Tramticket

Add me to the bold 3 spades bidders. All of my points are working in my long suits (only one 10 and one 9, but both are backing up two honours in the long suits). Two aces, only one quack. There are plenty of reasons to upgrade. We are playing teams and I want to encourage partner to bid game.

So, to summarise the above: - 1. Agree with partner what you will lead from AKX(X)(X). This is far more important than agreeing what you will do with AK doubleton (which is a rare holding). There are various options and different experts will favour different methods. - 2. If you choose any of the three numbered options that Stephen has listed, you can use the opposite card to indicate a doubleton. - 3. I'm guessing that these options are covered by what Wank calls "Ye Olde-Fashionede bridge". There is a further option to lead the Ace when you want partner to give an attitude signal and to lead the king when you want partner to give a count signal (or maybe to unblock in a no-trump contract). This is perhaps a newer idea, although it has been around for quite some time now. This loses the option to distinguish the lead of AK doubleton - but this isn't a great loss.

Hi Kaitlyn, I encourage you to continue setting problems. For what it's worth, this would be my dividing line between Novice/Beginner problems and Intermediate/Advanced problems: Novice/Beginner problems should be those where there is a straight right or wrong answer - e.g. "What is the correct bid in accordance with standard systems for this type of holding". I would expect discussion to be limited to attempted answers and then the correct solutions by you. With maybe a few follow-up questions. There shouldn't be scope for players to tell you that you are wrong! Intermediate/ Advanced problems should usually involve judgments, meaning there is no right or wrong answer. You might have one judgement, I might have another judgement and we can discuss the merits of our different positions and (hopefully) learn from the discussions. And of course I understand that not all judgments are equal - judgments made by World Championship level players are more likely to lead to the better results than those made by mortals such as me. Discussion at this level should be encouraged and players will be entitled to hold differing opinions. [using my definitions, it is not surprising that there are few Novice/Beginners on the site. Since this is a discussion forum, most users will want to discuss their opinions, but novice/beginners are not at the stage to engage in discussions involving judgments]. Good luck with these problems.

Partner didn't bid and either partner holds moderate values or was the wrong shape to bid - too many clubs. If partner holds clubs and I double, then I don't have much defence to help when partner converts it to a penalty double. Even if partner bids 3NT, I don't fancy the chances much. Our best chance of a making contract is a major suit - but which one? 4♣ lets partner pick - but the four level is a bit rich for me. I hate passing - but maybe this is the most sensible action?

Often the most amusing auctions include insufficient bids. We had an auction that started: 2NT*, (2♥), 1♠ ... After I opened the bidding with 2NT, LHO asked lots of questions and established that the bid showed a weak two-suiter in the minors. She had spent so long on the interrogation that she forgot that she now needed to bid at the three level. The director was called and he explained the various options to my partner. The director's explanation took some time as there were several interruptions and questions, but eventually partner decided that he would accept the bid as it would allow him to show his weak hand with a spade suit at an economical level. However, in his excitement at getting the chance to show spades cheaply he pulled out the 1♠ bid!

Maybe west could cue-bid 4♣ over 3♠, suggesting a choice of places to play? West is quite good in context.

Oops! :) Lots of space for west to have a top diamond then and I fear that the diamond suit is unlikely to supply a trick!

I bid 2♥ too - but not because I want to pre-empt them out of bidding the minors. I seem to be well prepared for defence against the minors.

I agree - there is no 100% line of play that I can see and the choice comes down to either ruffing the third club with the 9♠ or the fourth heart with the 8♠. The lead of the K ♣is consistent with an original KX, KQX or even KQXX. Ruffing the third round of clubs with the 9♠ only fails if West led from ♣KX and started with ♠10X(X)(X). The chance of a diamond trick should not be dismissed. West has already shown the king of clubs and if west's one heart bid includes a heart honour it seems to me that the chances of finding East with both the ace and king of diamonds are quite good, given that East opened the bidding. I think the best line is: win A♣, cash the A♥ and exit in hearts. The defence may cash their five tricks (although if East has ♦AK this might not be possible) and will probably then lead a club - take a deep breath and ruff with the ♠9. If it succeeds the contract makes on a high cross-ruff.

Well I forgot to actually vote. But it seems that one of my Maybe's applied - the opps took away their own bidding space and missed their slam! Having said that, I have to admit that I am now with the others and 5♥ looks right. I think I must have replied too quickly yesterday :(

Pass - the 5-level belongs to opps. Bidding can go wrong in all sorts of ways: - Maybe we were defeating 5♦. - Maybe they are in the wrong game and have missed 3NT. - Maybe they miss their slam. - Maybe they play in the wrong slam. - Maybe they bid on to a slam which isn't making. They have guessed at the five level.

The EBU's blue book states: 2 E 1 A player has the right to ask questions at his turn to call or play, but exercising this right may have consequences. If a player shows unusual interest in one or more calls of the auction, then this may give rise to unauthorised information. His partner must avoid taking advantage. It may be in a player’s interests to defer questions until either he is about to make the opening lead or his partner’s lead is face-down on the table. 2 E 2 A player may use only information he has received from legitimate sources, such as calls, plays, opponents’ system cards, their answers to questions and their mannerisms. A player may not use information gained from his partner’s explanation, uncertainty, tempo or mannerisms. (Law 73B1). A player may not ask a question solely for his partner’s benefit. (Law 20G1). I don't think that this is especially ridiculous.

I didn't feel I had the values for 4th suit forcing (we play it as forcing to game).

No I'm not proud of it.

Thank you for all that replied. If you are of a nervous disposition you may not want to look at the actual auction: [hv=pc=n&s=skhk86daq76432cak&w=sj753hj4dkjt9ct76&n=sat96hat753dcqj85&e=sq842hq92d85c9432&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1dp1hp2cp2np6nppp]399|300[/hv] The 2♣ rebid is of course non-forcing - but we have played together long enough for partner to know my style and bid 2♣ expecting me to dredge up a bid (I rarely if ever pass this type of auction). I now had a choice between showing my club support or my good stop in the fourth suit. I don't think that 2NT was a good choice with a void in partner's suit and communications likely to be difficult. Partner has saved bidding space by her 2♣ bid - but it is difficult to see how she should move forward over my 2NT. 3♦ would be non-forcing, so perhaps 4♦ would be the wiser bid ... but then what? Do I give preference to clubs? Or show the fifth heart? In the end she decided not to use the extra bidding space and chose instead to punt 6NT, expecting me to hold a couple of diamonds for my no trump bid and hoping that the diamonds could be established.

[hv=pc=n&s=skhk86daq76432cak&n=sat96hat753dcqj85]133|200[/hv] Looking at both hands, where do you want to play? Do you want to be in 6♥? We reached a silly contract. How would you bid these hands playing standard methods? [Dealer: South / Multi-teams]

I would probably lead trumps. Even if dummy scores the first trick with the queen, your king is still there if declarer has the ace of trumps. If you lead a side suit (and dummy holds the queen / declarer holds the ace) you will often find that the third round is ruffed and your king is lost.

One tip that I learnt years ago, as a beginner playing with a much stronger partner, is that it can often be good tactics to lead away from a king against a small slam. You often need to be aggressive against a small slam (but listen to the bidding) and your king will often run away as declarer discards your suit. You are hoping that partner has the queen, or better still the ace, or possibly that dummy has the ace and declarer doesn't want to risk a finesse at trick 1 before trying other options. You are also hoping that partner has an ace or trump trick - and can lead back to your king after taking their trick.

We play a multi + Lucas Twos (similar to Muiderberg Twos) and I must admit the meaning of a fourth seat 2♥/♠ has not come up - one to discuss with partner. I suspect that a six card suit 10-13 sounds about right. Our fourth seat 2♦ will always be a strong option and we have discussed the implications for our response structure - we never make pre-emptive jumps in the majors opposite the fourth seat multi. We also work on the assumption that our third seat 2♦ opening is strong if the fourth seat opponent remains silent.

As for problem three, I think that Kaitlyn's 3♦ bid is about right even when you are playing responsive double (which are recommended). Opening values opposite a take-out double should be enough to force to game. Even if partner has found a take-out double without four cards in either major (3-3-2-5 shape) I would expect the Moysian fit to often play better than 3NT (on the expected diamond lead)

Do you really judge that 62 KQJ63 863 A74 is a 10-count? Particularly in the context of partner having diamond shortage? I would certainly value this hand as much closer to 12 than 10. On the other hand AXXX AXXX XX QXX is most certainly a balanced 10-count (if that). It is a long way from being a take-out double for me - I would want a queen extra to make a take-out double with that shape.

I'm not sure that >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2C was taken to be the mark of a novice .... just the amount of hesitation required before the bid to properly convey the suit quality! :P :P

Hi Akwoo - in your earlier post you seemed to imply that you would make a take-out double of 1♦ in 2nd seat (with 1♦ on your RIGHT). I'm not sure if you have muddled the auction, but pass is far from "wimpy" and 2♣ is marginally preferable to an ugly mis-shapen take-out double. I'm confused by the rest of your post because your partner is not balancing.

Defending against a weak NT - our primary objective should be effectively contest the part-score - particularly at MATCH-POINTS. 2♠ spades seems to be a reasonable spot and if I happen to garner 10 tricks I expect to collect more than my share of the match points. I also strongly believe that a penalty-double is wrong on the South hand. Whilst there are many contested auctions where you can shade values in the protective seat, this is not one of them. When you double 1NT in protective seat you know that the opener's values are sitting over you and you know that your partner will be leading blind (and very likely to pick the wrong suit). I might double a little light in 2nd seat if I have a good lead, but I will always have 16+ to double in 4th seat.

Some nice commentaries here Kaitlyn. Can I add that hand 2 causes similar problems for less experiences players over here, where most players play a weak NT. So often I see players raise a 12-14 no trump bid to 2NT on a moderate or poor 11 count. They have been taught that a raise shows 11 or 12 points - but in reality most 11 counts offer poor chances of game opposite a weak no trump (particularly at pairs, which most inexperienced players are playing at their clubs). There is a nice corollary to this: when partner raises your weak no trump to 2NT, you should expect 12 points and bid game with most 13 or 14 point hands - only passing with a bare minimum 12 points.