jjbrr

I'm sorry for being so contentious, but do you interpret her question to be seeking the legal answer or the opinions of the masses, as misguided and uninformed as those answers might be? I believe she simply wants to know whether it is standard practice for pairs playing in an elite event such as the Spingold (which is where this conversation started) to have their convention cards filled out in a half-ass manner, including simply checking the box representing the closest answer in cases where there are several boxes to choose from that don't quite give the right answer. I played against Nickell-Freeman in the second round of a regional pairs event about 12 years ago. They got to my table with their convention card about one-third completed. They were sorta-kinda filling it out, but they clearly didn't really think it was important that they do so. I remember being annoyed that they hadn't bothered to do this and thinking that the rules must not be enforced for certain players, because my partner and I wouldn't have tried to get away with that. lol

free hugs, eh? someone told me i'm good looking once.

I won't disappoint, Gerben.

Ya win and ♥AK give us a lot of good chances. As to the auction, perhaps N should bid 3♠ to pattern out and guarantee 4♥ if your style is to sometimes raise with 3 and have no methods to unravel that fact.

Of course I do the same thing. I guess the lack of traffic makes it possible to reread the thread many times before others can contribute to the thread. I still want lurkers to register and introduce themselves here ldo.

Lol ya I get the same access forbidden thing. lots of fail in this thread. That is because of the ... in the URL. If you enter http://usbf.org/docs/2009usbc/acblcards/ you get a list of cards. Scroll down to the Meckstroth Rodwell card and you can bring it up. Sorry, this is not a hyperlink. You have to copy and paste it to your browser. Touche.

that every thread's post count/view count ratio is so low? On other forums plenty of threads get nearly a 1:1 ratio, which is great. But here it seems people don't contribute as much :( 50 posts and over 1000 reads? How many lurkers are out there just reading but never registering or posting? If any of you out there would like to register and introduce yourself in this thread, please feel free!

Lol ya I get the same access forbidden thing. lots of fail in this thread.

Def not greatest lyrics of all time, but perhaps worthy of honorable mention. When I was young me and my mama had beef Seventeen years old kicked out on the streets Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place Suspended from school; and scared to go home, I was a fool with the big boys, breakin all the rules I shed tears with my baby sister Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids And even though we had different daddy's, the same drama When things went wrong we'd blame mama I reminice on the stress I caused, it was hell Huggin on my mama from a jail cell And who'd think in elementary? Heeey! I see the penitentiary, one day And runnin from the police, that's right Mama catch me, put a whoopin to my backside And even as a crack fiend, mama You always was a black queen, mama I finally understand for a woman it ain't easy tryin to raise a man You always was committed A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it There's no way I can pay you back But the plan is to show you that I understand You are appreciated [Chorus] Lady... Don't cha know we love ya? Sweet lady Dear mama Place no one above ya, sweet lady You are appreciated Don't cha know we love ya? [second and third chorus] Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair No love from my daddy cause the coward wasn't there He passed away and I didn't cry, cause my anger wouldn't let me feel for a stranger They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless, but all along I was lookin for a father he was gone I hung around with the Thugs, and even though they sold drugs They showed a young brother love I moved out and started really hangin I needed money of my own so I started slangin I ain't guilty cause, even though I sell rocks It feels good puttin money in your mailbox I love payin rent when the rent's due I hope ya got the diamond necklace that I sent to you Cause when I was low you was there for me And never left me alone because you cared for me And I could see you comin home after work late You're in the kitchen tryin to fix us a hot plate Ya just workin with the scraps you was given And mama made miracles every Thanksgivin But now the road got rough, you're alone You're tryin to raise two bad kids on your own And there's no way I can pay you back But my plan is to show you that I understand You are appreciated [Chorus] Pour out some liquor and I reminsce, cause through the drama I can always depend on my mama And when it seems that I'm hopeless You say the words that can get me back in focus When I was sick as a little kid To keep me happy there's no limit to the things you did And all my childhood memories Are full of all the sweet things you did for me And even though I act craaazy I gotta thank the Lord that you made me There are no words that can express how I feel You never kept a secret, always stayed real And I appreciate, how you raised me And all the extra love that you gave me I wish I could take the pain away If you can make it through the night there's a brighter day Everything will be alright if ya hold on It's a struggle everyday, gotta roll on And there's no way I can pay you back But my plan is to show you that I understand You are appreciated

Your hand is too good for a simple raise to 3♣. 3♥ is a good description of your hand (4+♣, 0-1♥, non-min) if you have that available. Otherwise cuebid ♠ and hope the auction proceeds well for you.

4♠. Not really sure NT should be an option here given we'll frequently have communication problems. AKJ9xx is a fine suit to insist on as trumps.

I'd raise but I can definitely live with a pass if that's what partner chose to do.

ya pass-wtp is not an option imo. There are so many cons of pass that it's not clear at all, but I would still pass because I don't think this hand is strong enough for a t/o double. I expected to be in the minority when I first posted my answer.

2H, dbl, 1NT

I'm in for pass.

buffy was good... i'm a scifi fan, so i think caprica is a really good show... i also like reruns of the unit and 2 1/2 men... of the newer shows i like big bang theory and better off ted It seems everyone in my generation raves about how great The Office is. I'm way too far behind to catch up to all the things I've missed, but I agree it's a pretty funny show. I have no idea how many seasons the show has been running, but I've seen maybe 5 episodes and it's pretty enjoyable. I've also heard good things about the Big Bang Theory. I might have to check that out as well.

I am sure you are correct but I do not see the relationship between your statement and the question I posed. Well, you've identified an issue that you seem to be concerned about. I was merely suggesting there is nothing anyone can do about it to satisfy everyone, so it probably isn't worth worrying about. I personally don't want jibberish scribbled all over a CC with things crossed out and printed in margins and everything else. Basically I was echoing the "wtp" camp. But since you didn't see the relationship, I wonder what exactly you're saying in your OP. I interpreted it to mean "If there is no convenient place on your CC to put an agreement, what do you do?" My answer was "The best you can with what you've got." It appears to me that Vampyr asked a Yes/No question: Is it condoned practice to check the least-wrong box rather than write a correct explanation? It's hard to tell whether she's been told "yes" or "no" by these responses. (I haven't been at an actual tournament in long enough that I no longer know what is condoned practice, so I'm not answering either, just trying to clarify the question.) I'm sorry for being so contentious, but do you interpret her question to be seeking the legal answer or the opinions of the masses, as misguided and uninformed as those answers might be? If the former, we have a place for questions of that nature. If the latter, my own misguided and uninformed answer is that afaik the practice isn't not condoned, so my answer of "do the best you can" is the practical solution. There are other similar examples besides the Meckwell one, which maybe isn't the best example of the problem because in the context of a system with limited openings, a mixed raise is pretty weak to be jumping with in the auction. A weak hand (0-6?) opposite another weak hand (10-15) is easier to double if they go jumping around with it. So the relative term "weak" in this context could be applied to what a mixed raise is in a different context. Another example is if you play invitational or better fit jumps after the opponents make a takeout double, where do you mark that? None of the boxes are adequate, and I suspect that someday that will be changed. For reference, here is a here is a link to an ACBL CC . The box I refer to is the second column on the left, third box down. But to answer "yes" or "no", my answer is that I personally have never heard anyone say no, and I personally have marked boxes that are the least untrue but not in hopes of being misleading or trying to get away with anything, as the OP seems to indicate Meckwell's intent might be.

and how would 4NT be different over 4♠ after you splintered in ♦ or would 4♦ be natural? It wouldn't. So what's the point in splintering if I'm taking charge of the hand anyway? Because on other hands partner's knowledge of your shortness may help him cooperate in a grand try. Obviously not here however. This of course is right. I meant on this specific hand.

but their portions are so small! A meal for two for me easily can consist of 2 appetizers, 3 entrees to share, and several breads. Leftovers are the nuts.

I would not bet any money on this.

Unless of course this has nothing to do with that and you just wanted to take jabs at Meckwell. It's a bit unclear to me.

I am sure you are correct but I do not see the relationship between your statement and the question I posed. Well, you've identified an issue that you seem to be concerned about. I was merely suggesting there is nothing anyone can do about it to satisfy everyone, so it probably isn't worth worrying about. I personally don't want jibberish scribbled all over a CC with things crossed out and printed in margins and everything else. Basically I was echoing the "wtp" camp. But since you didn't see the relationship, I wonder what exactly you're saying in your OP. I interpreted it to mean "If there is no convenient place on your CC to put an agreement, what do you do?" My answer was "The best you can with what you've got."

Everyone has to accept that there is no viable solution to the inadequacies that result from the current state of the convention cards and alert procedures.

and how would 4NT be different over 4♠ after you splintered in ♦ or would 4♦ be natural? It wouldn't. So what's the point in splintering if I'm taking charge of the hand anyway?

3♥ seems like a good start