[ArtK78]

Playing in the District qualifying portion of the Grand National Teams, we were doing fine. The last two boards of the Round Robin qualifying were our undoing, and I was at the helm on both.

Playing with a world-class partner, you hold, nonvul against vul:

AKJTxxx xxx xx x

The bidding:

RHO You LHO Pard

1H 3S 4H 4S
5D P 5H 5S
P P Dbl P
6H P P Dbl
All Pass

1) Do you agree with all of your actions?
2) Assuming that you pass, what do you lead?

Next, vul vs. not, you hold:

ATx x x AKQJTxxx

The bidding:

You LHO Pard RHO

1C Dbl 1H 2S
?

What is your call? What is your plan?

[inquiry]

1, No. I would have bid 4♠ over 1♥ at these colors.
2. I will lead a club. Partner can hardly be void in diamonds, it is true we might have two diamonds off the top, but best hope here seems partner is well heeled in clubs, and/or has diamonds well under control.

Second problem depends upon your methods. For instance, is 4NT here natural, RKCB for hearts, RKCB for clubs? You could try a natural blackwood 4NT if it was availalbe and drop 5C if partner lacks an ace. Or you could try a bid of 3NT and hope (1-that they don't cash a ton of red suit tricks before you get in, or 2-you didn't miss a laydown slam opposite S-x H-Axxxx D-xxx C-xxxx).

You can try to mess around with a cue-bid of 2♠ and see if partner bids diamonds or raises clubs (don't imagine he will rebid natural NT). The problem wih 2♠ is partner might take it as heart support and if the auction gets bounced after that, you may have trouble talkng him into lettng you play it in your suit.

So I will go with 4♣, forcing. I expect partner to participate in slam investigation if he can, and I have set trumps. I will follow this up with 4NT blackwood for clubs if partner shows any signs of life.

[whereagles]

1a) Your actions sure are sensible
1b) Club. If RHO's a joker, diamond

2) 3NT, wtp?

[bid_em_up]

inquiry, on May 9 2007, 08:17 AM, said:

The problem wih 2♠ is partner might take it as heart support and if the auction gets bounced after that, you may have trouble talkng him into lettng you play it in your suit.

The problem with 2♠ is that it is an insufficient bid.

[inquiry]

bid_em_up, on May 9 2007, 09:56 AM, said:

inquiry, on May 9 2007, 08:17 AM, said:

The problem wih 2♠ is partner might take it as heart support and if the auction gets bounced after that, you may have trouble talkng him into lettng you play it in your suit.

The problem with 2♠ is that it is an insufficient bid.

... perhaps that is even a bigger problem. Ok, 3♠ then. I overlooked the 2♠ jump and was thinking it was 1♠

[Apollo81]

1. Yes I agree with 3♠. I have the death holding in hearts and jump overcalls are NOT the same as preemptive openings at these colors. Lead a club.

2. 3♠ if partner is really WC. This should show a spade stopper and not promise heart support.

[Fluffy]

First hand depends it all on the meaning of partner's double, if you play that thing of 1 defensive trick, then you ahve to be consistent with your pass, ,and assume you have 1 defensive trick, so lead ♠A and make it.

If you don't play that nonsense then partner want's a minor lead, I am not sure of wich, I would tend to think of a club.


Second is an obvious 3NT rebid, my plan is to make this game.

[pclayton]

Wow - did you play Noble's team in the GNT's?

1. 3♠ is plenty. My heart holding turns me off, even though the rest of the hand is very pure.

Pard probably doesn't have a void opposite my xx, x. I'd expect an AK in a minor. Its a coin flip as to which one, but I have an outside chance at -2 if I lead a club.

2. If I knew pard has a slow diamond stop I'd bid 3N with confidence, but there's a lot of distribution on this hand, and I might not be buying it for 3N anyway, so I'll emphasize my clubs with 4♣. I might get to cue 4♠ along the way too. I think the hand is a little too good for a direct 5♣ by the way.

I don't agree that 3♠ shows a stopper here: What would we bid with: xx, x, AKx, AKQJxxx? The opponents have not shown two suits, so the cue asks.

[Apollo81]

pclayton, on May 9 2007, 02:55 PM, said:

I don't agree that 3♠ shows a stopper here: What would we bid with: xx, x, AKx, AKQJxxx? The opponents have not shown two suits, so the cue asks.

If you bid 3NT you will get a diamond lead from LHO who made a takeout double of 1♣.

[Apollo81]

pclayton, on May 9 2007, 02:55 PM, said:

Wow - did you play Noble's team in the GNT's?

where did this come from?

[pclayton]

Apollo81, on May 9 2007, 11:01 AM, said:

pclayton, on May 9 2007, 02:55 PM, said:

Wow - did you play Noble's team in the GNT's?

where did this come from?

Didn't you say you played in the GNT's recently?

[pclayton]

Apollo81, on May 9 2007, 11:00 AM, said:

pclayton, on May 9 2007, 02:55 PM, said:

I don't agree that 3♠ shows a stopper here: What would we bid with: xx, x, AKx, AKQJxxx? The opponents have not shown two suits, so the cue asks.

If you bid 3NT you will get a diamond lead from LHO who made a takeout double of 1♣.

And if I bid 3♠, I'll never hear 3N, since pard doesn't have a stop.

[ArtK78]

Scoring: IMP

---

This was the 6Hx hand. A club lead is the winner, but so is bidding 6S over 6H.

Personally, I don't think that partner's double of 6H is Lightner. If this were an uncontested auction, or even if there had been no bidding by our side after 4S, it is probably a Lightner double. But when your side virtually forces the opponents to bid a slam, the double should be for penalty, period.

Besides, he has certainly no certainty that a club lead is going to beat 6H. It is probably far safer at IMPs to bid one more for insurance. Turns out to be a big win, as -300 will win 8 IMPs.

In any event, my partner was very upset when I did not lead a club, but later acknowledged that he could have prevented this disaster by bidding 5C rather than 4S over 4H.

Scoring: IMP

---

This was the second hand. I bid 3NT over 2S, and the DK was led. Down 5.

This was a grand conspiracy by all of the players. I opened a normal 1C with 9 tricks in hand. LHO has a flawed takeout double - my teammate at the other table overcalled 1D, which is probably a better call. My partner could have made a weak jump shift of 2H over the double, but instead bid 1H. Finally, my RHO, with 4 mediocre spades and six diamonds, bid 2S over 1H.

My 3NT bid is certainly not everyone's choice, but it certainly could have been right, and it was mentioned more than once by the posters.

The net result of these two hands: -1660 (lose 14 to the +680 in 4H(!) at the other table) and -500 (lose 11 to the -50 in 5D undoubled at the other table). We wound up tied for the fourth and final qualifying position and lost a tiebreaker, so we went home.

[Apollo81]

pclayton, on May 9 2007, 03:15 PM, said:

Apollo81, on May 9 2007, 11:01 AM, said:

pclayton, on May 9 2007, 02:55 PM, said:

Wow - did you play Noble's team in the GNT's?

where did this come from?

Didn't you say you played in the GNT's recently?

yeah, a lot of people play in GNTs around this time of year though

[jdonn]

ArtK78, on May 10 2007, 04:22 PM, said:

This was a grand conspiracy by all of the players. I opened a normal 1C with 9 tricks in hand. LHO has a flawed takeout double - my teammate at the other table overcalled 1D, which is probably a better call. My partner could have made a weak jump shift of 2H over the double, but instead bid 1H. Finally, my RHO, with 4 mediocre spades and six diamonds, bid 2S over 1H.

With all due respect, the bidding by both of your opponents was absolutely automatic. In particular bidding 1♦ over 1♣ is completely silly.

[mike777]

ArtK78, on May 10 2007, 04:22 PM, said:

<!-- FULLHAND begin --><table border=1> <tr> <td> <table> <tr> <td>Dealer:</td> <td> West </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Vul:</td> <td> E/W </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Scoring:</td> <td> IMP </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> <table> <tr> <th> </th> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> AKJTxxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> xxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> xx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> T </td> </tr> </table> </th> <th> </th> </tr> <tr> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td>  </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> KJTxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> AKTxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> KJx </td> </tr> </table> </th> <th> </th> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> Qx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> Axxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> Qxxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> xxx </td> </tr> </table> </th> </tr> <tr> <th> </th> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> xxxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> Q </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> xx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> AQxxxx </td> </tr> </table> </th> <th> </th> </tr> </table> </td> <td>  </td> </tr> </table><!-- FULLHAND end -->

This was the 6Hx hand.  A club lead is the winner, but so is bidding 6S over 6H.

Personally, I don't think that partner's double of 6H is Lightner.  If this were an uncontested auction, or even if there had been no bidding by our side after 4S, it is probably a Lightner double.  But when your side virtually forces the opponents to bid a slam, the double should be for penalty, period.

Besides, he has certainly no certainty that a club lead is going to beat 6H.  It is probably far safer at IMPs to bid one more for insurance.  Turns out to be a big win, as -300 will win 8 IMPs.

In any event, my partner was very upset when I did not lead a club, but later acknowledged that he could have prevented this disaster by bidding 5C rather than 4S over 4H.

<!-- FULLHAND begin --><table border=1> <tr> <td> <table> <tr> <td>Dealer:</td> <td> North </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Vul:</td> <td> N/S </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Scoring:</td> <td> IMP </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> <table> <tr> <th> </th> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> ATx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> x </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> x </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> AKQJTxxx </td> </tr> </table> </th> <th> </th> </tr> <tr> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> Q9xx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> Ax </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> QTxxxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> x </td> </tr> </table> </th> <th> </th> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> J8x </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> KQxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> AKxxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> x </td> </tr> </table> </th> </tr> <tr> <th> </th> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> Kxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> JTxxxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> J </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> xxx </td> </tr> </table> </th> <th> </th> </tr> </table> </td> <td>  </td> </tr> </table><!-- FULLHAND end -->

This was the second hand.  I bid 3NT over 2S, and the DK was led.  Down 5.

This was a grand conspiracy by all of the players.  I opened a normal 1C with 9 tricks in hand.  LHO has a flawed takeout double - my teammate at the other table overcalled 1D, which is probably a better call.  My partner could have made a weak jump shift of 2H over the double, but instead bid 1H.  Finally, my RHO, with 4 mediocre spades and six diamonds, bid 2S over 1H.

My 3NT bid is certainly not everyone's choice, but it certainly could have been right, and it was mentioned more than once by the posters.

The net result of these two hands:  -1660 (lose 14 to the +680 in 4H(!) at the other table) and -500 (lose 11 to the -50 in 5D undoubled at the other table).  We wound up tied for the fourth and final qualifying position and lost a tiebreaker, so we went home.

What is wrong with a takeout x showing 3 suits over a one club opening?
What do you play a takeout x means?

wow you guys in the GNT sure have interesting auctions. Good luck next time and hope you win.

[mike777]

Speaking of troubles in the GNT. Years and years ago, I was asked to play as a pickup in the GNT's. My partner refused to ever speak with me. We made it to all the way through the local LA rounds and got a free trip to the final rounds and lost.

A few months later he killed someone and was later convicted of murder.

[ArtK78]

I have played at the national round of the open GNT 3 times.

If you think that a takeout double of 1C is automatic holding Jxx KQxx AKxxx x, then you don't belong in the event.

As for the 2S response on Q9xx Ax QTxxxxx x, that is just silly. Bid your long suit and then spades.

Everyone wants to be a mastermind. Just bid your cards.

[mike777]

ArtK78, on May 10 2007, 09:11 PM, said:

I have played at the national round of the open GNT 3 times.

If you think that a takeout double of 1C is automatic holding Jxx KQxx AKxxx x, then you don't belong in the event.

As for the 2S response on Q9xx Ax QTxxxxx x, that is just silly.  Bid your long suit and then spades.

Everyone wants to be a mastermind.  Just bid your cards.

Well I have not played f2f bridge for years and years but ya I think x is automatic with that hand over club. Congrats and good luck.