1S opener seems fine, the rest of the hand (KJ dub, no spots) makes it not worth an upgrade IMO

Assuming 2C is GF, 2NT is fine planning to bid 4NT over 3NT.

Dunno what 4NT is there with the 1444 hand but I don't really love it; I think 2NT should be polarized to < a 1NT opener or > a 1NT opener and you should bid a descriptive 1S-2C-3NT with say 15-17ish. Using that bidding 3NT is enough (where are our tricks) and when partner bids on with 4NT showing the monster you can explore.

I agree with all of the above. I understand the thinking behind 4NT, as the hand is prime and responder can envision a lot of firepower opposite a balanced 14... except that the fit with opener's probable shape (which is teh same as the actual shape) is poor. 3NT would be enough. If he feels he must do more, I think making up a 4D bid (whether ostensibly natural or a NMF thing) is better than jumping that high; catching up can come later.

To check for aces: People who play gerber also often play supergerber: If 4C has been bypassed and the bidding is at 4NT (natural), 5C is the ask. Of course, responses vary.

On the bidding as it happened: 4NT should show about an 18–19 count or the playing-trick equivalent. If it's straight HCP, 7NT should be there but you're right to be concerned about a variation. To guard against that, either supergerber if you have it, or maybe 5S, which cannot be to play on the auction to that point (notrump has been agreed), so what else can it be besides no ace outside spades?

On the play, you can sometimes make it even if hearts don't break (and the spade lead was toward the jack, as it must have been for you not to be cold), and it's an easy double squeeze, fun to look at for those who are just starting.

I imagine there's a better line, but that's probably how I would play it.


Edit: I see at least one improvement, if you guess the position: you can handle spade and diamond guards on your right with a single squeeze, following approximately the same line.

I meant 3D here. Oops.

I'm feeling like a game tonight, I'll probably be on in about 20-30 minutes or so.

Dummy (W)

QT
AKQT85
K63
87




AK8743
7
A542
95

Declarer (E)

West was dealer, NS red EW white, auction went:

1H - 2C - 2S - P
3H - 4C - 4S - 5C
5S AP


Not sure why partner didn't X at these colours, but anyway. Q lead, North plays K and A on which South throws Q. North switches to 9 now and S plays J. So clubs are 8-1, and it appears to me that diamonds are 5-1. What now?

well, hopefully you won that diamond in hand because I think that gives you more options.

Two fun bidding problems/brags at the club with a second-time partner (first time around we had a 78%, this time only 63% or so).

First hand

JT8xx
AQx
Ax
Axx

opposite

Q9
xxx
JTx
KQJxx

managed to get to the nearly cold 4S instead of the not so cold (and roughly never making 4) 3NT from the weak hand after 1S-1NT!-2C-3C-3H-3S-4S. It can be beaten only on repeated club leads combined with the guy with Axxx of spades flying ace on the lead toward the Q9 to let his partner in to win the second spade with Kx. Good luck with that.

On the second hand after a 1S opener, partner overcalled 2H with

AQxx
QJ98xx
AQ
x

and me and my

KT
KTxx
x
AQJ9xx

managed to get us to the top spot of 6NT played my way.

(A spade into the KT made it easy, but without that you can win five hearts knocking out the ace, two diamonds with the hook, and then squeeze opener for four spade tricks or a second club.)

Opening 2NT with that hand is BAD, the hand is worth less than 19 HCP rather than more

The correct play is to take the diamond in hand and cash AK of hearts.
1) The K is ruffed, you overruff, draw trumps and squeeze S in the reds.
2) All follow to AKh, you ruff a small heart, if N follows, spades are 4-1 and you finesse in spades. If N shows out, spades are 3-2, if he ruffs with the 9, you have to overruff and finesse in spades, hoping N did not have J9 bare.

notbad.gif

I took that line and unfortunately N did have J9 bare.

But I'm not sure its the correct line. If spades are 4-1 after hearts were 3-3, now we are stuck in dummy after taking the spade hook and go down. I only realised this upon reflection after the hand. If we win the Kd in dummy instead of win in hand to keep the option of the late entry to hand, now we get lose if hearts break 4-2. Tricky.

I got berated for "playing it like a novice", I couldn't tell what level villain was on.

Finally have some free time. Anyone up for bbo in about half an hour?

I'm in for bbo

#WWWYKI

6
A9632
QJ82
A94

P-P-P-??
NV all

i'd pass

Rule of 15 says you should pass (spades+HCP=15, you open)

On the other hand nobody ever got rich not opening opening bids (and I'm the guy who passed the 10 count with 6 spades!

Put me down for the minority choice of opening; we could semi-easily have a game here (xxxx KQxx KTx xx for a perfect minimum, partner could have the spade suit locked up (RHO didn't open anything in third seat, so not much to fear there) and we make a part score, etc.

Back to this hand which I did not manage to solve previously.

When you know the division of minors, you can pretty safely play Ah and ruff a heart, suppose RHO follows suit. You now know the remaining 7 cards in the majors are 5-2.

RHO having both hearts = 2/7*1/6=1/21
RHO having two spades = 5/7*4/6 = 10/21 = 47.6%
Therefore RHO having 1 spade = 10/21 =47.6%

Spade finesse

• You will make your contract if RHO has xx of spades = 10/21 * 3/5 = 2/7 = 28.6%
• You will make your contract if RHO has x of spades = 10/21 * 4/5 = 38.1%

total = 66.7%

Playing spades from top

• You will make it if spades are 3-2 (10/21 = 47.6%)
• You will make your contract if J is bare (10/21*0.2 = 9.5%)

total of 57.1%

If my calculations are correct, you need to finesse.

The re entry to hand is not a problem, because if spades are 4-1, hearts are 3-3 and you can ruff a heart. If spades are 3-2, you can just take over Qs.

Math is fine, but you do also have to give some weight to the fact that there was only a 2C then 4C overcall, which is conservative anyway but is even more conservative with 1-3-8-1 instead of 2-2-8-1.

You're looking at some combination of

???
???
9
AKJTxxxx

and that looks more like a preempt to me anyway but it looks a LOT like a preempt with

x
xxx
9
AKJTxxxx

and somewhat less so with like

Jx
Jx
9
AKJTxxxx

So that would favor the finesse even more.

Yeah I'm definitely not passing that 1543 hand.

Seems like a big mistake to me with this 11 count with weak heart suit and opponents potentially with a huge spade fit.

Wat?