pooltuna

guilty as charged. However many answer that way on BBF or RGB because the OP did not specify which applied. My response normally is either IMPs based if I didn't notice or specific to the type of scoring and the vulnerability.

smothering either the q or the T ♣ will work with the K and you still can lead up to the J

my gut reaction is to lead the ♣K at trick 2. Oops just assumed it was IMPs without looking

not an unreasonable choice but I prefer 3) since my NT overcalls are in the 16-18 range and spades are not out of the picture as we may have stayman or transfers available certainly partner will play us for at least 2

undoubtly this is where you want to be and getting partner to play the hand makes the slam virtually a lock barring some weird ruff. There is something to be said for transferring to ♠ and just bidding 6. But I wouldn't just on the chance you can make 7

scattered strength with a range that is hard to describe so 1NT works the best IMO. When is it 1♦? When you can tolerate a reverse something like AKxx xx AKQxx xx

ooooh! Someone besides me that is feeling a little under protected :)

That is my max ♠ holding for a 1NT rebid. What is your minimum ♠ holding for a 1♠ call in this auction? :)

WHAT!!! YOU USED LOGIC!!! I thought you had to get special permission to do that. :)

No & No

I play a low ♦ and play the A♣ on the first lead as 3NT has to go down for me to get a good score

Well not sure of the odds but the chance for a 2-2♣, restricted choice possibilities in ♣, and Q or Qx of ♦ should be enough

So you are saying with no agreement in place there is no standard on whether X by the 1NT opener is TO or penalty? I thought the standard for that situation was the most natural meaning of the bid is the standard. For X I think the most natural meaning is clear. Not to be unfair as a caveat I prefer all X and XX in auctions starting with 1NT be business probably not the best for MP but leads to acceptable IMP results.

I would take a shot with 3♦ second choice would be 2♠

What will you open against real opponents? This looks like an easy 4H to me. and where does the OP says that the robot holds 4♥ in fact with 1426 I suspect the bidding would go 2♣ instead of 2NT. So enjoy playing your 33 or 32 trump fit :) I'll just bid either 4 or 5♣

Blame EW as sometimes preempts work. Isn't that why we use them. :)

64 bid some more

yeah I might duplicate it too. I guess the warning trigger might be that we are V. NV is not so catastrophic

Amen!

1) 2♠ 2) a trump

Wow obviously CA has pitiful numbers of new players. After 1 week they all become experts :(

I don't think so, there are lots of reasons, mostly having to do with competition. You describe more of your hand at once. You preempt the opponents much better. You avoid having to overbid spades if the opponents jack up the auction. You avoid partner thinking you have more clubs than spades. You avoid missing 5-3 spade fits when the auction gets high before your rebid. There are players who still open 1♣ but they are very few and very far between. By the way I don't think there are too many sub-optimal approaches that evolved from the optimal approach being popular in the past. That sort of thing doesn't happen unless decades of bridge players are clueless. By the way, your conclusion that there's a logical fallacy doesn't follow from "lots of people who play 4 card majors open 1♣ with 5-5 in the blacks." That could mean many things. Here are just a few. - People who play 5 card majors and open 1♠ are basing it on a logical fallacy. - 1♠ is a better opening and people who play 5 card majors bid better. - 1♣ is a better opening and people who play 4 card majors bid better. - People play 5 card majors because they like to open a major when they can, whereas people who play 4 card majors are happier to open in a minor. you didn't disagree with the "best hand to do it with is a minimal open {attempting to paraphrase)" I think a strong reverse hand is the best time to open 1♣ because it is hard to rob you of your spade bid and you aren't lying to partner when you do. You still have minor issues with showing 5xy6. BTW I agree with all the rest :P

YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T ANSWER WITH THE NUMBER OF ACES YOU HELD!!!!! :P

yep you're reading it wrong as D=queen in whatever deck they are using(I would guess anywhere they speak French)

there are 3 possible lines which in common win 5♦, A♣ and 2 ruffs the remaining tricks come from 1) a simple ♠ finesse 2) a ♥♠ squeeze where you test the ♥ first and use the T♥ as a simple show up squeeze on the West hand or 3) cash the ♠A and use the Q♠ as squeeze card without testing the ♥ first. I think the bidding indicates that the last one is the one that will succeed most often. A 3=0 ♦ break is a minor nuisance since you have to risk a ♣ ruff with a low trump