cherdanno

There are many auctions where partner has shown a major suit and my 3NT bid is defined as "5- spades, 5-hearts, xx+hcp". It would be much better to define it as 2- for any suit where partner has shown 5+, or 3- for any suit where partner has shown 4+. Then, if GIB's simulation still decides bidding 4M is percentage, then he may well be right.

I think you lose the argument, no matter whether you are right. Talking about 23 hcp and 9 trumps, when all you know about are 8 trumps, is an immediate technical KO loss.

It just passed me in P 1S 1N.

Holding 43 JT875 J64 765, partner opens 2♣ in 3rd seat and GIB as responder bids 2C 2D 2N 3D 3H 4H (explained as mild slam try)

I admit I find the double of 4H so obvious that I would be tempted to double at the table even when partner tanks over 4H.

I think Pavlicek's statistic isn't very useful as it contains competitive auctions. If one partnership doesn't find their 4-4 major suit fit in a competitive auction and the other one does, well of course the one that finds the fit will come out on top.

No I would bid 3N or 3S or 4H depending on my black suit holdings.

You would really rebid a Txxxxx suit opposite a 2♣ opener? I mean, I agree that the traditional "need KQXXXX to show a suit opposite 2♣" is ridiculous, but....

does it matter? if the above is true, i don't see how any american can do anything but register the strongest of protests... of course i felt the same way about illegal (imo) wiretaps of american citizens, but i don't think my outrage changed anything I meant to suggest that I doubt (very much) the accuracy of the report. As you say, "If the above is true," then protests are called for. I assume you mean this report: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/world/mi...sq=Anwar&st=cse I see no reason to doubt it. It seems well-sourced - first a Reuters report, then several administration officials confirming it. And earlier statements by the director of National Intelligence in a House hearing that such a step would be possible.

Assuming you mean a 9-card major fit and 23 hcp, yes you should bid game (especially if you all you know is that you have 23+ hcp).

2N is the cheapest possible bid and can be used with many hands. It does not promise a balanced or semi-balanced hand, nor does it promise stoppers in the unbid suits. To say it differently: 3S shows 3 spades, 3H shows LOTS of stuff in the reds (6-4 typically), 3D shows goood diamonds, and 3C really shows a lot in the minors (can be 5-4, but then really with a lot of concentration of values and probably no heart stopper). 2N is everything else.

This rule is really surprisingly popular in Germany. I will never understand why. (I had a decent pair bid 1H (2S) X (3S) 4D = Minorwood against me, just as an example.)

I sure hope thinking is enough, as they don't actually do lose that often!

I hope this happened Thursday last week.

Maybe it is worth making a distinction between a cue as your first non-pass call (which is usually an inv+ raise) and a cue later in the auction (which is usually just a generic game force).

I bought one of the Martens' books (European Championship) as ebook. I did like the book, and was also happy to have bought it as e-book. The problems for each chapter were on a double page that I printed out. Then when I had thought about all of them I went through the solutions on the screen. So you have to print very little and still don't have to spend a lot of time on your screen when reading them.

Lol didn't mean to imply that you wouldn't know this :D I was just putting it in now for later reference if anyone wanted to see it. Do you really think this is easier than hand 1? Yes this line is kind of automatic once you think of an endplay on this hand, and it is easy to see that it is 100% once you have found it. On hand 1 it is much harder to figure out which line is best. I guess after DD, D ruff you should try to see whether you can guess the diamond count (hopefully having read Anders Wirgren's Bridge World article).

Yes - there's only one pair on there that would be even questionable IMO. Looking forward to VG. Agree but Fantunes have many fans. (Just kidding.)

I think you are way overestimating the difference between 300-750 and 750-1000 MPs. Btw, while we are having fun with Masterpoints: I wonder whether I am the only ACBL player who isn't a Regional master (requires 50 MP + pigmentation requirement) but is eligible to play the Platinum pairs.

I would bid 4S.

The crux of the point is based upon opening 6♥ when missing the ♥A and another feature to bring the contract home. You can normally find out whether partner has the Ace. I am having difficulty with the logic of not asking about the ♥A ? ITS A PREEMPT TOO! void KQJT-8th AK-5th void Many would open 6H with that. That doesn't mean they want to be in 7 opposite the ♥A.

Of course it is, but there are different standards for how to reply with two aces B) More seriously - I don't think it is.

I would play for the 9-card suit - 6H red/white on 2=8=1=2 doesn't look so attractive to me (although I guess you only need a spade lead and spade void from partner to make an overtrick). The a priori odds favor 2=8=1=2 though, of course - by almost 2:1. Btw, I assume the heart continuation was ♥A from LHO? It really doesn't hurt to give us full information when we are just trying to make a guess...

Some people prefer to play that double should be for takeout of the suit they've bid, regardless of what it means. Over 2♣ showing the majors, for example, they'd double with short clubs, but with club length they'd pass planning to make a takeout double on the next round. I wish I could explain the benefits of this approach, but I have no idea what they are. Others play that a double of 2♣ shows interest in penalizing a major.Which isn't all that different, if you assume that the "takeout doubles" of an artificial 2♣ are sufficiently flexible B)

Yeah I had almost the same the other day. Btw, I found when responder bids 4♣ instead of 4♦, you can get out in 4N after bidding a natural 4D. Not sure whether that would work with 4M here, too.