I guess I'm modern enough to think that TOX of a minor suit is "values with both majors" and that sometimes it's less pure shape-wise (in other minor). But 1D X containing a weak NT with a doubleton major just sounds unplayable -- im not that creative i guess.

Might be the first time I've ever gotten a 100% board in a bbo ACBL with over 100 tables that didn't require opponents doing something dumb.

AJ872/2/AQ84/752 opposite KQ4/AJ9/KJ92/AT6

Straight forward auction of 1S-2D-3H-4NT-5S-7D

Led to a complete top even with spades and diamonds both breaking 4-1 (stiff diamond was the ten). Fun to see so many down in 6S or 6NT

Although it's still early days, I'm getting optimistic that NABC Austin will happen this November/December.

Anyone interested in playing some events or doing a meetup? I'm planning on spending a lot more time playing over the next few months so expecting it to be a good time!

I've been correctly predicting every NABC to be cancelled before Austin.

But...I do think Austin will happen, but with strict vax proof.

If nothing else we do need to meet up

(Still no guarantee I attend the event, but damn I want to)

ACBL just cancelled all sanctioned tournaments in August. I’d say Austin is still more likely than not, especially if the Delta variant burns out here the way it did in England.

You hold:

Jxx
AKJx
QTxxx
x

Playing a big club you have the following auction:

1D-1S
2S-2N
3C-4C
4H-5N

2N asked further description
3C showed 3451
4C was a control bid
4H denied a top honor in diamonds
5N asks you to pick a slam.

Your partnership does play Key Card Blackwood.

This is IMPs.

Bizarre. Want to bid 6c and give him the finger.

6h seems practical and probably what I’d choose ATT, even though he “knows” my concentration is in hearts. I think 6red is clear enough. Mostly guessing here though - this feels like a kit article in the making

Partner skipping 4NT makes me.think he is void in a red suit. But I don't need to solve partners hand, I need to reply to his query and for me the obvious bid is 6D, because that's where I have the Q

I don’t think partner is likely to have a void. He’d have to have at least 5 spades, and probably would have done something else over 2S with 5404, or any 55.

The inferences I believe are correct are:

Partner has a truckload of HCP.
Partner has the AKQ of spades
Partner has the K of Diamonds
Partner has the A of Clubs
That gives him just 16 HCP, he needs more, for sure.

Why can I make these inferences? The failure to use KC marks partner with 3 plus the Queen of trump. Without the KD, he’d bid 5C. With 4 KC, he’d keep 7 in play.

What then is he right slam? It is still possible we belong in diamonds, if partner has KJx. Hearts seem unlikely, although possible if we need to ruff a Diamond late. Spades are very possible, since we have all the trump honors and a key ruffing value in clubs.

I think 6S is very likely best for those reasons. We could try to keep 6D in play with a 6C punt, but I don’t want to put the pressure on partner to bid 6S/6C with AKQx.

You are making the mistake of trying to solve partner's hand.
What you should do is look at your hand and pick a slam. You have Qd and five diamonds, so you do 6D. Level 0 thinking is required imo

Your partner knows you have 5 diamonds. In that context, QTxxx is not an especially good holding.

This is not an answer to Stayman or Blackwood where your responses are mechanical. Over 5NT you are expected to evaluate your hand in the light of previous bids.

Borrowing from poker, your range is fairly narrow. Your diamonds are definitely not at the top of that range. While your hearts are quite strong in context, it is unlikely hearts will be the best Trump suit. Your spades ARE at the top of your range, given the inference that partner has the AKQ of spades.

I missed that interference. Why is partner promising AKQs? The only thing you know of him are his spade suit and club control. The rest is a mystery

Partner cannot possibly require you to bid 6s with the J, while you have the Qd. If 6s is better in this hand than 6d, partner should have bid 6s and not ask confusing questions

They are driving to slam without bidding KC. What hand can they have without the top spades?

You are asking me questions that I cannot possibly answer, since I don't know your bidding methods. I don't know what his alternatives were over 3c and I don't know what his alternatives were over 4h.

All I know is that partner has jumped from 4h to 5NT and I understand this asks you to pick a slam. So I pick a slam of the suit that I have the Q of, since these are the most difficult keycards to find in a multiple fit hand.

What did partner have?

AKQx
Qxx
Kx
AKxx

Schoolbook example of a hand that wants to relay cuebids, you will find out about the Js without breathing hard

I would probably end up in 6NT in this hand

I assume you had the big hand and you didn't end up in 6S, because your partner didn't get it either. I think the hand that knows most must make the decision.

The strong hand knows the entire shape after 3c. If you don't have the tools to find about all honors partner has with relay scans, you might as well blast 6NT after 3c.

After the hand you can say: I couldn't find out your honor distribution or we would have been able to land in 6s, so I just hoped 6NT was good. I had 21 HCP!

Giving riddles to partner who has almost no clue at all about your shape or strength and expect him to make unguessable guesses is going to burn through partnerships.

Not a hand I played. The person who held it bid KC, then guessed 6S…

probably dumb question but not something i've really thought of

w/w mp's

Q875
3
AQ94
AQ42

partner (random bbo'er so assuming this isn't super light, but could still be an idiot) deals and opens 3H, passed to me. what sort of values are we typically looking for to think about pushing to game when we've got some useful cards but not in partner's suit? i figure that it's built in to the concept of preempting that i am expected to have some assistance on average, i don't really know whether this is a slam dunk 4H raise or not

obv i do and we make, despite partner taking an unnecessary club finesse which'd put us down when 4H is cold (and despite them thinking that an 11HCP hand needs to preempt)

This is a pretty easy pass at MPs, especially if you can do so in tempo; your LHO might be about to balance.

Unless you are unfavorable, imagine your partner with a one loser heart suit, and no other useful values. That is actually a tad better than the average preempt should be, but I think it is ok guideline. This hand will not be a favorite opposite that holding.

11 HCP, lol...

^^

Totally agree. Pass, the quicker, the better

I think W/W it's a pass at IMPs as well although that's a little closer.

For those of you who don't follow Bridge Winners...now would be a good time to check it out. There is a boycott of Italy in a European event.

cliffs?

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