Walddk

3♦. I don't really see the problem. I have spades and diamonds and I am vulnerable. Partner may have nothing so 3♦ is enough. It shows a good hand at these colours. Roland

My birthday present is 49.9% of Hans Ø (and please don't send any ???? bars as a token of your appreciation) :P Roland

I disagree. Which 23 count would you rather have on this auction AKx Kx AKxx AQxx = the actual hand, or ... AKx KQ Axxx AKxx = the hand I posted on page 1. If you can't tell the difference, I think your judgement is poor. Roland

The thing is that if you bid 6♣ with this hand you tell your partner that s/he can't judge what the right contract is. Your hand isn't that good actually. You have one king too many in diamonds/spades. A + AK and you cover partner's minor suit losers; the other king isn't working. Give me AKx KQ Axxx AKxx and I know that 6♣ makes with trumps 2-1 opposite only six clubs. On this auction partner is often 4-7 in hearts and clubs, possibly 4-6. 5♣ shows a bust; if s/he was just a tiny bit interested in slam, s/he should have bid 4♣ followed by 5♣. Partner does not have an ace and s/he does not have six clubs to the king. And if s/he has ♥Q and ♣K s/he should have (excuse me) her/his head examined. I would be very annoyed if my partner raised to 6♣ with the hand Frances shows us. Frankly speaking, I don't care if it makes or not. What I do care about, however, is that my partner doesn't trust my judgement. Roland

I must have miscounted my spades; I see four of them. Anyway, yes I respect my partner's decision. If you haven't been invited to the party, you are not supposed to go. Roland

The gambling 3NT is a feature of the Acol system and has been dumped by many partnerships long time ago. I recommend that you use 3NT for something else; broken minor, 6-5 in the majors, whatever. As Fred Gitelman once put it during a live vugraph broadcast: "Only open 3NT if you do *NOT* want to play there." And you are right; once in a blue moon when you hold a solid minor and 3NT is the spot, you have probably wrong-sided the contract by opening 3NT. Roland

1NT. (10)11-14(15 bad) usually with a heart stopper but I have done it with Qx and Jxx. If you play 1NT as full value, you must double, but I don't think many play 1NT as 15-17. Roland

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=sj10832hq985dkq2c7&w=sakq96ha1032da93c3&e=shj764d8764ck10982&s=s754hkdj105caqj654]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Here is the full layout. One hand doesn't prove anything, but it was horribly wrong to balance with 2♣. West doubled for take-out and East left it in. It went for 800 (Arend was close) by force when East was able to pitch three diamonds on the top spades. I think declarer was a little unlucky. East chose the right moment to pass 1♠ (some would perhaps have responded 1NT), but the spotlight would still have been on South. Would she have overcalled 2♣ anyway? I am convinced that some would have, but we will never know. Roland

Good thinking, Arend, but that did not happen. Roland

I can't help you with Ireland and Scotland, but I can if you think Denmark (at Birkerød 15 miles north of Copenhagen) is a good idea for an event like this. I own a bridge centre with more than 600 square metres (52 tables), so I have plenty of room. There is also a cheapish hotel right across the street. Let me know if this has any appeal, but before you approach me, I need to tell you that it has to be a weekend in May, June, July or August. Roland

Well, whether you like it or not you are in the balancing seat, so if you bid, you balance. On a different note it is interesting to see that everyone seems to be worried about making game either way (pass or 2♣). Would anyone consider the danger of going for a large number if you bid? Roland

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=s754hkdj105caqj654]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] You are vul against not, and the bidding goes 1♠, pass, pass to you. How often would you balance at IMPs? Roland

1. Yes, it's normal that advancer can't bid a 4-card suit at the 2-level. A responsive double is possible though. That would show four hearts, even five with a weaker hand and some spade tolerance. If you double, it's quite possible that you will get to the heart game. However, you should not, because ... 2. Declarer has 9 tricks and no more. It takes a defensive error to let 4♥ make. It would be a bit much to go through all the various lines, but you can never come to more than 9 tricks on best defence, say with the normal ♣K lead. Roland

Cricket is life, the rest (bridge included) is mere details! On a serious note, if they only gave me one pick, it would take me about 1 second to choose cricket. Roland

Not a valid excuse. What a luxury! You can sleep when you get old. Meanwhile, enjoy life, and is there anything more enjoyable than cricket? Cricket is life, the rest (sleep included) is mere details! Roland

I disagree. I was commenting myself, and I do not think that any commentator was harsh. Declarer misplayed the hand by discarding a diamond at trick 1. At this point you don't know what to pitch, so the simple answer is not to pitch at all. Ruff instead. The declarer in question is a very experienced international player, so in my view it is perfectly legitimate to state that he made a serious error. I think that the hand will make automatically if you ruff ♥Q. It is much more interesting on a diamond lead because then a criss-cross squeeze is needed as pointed out by Fred Gitelman. Roland

Birthday, old, sun got in his eyes, over the hill, and a white Bell ... sorry, ball :o 170-1, 15-3. Complacency was punished. The Aussies deserved what they got. Overall they are much better than England, but the Poms are not girl scouts from Whoollaboolla. Roland

Yes, your partner should have acted in second seat with a double: 12-14 balanced or any 17+ (will bid again). Now it's much easier for you to double 4♥, alternatively bid 4NT for the minors. My guess is that your partner was not familiar with the standard defence to the Multi 2♦. Forget about the 16+ 4441 hand and just treat it as a pre-empt in one of the majors. Roland

I don't know about *most* players, but I can assure you that expert players would interpret 4NT as take-out for the minors. However, I wouldn't bid 4NT with this hand. I have way too much in the majors and too little in the minors. Roland

[hv=d=e&v=n&n=s94hkq109da102ck762&w=s1065ha72d7cqj10953&e=sq7hj5dkqj96543c8&s=sakj832h8643d8ca4]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Here is the full hand. The passers will most likely get 150, the doublers 500, 680 or 1430 and the 5♠ bidders 680 or 1430. At one table Hugh McGann from Ireland overcalled 5♠ and was raised to slam by Tom Hanlon. Tick. Flat board after the Japanese South in the other room doubled and eventually ended up in 6♥. I would have passed the North hand over partner's double I must confess and definitely not have done what North did. After a long tank he came out with 6♦!? and after another tank, this time by South, the final call was 6♥. Lucky slams indeed, 6♠ luckier than 6♥. I know that 6♥ could have been defeated on a club lead. Maybe that's not out of the question when you are looking at ♥A. You know that partner can't have ♦A, and even if he has, your diamond trick won't disappear. Roland

[hv=d=e&v=n&s=sakj832h8642d8ca4]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] This hand from the NEC Cup in Japan divided the commentators into three camps during our live vugraph broadcast this morning. RHO opens 5♦. What is your call: pass, double or 5♠? Roland

"I Don't Believe In If Anymore ... If's an illusion, if's for children" - Roger Whittaker. Roland

Don't worry, they won't get to the final. Everyone's entitled to a lucky strike. Roland

Wednesday (segment 2) was perfect in my view, around 1 hour and 45 minutes. I think it gave all commentators time to analyse. Keep up the good work! If I'm around, I will try remember to message the operator(s) privately if I think it goes too fast or too slowly. Roland

Absolutely spot on. The same applies to watching a recorded hockey or football game. Even if you don't know the result, it is not and will never be the same as if you watch a live broadcast. Roland