Jinksy

What's the algorithm?

What's K&R?

Hm, ok. I didn't like competing for a potentially non-existent part score at this vul with such a potential misfit and both opps showing points and a misfit of their own, and reluctantly passed at all three opportunities. If that doesn't immediately turn you off the hand, trick one poses a play problem that I found interesting. Partner leads ♦6 (2nds and 4ths). Dummy hits with this: [hv=pc=n&n=sat742hk8dqt84c53&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=pp1d1sp1nppp]133|200[/hv] Declarer covers with the 8. What do you pitch? (edited original post slightly now that I'm writing with the hand records to correct a couple of ♥♠pips)

Sorry, corrected that.

[hv=pc=n&e=s9863hat72dcaj986]133|100[/hv] As dealer, you pick up the hand above, E/W game, at teams. 1st decision - do you think about bidding? If not, the bidding goes P P 1♦ (five card majors, strong NT, short club, so 1D should promise four) 1♠ back to you - what's your call now? If it leaves room, the bidding goes 1N P P to you again...

[hv=pc=n&e=s975h64dq2caqt542&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=p1hp2dp2np3dp4dp4hp4sp6dppp]133|200[/hv] I'm not 100% sure about this auction, but I think this was it. N/S are playing 4 card majors and a weak NT (2N rebid showing 15-19 balanced and GFing), and seem to be pretty strong opponents (they're both better than me, anyway), though they're a pretty new partnership. What's your lead? I took a view (oh, how many IMPs that phrase has cost), feeling the inevitable AK♦ crushing and led the ♥4, hoping to persuade the opps that I'd led a singleton looking for a ruff, and therefore was unlikely to have either the ♣A or the ♦Q. From the fact that I'm posting on here you can guess how that worked out (although partner gave the opps a bit of help, so who knows - maybe it would have worked). Bad luck? Bad view?

General question: on occasion you're stuck for a bid to show a two-suiter hand. One obvious eg is when your opps preempt to the three level before you get a bid. If you X and then partner unsurprisingly bids your short suit, if you then bid another, most of the partners I've tried this with have taken this as something like the hand I had - a two-suiter. So should it be? And if so, is there a principle with which you can express when a new suit bid after a double is just running away from p's shortage rather than showing extra strength?

Corrected, ta.

This came up in a league game the other night. According to Deep Finesse, NS have 10 tricks in NT (either side), but even looking at all the hands I'm struggling to find the tenth: [hv=pc=n&s=st76hakj42d64cat2&w=sj9432hqt8765dcj4&n=sak8h93dqt75ckq95&e=sq5hdakj9832c8763]399|300[/hv] For the sake of argument let's put E on lead, since most Es opened 3D.

2D wasn't gf, nor was 3D. Hand was played in a casual setting, so opps didn't have much sophistication to their bidding, nor did we.

Game all, I think, possibly green to the doubler.

I don't remember your hand, but hopefully it shouldn't matter. Bidding goes 1H P 2D 2S P P 3D X How do you understand the x?

In third seat?

[hv=d=n&s=sjxxhxdakqjxxxxcx]133|100|Scoring: Total Points[/hv] This seems like it should be pretty simple, but caused quite a dispute last night. The bidding goes P P - to you. What's your call? Does vulnerability affect it?

Ah, thanks!

When I logged on (browser) today, BBO told me it had moved my chat box to the thin column on the left and hidden it behind a tab, which is an awful layout. I asked my partner if it had done the same to him, and he denied it, so is there some way I can change it back? (and if so, how?) Ta, J

So no-one thinks E/W can find a penalty X of a N/S contract?

[hv=d=w&v=b&n=skqt2htdk73ca9542&w=sj63hak9732d9ck76&e=sa54h84daqt62cjt3&s=s987hqj65dj854cq8]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv] How do you think the bidding and play on this should go (it came up on an MP night, though I'm also curious whether people would bid/play differently at IMPs), assuming you're playing a natural bidding system such as SAYC? Seems to me there are at least three or four reasonable sequences that end in quite different places. The play seems potentially interesting, too. At our table (E/W playing Acol), it went 1H X 2D P 2H P 3N X 4H P P X P P P So ATB (if any), then say how you think it should/could reasonably have gone.

I think I specified this, but we don't play puppet over 1NT openings (it's all I can do to persuade my p to play them over 2NT).

It would also be interesting to see if the results are similar given a strong 1NT opening (and adjusted values to your left). I would guess the aggressive short suit lead would be more effective there, since most of the opps' points are now over most of your partnership's, and the contract's less likely to fail on its own terms. I also play them by preference, and with most Ps I just open 1N on any 5332 12-14 count. I don't know if it's optimal, but I don't think it's wildly unusual. [ETA] (And we all play regular stayman.)

Scoring was Chicago total points.

P doesn't play that sort of semi-conventional x, so you can't really infer anything about his holding except that he's not strong enough to double for penalties.

Your RHO dealt and opened the bidding (1N showing 12-14), and you're on lead with T8xx 98 xx JT9xx What do you lead? (ETA: partner doesn't play lead directing Xes, if that makes a difference to your decision)

E might find the 6H lead, which gives N a reasonable chance of going off...