, and QJ doubleton. This is better than picking up stiff Q and stiff J, so declarer has gained an edge.

What? It is completely standard for good north american players at least, it is weird to me that you've never seen it. Bidding 6N with 2344 is horrible, it is very common to play the 4-4 fit. With (432)4 I would almost always bid 5C also.

I would pass and don't consider it close!

Agree with kenrexford, I think natural is fine and can help you find good major suit fits also (strong 5-2, strong 4-3, or 5-3) when it's right.

Seems like a very easy X, obv red at MP is the worst because we might go down 2 in something, but w/e, gotta bid your hand.

Hate the idea of partner pulling 1N at MP to a2 of a minor with 5332, not gonna lie.

Yeah this was really easy I'm not sure why I got confused lol. Clee tricked me!