Jlall

By miss spades do you mean a 4-3 or a 5-3? I think a 5-3 is unlikely because then they have 10 hearts at least, and partner might have bid 2S directly over 2H. If you mean 4-3 then I think a 4-3 spade fit is not going to play great on this hand. I mean I guess our line will just be to scramble some tricks and hope to make 110, but I think 3 of a minor will often make 110 or 130 and beat 2S anyways.

Not forcing to game with this seems like a pretty serious error if you play a normal opening bid style. Sure 4333 is a downgrade, but you have great values to compensate. KQ of trumps and an ace and a king and even the DT may provide value. Less likely, but still possible, the C9 will do something also. And don't forget the 98 of spades! haha it's all soooo gooooood.

You don't wanna double with a void, partner might pass. 2N.

I always feel like such a bully if i do this kind of thing in a non-competitive atmosphere like normal club duplicate. Huh? Do you also not like to falsecard?

I like this play better if dummy is like Axxx. Most people would duck the DQ with Ax in dummy fearing declarer has QJT or whatever. Against very bad players who you know to cover everything then yeah this is fine.

Some excellent players would agree with you, but I for one could not stomach the notion of failing to raise to 3D with just about any hand containing 4-card support. Perhaps it should be noted that I tend not to open the bidding with complete garbage. IMO this thread is a good reminder that sometimes even experts forget this obvious truth: No matter what system you play, even if nobody makes a terrible bid, you will sometimes get to the wrong contract! (Which is not to say that I agree with all the bids in the original auction that was presented) Fred Gitelman Bridge Base Inc. www.bridgebase.com So you mean the whole concept of constructing specific hands where if you take an action it won't work out well is stupid? For instance, saying "You pass 3N? Then what happens when partner has THIS HAND" or "You don't bid 6D? Then what happens if partner has THIS hand" might be silly? What a concept! Seriously bridge is a game of percentages. Nobody is claiming if they take an action it will work out whenever partner has any hand in his possible set of hands. So refuting someones bid based on one cherry picked hand is pretty silly. The silliest thing in this thread is by far dbrn saying that you KNOW one common system is inferior to another common system. The second silliest thing is dburn going off on hanp for giving his input in a thread where dburn asked for advice. But the joke is on all of us for thinking dburn actually cares what anyone has to say, he knows it all and would like to make not-so-clever jokes and not-so-clever references to obscure things to show us how smart he is. Oh and did I mention he likes to troll Americans?

This is an excellent slam. Good luck finding it, 2H bidders! If you were a 2H bidder I really think you should construct some hands for partner and see how well your hand plays.

I would just play a diamond in tempo and hope they forget to pop ace or that they block hearts. A squeeze is impossible, it requires one hand to hold 5 hearts and 5 spades and the DA.

4S over 4H can be much weaker than 3S over 3H. For instance your first example is not close, and your second is clearcut

Just think of it like this... Compared to each other Finessing hearts wins when LHO has: x Jxxx xxxxx xxx Cashing hearts planning to finesse diamonds later diamonds wins when LHO has: x xxx Kxxxxx xxx x xxx xxxxxx xxx considering the club lead which is more likely? Obviously the latter since a diamond is a very normal lead with the first hand.

lol dburn you are such a huge troll, I can't believe anyone even takes any of your posts seriously. They are great unintentional comedy though, kepp it up. Edit: Also try having a game with Cascade some time I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

4H

I don't think double shows extras, but why does it matter? If he has a minimum they have 10 clubs and 26 HCP or whatever lol. I think it shows significant extras if it has a doubleton club though. 4H is the same as 3H since partner is "always" going to bid 4H, and even if he has a pass we want to bid 4H as a preempt. The only difference is 3H doesnt preempt LHO as much. Something really weird is happening if RHO has a pass, LHO should have a strong hand with long clubs, bidding 4H might well get him to bid 5C. I think the 2H bidders are playing a different game than me though Oo.

I think "everyone" plays X then 4H as flexible. Showing a flexible hand is way more important than showing a good hand, and even when you just have a good hand with hearts a lot of the time you can't risk partner passing anyways. Strain before level though. The problem is you may not get the chance to bid 4H, partner might bid 5C especially if it goes 3S X 4S 5C. 4N then 5H over 5C would indeed be a slam try in hearts, but 4N then 5H over diamonds just shows hearts and clubs. Why would north want to play in hearts rather than diamonds anyways when partner bids 5D? Partner could have 3 hearts!

happy bday

3H, there is no other call that I would consider.

I would start with 2N, I seem to have a balanced game force and that is my system. Having started with 1S (yuck) then after 2N I would bid 3H natural and forcing...I have 3 hearts and slammish values. What's the problem? I guess the problem is that partner will now misevaluate something like AJx of spades because we bid 1S... Oh well hope he has the 7 also lol. After bidding 3H I will not cooperate with anything, I'll just bid 4H since my slam try is very minimum. I think I have to make 1 try because slam could be very good, ie Ax ATxxx KQx AQx. If partner would routinely open hands like this 2N then I guess I wouldn't even try.

One keycard could be the SK. I play 4C as KC and 4NT as Ace ask. Thats why I didn't bid keycard...lol.

Good idea for a blog

Do you play anything special? I usually play 4C as keycard, but if I didn't play that I would bid that.

Cuebid. Maybe it's debatable with 1C 1H p 1N p 2C, but with 1C 1H p 1S p 2C I find it hard to believe natural can be better.

Misread auction lol, 4H

pass. JK just put eye drops in!

I would double

I would pass