Walddk

Ink me in for 2♠. At MP I don't want to be left in 2♣ which will happen every time opener has a minimum with a 5332 pattern. He may want to bid 2NT with a doubleton club, but that will likely make things worse. Besides, I don't think 2♠ is an underbid if agreed as constructive because of no Drury. Roland

Take notes people. A Swede, a Norwegian and a Dane agreeing. That is not everyday stuff! :angry: Roland

Hesitation or not, I think I have a clear 4♥ when 2♥ is described as invitational/strongly constructive. I had a maximum for my 1♥ in the first place. Although Frances doesn't care, I would have bid 2♣ as my response to the take-out double. That is not game forcing as I play it. Doubler should not have a strong hand with only three hearts and/or four spades (he could have bid 3♣), so his raise is based on four-card support. The slowness of partner's 2♥ bid suggests that he doesn't have four hearts after all, but after the huddle I am not allowed to bid 3♣, 2♠ or 3♥ to find out. I have a feeling that he is 4-3 in the majors and not quite strong enough to force to the 3-level (3♣) in case I am weak, but it is not my problem. I must and will bid as if he didn't hesitate. Therefore, 4♥ is my answer. At least I will win the ethical post-mortem. Roland

I am in your camp, Orla. 2NT is invitational. I will even claim that it's the standard agreement. Roland

The hand is good enough for 4♣. It's too timid to sign off with two keycards and the best possible trump holding. I am content with my approach after 4♣ - 4♦ 4♠ I don't agree with Josh. If you bid 4♦, you deny a club control. Apparently, that is not how you play it, but I think most folks do. Roland

I agree with your reasoning, but East's approach is so bizarre that I suspect he is capable of having virtually any shape. 7(8) diamonds headed by KQJ, yes, but other than that I really don't know. I suppose jillybean will enlighten us at some point. Roland

Interesting. Could well be how Paul, Ulf and Frances picture it, but I see it the other way around. I think declarer is short in spades and has been encouraged by my spade bid and partner's support. Roland

If dummy has anything more than a jack, there is something completely wrong. East bid 1, 2, 3, 4, 5♦, and advancer bid 3♠ in a situation where he didn't have to bid. 2♠ showed a strong hand (18-21 roughly) when preceded by a double, but it's non-forcing. My estimate is that advancer has 5-6 hcp. With 7-8 he would have jumped to 4♠ and with more than 8 he could and should have bid more than 1♥ on his first turn (1♥ = 0-8 in my book). Conceivably, advancer can have a flat 9 count with a moth-eaten heart suit, but then he should have raised to game over 2♠. My guess is 5-6 though, and then declarer has around 15-16 and dummy close to zero. With this said, I confess that East can have most anything given the way he bid his hand. Roland

Congratulations on your win! You surely must have got the majority of the slam decisions right. Roland

I don't agree with the splinter; I much prefer 3♥ to see if there is any life opposite. Now that I did splinter and my partner signed off, I will too. In my view, if I bid on now, I admit to having made the wrong call on my previous turn. It is very difficult to make partner co-operate after a splinter when one knows that the only first control he can have is ♣A. He surely doesn't have that card when he bids 4♥. I confess that slam has play opposite say ♠ Qx ♥ Kxxx ♦ Qxx ♣ KQ10x and also other hands with wasted club values. However, I think it's safer to take the low road. Roland

♠K without much thought. You control every suit, so there is no need to experiment with say a low heart. Partner's 1♥ doesn't promise a strong suit. A heart is dangerous in quite a few instances and may cost the defence a trick on many layouts. A top spade is 100% safe and is unlikely to blow a trick (tempo) for the defence. If this auction is to be trusted, dummy must have close to a Yarborough. East's approach to this auction is very strange (to be diplomatic). One wonders why he didn't open 5♦. He bid it all by himself anyway. Roland

But he can't have that hand. LHO passed, so he has no opener. And RHO passed over 1♥ although he is short in hearts; so he hasn't an opener either. Pray tell how partner can have a 10 count opposite your 4 against silent opponents. Partner has a good hand, and a 2♥ response is what this hand is worth in my opinion. Roland So what you seem to be saying, is that because of the peculiarity of this particular preceding auction a 2H raise is effectively forcing (partner can never be so weak as to want to pass) and may therefore be a more flexible raise than in other situations. I can go with that. Gives me a bit of brainache, but OK. Not sure where I said that 2♥ is forcing. I said that partner can't have the 10 count you gave as an example unless you play against one or two opponents who miscounted. Since you didn't comment, I assume that you actually think he can have that hand. He has at least 14 hcp, could easily have more, and whether that is enough to bid game or make a game try is up to him and his judgement. I still think my hand is worth a 2♥ response, non-forcing :P Roland

But he can't have that hand. LHO passed, so he has no opener. And RHO passed over 1♥ although he is short in hearts; so he hasn't an opener either. Pray tell how partner can have a 10 count opposite your 4 against silent opponents. Partner has a good hand, and a 2♥ response is what this hand is worth in my opinion. Roland

Spades and values, so I can't vote. If you have hearts, bid them. Roland

In my view the closest you get to fairness is the format of The Schapiro Spring Foursomes in England. Conditions of Contest: http://www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/may/spri...generalinfo.htm with various appropriate links. "How it is scored" is one of those. Perhaps you need to modify it a little in USA, not sure, but the general concept is excellent. Roland

I am surprised to see that most of you seem to fancy USA1 over USA2. Maybe there is something magical about *1*. It's a fact that USA1 qualified first, and USA2 had to go through a "repechage", but I rate USA2 a little higher. Don't get me wrong; I have a lot of respect for Jacobs, Katz, Rosenberg, Zia, Garner and H. Weinstein (USA1), but I also think that Nickell, Freeman, Hamman, Soloway, Meckstroth and Rodwell have the edge. Roland

A good defender would not double 4♥ in my view. If he did, it would be an open book, would it not? The fact that he remained silent gives me a losing option (your diamond finesse at trick two). I honestly don't think that an expert player would double 4♥ at IMPs if he has that hand. Roland

Tricks 1-5 seem OK to me. Let me try from trick 6 and onwards: 6. ♣A (spade pitch). 7. Heart to the king in case RHO rose from AJ. I expect him to show out though. If hearts are 4-1 (assumption), I now need two diamond tricks along with my two top tricks in spades and one in clubs. In other words: I need LHO to have the two remaining diamonds (K10). I think I can add the five heart tricks if the layout is as hoped. 8. ♦Q, K?, ruff. * 9. Club ruff with the 10. 10. ♦J .... and ♥Q in the wash. That must give me 10 tricks. Two top spades, ♣A, ♦A and Jack, two diamond ruffs in dummy and three trump tricks in hand. * If LHO follows small (10), I will let it ride. At this point I don't think I can make it if diamonds are 3-3. First I must tap myself, and seconds later LHO will tap me. Roland

4♠. I am the one who is looking at a singleton heart, the fifth spade and ♦K. 3♥ as a game try is unlikely to put partner in a better position than I am. Roland

I would lead a low spade at IMPs, high ditto at MP. And please remind me to overcall 1♠ next time :) Roland

Possibly, but that should not stop you from bidding clubs on your second turn, alternatively double 1NT to show a good hand that was shut out (too many clubs). Let me give another example: ♠ AKQ10xx ♥ Kx ♦ Axx ♣ xx Same hand, I just switched clubs and spades. Would you not bid a natural 2♠ on this auction ... 1♣ (pass) 1♠ (??) I think most people would come in with 2♠ now, although it's quite possible that RHO has five of them. If you keep silent with the actual hand, I think it's impossible for your partner to figure out that you have those cards and that a club would be a successful lead. Let's be honest: how often is it right to lead a singleton against NT? Roland

In my book it does, but I also realise that you may be in trouble with certain 11-12 counts and no club stopper, unless you don't play fourth suit as game forcing (2♣). This hand for instance: ♠ Q74 ♥ AJ975 ♦ KJ ♣ 862 1♦ - 1♥ 1♠ - ?? Now you wish that 2♣ is no more than a one round force. If GF there is no descriptive call available, so one needs to improvise. I can't even say what I would choose at the table. Roland

The auction suggests that you are shut out with 14-16 hcp, semi or unbalanced and long clubs. However, you don't have six good clubs when you didn't bid 2♣ over 1NT. Your side suit is likely diamonds. I picture your shape as 2-2-4-5 or 1-3-4-5. It is also possible that you are 2-4-2-5 or 1-4-3-5. Since I can't be certain which will work best (low heart or diamond might be right), I think I will go passive and lead a spade. Roland

Bermuda Bowl: QF: Italy, USA1, China, Ireland, Poland, Netherlands, USA2, Norway SF: Italy, USA2, USA1, Norway Finals: USA2, Italy Winner: Italy Venice Cup: QF: France, Germany, USA1, USA2, Netherlands, England, China, Denmark SF: France, Netherlands, USA1, USA2 Finals: USA1, France Winner: France Senior Bowl: QF: Denmark, Italy, USA1, USA2, Brazil, Indonesia, Poland, Germany SF: Denmark, Italy, USA2, Indonesia Finals: Indonesia, USA2 Winner: USA2 ... Gerben, I expect to get everything right. Please add the 600 points (bonus included) to my BBO account :) Roland

http://www.ecatsbridge.com/Events/wbf/2007...hai/default.asp is what you need (team rosters and draws). Loads of other useful information, so you may just as well bookmark it now. Roland