Here's a response from my father who is an avid bridge player.

"Depends on the hand of LHO. If he has a big distributional hand
(obviously the black suits) then it seems reasonable to me. Your
friend's bidding shows weakness for his team and the other team has a
right to take this into account in their bidding. I don't think the LHO
necessarily took undue advantage of his partner's mildly unethical
statement. Let it go."

Just to give another perspective from fabadam's. Maybe we don't need to be so quick to judge just because he is an initially passed hand.

Upon further review, and discussion with someone way better than I, I'm inclined to bid 3 here over 3 to show the 6th. 3 should be natural and game forcing. P should be able, now, to better choose whether 3N is the right spot (or, he might even have spade support).

True, LHO did not *necessarily* violate any rules. But, this is why you call the director. You alert him to any irregularity (e.g. RHO's statement), and this way if it later turns out that LHO *did* take advantage of UI, your score is protected. If not, no worries.

Oh, I agree with that. I was more picking up on "Then it's a virtual certainty a director would never allow the bid. Your opponent would actually probably receive some extra penalty for blatant use of UI" from fabadam. While I understand where he's coming from, I think generally people do not try to cheat and we might be a bit slower to come to judgment.

v/v, imps, pickup p

AQ6542
KJ5
K94
7

LHO opens 1, P overcalls 2 (!), RHO bids 3, I bid 4. LHO bids 5 and it's passed around to me. ?

5 spades. You have enough power by the rule of 17.

Crazy hand. Looks like they can make 5h. One of them is void in spades, and your KJ is likely to be finessed. 5s might be doable because your partner doesnt have hearts. Depends how the diamonds fall. I think I take my chance and go to 5s

The hand could easily exist:

KJxx
Axx
x
JTxxx

Since they are a passed hand, they know that their partner won't go crazy since they are known to be weak, and the auction is about to be passed out at the one level, so they know that their partner has some values.

That having been said, as others have said, you certainly have cause for calling the director, as there is clear Unauthorized Information. If LHO had a flat 11-count (especially with 4 hearts), director may easily roll the contract back to 1H. But with the shapely 9-count above, I think the director should allow it to stand.

This is a very tough guess, especially with a pickup pard.

You are most likely down 2 in 5H vs. their making game, which is a small gain (4 imps). When they are going down, you lose 7 or 12 imps depending. You could also be down 3 vs. their game, which is lose 4.

You basically only make if partner has a heart void (maybe 50%) and an Ace (~10%?) or crazy shape. Then you gain somewhere between 11 - 16 depending.

Partner should have some outside strength vulnerable, and you may be able to negotiate a club ruff.

Assuming they are like 80% to make their game, and you are 5% to make yours, it's almost dead even from an imps perspective.

Good problem. I think it's a toss-up. I'd guess to pass, but wouldn't criticize a bid. If I didn't think my LHO was a good player, I'd be more likely to pass, as this could be a very tricky contract.

So... doubling was probably a mistake, huh? We ended up setting them one b/c partner showed up with strong diamonds. 5S was also on though, so we got a bad score.

Here's a more interesting one. v/n

KQ9862
Q9863
K
K

(interestingly enough, hand before was 8 AKT KQT9xxxx 7... distributional fun!)

P opens in second seat, opps are silent.

1D-1S
2H-?

spoiler if you choose 4NT (std blackwood)

No problem. 3H.

The standard expert treatment over a reverse, is that responder must relay with a weak hand... any other bid is forcing. So 3H would be game forcing. If partner can only bid 4h over 3h, I think I'd pass with this aceless hand.

Your hand's distributional strength is definitely strong enough for a slam try here. Your partner reversed, and you have huge trump strength.

Your partner also opened in 2nd seat, which I always thought had to play the "tightest" of the 4 seats. As played, you have an easy pass after partner shows 2 aces.

I diagree. I could have jumped to 4H. Bidding 3H, my hand is still unlimited, so if partner doesn't have a 3s, 4c, or 4d bid over 3H, I'm done. If partner makes any of those other calls, we're off to the races.

As a general rule, blackwood shouldn't be used to explore a slam, but rather to determine if you're off two key cards (playing RKCB... two aces playing regular blackwood).

Chuckles and I are on BBO right now... Table FCBLComish

Both sides not vulnerable, playing SAYC. Your partner deals. What to you bid here?

K T 9 8
A Q T 6 2
5
Q 9 4

1 - 2 (opps say this is weak) - 2 - pass
3 - pass - ???

I really feel that we can do better than play a part score in clubs. No trump is probably out of the question, and I think we're a little too high to look for a spade fit (would p bid 2S with 4 of them?). Should I just let go, or should I make another bid?

You have the points for game somewhere. You do not have a heart fit. You do not have a diamond stopper. You COULD bid 3D, Western Cue Bid asking partner for a diamond stopper.

That's what I would bid... 3D

Your viable options, IMHO:

3D: Cue, looking for 3NT, forcing
3S: Shows spade strength, but partner should already have bid spades with 4. Pretty much also looking for 3NT
4C: Non-forcing, invitational to 5
4D: Slam try in clubs, most likely splinter
5C

It's close, but I think 5C is more likely to make than 3N, even if partner has a diamond stopper (partner would normally have preferred to bid 2NT with a goos diamond stopper). Either way, I think you have to force to game here.

I prefer a negative double to 2 -- it will locate a fit in either of the majors, while 2 only works better opposite exactly 3 hearts with partner.
3 is about the worst news that you can get, so I'm just passing to get a plus score now -- especially if it's matchpoints. If it's IMPs, I might try 3 since we probably have 9 quick tricks in NT of partner has a diamond stopper (which I don't really expect, but it's possible).

I like passing 3C too.

The negative double is a reasonable option - but if your partner really will bid 2S over 2H with 4 of them, 2H seems right. It's quite a bit tougher of a decision when responder has 5 spades and 4 hearts. My tendency is still to bid the 5-card suit if I am strong enough for a 2-level response. There are a lot of different hand types to sort out after a negative double as it is.

Are your opponents competent, and under 70? If so, then your partner probably has four diamonds, else RHO would have bid 3D. But pard didn't bid 2NT, so either the diamonds suck or he's petrified of one of the majors, or concerned that he shouldn't have opened his crappy eleven count because he thinks clubs won't run. Also, partner should have bid 2S with four, though I could see him skipping it with jack-empty fourth and AK-sixth of clubs (I wouldn't, but he might). Partner's likely shapes are along the lines of 2=1=4=6 or 3=1=4=5.

Vulnerable, you are bidding game at IMPs, and probably ought to at MPs also if you and partner declare well. Opposite a fitting eleven count, game could be good in NT (with a double stopper in diamonds or a single stopper and solid clubs, say Jxx x AT8x AJTxxxx), H (if partner's stiff is the K, or if you luck into Kx; say even as bad as xxx K Jxxx AKxxx); rarely S (if partner suppressed a four-card suit, or with three spades and Axxx or empty diamonds; say for example AQx x xxxx AJTxx); or C (QJ x Axxx KJTxxxx). 6C will be nearly cold if partner has as little as AQx - Axxx KJTxxxx. Every one of those example hands would or at least might rebid 3C, so passing is craven.

Bid 3D. Over 3H, raise. It'll be right, unless the bad guys beat it with ruffs. Over 3S, try 3NT; if partner corrects to 4C, it's close between pass and 4S. Over 3NT, pass. Over 4C, pass or bid on depending on how light partner opens.

I bid 3D, focring us to game.

Then, over 3H or 3S I'll bid 4C, as I haven't shown clubs support yet, and we're still looking for the best game at this point (although a slam in clubs is by no means out of the question). If partner bids 3NT over 3D, I'll plass.

We should make some sort of contact list for the people in this thread so that we can set up a game some time on BBO or Swan.

My AIM is FCBLComish. I am usually available in the evenings (Pacific time)

I'm benz on BBO.

My AIM is benztoronto.

I am usually available on weekday evenings (Eastern Time).

Am jaytee64 on BBO

I'm Myrmidon73 on AIM and on BBO.

If anyone's potentially interested in playing, PM me here first, because I usually don't get on AIM that often.