the_dude

If you would like an actual dispassionate view of the facts surrounding this issue, try: http://www.the-american-interest.com/article-bd.cfm?piece=907 (warning though, not recommended for those that prefer only facts that confirm already-made conclusions)

The flaw in your argument the assumption that society receives greater value when the government spends your money than when it is spent/invested by those who earned it. If the government flushed your money down the toilet, would you still be itching to send more and more money in? There are some things our gov't does well. There are some things are gov't does poorly but gains efficiency through centralized regulation. However I would argue that there are many, many more areas where the federal gov't is a massively inefficient bureaucratic waste of time and money. Personally I would rather see them get out of the areas where they are doing a poor job before asking me for more money spend poorly.

[hv=pc=n&s=saq7hkj8753d95ca8&n=sjt432haqt4dq82c9&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=1c1h3c4h5cdppp]266|200[/hv] 5♣* was only down 1 with 650 cold. Both N/S could have acted differently .. what do you think?

Take away partner's J of clubs and all of a sudden you can't make 3♠ even though it's clearly your hand. The 4-trump requirement doesn't coem from the theory that you are always making 3♠, but it *does* mean that if you aren't, they are likely making something. With only 8 trump and balanced hands on both sides, there's no reason to voluntarily go down in 3 when they can't make anything.

1. Low. I suppose LHO could have led from AQJ with the K likely in dummy, but at a sectional??? I think singleton Q is more likely. Let RHO guess if it's from a singleton or doubleton. 2. Partner clearly does not want a diamond, tho i Can't imagine why. He must have AJx spades to justify his double (he doesn't have much else), leaving him with no diamonds, and declarer with no entry to his hand. So I guess we play a club and let declarer figure out what to do next.

From last night's ACBL tourney: [hv=pc=n&s=sa2haq95dqckq9872&n=skt983h32da9742ct&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1cp1sp2hp]266|200[/hv] I too have noted the same forum edict, and 2S is forcing in Andersen's excellent little lebensohl book. Yet I seem to get the above hand far more often than the spade hand I can't bid with the myriad of other ways to bid spades.

[hv=d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1d1s2np]133|100[/hv] 2NT = standard invitational. Generic 2/1, let's assume we are not playing some exotic (yet surely superior) homemade system. How do you prefer to play 3D rebid by North - forcing or no? How about 3C?

This came up with my partner in a practice bidding session: [hv=pc=n&s=sat2hajdqjt875ckq&n=sk3hk76dak32ca932&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1np3cp3dp5np6cp7dppp]266|200|IMPs[/hv] 1NT= 15-17 3♣ = xfer 5NT = choose between 6♦ and 6NT 6♣ = grand slam try .. I have a supermax for diamonds, perhaps we can make 7 7♦ = Partner made a grand slam try without either major suit ace .. surely this is an accept We got there, but without checking for aces or K/Q trumps, which is a little worrisome. Obviously the culprit is the 5NT bid, so how would you bid it? (ps: is it clear that 6♣ is a grand slam try and not a 5-6 card suit as an option to play?)

My Auction: 1H - 1S 2D - 3C 3NT - P 2♦ = hopefully I can bid 3♣ next to bid out my shape 3♣= generic game force - when I have 13 points and partner opens we go to game no matter how much anyone hates it 3NT = I have a club stopper and no other descriptive bid Pass = seems like a good time to make a sandwich

It's been a few years since I did BM2000 .. but I had an amazing hand 2 weeks ago that puts it in perspective. In BM2000 .. I still remember a slam hand in a trump contract where you have a side suit with Kx in dummy opposite Axxxx in your hand. The safety play, of course, is to play low to dummy's king .. then play back and if RHO follows you duck. This protected against a 5-1 break in the side suit along with a bad trump break iirc - allowing you to achieve a full cross ruff. When I originally did BM2000, I remember thinking, "This is more like a puzzle game than bridge, because no one is really going to duck the Ace at the table!" Well, last week an eerily similar hand came up .. the side suit broke 5-1 .. and ducking the Ace was the proper safety play! Alas my partner played it and apparently he never bought BM2000... I couldn't believe it. So no matter how contrived some of those hands seem, BM2000 has been invaluable for me in working out all of these different plays, and they really do come up :)

[hv=pc=n&s=sj52haj52da92c872&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1sp2spp3c]133|200[/hv] Let's assume you call this a single raise (I realize that isn't everyone's choice). Now, at Love All, how does your MP decision differ from IMPs? (PS: yes, I know the poll does not include a "pass at both" choice. This is intentional, as your lack of spine obviously precludes the motor control necessary to operate a mouse).

Same as Mike's auction, though I think I would bid 2NT at North's second turn. Rebidding your hearts at South's second turn would be a mistake because (as you say) it doesn't show anything. Better to bid your Diamonds (which *does* show something, not to mention that Diamonds could easily be the best trump suit) and follow with a Heart bid at your next turn - which will easily identify your 6-4. The the advantage of 2/1 is that you know that there will be another chance to bid out your shape because partner is not going to jump to 3NT on you...

There are some pairs that include a 6th option .. a flat 12-14 points with 3 card support. Of course this requires that 1NT is 100% forcing. But if it is, it's nice to not have to bid 2♣ with AQx Kxxx Kx Jxxx. Instead you bid 1NT followed by 4M.

One thing I have found in these tournaments. When you open 1NT with a 5 card major, whether it's 'correct' or not, you open yourself up to really random 80%s and 20%s. Basically, you are going against the field, either playing 3NT when everyone else is playing 4H, or having the opposite person on lead as everyone else. At that point things are somewhat out of your hands, you will get very different results from everyone else and will have close to zero control over it. I realize that isn't what happened here .. but just be warned, you need to resign yourself to the fact that you are going to get alot of really high and really low results that you can't do much about after the opening bid.

I don't like the 2♣ opener absent more advanced RKC agreements. You can plainly see that you will need A-A-K from partner to bid a slam - meaning that RKC is going to be critical. 2C - 2D - 3D chews up so much bidding space that you are going to be struggling quickly after partner's second bid.

I believe the 2♥ bid is a matter of partnership agreement. Assuming this hand meets your agreement (2♥only shows a 4card suit, not extra shape or values), then the auction is fine up through 4♣. 4♣, imho, is a slam try, and East does not have a slam acceptance. He should bid 4NT which is to play over 4minor slam tries. When he bids 4♥, he is implicitly accepting the slam try over which West cannot be blamed for proceeding. (West should bid RKC, though ... )

It seems almost impossible partner has Ax of Hearts .. that hand is a takeout double. So either RHO raised on 2 (not impossible on BBO) or partner has something like AQ doubleton of hearts and bad spades - and he thought 2NT was most descriptive. In either case .. we are facing terrible duplication in the heart suit .. its hard to believe we are making anything. Pass seems best and hope they go down.

[hv=pc=n&s=s2hakqj7dj87ckj92&n=sk98h65dkqt965ct3&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1h1s]266|200[/hv] IMPS, east will bid 2♠ given the opportunity. Can you stay out of game? If not .. what's your auction to get to 4H? (the only game with a chance) ******* Bonus question .. can North get away with a creative negative double? How do you take this auction? 1H (1S) X (2S) 4C P 4D? does 4D show this hand .. or is it some sort of slam try?

My thoughts exactly

Agreed .. I would just bid 4H. Even if partner has the magic hand (AK spades or some such match) he likely has no little to no heart fit so I'm not even sure how we are going to simultaneously force the bidding AND figure out if he has it. If there is no clear route probably best not open a can of worms.

Yes .. it seems counter intuitive .. but in a 2/1 context, I think many to use the jump as a message: partner this suit is trump, end of discussion .. now let's start cue bidding to see if there is a slam in the mix. Problem is .. you can't reasonably sniff for a slam without knowing if you have a trump loser based on length (as opposed to a missing key card).

Sorry to confuse, you I think you are way over analyzing my comment. I teach many beginners .. and I fight this battle all the time. Holding Qxx opposite Axx I have to work like hell to teach my students not to run the Q .. they don't know bridge but they know LHO will usually forget to cover and don't seem to understand my exhortations since "their line" works so often. Given that this is the B/I forum, and the topic of the OP, I thought discouraging the "memory squeeze" (a play with which my students demonstrate considerable proficiency) and encouraging a search for a legitimate line of play was appropriate.

imho the best use of 3♥ is: Independent suit with a known quantity of losers after blackwood. ie. KQJ10xxx qualifies but AKQ10xx does not.

You are lucky .. for me GIB usually has only 4 spades on this auction. I'd take Jxxxx in a heartbeat. On a constructive note .. why does GIB like to Bid 4 card spade suits over NT interference?

Question #1 What is your preferred method of bidding RKC blackwood after a minor suit transfer in a strong NT auction? Basically... 1NT - 2NTor3C 3D - ? 4NT will always be Quant, so the choices seem to be 4D (some sort of minorwood) and 4H (some sort of kickback) and I see advantages to both. 4D works but takes away a sometimes useful natural bid. 4H works but now you can't use it for Exclusion. I'd like to hear your ideas. Question #2 What is your approach on this hand? Partner opens a 15-17 NT and the opponents pass throughout: Kx Qx AKQ109xx xx Your methods are pretty standard 2/1 agreements with minor suit transfers. You play natural gerber ONLY directly over the 1NT if that interests you. If you xfer you can show shortness, bid RKC, 4NT Quantitative, 5NT pick a slam, etc. Any ideas?