[helene_t]

Hand 1, w/w

Q98x-KQJ9xx-A-Jx

(pass)-pass-(1♦)-1♥
(pass)-2♥-(pass)-?

What now?

Hand 8 (you are South, w/w)

Tx-J9xx-AKQT8x-x

(pass)-1♦-(2♣)-?

What is you plan? If you go slow with 3♣, LHO bids 4♣

Hand 14, w/w

AQ8-J8x-AT8x-JT9

You open 1♦ (4+)

1♦-(pass)-1♠-(3♥)
pass-(pass)-dbl-(pass)

What now?

Hand 19, w/r

AQxxx-8x-A9x-A9x

Partner deals and open 2♥. RHO passes. What now?

Hand 20, r/r

AJ9xxx-Qx-Txx-Qx

RHO opens a multi:
(2♦)-pass-(2♥)-3♣
(pass)-?

What now?

[mike777]

hand one only has 12 cards
Hand 1, w/w

Q98x-KQJ9x-A-Jx
edit ok if 4612 shape I will try 2s now.
-----
#8
3c then 6d.
-----
#14
abstain would not have opened
----------
#19
2s
----------
#20
3s

[nige1]

Hand 1, w/w ♠ Q 9 8 x ♥ K Q J 9 x x ♦ A ♣ J x
(pass)-pass-(1♦)-1♥
(pass)-2♥-(pass)-??
IMO 2♠ = 10, 4♥ = 9.

Hand 8 (you are South, w/w) ♠ T x ♥ J 9 x x ♦ A K Q T 8 x ♣ x
(pass)-1♦-(2♣)-?
What is you plan? If you go slow with 3♣, LHO bids 4♣.
IMO 4♣ = 10, 3♣ = 9, 5♦ = 8, Double = 7.
If LHO's 4♣ is passed back to you, then you could try 4♦.

Hand 14, w/w ♠ A Q 8 ♥ J 8 x ♦ A T 8 x ♣ J T 9
You open 1♦ (4+)
1♦-(pass)-1♠-(3♥)
pass-(pass)-dbl-(pass)
??
IMO 3♠ = 10, Pass = 9, 4♠ = 8, 3N = 6.

Hand 19, w/r ♠ A Q x x x ♥ 8 x ♦ A 9 x ♣ A 9 x
Partner deals and opens 2♥. RHO passes. What now?
IMO 4♥ = 10, 2N(Relay) = 9, 2♠(NAT F1) = 8. Pass = 7.

Hand 20, r/r ♠ A J 9 x x x ♥ Q x ♦ T x x ♣ Q x
RHO opens a multi:
(2♦)-pass-(2♥)-3♣
(pass)-??
IMO 3♠ = 10, 3♥ = 9, Pass = 8, 3N = 7.

[WesleyC]

Hand 1, w/w ♠ Q 9 8 x ♥ K Q J 9 x x ♦ A ♣ J x
(pass)-pass-(1♦)-1♥
(pass)-2♥-(pass)-??

3H. I think it should be mildly constructive in this spot.

Hand 8 (you are South, w/w) ♠ T x ♥ J 9 x x ♦ A K Q T 8 x ♣ x
(pass)-1♦-(2♣)-?
What is you plan?

Very tough spot! Depends a bit on your agreements re: 1D vs 1C openings. 4C/3C/X are all reasonable (probably in that order) but I don't have a strong opinion.

If I bid 3C and it came back at 4C, I would try 5D.


Hand 14, w/w ♠ A Q 8 ♥ J 8 x ♦ A T 8 x ♣ J T 9
You open 1♦ (4+)
1♦-(pass)-1♠-(3♥)
pass-(pass)-dbl-(pass)

3S. Clear.

Hand 19, w/r ♠ A Q x x x ♥ 8 x ♦ A 9 x ♣ A 9 x
Partner deals and opens 2♥. RHO passes. What now?

Pass. Opposite a 1st/FAV preempt this isn't a problem for me.

Hand 20, r/r ♠ A J 9 x x x ♥ Q x ♦ T x x ♣ Q x
RHO opens a multi:
(2♦)-pass-(2♥)-3♣
(pass)-??

3S. Even Clearer.

[mgoetze]

Whew, I got an 8 from nige1! Must be good!

[eagles123]

on 1 I would bid 2s I think its pretty clear really, we're too good to pass and not good enough to force game so what does that leave?

on 2 maybe just lazy but I would bid 5D. Whats the point in mucking about here? maybe we can bid 3c to try and find 3n but meh - the 2c bidder is likely to have a good hand, 4c splinter seems kind of pointless i mean what chance is there that we have slam here

on 3 3s seems very obvious we have a weak no trump and three of partners suit. Passing it out just seems like russian roulette at the bridge table

on 4 sorry but this is almost a pointless question imo as it entirely depends on what constitutes a weak two for your partnership at this vul. opposite myself i'd bid 2s but if your agreement is to preempt light then pass but meh

on 5 3 spades seems clear can't see any alternative

[mike777]

I don't like the splinter on #8, with those trumps pard will not move. I bid 6d on the assumption pard will not open some aceless wonder.

Given one overcalls 1d with 2c on almost any hand esp nv and lho raises to 4c, I expect pard to have at least:

AKxx...AKTx..xxx...xx

and often more

If pard opens balanced hand 12 pts(see#14) hand this will have no chance
---

on #14 if I pass and the bidding goes 1s-(3h), I have an easy 3s raise bid now.

[eagles123]

mike777, on 2015-April-09, 15:56, said:

I don't like the splinter on #8, with those trumps pard will not move. I bid 6d on the assumption pard will not open some aceless wonder.

Given one overcalls 1d with 2c on almost any hand esp nv I expect pard to have at least:

AKxx...AKTx..xxx...xx

and often more

If pard opens balanced hand 12 pts hand this will have no chance

sorry but I dont agree that people will overcall 1d with 2c on almost any hand when its gone p 1d. These are expert players not the LOL's from the local club who will bid with KQxxx in clubs and out in a 2335 5 count. I think its a very risky time to enter the bidding on filth, the 2c bidder is likely to have a reasonable hand.

expecting slam to make here seems ambitious beyond belief, in fact i'd be way more concerned that game might not be on for us

but meh just an opinion

[manudude03]

#1 2S

#8 3C followed by 5D

#14 3S (pass very close 2nd)

#19 What's our agreement for 2NT here? It's probably right regardless.

#20 3S

[mike777]

eagles123, on 2015-April-09, 16:00, said:

sorry but I dont agree that people will overcall 1d with 2c on almost any hand when its gone p 1d. These are expert players not the LOL's from the local club who will bid with KQxxx in clubs and out in a 2335 5 count. I think its a very risky time to enter the bidding on filth, the 2c bidder is likely to have a reasonable hand.

expecting slam to make here seems ambitious beyond belief, in fact i'd be way more concerned that game might not be on for us

but meh just an opinion

See Sabine Auken, she writes about this at some length in her book.
I agree even game may not make if pard opens on some of the junk we see here
In that case 4h may be our only game if we even have one and perhaps I need to start with negative x to cater to these weak bal openings
Axxx..AKTx..xxx..xx, I mean 6h has some chances
I assumed as above post that pard will not open such hands.

[mgoetze]

manudude03, on 2015-April-09, 16:06, said:

#19 What's our agreement for 2NT here? It's probably right regardless.

Feature ask.

[manudude03]

mgoetze, on 2015-April-09, 16:16, said:

Feature ask.

OK, now 2NT is really obvious. We probably don't want to be in game unless partner bids 3S or 3NT.

[ycos]

1) 2♠
2) 5♦
3) 3♠ , but why not supp double @3♥?
4) 2NT if i play Ougust , else 4♥
5) 3♠

[P_Marlowe]

#1 make a move, 2S if it showes values.
#8 X, I have a 4 card heart suit, over 4C, if partner
passes or bids 4S, i will bid 5D

#14 Pass, what else?
#19 Pass, what else? Depends a bit on style.
#20 3S, should be forcing, will pass 4C

[gnasher]

On the last one I rather like 3NT. I bet I get a spade lead.

[mikeh]

Hand 1: I think this is close. However, our stiff diamond and the opps' relative silence diminishes the chances of them having a big diamond fit, which in turn diminishes the chances of partner having a big spade fit for us, and most hands on which he chose not to bid 2♦ offer no good play for game absent something like Kxxxx in spades. His inability to make the easy, unambiguous cue leads me to swing low, via pass.


Hand. 8. I give up on hearts, so don't negative double. I am going to splinter. Splinters in support of a minor deliver serious trump length....none of these 4 card suits. Now, AKQ10xx is a trifle more than implied But the rest of my hand makes up for that strength by way of its weakness. Partner needs a lot of good cards for slam, and if he has all those controls outside of trump, he may realize that I probably have what he needs. I'm going to play game even if he just bids 4♦


Hand 14. Even at mps, I'd pull, and at imps I definitely pull, and that has to be to 3♠. Were I to guess, I would estimate that we could beat them more than 50% of the time, and that pulling to 3♠ will result in a minus much of the time, but it isn't the frequencies that matter to me....it is the magnitudes. Anyway, partner will often hold 5♠ and if he raises to game we may make.

Hand 19. We are white v red. I think it too much to think we can make game. At the same time, I want to take a little space, so I will try a gentle, purportedly obstructive 3♥. I wouldn't expect a lot of votes for this in a bidding contest.

Hand 20. I put down 3♠ and then read the other posts. I have more than a sneaking admiration for Andy's 3N, but it wasn't my choice when I looked at the problem, and a sneaking admiration is not the same as saying that it is the percentage action.....but I do like it

[wanoff]

1. 2♠
8. It may be their hand - 5♦
14. 3♠
19. Pass
20. 3♠

[Phil]

1. 4H. 2S is second choice but I don't want to talk too much about my hand.

8. 4C.

14. 3S

19. Pass

20. 3S. LHO is probably waiting for this.

[MrAce]

Phil pretty much wrote my answers.

[Jinksy]

I've been away from the table too long, and apparently have become a shuddering heap:

1) 3♥. Game only seems odds on if P has spade shortage, but he seems the most likely person at the table to have spade length.

2) 3♣ looking for 3N, then 5♦ when I don't find it. P rates to have a weak NT, so I'm more concerned about overbidding than underbidding (I do like mikeh's argument for splintering, but I'm writing down the views I formed before reading other replies - also if P does have a weak NT, I can easily imagine 9 tricks on a favourable lead being the limit)

3) Pass. I don't like it, but I feel like most of the time when 3♠ is making we'll be playing in 4, sometimes doubled.

4) Pass. Again, don't like it, but at this vul P could have all sorts of junk. It seems unlikely that we'll find a game significantly better than 50%, and quite likely we'll find one significantly worse.

5) Probably 3♠ to regain some self-respect, but honestly at the table I'd prob pass. Game feels more likely than on the others, but so does going for a number.