[AL78]

I made a mess of this one playing North:

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We play Landy so have no way of showing a major/minor two suiter over 1NT. That was a bottom for missing a spade contract, never mind a spade game.

I would have liked to have made a takeout double on the second round but did not have that agreement with partner and where that would go no-one knows. I considered bidding 2♠ on the second round but felt with a flimsy suit I could be walking into a world of pain given partner has failed to say anything and could be weak. I hoped partner might find a bid in the passout seat with some values knowing I am strong. Unfortunately partner didn't find a bid and has a perfect hand for me in a spade contract.

On a second note with the North hand, how do you defend passively holding unguarded honors in three suits over opener and holding a singleton trump. I started off with the trump lead hoping that was the least of evils, fortunately it didn't finesse partner this time, but I am getting in quite frequently and there will come a point where I don't know how to position the minor suit honor cards, so don't know how to get off lead whilst minimising giving a trick by either opening a frozen suit or leading up to declarer's broken honors, and does declarer have four clubs and the ability to set up the fourth one for a discard (not this time)?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

any reason South passed over 2D?
What is wrong with X, whatever it means South has it.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[johnu]

P_Marlowe, on 2023-May-12, 11:50, said:

any reason South passed over 2D?

Somebody stole all the bidding cards the last round?

[P_Marlowe]

On a more helpful note: Your best bid is 2S instead of X, auctions after a penalty double of a NT openings
are poorly defined / discussed.
Given your heart shortage they most like will have a heart fit, so the development of the auction was not
a bid unexpected surprise.
Given that partner is a passed hand, chances that game is on are low, so underbidding a bit wont have a huge
cost most of the time.

[mw64ahw]

Assuming X is 15+hcp I would expect South to X, and so long as this is interpreted as a takeout of ♥ with 8+hcp, 4♠ should be forthcoming. Barring that I'm comfortable bidding 2♠ as North over a Pass by South.

A two-suited call may not get you to 4♠ as this can be weaker and probably won't see a raise from South

[apollo1201]

Bridge is already a difficult game playing 2 against 2. But 1 against 3…

Partner let you down in the bidding.

X should mean I have some values to help your balanced or semi-balanced 15+, thereafter finding a partial in S is then much easier. Going to 4S is a bit pushy and makes thanks to the dbl finesse and perfect honor matching.

2S by you on the 2nd round is not that awful, especially playing facing a zombie.

But partner also let you down during the play. When in with the HA, they should play the S 10 and play their trumps when opps pull to indicate D strength.

But here the minors were irrelevant, opps having nothing in D and KQJ in C. The only thing to do is not play S and back, blowing one trick each time.

[pescetom]

Hope your partner is doing ok.
Not sure if EBU has any special discount, but you can now purchase a defibrillator for less than 800 pounds online.

[AL78]

pescetom, on 2023-May-13, 14:58, said:

Hope your partner is doing ok.

You can joke, but last year this partner had a severe reaction to a covid vaccination which has led to debilitating health issues including hair loss and severe fatigue/weakness. I was directing and made a mistake thinking we had a sitter and we didn't, so had to assist with moving her chair when we had to move between rounds. It was almost like playing with someone who is fighting to cling onto life. It is unknown how long it will take for her to recover, the best I've heard is that she has to wait until the vaccine is out of her body.

[pescetom]

AL78, on 2023-May-13, 16:18, said:

You can joke, but last year this partner had a severe reaction to a covid vaccination which has led to debilitating health issues including hair loss and severe fatigue/weakness. I was directing and made a mistake thinking we had a sitter and we didn't, so had to assist with moving her chair when we had to move between rounds. It was almost like playing with someone who is fighting to cling onto life. It is unknown how long it will take for her to recover, the best I've heard is that she has to wait until the vaccine is out of her body.

Sorry to hear that she had health issues and of course I would never have joked had I known.

Actually I was only half joking about the defibrillator, as I have been meditating about asking our club to purchase one. I'm a bit surprised that it is not obligatory already, given the average age of bridge players and Italian strictness about safety and health (it would be obligatory if we were running a gym, where I suspect the risks are actually lower).

[AL78]

pescetom, on 2023-May-15, 09:20, said:

Sorry to hear that she had health issues and of course I would never have joked had I known.

Actually I was only half joking about the defibrillator, as I have been meditating about asking our club to purchase one. I'm a bit surprised that it is not obligatory already, given the average age of bridge players and Italian strictness about safety and health (it would be obligatory if we were running a gym, where I suspect the risks are actually lower).

Don't worry, I know you couldn't have known and I was not offended by your response. My club does have a defib although I cannot remember if anyone has done a first aid training course so they know how to use it and/or do CPR.