Walddk

♥ligt til lykke med fødselsdagen.

Yes, I am sure. When Danish experts agree to play MULTI against 1NT, it is exactly the method described by Glen. Roland

In Denmark it has. It is just known as the MULTI defence to 1NT. However, I think that Multi-Landy is the common term internationally. Roland

I don't follow; which 430? If EW were to reach 3NT, I see it at least down 2 on a heart lead. Even more if North is on lead (club). Roland

It's a very sound principle that take-out doubles must be taken out. I see no reason not to do that with this hand, so 3♦ it will be. Penalty passes are so rare that one is better off if one forgets about them. Roland

I agree with your first point because a 2♣ opening is space consuming without telling anything about hand type. I do not agree with your second comment: The fact that a 1-level response in a suit can be a 4-card is an exception. ♠ K4 ♥ 1083 ♦ AJ98 ♣ KQJ2 1♠ - ?? Would you respond anything but 2♣ with that hand? I don't think anyone has the agreement that 2♣ shows 5+ cards. The same applies with a hand like this: ♠ K4 ♥ AQ62 ♦ AQ107 ♣ 743 Is there a better response than 2♦ to 1♠ with that hand? Finally, there is even a hand where a 2♣ response over 1♠ can be three cards: ♠ A95 ♥ KQ104 ♦ 943 ♣ KQ2 I think it's common to respond 2♣ as the most flexible call. Roland

Excellent analysis by DWM and vuroth. ♠SQ at trick 2 ensures 9 tricks against any layout. Most of the time you will get away with ♠A followed by the queen, but it is not 100% safe. Spades may be 6-2, and then the opponent with Kxxxxx and ♥A can set up his spade suit with ♥A as an entry. Either by ducking ♠Q (the suit is established now), or by winning his king to clear the suit. At the table declarer tried to set up her 5th diamond and did not realise that the opponents were a tempo ahead if West switched to a heart and East had four of them. That was exactly what happened. East did switch to a heart from 10xx, found partner with AJ98, and the contract went 1 down seconds later. Declarer had one final chance after the heart switch to the jack and her queen. She now needed ♠K onside. It was, but she was too focused on the diamonds and did not go for the legitimate chance at that point. Roland

You can find the first 100,000+ on BBO. Believe me, they will pass with a spade void because they don't play take-out doubles that high. Only trouble is that their partners are unlikely to double, because they don't play TO doubles that high either. Roland

I play the double as a pre-empt with some defensive values but not enough to beat it myself. I think it's called an action double. Funnily enough the correct bid in my opinion is pass if you have it set in your own hand (doesn't really happen on this auction). So for me it's a "can you contribute with some defence, partner" double. "If not, take it out". I have zero (five baby spades won't harm declarer), so this is a clear pull to 5♥. I have three hearts more than I could have had, and with three we will never get more than one defensive heart trick. Partner can't have three tricks outside hearts. Three possible shapes for the 4♥ bidder: 0733, 0742 and 0724. I am hoping for 7-4 because that will make it less expensive. We get doubled and concede 100 or 300. As for 4♠ I am certain that it makes, possibly with one or two overtricks. Roland

Correct. Longer and stronger suits make an overcall better. No one will disagree that AKJ9xxx is better than AKxxx, so I am happy to sacrifice ♦K if I can get an extra heart, preferably an honour. Roland

- 1. Yes, but I don't think it's an obvious overcall. I would be happier with a weaker hand: ♠ Axx ♥ AKJ9xx ♦ xx ♣ xx - 2. 2♠. Pass is out of the question at any form of scoring. Roland

Not entirely what I thought, but less than four hearts he had. That was obvious, and I agree with the committee's ruling. How difficult could it be for the experienced, competent tournament player to bid 3♣ over 2♣? A tank for ages, then 2♥ means that he has prevented us from reaching the best spot. I am happy to see that the committee said just that (directly or indirectly) and adjusted the score. Roland

I would pass and look seriously unhappy :) I honestly think that pass is the best tactical bid. Lefty who is looking at a hand with no spades is convinced that partner has a trump stack and will pass too. Could well be that their agreement is that double of 4♠ is merely card showing, but my LHO will have doubts when s/he sees no 5-6♠ by me. Doubt is not unusual even in expert circles. Look at this hand from the One-Eyed Jacks BC in Copenhagen, the strongest club in the country: ♠ AQ1054 ♥ -- ♦ KJ82 ♣ A1082 1♠ - 4♥ ?? Teams, 12 tables. Five players who were well aware of the fact that, according to their agreement, a jump to the 4-level over 1♠ showed 9-11 hcp with spade support and void in the suit bid were convinced that partner had forgotten and passed. You guessed it; 4♥ on the 0-0 fit was not a success versus a cold 6♠ (grand on a finesse). Then add the two pairs who played the hand in 6♥! Opener trusted their partners and bid again over 4♥, but when responder at some point bid 6♥ (meant as a grand slam try), the two players changed their minds regarding a heart suit or not. This would only happen among experts, but it does happen. In this thread we have something similar in my view. LHO will often be reluctant to bid over the double when s/he is void in spades. Roland

I disagree. He had 3♣ available with a strong hand and no clear direction. By the way, I don't think he has a doubleton club. That would give the opponents 11 between them, and then we would have heard more noise. His shape (after the huddle) is likely 4333 or 4324, likely in the upper or above the notrump range with no club stopper. Time for Frances to tell why we were overruled when "we" decided to follow up with 2♠, 3♥ or 3♠. Roland P.S. I agree with the ruling if it was based on what I think it is.

Pass. My only concern is when my partner leads a diamond, heart or spade, because then he is void in clubs. A trump lead is mandatory regardless of the holding because advancer has shown a strong suit by passing - a suit that can stand a lead. We don't want declarer to score low trumps. This answers the second question. My trump suit is long and strong when I pass a low-level take-out double. Roland

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sj107hk632d752ca86&s=saqhq7daq1098ckqj4]133|200|Scoring: IMP S: 3NT Lead: D4[/hv] Live on BBO half an hour ago. You decide to open an off-shape 2NT (fair enough), and after a Stayman enquiry by partner you arrived in the normal contract of 3NT. Much to your surprise LHO leads a low diamond, RHO discards a club and you win in hand perforce. At the table where I was watching declarer went 1 down. I am not going to reveal how. The interesting point is that there is a 100% line for 9 tricks after the lead, regardless of how the opponents' cards are distributed. Can you spot it? If you are advanced or better, please use hidden text. This is posted in the B/I Forum for some reason. Roland

I think it's pretty obvious to see (the opponents were cold for 620, sheepman wrote) that partner opened third in hand on virtually nothing and a singleton or doubleton spade. In other words: they had a spade game. No one can get in on an auction like this. As I said earlier, 2♠ looks perfectly normal, but it also happened to be a lucky strike because it kept the opponents out of 4♠. There is no law against being lucky. As for fielding a psyche I see no evidence whatsoever. That was also the committee's conclusion, although I don't understand why sheepman was warned as far as his 2♠ raise is concerned. That seems like normal bridge to me and not a call based on a partnership understanding ("I underbid my hand in case you have psyched"). Roland

I open 1♠; call me a simple soul. I don't like to experiment with 2 or 3♠ although 2♠ could work well. However, the problem with pre-empting is that partner may bid on where we should have defended. I have excellent cards for defence. Roland

I agree with the first pass, but if I pass again over 2♠, then give preference to 3♥ over partner's 3♣, I sound like ♠ xxx ♥ xx ♦ Qxxxxx ♣ xx In context I have a much better hand, so I would volunteer with 3♥ over RHO's 2♠. Opener can't expect more than I have got after my initial pass. ♠ 987 ♥ 98x ♦ K9xxx ♣ 10x Take ♦K away and replace it with ♠K, and the hand is significantly worse. The king in their suit is likely useless whereas a king in an unbid suit rates to be worth something. Roland

Alas, zillions of different versions. Try this ... http://tinyurl.com/2v6yht

- 1. Double. I think we can make 3♦, so I can't let them get away with -100. We need the 200 (I am aware of the fact that we may concede 730). - 2. Double. If I have any excuse whatsoever, I will not bid 5♦ at matchpoints. Roland

1NT (forcing) followed by 2♠ if available. Either 5-7 with 3 or 6-10 with 2. I like 2♠ to be 8-10(11) with 3. We were told that the system is 2/1, not Acol where 1NT is NF. I am inside the 8-11 range with 3, so I have no problem with a single raise. Roland

Dear Sheila, Of course you are not stupid, but instead of going through the Help section, there is a much simpler way of getting to a convention card. On your toolbar (bottom of your screen), 4th button from the left, you will see CONV. in white print on green background colour. Click on it and a window will appear. From there you have different options. You will, among other things, find Default Convention Cards, but you are also able to create one of your own. Just remember to save it when you are done. At any time you can edit all you like. Again, every time you edit you also need to save the revised version. Hope this is helpful. Roland

As much as I hate to agree with Ulf and Harald for the third time in a day, I am also a 5♦ bidder. We have shown a positive hand with a spade suit (could be weaker even) and club support. Sure there is more to reveal about the hand: the diamond control. Roland

OK, so you only got 500 when ♦A or a top spade would have yielded 800. I agree with Arend: do not risk a lead (heart) that may cost a trick when you have other, even very attractive alternatives. By the way, remind your partner to raise 2♠ to game next time. It's not your job to bid his hand. You bid yours with double and 2♠. As to East and his "diamonds are forever" avalanche, no one will understand why he needs partner. He ignores him anyway. 800 would have hurt more. Roland