Jinksy

If neither opponent could find a 1♠ overcall, it's not going to be trivial for them to enter the non-fit auction at the two level. We could still have 7 spades between us, a misfit and c26HCP for all either opp knows. I would prob bid, tbh. I just think if W held the hand I gave above, and 3N: ATB was the thread, we know who'd be getting the blame.

If you open 1N with Kx xx AQxxx KQJx, I hope your system card notes that you open all 22(45) and presumably all (24)(25) hands 1N. Last I heard it wasn't 'expert standard' to do so with a small doubleton, good long suits and an easy rebid.

I don't think E's decision is nearly as clear as people in this thread are making out (presumably P nrmally bids 3N with a 2254 15 count and a spade stop?). But if anyone's going to do more bidding, it's him, so it seems like a weird atb.

Are E/W playing Gazzilli? That's the only reason I can think of for W to have bid differently (though he probably still wouldn't).

Doesn't seem at all obvious to me. What nullve said is along the lines of what I was thinking, but I doubt I'd have the guts to lead a small club at the table. I'd prob just cash the ace and hope the bad diamond split inconvenienced them. I wouldn't be surprised if a trump lead was necessary to stop them getting a full crossruff. I can't make sense of P's double, though. We've advertised 0 defensive tricks, in actual fact holding probably one, and the opps have bid slam semi-freely. Unless they've just massively overbid, and we're probably setting them on any lead (though most likely a trump), the possibilities seem to be that the opps have 13 diamonds between them (so why didn't west fit-jump?), or that P with something like 0256 psyched a 4♠ bid, and E, with something like xxx(x) or Axx(x) of spades placed his partner with a second shortage and consequently overreached. Again there it seems likely to go off on almost any lead. I think I've talked myself into leading a trump. If it lets the slam through, I'm going to blame partner's bidding.

IMPs: [hv=pc=n&e=sa9742hak7djcaqj2&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1hp1s]133|200[/hv] Do you make a sound?

Woop Feynman. 1) Wut? A spade lead from Jxxx 'unlikely to cost a trick'? Even when they can theoretically pick up the ♠s, the last thing want to do is reveal the trump split to them at trick 1. Maybe we're playing two different games - I would sooner lead the Q♣. 2) Meh. ♠ or ♦ both seem like decent shots. 3) I returned a ♣ in the poll, picturing declarer with something like KJxx KJx ATx Kxx, and a club loser about to disappear on the Hs when he gets back in, but in retrospect it seems like a spade does as well or better against most such hands, since even with 4 hearts coming in, declarer looks to be struggling for tricks when P has the Q♣.

Can we say results merchants? I agree with your P's pass fwiw. Maybe I should consider taking up these 'preempts' you speak of.

I would rate the opps to be able to make 3N against several strong NTs by P, and expect bidding 3♣ to push them into it much of the time. 5♣ might go for too much even if they are making game, so I'm just wishing there were something in the middle.

What's the scoring? 3♠ MPs, 4♠ IMPs.

That does seem to leave W without a bid on this hand. You wouldn't be happy to hear 4♥ if you Xed.

IMPs. [hv=pc=n&e=sj76hak62djt4ca95&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp1dp2dpp]133|200[/hv] Does it make a diff if the 2♦ bid could be on three card support?

[hv=pc=n&w=st84ha5d98543ck63&e=shkjt94dkqjtcq874&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1sd3sppdppp]266|200[/hv] 3♠ was one off if we didn't defend like lobotomized monkeys (we did), but 5♦ looks like a good contract. Should we reach it?

Imps, all vul (so yes, obviously. But really?): [hv=pc=n&w=sj5hj64d64ckqt842&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=pp3d3hp]133|200[/hv]

3N would be to play on either rebid. I was east, so don't know if west considered it. Seems dubious to me - you don't rate to have any way to communicate with E's hand if he's got a pile of junk other than by ruffing over to it.

Hijacking the topic for a moment, under what circumstances would your 5♣ rebid be exclusion after the splinter? Only on your subsequent bid/on any later bid (except an RKCB response)/other? I've not heard of non-jump exclusion before, but it sounds like a useful gadget.

I don't think anyone's suggested just bidding your best three-card suit. A 6322 or 5332 with serious slam interest almost certainly has some honours in its short suit, so at least after an xfer to the major, you can usually survive if P raises your minor (which should prob show the same sort of texture that make slam a good prospect IMO). It's not a particularly elegant solution (nor one that I would advocate long-term), but it's simple and needs no agreements (though it does help if P is ready to recognise later bids of the major as to play). Best of all, it frees up 4♣ for Gerber ;)

Can I play with ndkrempel?

Yeah, all our strong balanced hands go through a 1♣ opening.

You hold ♠ KQT9x ♥ AKJ ♦ QJx ♣ xx IMPs, all vul. Partner (me) opens 3C, first in, passed to you. What's your call, and how close is it? My preempting style in this position is relatively sound. Usually a 7 card suit, but not a guarantee, probably fairly pure (ie decent offence-defence ratio).

Sure. I was E, and certainly not expecting 3♠ to be the final spot. I was wondering whether if I bid 3N over an X of 3♠, partner would read it as this hand. It seemed like it would be clearer after the X than before, and at this vul, I didn't really mind drifting 5 off undoubled :P

4♣? :P

I feel like I am reading a different thread to everyone else (except Phil). W's X in my book says 'I've got a very powerful hand and not enough distribution to bid that this level'. I suppose that's half true.

X for me. With a spade stop I can't hold up and a rabbit-eaten primary suit, it's asking a lot from P to fill in the gaps. If he has KQx in diamonds, we might miss game (though they don't have to lead a spade). If he has spades as good as Qxx and not much dist outside, he should be able to find a pass.

I'm enjoying these efforts, but also not right :) The actual sequence: