[ahydra]

At the Bedfordshire teams event last week I made a couple of epic blunders, but team-mates had their fair share too. Here are some of the highlights.

1) First board of the day! You're looking at ♠AKQ854 ♥7 ♦J109763 ♣ --- and you hear 1C opening on your right. Not playing a variant of Michaels where you can show this suit combination , so you bid 1S, then this happens:

1C-1S-2C (inverted)-2H
3C-3D-p-3H
4C-4D-p-4S
5C-p (forcing)-p-X
all pass

Agree with the bidding? Suppose opps tell you after the auction that 2C is in fact weak - do you call the TD

2) ATB:

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2D = multi: weak 2 in major, strong 2 (not GF) in any suit or 21-22 BAL. 2H = pass if you have a weak 2 in hearts, otherwise describe your hand.

3) We conceded a bunch of doubled making contracts betweeen us, but this was the worst episode of the evening:

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Opps playing 4cM, weak NT. You can probably guess what happened for -690. Please comment on the 1NT overcall, the 2S bid and the X (and/or pass of X), and what you would lead/follow up with.

4) I thought this was amazing declarer play by opps!

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After 1S-(p)-3S-(4C); 4S all pass how would you play given the lead of the CQ?

5) How good is your hand...

♠8 ♥Q2 ♦Q10975 ♣J8752

Partner opens 2C (GF or 23+ BAL), RHO comes in with 4S, now what? You're NV against V. If you pass, partner X's and it comes back to you again...

Edit: If you bid 4NT after the X, partner bids 5D, do you raise?

ahydra

[mike777]

1) dont think you should make a forcing pass with such extreme shape unless you intend to pull to show extras.
2) dont understand 5d......does not 3d then 4d show this hand....dont know multi. in any event does pard have other options besides 2h?
3) if 2s is nf then I think east can raise to 3s to promise 4s.
5) assume x=negative deny a or k...pass is gf promise a or k?

[SteveMoe]

1) This hand has lots of offense and poor defense. The extreme shape suggests we have two ways to win: show both our suits or shut the opponents out so they can't find their fit. Let's do both! I like 4♠ immediately here, planning to bid 5♦ only if they continue. On the given auction I would not call the director. I showed a much more powerful hand than I held - the actual bidding suggest much more defense than this hand has.
2) Norths Jump to 5♦ is unilateral. 3N would be much better. South should continue with 4♣ (Gerber or Control Asking) to get to slam. Perhaps lack of clarity on what responder bids with slam negative and slam positive hands is the real culprit.
3) Partner's 2♠ is to play. The 1NT overcaller is NOT the captain. I think the double is a violation of partnership bridge and the worst call. Partner promises no defense. Declarer knows where to play missing strength.
4)♣A then ♦ to the K. Win next possible return and play along cross ruff lines, cashing 2♥s before ruffing minors.
5) Pass (positive, 2Q's or better - they rate to be useful cover cards) then 4N over the double - two places to play...

[rmnka447]

1) This hand has lots of distribution, so you really can't assess the defensive prospects well. But based on the opponents bidding they have to have 10+ ♣s. Partner has shown at least something including length in ♥s and has preferenced to ♠. 6-6 hands with any decent holdings usually play quite well. You've got the distributional control in ♣s. Who's making and who's sacrificing? Don't know, so bid on with 5 ♠ rather than make a forcing pass. If you make the forcing pass, partner might be looking at ♣ xx and won't compete further fro fear of ♣ losers.

2) People who play a disciplined strong 2 ♣ structure have an easy time with this hand - 2 ♣ - 2 ♠ (5+, 1 1/2 Qts and suit with 2 honors) - 3 ♦ - 3 ♠ (6+ cards) and off to the races. The thing to realize is that their are 2 possible game plus contracts in play -- ♦ or ♠. A doubleton ♠ honor can be a very good holding even opposite only a decent 5 card suit. There's plenty of time to bid 5 ♦ later. The problem with the 5 ♦ bid is that partner has no idea how his/her ♠ holding fits with your hand. I'm assuming that 3 ♠ is some sort of forward going response. If it shows a decent 5 + suit, you might consider a 4 ♠ raise. The other possibility is to manufacture a 4 ♣ in order to let partner more fully describe his/her hand.

3) South has bid the 3 other suits, so can hardly have more than 1 ♠ and probably has none. In addition, the opponents have a 2 suited fit. South has also bid ♦, so ♦ KJ9 has lost some value. So on the actual auction, I think the choice is between passing 4 ♥ and bidding 4 ♠. You could go down a couple, but you do know partner doesn't have many ♥s. Red vs. White, I'm a bidder just in case 4 ♠ is a make. This could be a double swing board.

4) Win ♣ A and lead ♦ 9. I'll try to set up ♦s by ruffing with ♠ 108. If that isn't successful there may still be a ♦/♥ squeeze against North.

5) Pass and bid 4 NT over the Double.