[ahydra]

Sorry for the multiple hands in one post, but they all have the same question: to bid game or not. So you can just go "yes, no, yes" etc.

All IMPs, 7-board matches.

1)

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EW vul. 1NT = 14-16, 2C = hearts and another

2)

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Nobody vul. 1NT = 12-14

3)

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NS vul. Opps are playing 4cM weak NT.

4)

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EW vul. On a scale of Kit Woolsey (0%) to very sound (100%), partner's pre-empts in first seat are about 60-70%.

5)

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Both vul. Playing a strong club system where the 1H can have a club canapé but will be 5 more often than not.

ahydra

[Cyberyeti]

1: 3♠ inv
2: 3N
3: P
4: I will bid 4♠ if partner is allowed to bid 5♦ over this (what do you call an 8 card suit etc), 5♦ if he's not
5: 4♥, xxxx, Axx, x, Axxxx is enough for a not unreasonable game

[mycroft]

Well, you know what they say about directors (did you ask someone who can play?):

• 4♠, no question. Well, okay, assuming you play my system, 4♦, no question. I want partner to play this. If they bid 4♥ in between, oh well.
  
• I'm dead-middle. Good 13, but 4333. It depends on my partner's invitational tendencies. If she counts on me to bid game, I'll bid game. If her invites are "I'd blast anything that really has a chance", then I'm in a good 23, bad 24-count with no source of tricks, and the opponents will know that from T1. OTOH, at IMPs, how often does 3NT or 4♥ cost more than "an extra 50" when it's wrong?
  
• P and be grateful. Lefty's got a strong NT give or take, and partner is likely on 5-7 or so.
  
• As Cyberyeti, except I'm not bidding 5♦. If partner bids 5♦, it's going down. If partner is 70% sound, and has opened on KT-eighth, she's got outside cards even 1st seat favourable. But she needs an ace and a void outside, and it still needs help if it isn't the club void or the spade Ace.
  
• I would probably pass, but I like Cyberyeti's argument. I expect partner is more likely to be xxxxx Axxx in the blacks than the other way around, of course. *My* partner will have KJ8x Axx x 8xxxx, though.

[MrAce]

1-4♠

2- 3 NT

3- PASS

4- PASS

5-PASS

[Jinksy]

Yes
Yes (3N)
No
No
No

OMW to bed, but will give reasons for these next time I'm on.

[jogs]

4♠ against strong opponents, 2♠ walk the dog against randoms.
Pass, I rather be in 2♥.
no
no, with this vulnerability partner is more likely to be closer to zero.
no, where are the spades? Suspect pard has 4+.

[rmnka447]

1. 4 ♠ - If nothing else it makes them guess at the 5 level and possibly picks up a game swing if partner has the right cards

2. A pretty good 13 albeit 4-3-3-3, so I'm bidding on. Give me ♣ Q10x and I'd be very tempted to bid 3 NT. With ♣ Qxx, I'm less confident 3 NT is right, so I'd probably bid 4 ♥.

3. Pass, you have a nice hand, but no more than you showed with your 1st bid. Bidding on is rebidding the same values twice.

4. 5 ♦. Let them try to figure out if the 5 ♦ bid is to make or preempting. Partner "ought" to have 8+ ♦ to bid 4 with a suit headed by K10?xx... meaning 0 ♦ tricks. Even, if it's a 7 card suit we take no more than 1 ♦ trick. There's a good chance they can make 10 tricks.

5. Pass, partner's spade values look to be wasted, so there's no telling how well our hands mesh. If I would bid anything, it would be 4 ♣.

[MrAce]

rmnka447, on 2016-November-28, 20:23, said:

4. 5 ♦. Let them try to figure out if the 5 ♦ bid is to make or preempting. Partner "ought" to have 8+ ♦ to bid 4 with a suit headed by K10?xx... meaning 0 ♦ tricks. Even, if it's a 7 card suit we take no more than 1 ♦ trick. There's a good chance they can make 10 tricks.

I thought about this too. Especially I asked myself "Will I be comfortable to let them play 4♥ if they bid it?"
My answer is NO, I would not be comfortable at all. So why not bid 5♦ now?
But the chances they will bid 4♥ is way too low imo. I have 17 hcp, pd has 3-8 hcp. They simply lack the values to get in even if they make 5♥. People do not bid over preempts with weak hands even if they want to, due to concern about being taken too seriously by pd.

[Kaitlyn S]

ahydra, on 2016-November-28, 16:04, said:

EW vul. On a scale of Kit Woolsey (0%) to very sound (100%), partner's pre-empts in first seat are about 60-70%.

Does that make Marty Bergen -50%?

1. 4S.
2. I'm the only one here that apparently doesn't know when to play an 8-card fit in 3NT. I'll try 4H.
3. Pass.
4. Pass.
5. I've opened a 10-count with queen-fourth in their suit and you're asking if I bid game? Pass.

[alok c]

1.No
2.Yes
3.No
4.Yes
5.Yes

[kenberg]

1. 4H, trf to spades. Yes, this gives lho an opportunity to double 4H, but with all those spots in the side suits i want partner's had to be concealed.

2. 4H. There shoulld be nine tricks in NT if the opponents cannot take five first, and there should be ten tricks in hearts if the opponents cannot take four first. I'm going with 4H.

3. Pass. Could very much be wrong, and I believe in promptly accepting responsibility if it is wrong, but I Pass.

4. 5D. I don't believe I have ever held AQJx in a suit that partner opens at the four level, but he will be playing it at the five level.

5. Pass. Partner is contesting at the three level. I should let him.

[nige1]

Ahydra #1

relying on WTC (or LTC), I rank
1. 4♠ = 4 winners + trump control.

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Ahydra #2

I rank
1. 3N = BAL with stops.
2. 4♥ = NAT because of aces and reinforcing honours.
3. 3♥ = NAT.

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Ahydra #3

I rank
1. 4♠ = 6 winners.
2. Pass = possibly only a 4-4 fit and ♦ duplication likely,

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Ahydra #4

I rank
1. 5♦ = PRE. This could well be opponents' hand
2. Pass = Mr Ace makes a strong case for this.

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Ahydra #5

I rank
1. Pass = only 5 trumps. ♠ duplication..

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