pooltuna

Depends on scoring. IMO IMPS requirements are more stringent at these colors than MP. Also depends on whether partner adheres to those IMP requirements fairly strictly.

nah, you're screwed! You're going for a telephone number and you got me on your side (well this hand :) ) :P

yep this is the time to bypass trying for 3NT as ♦ hands opened with 2♣ are usually highly distorted in some way.

The truth is there is no good answer and consequently the * players are forbidden to take a shot otherwise maybe jlall, Fred, Pavlicek and their ilk would take a shot. Kfay is not aware that he is forbidden to answer :) The ugly choices (maybe best to say the only choices) look to be pass (ugh! you have to put up with my commentary), double (OMG where are my ♥), 2NT (I repeat, OMG where are my ♥), 3♣ (so what if I have an extra A and Q), 3♦ (partner won't pass this, 6♥ partner why on earth did you bid that) and the most beautiful winner is X (marks the spot where I get shot? :) )

hmmm...lets see if I can guess 1.) you make 2.) you save 3.) they volunteer to go down in 5♥ :)

This is certainly true and I was inclined to jump up on my chair and yell "harvest time." However since you rate to make a part score at the other table your net total points prior to IMP converssion rates to be in the 500-700 or 1200-1400 total and the IMPS difference between those scores is on the order of 4 or 5. Consequently this becomes more of an insurance policy where you give up 4 or 5 IMPS in case partner has screwed up bigtime but still expect to net 10 or 11 IMPS

you probably bit the dust on the 10 which you counted as 2 cards and which is why I specifically use the T for that card

and too boot your spade spots are so ugly that if you go up with the A the suit will be ready to roll(over you) probably after 1 ruff.

have similar sentiments

I blame the 5♥ call which was chosen instead of 5♦. After all why give partner information that can help him make a rational decision when we can feed him mushroom fertilizer instead. BTW is your night vision improving? B)

you have a lot to learn... never hit old women. only hit young insecure girls to show them who's boss. they like that. old women just get loud and obnoxious. I tried to find a cat dressed as a sexist pig but Google failed me B)

too bad real life doesn't announce "This is a toughie" :unsure:

Be delighted, be very delighted! This is a reputation you want your opps to have of your play as it increases their anti%age play.

Entering specifically an ACBL tournament I believe which is not free unless you volunteer to be a sub and get selected and place well enough to earn "Masterpoints" . Having no BBO Bux I assume that is how I got mine :unsure:

How horrible!!! Now why would you want to possibly make the opponent's life difficult at little risk to your side. I mean this extra noise may prevent them from missing a cold game! :unsure:

I would think a simple raise should be adequate unless you are looking to punish partner for bidding 2♠ :)

Haven't given it much thought before now so probably 0%. However it is probably always (in a bridge context,i.e. 99%) correct to bid 4♦ since with 44xy partner will hopefully always choose ♥ and with 5xyz where x<5 he will choose ♠ and thus you are more likely to end up in an 8+ card fit rather than a 7+ card fit. This appears to make 4♦ less useful as a slam inquiry start.

does this translate into "Double is correct but has great variance in results"?

yes bid 2♠ if they interfere otherwise call 1NT

Haven't you rather diminished the value of that method by publishing the details on an internet newsgroup? Yes but of course this assumes that this is the only method he uses to randomize I suspect he has several others and probably picks what comes to mind at the moment which is sort of random :)

1. Presummably partner knows you can hold this type of hand thus making 3NT a unilateral action. It is my strong recommendation that when partner makes a unilateral action passing is almost always the right choice. 2. I would venture a negative X here with some trepidation since I need to alert partner to our ♥ situation in case and before LHO bids 4♠

I missed what estimation of slam they proposed but if you assume slam is good when partner holds the ♣K or ♥Q then that rates to be 55% certainly within the bounds of worrying about missing a slam. BTW my grandmother was born in Djocdjacarta the same year Krakatoa blew and afterwards lived much of her life in Wassenaar. So I know where you live :)

So you are saying the probabilty of partner holding [hv=s=sqjtxhqjxdt98ckjx]133|100|[/hv] or similar is miniscule?

I think it should be [#tricks made if declaring] - [#tricks made if defending] It is beyond me why people persist in talking about the ratio. It's the difference that matters. for an actual usable number the difference is absurd. Not that I am sure mine is any better :)

No doubt there will be votes for 3rd/4th ♠ but I lead the T♣