bd71

I willing to look past this as long as we continue to get such sensational thread titles. I don't know what it means, but I am amused.

[hv=pc=n&w=saqj73hkjd5ct9754&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=p1sp2dp2sp3dp]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. 2/1. 2♠ is the default rebid after 2/1 with no other options, so does not show 6. 3♣ rebid would have shown extras.

Matchpoints. w/r. (2♠) - 3♦ - (P) - 3♥ (P) - 4♥ - (P) - 4♠ (P) - 5♣ - (P) - 5N 3♥ forcing. 4♠/5♣ show 1st or 2nd round controls. What should 5N mean here? Please think of your answer before clicking the spoiler to see the two hands.

This is precisely right. The available options showing heart support were 3♥, 3♠, and 4♥. Do you recommend this only in this auction, in any (1y)-2x-(2y) auction, or even more broadly (and if so, please specify)?

[hv=pc=n&s=s74hqt4dq743cakt9&w=sakjt986hdk2cq843&n=s2hak9532dj865cj7&e=sq53hj876dat9c652&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1s2h2s3h4sppdppp]399|300[/hv] Matchpoints. AH lead. -590 for N/S. Please assess what you think went wrong when, or if this is just normal bad luck.

[hv=pc=n&e=skjt984h3dkq84ct4&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=3spp4hppdppp]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. Comment on the bidding if you must. But mainly curious as to what you would lead and why...

[hv=pc=n&s=sqj5hak85daqj5c63&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1np2cp2hp3np]133|200[/hv] Hand is approximate, but it is a maximum 15-17 NT hand with good hearts and a nothing doubleton in a side suit (i.e. a hand that wants to play 4♥ across an invitational hand with heart support). Initially, I see my partner's rebid (incorrectly) as 3H. I pull the 4♥ card from the bidding box and have it in my hand above the table, facing me. At this point, I am uncertain whether partner can see what card I pulled, but I'm sure at least one opponent can. I now notice that partners bid is 3N not 3♥. This is not a mechanical error as I fully intended to bid 4♥ when I pulled the card. Not being sure what to do (and a bit flustered), I completed the bid and went down one in 4♥ across from a doubleton heart holding when 3N made at the other table. My question is what options if any I had here (a) after noticing my mistake but before placing the bid on the table, and (b) after placing the bid on the table?

So if you go this route and cue bidding commwences, what is going to make you want to bid slam? Obviously partner will need a heart control, so 4H from him is a must or we sign off in 5D. But is the heart control enough for you to keycard? Or would you continue cueing? How do you feel after 4D-4H-4S-5C? If partners club control is the ace, this is nice, but the king and/or all other lower club honor's could be wasted. In response to your question, partner could be 1345, but probably cant hold every such 1345 permutation as there are some he would bid/rebid clubs and some he would bid clubs/NT.

[hv=pc=n&e=skjt82h863dakq52c&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=p1dp1sp2cp2h(Art%20GF)p2np]133|200[/hv] Teams. 2/1. Cue-bidding approach is 1st or 2nd round controls. 3♦ merely confirms fit and invites cue-bidding. 4♦ would set trump and demand cue-bidding. Parnter would only have bid 3N (rather than 2N) with a bare minimum opener (agreement is that we will open somewhat light, including many 11s). 1. How slam positive are you? 2. How do you plan to approach the bidding? In particular, how to assess if there are wasted values in either spades or clubs?

What specifically about this hand makes you think...: 1. ...they wouldn't normally reach a game? 2. ...any/all of the proposed bids will help them reach the game? 3. ...the hand is such that revealing adverse distribution will be a significant advantage to them? I mean, I can see how all of these are possible drawbacks, but what is it about this specific hand that makes you worry about these more than various countervailing benefits from either a constructive or pre-emptive bidding approach?

[hv=pc=n&n=s2hkq83dqj9874c87&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=pp]133|200[/hv] Team game. 2/1, no special gadgets. What's your call? EDIT: Yes, there's a mistake in the title...should be "you know you're BIDDING"

[hv=pc=n&s=sa5hak5d983cq9543&n=skj92h64d2cakjt86&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1c1s2sp3s(stopper%20ask)p3nppp]266|200[/hv] Team game. 2/1. Lucky to lose only 10 IMPs vs. 6♣ at other table when they didn't take their 6 ♦ tricks off the top against 3N.

I'm not sure what the other options were in your system, but while "15-17 hcp unbalanced" is technically accurate in describing South's hand, it seems like it may dramatically undersell the playing strength.

How many boards do you think you need to play against someone for enough analagous situations to come up for the game theoretic issues to come into play? It's this a practical consideration or is it just theory? Asked another way, have you EVER made a play ATT in which you were bringing second-order game theory considerations into play?

So a couple of people have asked about the "slam" mention in subtitle. It was poorly phrased. Given space, I would have said something like "how would you force to game in the best way to help partner make a slam decision if he has a good hand?"

[hv=pc=n&s=sh984dj87432cakq9&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=1h1s]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. 1. Will you force to game? 2. What's your plan and first bid? What other options did you consider?

[hv=pc=n&s=s6haqj8742dack842&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1d1sp2hp3cp]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. What calls do you consider, and what do you choose? EDIT: Agreement is that 2H is forcing.

[hv=pc=n&s=sa742hd84ckqt9642&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=1d1hx(first%20decision)3h3n4h]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. No relevant special agreements. 1. What do you bid at your first opportunity (i.e. agree with X)? 2. What do you bid over 4♥?

It doesn't, and no. True, I wasn't responding to wyman's OP, but rather to the evolving sub-topic of a new I/A forum. My point was that we have de facto non-beginner/non-expert fora, and they are called "Interesting Bridge Hands" and "SAYC and 2/1 Discussion." I think those are fine destinations for the mass middle without creating a new forum.

I personally feel "stuck in the middle" between the A/E forum (never sure whether my typical problem will qualify for the low end of discussion there) and B/I forum. My practical solution is to post problems in the "Interesting Hands" forum and methods questions in the "SA and 2/1" forum. I strongly suspect others do the same. I am satisfied with this arrangement, but would happily post many of these issues in an I/A forum should one be created.

Does this change if it's matchpoints? Would you think that this hand (or other "max pass" hand at IMPs) are worth a double at pairs?

[hv=d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1dpp1sd]133|100[/hv] Standard 2/1. Better minor. Tell me everything you think you know about opener's hand here...in particular what is minimum strength and possible distributions. Does your answer change for matchpoints vs. teams?

[hv=pc=n&w=sq653hqj74d32ct65&e=shk862dakqt7ca432&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=1dpp1sd3d(4%20spades%20%22some%20points%22)p3sppp]266|200[/hv] This was one of the big swings in the Team 1/Team 2 match today. E/W here missed many opportunities, any of which likely would likely have landed them (us) in 4♥. Please respond to the poll to say which things SHOULD have happened, along with any other comments you have...

[hv=pc=n&e=sak3haqt942djt5ca&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p1hp1sp3dp3np]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints, 2/1 1. Do you agree with the bidding so far? 2. What would you bid after 3N?

[hv=pc=n&s=sk853ht742d4ckt63&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=pp1sp]133|200[/hv] Exact hand details really aren't relevant. Assuming some type of Drury is in place, do you have any special agreement to show this hand type when you are a passed hand? As a passed hand, should you retain the 3x mixed raise from Bergen (or Reverse Bergen)? For that matter, should you retail the 3M weak/pre-emptive raise from Bergen as a passed hand? EDITED: sorry, hand shape is 4414 not 5314. Flytoox's post was based on the original/mistaken hand.