Jinksy

[hv=pc=n&s=sk965ht8543d3cq86&w=sqjthkqj7dk6cat54&n=sa43hdqt98742ck32&e=s872ha962daj5cj97&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=1dppd2dppp]399|300[/hv] Simple question - who underbid their hand (the most)?

[hv=pc=n&w=s982hat9642datct3&e=saqt54hkdqj75ckj4&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=1sp2sp3dp4sppp]266|200[/hv] In a close teams match, you're in 4S. S leads the 7S. Whatever you play from dummy, N plays the 3. Should N ever get on lead, he returns the C 2. What line will you try? Highlight any of the relevant lines below for more info about how the cards actually lie, in case of branching plays: KD location - KD is offside D split - N has 3 H honours - they're split H lie - breaking 3-3 S honours - both with N S split - N has 4 C honours - split, S has the A

Eh? Players of all strengths are allowed to play against poor opposition, and the tactics they use will influence the result. I didn't forget it, I specifically discussed it. Ok: we did not end up defending 3NT.

I'm going to mount a defence of this X, since I don't think the criticisms are giving the full story. The arguments against: 1) I might help declarer make his contract. 2) They might XX with a good H holding. 3) I might get partner to make a poor lead from such as Ax. The first is very unlikely against weak opponents, who I suspect won't pay any attention to the bidding at all during the play. What's more, since they play a weak NT, the a priori odds of them bidding game at all opposite a passed hand are slim, so this is most likely to help this with a part score if at all. The second is possible but rare, and again rarer vs these opps who might not even have the system/confidence about system to deal with it. Look at the actual sequence for (admittedly post-hoc) evidence for this - N pulled S's redouble with three Hs, a ruffing value, and a hand that was about to push for game! Even if it did get XXed to me, I can pull to Ds, which gives me a chance of getting out for less damage than a making game. The third is probably the most likely, but still pretty unusual - even if P has that, it might be the right lead against either 3N or 4S if he can get into my hand. Most of the time if he leads from a holding he might not otherwise - Kx(x), etc to 4S it won't do any harm, and if it's vs 3N it will be on an invitational auction where he wants a passive lead - which my Hs look much like being. So I think the purported downsides are minor. The arguments in favour: 1) Pass is lead deterring. 2) They might well be about to fizzle in 2S, and this gives me a chance to offer a 3H competitive bid without actually bidding it. No-one's even mentioned the first yet. I'm not sure how strong the effect is, but P on lead will note that I have failed to X Hs. Against 3N, that might push him to lead eg a D in preference to a H with HXXXX, DXXX, or worse, Hxxx, DJxx, and so on. Much of the time when a H is the best lead, since I have failed to indicate it, he will fail to find it. Re the second, if I pass and 2S comes back to me, I won't much like Xing in case P passes, so I suppose I'll bid 2N. If he then bids 2C, well and good, but if bids 3D on such as HKxxx, DJxx, Cxx, or on any holding such that H => D > C, we'll have missed our best spot. Alternatively I could try a unilateral 3H at that point, which seems pretty grim. Or I could try X now which, notwithstanding the XX possibility, seems significantly safer. If P doesn't compete to the three level, it gives me an option to bid 3D when 2S comes back to me. Normally I probably won't, but I might be able to pick up some tells from LHO that his Ss are good enough to be worth competing. Against strong opps I'd think this too risky, but here I doubt they'll be able to judge when to X.

According to DF, 5D is -3 by E, -4 by W.

They can ask the full range of responses to it at any time they like. What's the problem?

Apologies for two threads on the same hand, but I realised the only interesting question is E's call over 2H. What's yours? And how close is it? [hv=pc=n&e=s2hqt985dq8732ck5&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=pp1n(12-14)p2h]133|200[/hv]

I'm starting to regret setting this as an ATB. I was E, and W agrees he shouldn't have Xed, so the only question is whether my first X was defensible. I'll start a separate thread for that.

I don't see the problem - as long as your partner will be careful to describe the bid as 'asking about the KD'. After that, any inferences the opps draw are their own problem. A very similar ruling has been given in the UK laws & ethics column re bidding Stayman without holding a four-card major, either because it's non-promissory or because P is planning to pass on something like 3352 and a low point count. Stayman was firmly described as only an asking bid. A hand making an asking bid is not required to meet any other requirements than having 13 cards.

Edited in a clarification of 2H X to the OP.

Local teams, against weak opponents. We did not cover ourselves in glory on this hand, when there was nothing we could do but watch 4Sx make +2. A successful stripe-tailed ape double maybe, but no-one in the room was bidding slam. [hv=pc=n&s=sq643hakdt4caj973&w=sa87hj64dkj965ct4&n=skjt95h732dacq862&e=s2hqt985dq8732ck5&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=pp1n(12-14)p2hdr(Not%20alerted%20at%20the%20time%2C%20but%20declarer%20stated%20at%20the%20end%20it%20was%20agreeing%20Ss%20%5BN%20didn%27t%20know%20what%20it%20meant%20when%20quizzed%5D)p3cp4sdppp]399|300[/hv] Over to the public executioners - AtB. (Edited to add) Let’s assume that the X showed Hs. There was some confusion in the discussion, both about the bid, but W thought that even if it was lead directing, that since S’s XX seemed to deny Ss, E’s hand should be stronger to merit the X So the ATB is three-way – E, W or the opps’ system breakdown.

3H. If I bid 2D I'm planning to pass a 2S rebid, but if P rebids 2S on a poor S suit with no choice, such as QTxxxx, Q, xxx, Jxx, we might manage to go off in 2S when 3H was making. Make his Cs A(xx) and we're not finding game if I don't show values the first time around. If his values are where he's bid, then AS plus JC gets me 8 likely tricks opposite a stiff H, and I'd be unlucky not to have a play for a 9th. If he shows up with KJxxxx Ss, a misfit and nothing outside, I introduce him to the pass card. NV I am content with 2D.

Teams, unfavourable. LHO opens 1S (SAYC), and partner overcalls 2S, Hs and a minor, wide-ranging strength. You try to look confident as you gaze down at: AT8xx x KJ98xx x Given that you hadn’t discussed continuations here (beyond a forcing 2N), what’s your call (and how do you expect P to take it)? Given the same meaning of 2S, would you choose something different than what you’d expect an average reasonable strength P to take as your response structure?

The bottom was because no-one in the room played 3N (or 4). I don't think anyone else opened 4S, but if they did, they weren't doubled. Alas yes, hence my snarky alert :P

Not exactly. I only went 2 off, but it was irrelevant, since no-one in the room found 3N.

The double was for penalties.

For mah fellow results merchants: [hv=pc=n&s=sqjt8643ha92dcq96&w=sk95hkj83dqjcat52&n=s72h654dk98732ck3&e=sahqt7dat654cj874&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=4sd(Showing%203%20defensive%20tricks%20in%20your%20partner%27s%20hand)ppp]399|300[/hv] W's double ensured a cold bottom.

(I've just edited to add in the system for those skipping past the first post: 5cM, weak NT, non-GF 2/1)

[hv=pc=n&s=sqjt8643ha92dcq96]133|100[/hv] You're dealer, love all at MPs. What minimal change would it take to shift you in favour of the closest alternative? (Edited to add) If relevant to your decision, we were playing 5cMs, weak NT, 2/1 is non-GF.

With exactly 24 points between you, roughly evenly split, and no 4-4 major fit, do you have better expectation at IMPs from playing in 1N or 3? If it depends on the vul, to what extent? Thanks, S

Playing matchpoints you have 43 JT3 AQJ5 KQ74 Playing weak and 4, you deal and open 1N, and hear P P 2S (nat). What’s your call a) At love all b) At game all ? (X is competitive)

[hv=pc=n&s=s432hajdj32ca5432&n=sahkqt9832dak54cj&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=p2cp2n(Undiscussed)p4hp4np5d(3/0)p5n(Some%20kind%20of%20K%20ask)p7hppp]266|200[/hv] Rather than ATBing @ either, since there are numerous calls one might disagree with in this auction, can we atb to each of them individually? I’ve had to make up the pips in the diagram above apart from the T98 of Hs. They might have been slightly better, though there were no other Ts around. Basic system is 2/1 GF, Kokish would have been available, 2D would have been a relay rather than negative, basic cuebidding and RKCB available but not much detail in partnership agreements (we’ve played together a handful of times, but with large gaps between)

Did you ever try passing the weaker 5M4M ones? I haven't yet had a major disaster from it (this hand is probably the worst result in that we missed 3S, and opening 2H would have helped that). I can certainly believe opening them might work better, but if partner knows you could have those hands you seem to lose a lot of the downside of passing them - you're unlikely to be shut out of the auction if the hand belongs to your side.

In Fantunes' actual system, they'd open the N hand 1H rather than 2, presumably on the grounds that with both majors the potential downsides of preempting are greater, and the potential upsides smaller. No matter how much I try to make it fit, I can't see a sensible way of making that work for a mortal partnership without screwing up your slam-seeking sequences (according to Dan O'Neill's transcription IIRC, over a 2/1 GF followed by a bid showing the other major, potentially as weak as this, they just continue the GF...). So our current compromise is just not to open these.

For what it's worth, I'm a fan of 1♠. What does partner want from an opening bid that I'm not offering? Good playing strength? check Good defensive strength? check Safe rebid? check Multiple first round controls? check Good prospects for game in either major? check It's hard to imagine any auction where I'm going to be embarassed by my hand.