Cash the heart ace, and play a small diamond to the king. The diamond ace is almost surely onside, or RHO would have made a call with his 6c spade suit (I know, I know, to the Jack, but still...). Also, if not, you're in a lot of trouble barring serious defensive assistance. Pitch diamonds (or a diamond and a club if LHO took Ad and returned a heart) on the 2 hearts.

If RHO ruffs the second heart, though (i think you're screwed if he ruffs the first one), you have to overruff and play for a 3-3 diamond split (where you will pitch your club on the last diamond, regardless of whether RHO ruffs in).

The idea is that you are absolutely going to lose 2 spades and the ace of diamonds, and you've gotta keep it to that.

So... whatd you do

An aside about chuckles's his hand, or actually his partner's:

A 1NT rebid after a 1C opening rates to get the partnership in trouble a fair amount of the time, as for example when partner leaps to 4S... Anyway, I prefer either opening and then rebidding clubs, or opening 1H. Yes, even when playing 5 card majors -- this is a smaller lie than it seems.

If you're not playing FSF or NMF, and you don't play that opener's reverse shows extras (see fab's post on this), you're pretty much doomed to get to a bad contract on this hand regardless what he tries, though.

Another aside: it is possible to play that reverses not only don't show extras but are non-forcing -- if you play a canape system, particularly with a strong club. I can say from personal experience that this works a lot better than it sounds like it does it's also great fun, except for the prealerts.

Oh I went down one, immediately explained 4SF to my dad. Then after the tourney I went on tilt when the sheet they hand out afterwards said 4s made. But sure enough RHO has 4 hearts, and the ace of diamonds is onside.

Someday I'll explain NMF to my dad, but I take it slow adding new systems with him.

In fact, hands like this are why many partnerships will open 1D with a hand that has 4D and 5C. I'm not particularly fond of this, but I suppose that the exact minor suit shapes are not so important when 3N is your likely destination anyway.

Good point, and I know player who would open this hand 1D. Note that your point about 3NT is much weaker on this void-bearing hand, where 3NT looks worse and a minor suit slam is more likely than normal.

That said, 3N is a good contract here. I haven't thought about all the possible defensive holdings, but I suspect that it would take some really specific holding and defense to set it.

Oh, agreed. Might actually be very interesting play, with the weird transportation problems. With spades not breaking on the actual layout it's nontrivial, but there are quite a few other places to find that ninth trick. It's also moderately likely that it's handed to you at trick one.

Still, I know you see my point -- the north hand is fairly slammish. Unfortunately, this makes any lie you choose to tell a likely problem.

I would venture to say that most of the expert community would open 1D in first or 2nd seat (playing 5-card majors). I might open 1H in 3rd seat.

Also, I agree that you can't "not play" reverses.

I don't know him personally and have only played against him once, but my guess would be that Marshall Miles would open 1H. On reflection, I agree that the consensus opening would probably be 1D.

Problem D in the Master Solver's club (my guesses, obv; partner bids 1S; first seat, W/R, IMPs):

100 ... 1D
80 ..... 1C; 2C
70 ..... 1C; 1NT
50 ..... 1H
20 ..... 1C; 2H
20 ..... 1C; 2D

I had a fun crazy hand today.

xxxxx
x
xxxxx
xx

Yeah 0 points. Unfavorable vul

Bidding went
RHO Me LHO Partner
1D pass 1H 1S
2D pass pass 2S
3C 3S

About the only time I can imagine bidding at the 3 level with 0 points with bad vulnerability without it being for penalty. Sure enough we only lost 1 diamond, 1 heart and 2 clubs, and with cross trumping made 3. As I laid my hand down I said "There is a thin line between genius and insanity here..." glad RHO could clue me into partner having real short diamonds

I probably bid 3S at my second turn, though I wish I knew whether opponents were playing support doubles or tended to raise in tat spot with three-card support. If LHO can still have three hearts, opps look at that point to have game in hearts. If not, game in clubs is possible. Meanwhile, you might make what you bid...

At favorable vulnerability, 4S is a good bid.

I am assuming partner's overcalls promise a reasonable suit in this spot.

+1, although I assume chuckles' partner would interpret this as invitational, in which case I'm passing and balancing spades later.

I'm not sure what he would of thought of it. Though I was pretty sure after 2 passes he wouldn't think it was invitational.

I found in BBO hand histories what maybe my favorite hand ever. I can't help but include commentary on what I believe everyone is thinking here

S: Pass (Easy)
W:2NT(easy unusual 2nt (LOLOLOLOL))
N:X (um...)
E:3h (wow, 2nt, we might have slam, transfer first)
S: pass (wtf?)
W:4c (not sure what you are doing partner, but clubs are better than diamonds)
N:X (um...)
E:4h (well I also have 4 hearts)
S: pass (wtf?)
W: pass (whatever)
N:X (um...)
E:4s (oh well, no slam, but 4s should be cold)
S: pass (wtf?)
W: pass (whatever)
N: X (um...)
E: XX (LOL 4s is so cold opposite 2NT)
S: pass (wtf?)
W: 5d (oh ****)
N: X (um...)
E: 5s (you idiot, oh well 5s should still make)
S: pass (wtf?)
W: pass (whatever)
N: X (um...)
E: XX (well 5s should still make)
S: pass (wtf?)
W: 6c (goddammit you idiot, well choose a minor now)
N: X (um...)
E: 6d (**** YOU, well D>C, but **** you)
S: X (hahaha partner, I'm the one who gets the final double)
W: pass (ugh, well at least we ended in a minor)
N: pass (SOB stole my double)
E: pass (FU PARNTER)

down 6
ah I wish I had been at the table

How am I bidding this at IMPS w/w when my partner deals and opens 1NT (15-17)?

5
K 7 5 4 2
K
A K 6 5 3 2

The spot cards are god awful.

Assume that you are playing SAYC.

If you have a different method (like with precision or something else), definitely tell us about it

Standard way to bid this is transfer to 2, continue 3. When partner then bids 3, I'd make a modest slam try with 4, bidding 4 over 4.
Over 3NT, I think it's OK (in IMPs, not MPs), to continue 4, leeting partner choose between 4 and 5, or possibly even going for the magical club slam with something like AKxx/Ax/Axxx/Qxx

Playing SAYC I like that start -- there's no way to show the relative heart and club length without some methods you didn't have at your disposal. However, I think 4C should be your third bid -- partner won't pass, and you can't afford to let him.

Consider that if partner has a perfect minimum you could be odds-on for a grand: Axxx Ax Axxxx QT. With that hand partner might bid as he did.

With a more likely poor fit, such as KJxx Qx AQJx Qxx you have no slam, but even here another try is safe.

It's even possible to make 6C or 6NT but be in danger in 4H: AKQx xx AQx xxxx (in hearts, could easily lose three trump tricks and a club ruff).

If partner bids 4H or 4NT over your 4 bid, I think you have to give up.

----------
With better but not unusual methods, you'd transfer to clubs and then bid hearts. Ideally partner would set trump at the four level, and then 4D or 4S would be kickback RKC in the agreed suit. Even better would be if it were six-ace keycard -- not absolutely necessary here, but it would help prevent a guess for the long-suit queens, which you'll want to know about before bidding a grand.

----------
Want weird stuff? Playing the home-grown, strong club with canape openings method I used to play, the auction might go:

1C (artificial, 17+ if balanced) - 1NT (8-13 HCP, clubs);
2C (relay) - 3C (5+ hearts, thus 6+ clubs);
3D (relay)* - 3S (1=5=1=6);
and then relays for whatever cards opener needs, or he can just set the contract at any time. (*depending on opener's hand -- a 3H relay was available to ask for general strength)

If opener had 15 or 16 balanced instead, the auction would have depended on his exact shape. We actually had methods for describing responser's two-suiter very quickly after a 1M opening, because a 2C response was non-forcing; after a semi-artificial 1D, the bidding would have been natural: 1D - 2C; 2S (if 5=2=4=2) or 2NT - 3H, and then some guessing would be required.

If you had dealt, it would have gone:
2C (11-15 HCP, 6+ clubs) - 2D (relay);
3D (5 hearts) - and then responder could set trump, sign off in 3NT, or keycard in either suit.

Except my partner never trusted that particular type of sequence, so he'd have opened your hand 1H:

1H - 1NT (relay);
2C - 2D (relay);
3D (5-6? - an impossible bid in the system, but I'd have worked it out) - 3H (relay);
3NT (1=5=1=6) - then pass, or RKC in one of the suits, or 4C natural and forcing.

Ah, that system was fun. If only we'd gotten it right more often.

I'm so confused about this hand. MPs, W/R, LHO deals.

Pass -- Pass -- 1

I hold:

10 9 8 6 3
A Q 3
10 6 4
K 6

I overcall 1 (I know, I probably shouldn't).

LHO doubles.

My p jumps to 4.

RHO bids 5

and I double (correct, right?)

Now, LHO bids 5 (?!)

My p doubles, and thats where it ends up.

What do you think LHO has?

something like:

s: AQxx
h: xxxxx
d: KQxx
c: -

You wouldnt open that hand? A solid 11 points with a void and lots of good rebidding opportunity?

Something like 2=5=6=0 or 3=4=6=0 and 7-8 HCP. Not enough to open and too distributional for a preempt. My best guess anyway... (maybe AKJxxx diamonds?)

LHO ended up holding

K 2
J 10 8 6
K Q 9 8 7 5 3


It kind of tilted me about why this hand wasn't opened. Is it standard to pass with this type of hand in 1st seat?

I would definitely open that at anything other than R/W, but at those colours I think pass is best. You can't really open 1D, and 3D isn't that strong a preempt anyway, and at these colours the risk of going for a number or talking your own side out of a heart game is more of a concern than preempting the nonvul side. Plus you have a little defence. R/W preempts need to be a bit more pure than this.

I was going to say "sounds like weak hand, 4 hearts, 7 diamonds to me." Of course that sounds a bit self-serving now that you've posted the hand. But doing it with only 6 diamonds would be really dangerous, even with a void in clubs - have to be SURE diamonds are better than clubs to do that.

Yes, the pass in first seat is standard. At a different vulnerability his six tricks would be enough strength for a 3D opening, but a disciplined player will pass anyway in first seat - don't preempt with values in two sides suits AND don't preempt with a 4-card major.

I have a feeling that 5D came quite close to making. Lucky for you that your HAQ are well placed despite the auction.

I just got back from playing a sectional with my dad. We are both in the noob category (0-50 MPs) but over the weekend, we both made 7.29 silver points. First of all, is that good? Second of all, does it mean anything?

Third, I have a card play question. We're playing a pairs (MPs) event. We're basically playing SAYC, but my dad isn't very familiar with anything intricate. We go by "feel" a lot, but we understand the basic workings of SAYC (i.e. we know the basic point ranges of different bids, and what's forcing and invitational [for the most part]), but we don't have a very sophisticated grasp of it (like neither of us knows WTF Lebensohl does). I hope I've painted a fairly good picture of our experience and skill level.

I'm sitting south, both sides vulnerable.

A Q 6 4
K J 7 3
7 4 3
9 8

North deals and opens.

1 - pass - 1 - 2
3 - 4 - 4 - all pass

The opening lead is the A, and the dummy shows:

K 10 9 8
Q 5 4 2

A K 6 4 3

For reference, my hand is:

A Q 6 4
K J 7 3
7 4 3
9 8

What's the best way to play this hand?



Are there any improvements over my line? Is it better to play out the top 2 clubs, and try to ruff the 3rd for an entry to my hand?