That's a practical approach to bidding it. However, do be aware that your partner is going to be visualizing a 6-4 with another ace, rather than a 7-4 that depends so heavily on distribution. You may well be in a 23-HCP 3NT, and you may well go down in 3NT when you can make 5 or 6 clubs on a bad day. At matchpoints I would leave 3NT anyway. At IMPs I think I would insist on the clubs. (And if you're going to insist on the clubs anyway, might as well leap to 5 one round sooner.)

ok. my primary concern was that i might miss something higher. partner had the three missing aces, doubleton diamonds, and the Tc, making us ice-cold for 7C

If partner has got three aces and can't figure out there might be a slam after you reverse and show extra shape...wellllll... that's a shame.

His bidding didn't promise anything close to that much; your reverse (1 of a lower-ranking suit followed by 2 of a higher-ranking suit) shows a considerably better than average opening, and forces him to bid again. He, expecting you to have a 1-3-4-5 or 1-2-4-6 17-count, could have as little as KQxxx Kxx xxx xx for his 1S-then-2NT-then-3NT. I blame him for missing the slam, not you. Nothing in any of his bids gave you any indication he was likely to have two missing aces (and you can't leap into Blackwood, since one ace gets you past 5 clubs.)

Oh god, don't talk to me about missed slams. Fun hand today online:

: Q
: AJTx
: KQxxx
: Jxx

I open 1, lho overcalls 1, partner makes it 1, I make it 1nt (opinions?) and partner jumps straight to 3nt, declining to mention her AJT983, so while everyone else is making 6 or 5 w/overtrick easily we're down two as north bangs out six winning clubs.

Partner claims that she didn't know my 1 was natural, despite me listing a very standard system (all 1-level is natural, weak twos, strong 2). At least she didn't pass ****ing stayman as happened to me the other day

I would probably rebid 2D instead of 1N, although I can understand the 1N bid. 1N shows a minimum opener, with balance in all suits (except maybe the suit your partner bid). Anyways, your hand plays poorly in no trump, because you have a wasted value in the singleton Qs, so you're probably better off in a suit contract. That shows 5D, lack of support in spades, and nothing of interest in clubs. Your partner should jump to 5D when you bid 2D and show 5 of your own.

Also, there are few systems I can think of in which 1D is not natural. In most systems it shows 4 (unless you have a 4432 shape), and in some, it might show 3, but my guess is that you guys were playing something like SAYC or 2/1 or something, so 1D should be a pretty clear bid for your partner to understand. In fact, that should be one of the most basic things you guys need to know about.

IMHO, 2D is fine (maybe 3C is better), but I really don't think you can pass 3NT. Partner will expect more HCP and less shape for your current bids, I'd think 5C is a safer contract, plus the outside shot that there is still slam.

Yes, bad pd bidding, 3 aces opposite a reverse is pretty much a slam force.

If your partner was foreign (and most bridge players are), many play a system where 1C is an artificial strong bid (something like 17+) and 1D is a catch-all minimum bid that can be very short in diamonds. I think this system is considered standard in places like Poland.

In the Polish Club 1 club is more of a catch all opening than showing a strong hand.
They like to open 1 club with weak nt type hands as well as others. 4-4-1-4 with 12+
and some hands with long clubs 14-16 and strong hands with 19+ and is forcing with a negative one diamond response available.
Many other systems include a strong club, precision, blue team schenken etc.
DrDbl

OK, first of all, does anyone want to play this weekend?

Second, how do you bid this hand?
: AK
: Axx
: Axxx
: AJxx

opponents only vulnerable, IMPs, partner deals and opens 3, RHO passes. At first I thought this was automatic 6, now I'm not so sure. 7 spade winners + 3 side-suit aces is only ten tricks.

Good thinking, bobman. A preemptive opening should promise a number of playing tricks that varies with the vulnerability, and as responder, you can add your winners to what your partner has promised.

The traditional rule for social bridge was the "rule of two and three" - a 3S opening should promise 7 tricks vulnerable, 6 tricks not vulnerable. Duplicate scoring makes it even more appealing to open light, so more common in duplicate games is the "rule of two, three, and four" - 3S promising 7 tricks if you are vul and opps are not, 6 if you both are or both aren't, and 5 if they are and you aren't.

So, on your hand, you'll count 5+5=10 or 6+5=11, depending whether you have an agressive or conservative partner. You almost surely will not make six opposite a non-vulnerable preempt. If the vulnerability were reversed you would expect more from your partner (even seven spades to the QJT and an outside king is a bit light for an unfavourable-vulnerability preempt) and you could think about six.

bob: would play this weekend but I'm afk.

Secondly, what would you do if partner jumps to 3H over your 1NT opener with this?

s:QJ65
h:QJT4
d:AK8
c:KQ

I was slightly annoyed as I jumped to 3h with AK/AKxxxx/Qxx/xx and took a raise to 4h as a sign-off, and obv took every trick

I think 3H was too weak to bid there. 4C for Gerber would be my choice.

4C is Gerber? Is there a 'standard' online or site system of play? How does it work playing with a new partner?
I've only played live with well-defined sequences for these situations and would feel lost online for a while. May give it a go, used to play every evening and weekend when I was young.

If my partner bid 3H, I don't really know what I would do, because I'm not sure what 3H means there. If it's something like 5+H and 10+ points, then I guess I bid 4D to show the ace? you can't really expect your p to bid anything beyond 4H after opening 1NT though. except for the heart length, his hand is exactly what you should expect it to be. I think a better response than 3H is to transfer to hearts and then either:
1. Bid 6H directly, which is risky when partner probably doesn't have much ruffing value or long support for your hand, plus you might have 2 losers off the top in either minor. It's a better choice if you play 16-18 pts for 1NT.
2. Bid 4NT. Not really helpful, imo. Outside of your hand, there are only 16 HCPs worth of non-aces. partner would need almost all of them to have his bid and 0 aces. And even if he confirms 1 ace, you still don't know if the slam is on or not. He could have d:Ax; c: Qxx (or no diamond stopper at all) and you could go down.
3. Bid either 2S or 3D. I think these bids would promise at least 4 cards, so I'm not happy with them as choices, but they're forcing and will make partner bid again. If he has a bare minimum, he'll probably retreat to 4H, and you can pass comfortably. If he shows strength, you can keep investigating.

It sounds like you guys are playing a basic system; I'm not sure how 3H is defined in such a system, your partner may have thought that it was invitational to 4 hearts.

With a modern system, I'd think you should transfer to hearts by bidding 2D, and when partner super-accepts with 3H, you can cue-bid spades, your partner can cue a minor depending on your cue-bidding style, and you should have no problem reaching 6 hearts, something like:

1NT:2
3:3
4:4
5:6

I think would do it.

Don't get too frustrated with your partner though, in a new or casual partnerships, such basic misunderstandings are VERY common.

I usually play 3H/1NT as a invitational strength hand that is 5/5 in the majors.

With that hand, I would have done a texas transfer to hearts, and then bid 4NT over the opener's 4H bid.

If the 1NT was 16-18, and 3H was natural and strong, we are likely working in quite a basic system, and neither player was likely to want to try anything fancy like cuebidding.

Given two 1950s experts, the bidding would look a lot like IY's auction, minus the transfer:
1NT-3H
4D(I like hearts, I have neither SA or CA, but do have DA) - 4S (I have SA and a slam is still possible)
5C (I have CK) - 6H.

Most of the duplicate world these days would open 1D with the 18-count, and after 1D-1H-3H you'd be off to the races, stopping in six after an ace turned up missing.

I might have missed it, but I'm surprised I haven't seen BBO mentioned yet.

Bridge Base Online (google it) is free, and the best bridge playing software imo. Good to practice on, and in general people know what they're doing there, so you learn a lot, quickly.

Yeah, I love Bridgebase. It's also got the most active bridge forum I've seen (which still isn't very active, but has some really good bridge players posting).

BTW, if anyone wants to play bridge tonight (anywhere), AIM: IronYuppie57.

I might be around tonight too.

I'll be around later probably

If anyone wants a game tonight, i'm in. IM me at bobman5352

Went to my first tournament today. It was a lot of fun. Me and my dad either won it or finished in second. Here is by far my favorite hand of the tournament

North
:
:Q3
:AK952
:AKQJ76

East -----------West
:83 -------- :Q752
:KT864 ---- :AJ75
:JT643 ---- :7
:2 --------- :T543

South
:AKJT964
:92
:Q8
:98

Bidding went as follows
North West South East
-----------1S pass
3C pass ---3S pass
4NT pass --5D pass
6C pass ---6S pass
pass DBL pass pass
6NT pass pass pass

Alright clearly we got in way over our heads. I think the play of the hand is better left to the imagination. Though suffice to say West led a heart and we made 7NT...

Well, it's hard to punish bad bidding and bad defense all at the same time.. SOMEone has to win each board

Just got back from 3 days at a sectional. Lots of interesting hands, may post a few later once I am rested up from the drive home.