[inquiry]

Here are a few hands to see if we can agree on the next bids.

#1 IMPS, both vul
East
S 8
H AKT832
D A753
C AK

South West North You (east)
2D* 2NT Pass ? (2D is multi, weak 2 either Major)


#2, Matchpoints, neither vul
South
S 4
H J853
D J64
C T6532

West  North  East  South
    1H  PASS  
4H   DBL  PASS   ?  


#3, IMPs, EW vul
East
S A43
H Q52
D A85
C AQ42

South West North East(YOU)
1H 2H(*) 3H ? 2H = spades and a minor


#4, Dlr: East
Vul: Both
North
S 42
H KQ975
D AQ5
C Q87

East South West North  
Pass 1H 3S ?


#5. Imps,
Dlr: West
Vul: NS
South
S 632
H K96
D J5
C QT843


West  North  East  South
PASS   1D   1S  PASS  
3S   DBL PASS ?  

[Gerben47]

I don't know if I count as an expert but I'll give it a try.

1 IMPS, both vul
East
S 8
H AKT832
D A753
C AK

South West North You (east)
2D* 2NT Pass ? (2D is multi, weak 2 either Major)

4D Texas followed by ace asking.
If I fear my partner does not understand Texas transfers I will just shoot 6H.
The good thing about opponents being vulnerable is that about all the missing HCPs will be in spades (i.e. if partner has the ace of spades we are unlikely to have a loser)

#2, Matchpoints, neither vul
South
S 4
H J853
D J64
C T6532

West North East South
1H PASS
4H DBL PASS ?

Take out partner's take out double. 5C, confidently.

#3, IMPs, EW vul
East
S A43
H Q52
D A85
C AQ42

South West North East(YOU)
1H 2H(*) 3H ? 2H = spades and a minor

We're vulnerable so even my usual partner will have something in this situation.
With KC probably wrong and still a possible heart loser I will not try for slam. 4S.

#4, Dlr: East
Vul: Both
North
S 42
H KQ975
D AQ5
C Q87

East South West North
Pass 1H 3S ?

Tough situation. Double followed by whatever number of hearts is necessary. 4H would show less. Over 4S I am bidding on partner's singleton spade but it cannot be helped.

#5. Imps,
Dlr: West
Vul: NS
South
S 632
H K96
D J5
C QT843

West North East South
PASS 1D 1S PASS
3S DBL PASS ?

5C. Partner is likely to be 1453 / 1444. Either way I want to play 5C.

Gerben

[luis]

Quote

Here are a few hands to see if we can agree on the next bids.

#1 IMPS, both vul
East
S 8
H AKT832
D A753
C AK

South West North You (east)
2D* 2NT Pass ? (2D is multi, weak 2 either Major)


#2, Matchpoints, neither vul
South
S 4
H J853
D J64
C T6532

West North East South
1H PASS
4H DBL PASS ?


#3, IMPs, EW vul
East
S A43
H Q52
D A85
C AQ42

South West North East(YOU)
1H 2H(*) 3H ? 2H = spades and a minor


#4, Dlr: East
Vul: Both
North
S 42
H KQ975
D AQ5
C Q87

East South West North
Pass 1H 3S ?


#5. Imps,
Dlr: West
Vul: NS
South
S 632
H K96
D J5
C QT843


West North East South
PASS 1D 1S PASS
3S DBL PASS ?

Quote

Here are a few hands to see if we can agree on the next bids.

#1 IMPS, both vul
East
S 8
H AKT832
D A753
C AK

South West North You (east)
2D* 2NT Pass ? (2D is multi, weak 2 either Major)


#2, Matchpoints, neither vul
South
S 4
H J853
D J64
C T6532

West North East South
1H PASS
4H DBL PASS ?


#3, IMPs, EW vul
East
S A43
H Q52
D A85
C AQ42

South West North East(YOU)
1H 2H(*) 3H ? 2H = spades and a minor


#4, Dlr: East
Vul: Both
North
S 42
H KQ975
D AQ5
C Q87

East South West North
Pass 1H 3S ?


#5. Imps,
Dlr: West
Vul: NS
South
S 632
H K96
D J5
C QT843


West North East South
PASS 1D 1S PASS
3S DBL PASS ?

Nice questions! Let's see:

#1: Impossible to answer without knowing what kind of agreement I have with my pd over a multi 2d and 2N. Is 3d a transfer ? If not is 3h forcing? If I don't have an agreement I blast 6h, rates to make.

#2: 5c

#3: Very difficult. But I think I'll bid 4h, not nice but I don't know if any other option can succeed.

#4: 4h

#5: 4c but maybe 5c is better. I just don't want to eat all the space, we may have a slam in this one.

[mikestar]

Answers in italics.

#1 IMPS, both vul
East
S 8
H AKT832
D A753
C AK

South West North You (east)
2D* 2NT Pass ? (2D is multi, weak 2 either Major)


Texas followed by RKCB or whatever comparable tools you have in your system. With no tools, bash 6H.


#2, Matchpoints, neither vul
South
S 4
H J853
D J64
C T6532

West North East South
1H PASS
4H DBL PASS ?

If this is the correct auction,I pass under LOTT:

I estimate 18 trumps, if we make 5CL they're down three. If they make 4HE, we're down three. Any other combination of 18 tricks make pass the winner.
If partner is void, I estimate 19 trumps--then bidding is correct if they make 4HE on the nose of we make 5CL on the nose. All other combinations of 19 tricks make pass the winner.

#3, IMPs, EW vul
East
S A43
H Q52
D A85
C AQ42

South West North East(YOU)
1H 2H(*) 3H ? 2H = spades and a minor

4SP is enough. we have a double fit, but I hate that QH. Mike Lawrence says "When you have wastage in the enemy suit, partner will be minimum."

#4, Dlr: East
Vul: Both
North
S 42
H KQ975
D AQ5
C Q87

East South West North
Pass 1H 3S ?

4HE. Partner will never play me for 5 card support if I double. He might even leave it in and we should be cold for 4HE.
Opposite a typical light opening, the risk of not getting to the right game outweighs the risk of missing slam. If we were playing Roth-Stone sound openings, I'd try 5HE, partner bidding 6 with a stiff spade.

#5. Imps,
Dlr: West
Vul: NS
South
S 632
H K96
D J5
C QT843


West North East South
PASS 1D 1S PASS
3S DBL PASS ?

Partner shouldn't double on a void here, so they have 9 hearts and we have 8 or 9 clubs. If there are 19 trumps 5CL is right is it makes exactly. With 18 trumps it is wrong. I pass.

[flytoox]

Quote

Here are a few hands to see if we can agree on the next bids.

#1 IMPS, both vul
East
S 8
H AKT832
D A753
C AK

South West North You (east)
2D* 2NT Pass ? (2D is multi, weak 2 either Major)

3D xfer followed by 4D. IF PD can bid 4H, I Will cue 5c. I wont stop below 6d or 6H. But with pick-up pd, I think i will just bid 6H.

#2, Matchpoints, neither vul
South
S 4
H J853
D J64
C T6532

West   North   East   South
  ?   ?1H    PASS   ? 4H   ?DBL    PASS   ??  ?

Pass.

#3, IMPs, EW vul
East
S A43
H Q52
D A85
C AQ42

South West North East(YOU)
1H 2H(*) 3H ? 2H = spades and a minor

4H, high-card raise to 4S, setting-up forcing pass situation.

#4, Dlr: East
Vul: Both
North
S 42
H KQ975
D AQ5
C Q87

East South West North  ?Pass 1H 3S ?

4D. Pd shld reason this is based on fit. Without fit, you may try negative dbl to find if pd can bid 3N.

#5. Imps,
Dlr: West
Vul: NS
South
S 632
H K96
D J5
C QT843


West   North   East   South
PASS   ?1D   ?1S    PASS   ?3S   ?DBL PASS ?  ?

Dont know, but I will bid 4C.

[inquiry]

On problem 3, a several of you are passing the decision buck for one round by bidding a forcing 4H (their suit). When this hand was actually played, at one table that was the bid that was made, and when it was made, your partner bids 4S (what else?)... Ok, so for those 4H bidders, the auction is now...

(1H)-2H*-(3H)-4H
(P) - 4S - (P) - ?

So you have just delayed the what to do for one round.... so in your case, what do you bid now?

Ben

[flytoox]

Quote

On problem 3, a several of you are passing the decision buck for one round by bidding a forcing 4H (their suit). When this hand was actually played, at one table that was the bid that was made, and when it was made, your partner bids 4S (what else?)... Ok, so for those 4H bidders, the auction is now...

(1H)-2H*-(3H)-4H
(P) - 4S - (P) - ?

So you have just delayed the what to do for one round.... so in your case, what do you bid now?

Ben

I think I will pass. 5C may be right. IF pd's minor is c, 6 shld be makeable, but if pd's minor is d, you have 5 at most.

[luis]

Quote

On problem 3, a several of you are passing the decision buck for one round by bidding a forcing 4H (their suit). When this hand was actually played, at one table that was the bid that was made, and when it was made, your partner bids 4S (what else?)... Ok, so for those 4H bidders, the auction is now...

(1H)-2H*-(3H)-4H
(P) - 4S - (P) - ?

So you have just delayed the what to do for one round.... so in your case, what do you bid now?

Ben

If pd bids 4s I bid 5s.

[inquiry]

Now, for the rest of the story....

Four of the five hands are from world championship play (world juniors, kibitized on BBO), where something went wrong, terrible wrong on three of them. One is from my own play.


#1
Bd: 31
Dlr: South
Vul: NS
 North
S 953
H 4
D Q864
C 97643
West    East
S AQ4 S 8
H QJ7 H AKT832
D KJT2 D A753
C QJT C AK

South
S KJT762
H 965
D 9
C 852

South West North You (east)
2D* 2NT Pass ? (2D is multi, weak 2 either Major)

7H is on a quess in diamonds (two way finesse), or taking the almost certain Spade hook (2D, 3C, 2S, 6H). One pair played 6NT (also makes same 7), the other 3D after your hand bid 3D. Anyone worrying about what partner might do over 3D or 4D has reason to worry, after all, this was World Junior Championship hand. If one assumes that 2NT bidder has something in both majors (since 2D could be weak two in either), bidding the slam is fairly simple, and if you can find a way to ask for aces, you might get to the grand.


#2 == Ok, this is my hand. I wondered if anyone would apply the Law of Total tricks, playing partner for 4-1-4-4. We have Nine card fit, they have 8 card fit. For 17 tricks, or should partner be void, then 19 tricks. If we can win 11 tricks, they are down (in theory at least) two. In fact, there is no play for 5C (8 card fit) and 4Hs never made, and in fact, may have no play. Thus I think Mikestar and hongjun got it right on the merits.

Dlr: East
Vul: None
North
S KQ98
H
D AT9875
C AQ9

West East
S T6532  S AJ7
H KQT2  H A9764
D K3  D Q2
C KJ  C 874

South
S 4
H J853
D J64
C T6532

West North East South
1H PASS
4H DBL PASS ?

Just a curiosity, note South club and West Spade spots are identical. This was the real hands... Using the old dog trick it is now easy to get the interesting hands... :-)


#3 On this hand, one pair in the world junior championship, just blasted to 6S, catching his partner with 5D headed KQT, 5S, and 3 clubs to the JTx. Bidding very similar at both tables (at one table instead of cue bid, they used a jump to 3C to show the spade-diamond (notouching) two suiter. The hands were....

Dlr: South
Vul: EW
North
S 762
H 9843
D 632
C K63
West East
S QJT98  S A43
H  H Q52
D KQT94  D A85
C JT7  C AQ42

South
S K5
H AKJT76
D J7
C 985
South West North East(YOU)
1H 2H(*) 3H ? 2H = spades and a minor

I am not sure how West will take a 4H cue-bid followed by 5S. Is that looking for good SPADES (after all cue-bidder should have control of cue-bid suit), in which case WEST will pass. Is it looking for anything extra, in which case WEST will also pass (after all, look at what he has bid on vul).

#4
Dlr: East
Vul: Both
North
S 42
H KQ975
D AQ5
C Q87
West East
S AK87653  S JT9
H T  H 8
D T94  D K8763
C 92  C AJ43

South
S Q
H AJ6432
D J2
C KT65

East South West North
Pass 1H 3S ?

The problem with bidding 4H is it does not set up a forcing pass situation (imho). So when it goes 4H-4S on your right and passed back to you, no doubt you will do as Gerben suggested and push to 5H. That is what happened at one table in the junior championship (results were 5H down one and 4Sx down only one on poor defense, it should be off two).

I think the right bid here is 4D as a "fit non-jump" showing stuff in diamomnds, forcing to at least 4H, and setting up a forcing pass situation if they bid on over 4H's. The fact that no one suggested my bid probably means I am totally off my rocker... :-) If you think maybe South doesn't have an opening bid, I think you maybe right...but both players opened 1Heart in the event.


#5.
Dlr: West
Vul: NS
North
S J
H AJT8
D KQ73
C AK62
West East
S T875  S AKQ94
H 753  H Q42
D A962  D T84
C J7  C 95
South
S 632
H K96
D J5
C QT843

West North East South
PASS 1D 1S PASS
3S DBL PASS ?

5 Clubs is right bid, IMHO. The auction went the same way at both table up to this bid. One south bid only 4C, the other evaluated his hand worth a 5C bid, after all, his partner was forcing him to bid VULNERABLE at the four level and he has a good suit, useful heart king, and the diamond JACK and doubleton Diamond might both be useful.

Ben

[flytoox]

Quote

I think the right bid here is 4D as a "fit non-jump" showing stuff in diamomnds, forcing to at least 4H, and setting up a forcing pass situation if they bid on over 4H's. The fact that no one suggested my bid probably means I am totally off my rocker... :-) If you think maybe South doesn't have an opening bid, I think you maybe right...but both players opened 1Heart in the event.

Ben

Ben, I did propose 4D in my post, though I would not bid it with pick-up pd. I agree with you that 4H shold be treated as some distributional raise.


Also, on the hand the auction went 1H-2H-3H-?, 4H doesnt promise control in H, imho. I think it just shows I have enough to bid 4S, but my hand is not based on shape, rather on high cards. I think pd should bid more than 4S. The best is to bid his minor.