[Antrax]

Thanks. This is currently at the top of the list titled "things to learn". We were taught several conflicting styles and it seems this is a pretty serious issue - not necessarily this particular auction, a couple of days ago we had this strange beast:
1♥-(1♠)-P-(1NT)
P-(2♠)-P-(P)
3♥-(p)-4♥ AP

I balanced 3♥ as I had an okay (AJT9xxx) seven-card suit so I figured it would be safe at the 3-level with the NT bidder on my right. Partner raised to 4 because he had ♥Qx and ♦KQJ9x and couldn't find a bid earlier. Neither of us can say whether it was correct of him or not. Probably it illustrates holes elsewhere. Anyway, yeah, difficult topic

[cloa513]

Antrax, on 2012-March-01, 02:43, said:

Thanks. This is currently at the top of the list titled "things to learn". We were taught several conflicting styles and it seems this is a pretty serious issue - not necessarily this particular auction, a couple of days ago we had this strange beast:
1♥-(1♠)-P-(1NT)
P-(2♠)-P-(P)
3♥-(p)-4♥ AP

I balanced 3♥ as I had an okay (AJT9xxx) seven-card suit so I figured it would be safe at the 3-level with the NT bidder on my right. Partner raised to 4 because he had ♥Qx and ♦KQJ9x and couldn't find a bid earlier. Neither of us can say whether it was correct of him or not. Probably it illustrates holes elsewhere. Anyway, yeah, difficult topic

Don't balance!
How about
(1C)-(1S)-
(1NT)-(2S)-
- 3H-(3S)-4H
4S - - X
It makes because the LHO hand was strong.

[Antrax]

Mar. 13:
After a short hiatus, I resumed my blundering ways. The session was good (56%, first place) but that was despite my best efforts:

Unfavourable, I get dealt ♠Jxx ♥- ♦Jxxxxx ♣QJxx and pass. LHO passes and partners opens 1♣. RHO bids 2♥, alerted as weak. I judge my hand isn't good enough to "support with support" so it's passed to partner, who reopens with a double. So far, so good. RHO passes and I decide partner must have length in clubs so there's no point in showing the diamonds, and bid 3♣. LHO then raises to 3♥ and it's passed to me. I go in the tank, trying to figure out the inferences. Partner seems like the only one with an opening hand, so it must be fairly strong. I have a heart void and partner is short in hearts, so the opponents have 10+ hearts between them. So, I invoke the LOTT and bid 4♣, which is passed around to RHO, who invokes the LODSB (law of doubling stupid bids) and we go for 1100 when partner has a 4=3=3=3 14 count. Sorry for not bidding my longest suit, p

Next up we bid our way to a routine 3NT:

---

LHO leads a high heart and RHO produces the jack. If you plan the play you'll end up knocking out the black aces and hoping hearts are 4-4 or the short hand as the second ace. Unless you're me, in which case the problem of only stopping hearts one more time will cause you to choose the brilliant line of running the ♦J, gaining "when diamonds are 3-3 or the Q is onside", so you lose an extra unnecessary diamond and go down one.

At least I redeemed myself later when partner forgot our new minor transfer scheme and got us to a 23 HCP 3NT and I found the slim chance line that actually worked. And it involved an endplay!

[gwnn]

Antrax, on 2012-March-14, 01:49, said:

Mar. 13:
After a short hiatus, I resumed my blundering ways. The session was good (56%, first place) but that was despite my best efforts:

Unfavourable, I get dealt ♠Jxx ♥- ♦Jxxxxx ♣QJxx and pass. LHO passes and partners opens 1♣. RHO bids 2♥, alerted as weak. I judge my hand isn't good enough to "support with support" so it's passed to partner, who reopens with a double. So far, so good. RHO passes and I decide partner must have length in clubs so there's no point in showing the diamonds, and bid 3♣. LHO then raises to 3♥ and it's passed to me. I go in the tank, trying to figure out the inferences. Partner seems like the only one with an opening hand, so it must be fairly strong. I have a heart void and partner is short in hearts, so the opponents have 10+ hearts between them. So, I invoke the LOTT and bid 4♣, which is passed around to RHO, who invokes the LODSB (law of doubling stupid bids) and we go for 1100 when partner has a 4=3=3=3 14 count. Sorry for not bidding my longest suit, p

Partner should never have reopened with that crap, Antrax.

[Antrax]

That's what I thought originally (and still, once he does, bidding diamonds is the right move so I can later bid clubs), but the local experts disagreed. FWIW he does have 3 card support in the other suits and I could have an 11 count with no good bid. No?

[gwnn]

No. Don't listen to your local experts. Your partner has a minimum (12-14) balanced hand. Reopening promises shortness, extra values and good support for all three suits. You will not always fulfill all three of those criteria, but you will generally fulfill two of them clearly and the third one satisfactorily. In this case, your partner might say he has a king extra, that is no reason to reopen.

With an 11 count you can usually find a double, or a 2NT bid (if you play that as natural) or a 3m/3♥ bid. With that unlikely 11 count where pass is best, tja, you will be defending 2♥ when opps are in a 6-1 or 6-0 fit, you will get -3 or -4, admittedly not that good in MP if everyone else is in game (it is not guaranteed to make btw), but you will get a lot of those MP's back if your opponents keep balancing on their minimum 4333s and keep getting in trouble.

[akwoo]

This one is a big "bridge" blunder from many years ago.

Necessary preliminary information: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the light rail system in the San Francisco area, and you should all immediately repent of all your sins should I ever get a cell phone.

Partner and I agree to play a game we don't usually play (but the location we usually play at). We usually meet at the BART stop, which is about a 15 minute walk from the game.

Partner gets to the BART stop about 35 minutes before the game. Not seeing me, he goes to a bookstore nearby to wait 20 minutes for the next train.

I get to the BART stop about 10 minutes later, by BUS. Not seeing him there, since waiting for the next BART would make things quite tight, I figure the safe thing to do is to walk to the game, and wait for him there. After all, he has to get there to play at some point.

He doesn't find me on the next BART when he gets out from the bookstore, and goes home.

We decide that that had better be our communication disaster for the month.

[Antrax]

March 24, 2nd BBF matchpoint pairs. I'm playing with BunnyGo. Unlike the previous one, with hrothgar, we actually have time to discuss system and even practice bidding a bit, as well as figure out I have no clue what 2nd/4th leads really are. Unfortunately, our well-preparedness was for naught, as none of the sequences we discussed came up.
Board 16, favourable, three passes to me. I open 1NT (15-17) on ♠J95 ♥AJ3 ♦AK54 ♣A52. Partner staymans, which RHO doubles for lead direction. I bid 2♦, which I think shows a club stopper and no four-card major. LHO decides to compete with 3♣, passed to me. Looking at four defensive tricks I double, which ends up being the final contract.
Dummy is ♠KQ863 ♥- ♦QT8 ♣QT874
Partner leads the ♣9, which I duck - I expect him to get in and lead his other club, and then I can play ace and another. Declarer wins the K, having played low from dummy, and leads a spade to partner's ace. Partner switches to the ♦7, dummy plays low and I win the K. Now comes the moment of truth. I could carelessly play ♣A and another, later win my ♦A and exit ♦, etc. But partner's ♦7 is confusing - I expected him to continue trumps and he didn't. Why is that? aha! He wants a ruff. Brilliant! To make sure I'm on the right track, I cash the ♦A, and partner follows with the ♦2. Now it's easy to exit a diamond, see everyone follow, declarer cashes two high spades (undeterred by my clever playing of the ♠J) and ruffs the third (I pitch an encouraging heart), then cross-ruffs the rest, made. Oops.

[BunnyGo]

Antrax, on 2012-March-25, 04:54, said:

March 24, 2nd BBF matchpoint pairs. I'm playing with BunnyGo. Unlike the previous one, with hrothgar, we actually have time to discuss system and even practice bidding a bit, as well as figure out I have no clue what 2nd/4th leads really are. Unfortunately, our well-preparedness was for naught, as none of the sequences we discussed came up.
Board 16, favourable, three passes to me. I open 1NT (15-17) on ♠J95 ♥AJ3 ♦AK54 ♣A52. Partner staymans, which RHO doubles for lead direction. I bid 2♦, which I think shows a club stopper and no four-card major. LHO decides to compete with 3♣, passed to me. Looking at four defensive tricks I double, which ends up being the final contract.
Dummy is ♠KQ863 ♥- ♦QT8 ♣QT874
Partner leads the ♣9, which I duck - I expect him to get in and lead his other club, and then I can play ace and another. Declarer wins the K, having played low from dummy, and leads a spade to partner's ace. Partner switches to the ♦7, dummy plays low and I win the K. Now comes the moment of truth. I could carelessly play ♣A and another, later win my ♦A and exit ♦, etc. But partner's ♦7 is confusing - I expected him to continue trumps and he didn't. Why is that? aha! He wants a ruff. Brilliant! To make sure I'm on the right track, I cash the ♦A, and partner follows with the ♦2. Now it's easy to exit a diamond, see everyone follow, declarer cashes two high spades (undeterred by my clever playing of the ♠J) and ruffs the third (I pitch an encouraging heart), then cross-ruffs the rest, made. Oops.

FWIW, my 7♦ WAS confusing. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to lead there from 7xx. I know that I want you to cash your diamonds before they disappear and then exit a trump. I led the 7 thinking it showed no interest in you continuing the suit (and that I'd've led a doubleton looking for a ruff at trick 1, not lead a trump at trick 1). But it should be clear to everyone that I don't have anything in diamonds (maybe...I was worried you just had the KJ or AJ and wanted you pulling trump immediately without 2 cashing honors) so I should give you count to make sure. I think this is another case of one defender knowing what to do, and not being obvious enough about it for his partner to guarantee that he does what's correct.

[BunnyGo]

Here's the hand.

One thing to note, the double was inconsequential to the final matchpoint score. Setting it 1 (doubled or not) was 2nd to top. Not setting it (doubled or not) a bottom.

[mgoetze]

Antrax, on 2012-March-25, 04:54, said:

Board 16, favourable, three passes to me. I open 1NT (15-17) on ♠J95 ♥AJ3 ♦AK54 ♣A52. Partner staymans, which RHO doubles for lead direction. I bid 2♦, which I think shows a club stopper and no four-card major.

So if you don't have a club stopper you keep the option of playing 2♣ doubled or redoubled open, but if you do have a club stopper you don't want that possibility?

[Antrax]

Not sure I follow. Could you elaborate?

[BunnyGo]

Antrax, on 2012-March-25, 08:57, said:

Not sure I follow. Could you elaborate?

Well, if I lead a low diamond, that could signal that I want you to return a diamond (say you have the A but not the K). This is why a led a high diamond, to say I don't want the suit returned. However, that is not an issue, as I almost surely don't have a diamond honor (from your POV) and you almost surely have both (from my POV) and so I should lead low as count. This will make it easier for you to not be tempted to give me a ruff.

[Antrax]

That was to mgoetze, I don't understand the comment about playing 2C redoubled or whatnot.

[mgoetze]

Let me try again. The auction begins 1NT-2♣-(X). You are the 1NT opener and do not have a 4 card major. Your options at this point are redouble, pass and 2♦. It makes sense for at least one of these options to show a club stopper and at least one of these options to deny a club stopper.

According to the laws of bridge, it is possible for this auction to end with your partner declaring 2♣x or 2♣xx. This may be a desirable option if you have a club stopper. It is much less likely to be a desirable option if you do not have a club stopper.

Therefore, when deciding which of redouble, pass and 2♦ should show a club stopper, it does not make sense for 2♦ to be the option showing a club stopper, because that precludes a possible final contract of 2♣x/2♣xx.

[Antrax]

Ah, interesting. I was taught exactly the opposite approach, that pass denies a stopper and any other bid shows a stopper (with XX showing RHO is an idiot, basically). I'll be sure to ask why it won't make more sense the other way around.

[Antrax]

Not a blunder, but I think I totally pulled off my first intentional squeeze:

{comments}

---

http://tinyurl.com/7z97q2l

[Antrax]

Ugh. Apr. 20, new partner. I blast 4♥ after partner's simple raise and get a low diamond lead. The trump suit is ♥xxx opposite my ♥AJTxx and he has ♣xx to go with my ♣Kx. However, right now I'm considering the diamonds, and he has kindly provided ♦KTxx opposite my ♦A8. I call for a low one, and RHO produces the ♦9. I win the ace, and since I know RHO is weak, I'm sure she has the ♦J, or she'd never dare play the 9. Of course, it could also be she has 9-high, but I'd expect LHO to lead the Q from the supposed ♦QJxx she has, in this case. Congratulating myself on my fine deduction, I play a diamond to the T. RHO wins the J I knew she had, I never get to dummy to discard any losers on the ♦K, so even though I manage to clash the heart honors (and by "manage" I mean I cash ace and then play the J), I end up down 1. Bleh.

[Antrax]

July 4. After a long hiatus (from F2F Bridge in general), I'm psyched and ready to go down in a cold slam.
As dealer I open 1♥ on ♠AJ ♥Q9432 ♦A8653 ♣5, and partner drives to slam after a relatively intelligent 2/1 auction, with no interference. The lead is a club, and partner tables ♠5 ♥AJT ♦KJ92 ♣AKQT9
Take a moment to plan a play where you can go down. Since it seemed I make 13 tricks if everything is friendly and 12 if trumps misbehave, maybe 11 if everything is wrong (♣J doesn't drop, can't find ♦Q, etc). So, after winning in dummy, I play a spade to my ace and finesse in trumps with low to the T, since that's how champs do it. The finesse holds, and it seems I'm again in 12 or 13 territory, when the blunder sets in. I decide I have a useful safety play - after all, I created a spade loser in my hand. If I return to hand and finesse again, RHO might win the K she ducked, and then stick me in dummy with a trump, and then I can't ruff my ♠J!. Elated that I discovered this defensive ruse, I cash the ♥A and discover a 4-1 break with the K onside. Well, no worries. I still have the ♥Q9. So I cross to my ♦A, noting the Q dropping on my left, and ruff my ♠J. Loser eliminated!
Of course, it now occurs to me that LHO still has ♥Kx and very likely can ruff a diamond and maybe a club at some point. So I make the only logical play - I ruff a club back to hand, and play a trump. LHO wins his K and should've forced me for down a million, but instead he's nice and plays a club, which again gets me to dummy with no way to return to hand to draw trumps. I concede one down for a deserved 0% when everyone else finds the better safety play of pitching that spade on one of the high clubs.
I wish I could say I don't know what I was thinking, but I do know what I was thinking - it was just idiotic

[Antrax]

46%! And I can't even blame miscounting keycards twice because they cancelled each other out