[mishovnbg]

Hi all!
The MP bridge is best one in my opinion - cant rest even for 1 trick and need to fight for scores even in vul! Playing with Misho at MP tourney you open pass with:

1.
Qxxx
RQ10x
Jx
xxx

not vul, bidding was:

pass- pass-1NT(weak)-dbl
pass(1)-pass-2DI(2)- 3NT
?
1. can be strong, rdbl will be for CL escape
2. show 5+DI, rdbl will be without 5 cards

Your bid?

2. all vul, you open with pass

QJx
Qxx
A109xx
xx


pass-pass-1HE -pass
2DI(1)-pass-pass-dbl
pass-pass-3CL-pass
?
1. Suit + fit

Your bid?

Misho

[Poky]

1) Pass
Lead: small heart. Declarer probably has a long running club suit and a diamond stopper. I hope partner has hA + another ace.

2) Pass
What else? 4C could be too expensive and isn't sure they have 4H or 4S. Let see what will happen!

[Free]

First question: do YOU bid pass the first time, or is your partner?

1. pass (NV doesn't deliver enough)
2. pass (psychic opening)

[inquiry]

1.) Pass and lead the diamond JACK.

Ok, this is Matchpoints. You said we were not vul, but didn't mention the opponents vul. However, sounds like one of two hands. First, partner psyched a weak notrump opening bid, or second South has something like seven clubs, a diamond stopper and a side ACE.

Also, bear in mind that the partner of the doubler left 1NT-x, in and partner with a five card suit ran. This suggest that the joker at the table is the 1NT bidder, even if wasn't Misho... :-)

2) Pass

I don't have a bid. I told partner that I have some points, some diamonds and a heart fit. He passed 2D then he passed then when it was doubled he ran to 3C's. I have bid my values. I have no idea what is going on, but for me pass here is easy. I don't like bidding the same values twice. If we belong in a red suit, partner will bid it now, but it looks clearly like partner psyched 1H, hoped for the best in 2D, and now is trying to bail out in what might be his real suit.

If this is the case, perhaps he should have continued the joke by bidding 2H over 2D, even without hearts. :-)

Be

[mishovnbg]

Hi all!
Sorry about easy problems, you all guess right!

1. 1NT opening: xxx,xxx,K108xx,Q10
I didnt open 1HE/SP because they can have game in either one. Opps have direct 11 tricks (7CL+2SP+1HE+1DI), any lead, lack of communication. DI is best, Q9xx DI in dummy. In vul I will open at MP 1DI, if not simple pass, depend of opps dbl style.
Result at tourney was dbl for +4, because I discarded my K and 10 DI as lavinthal after KHE lead ;D.

2. 1098x, Jxx, -, AJ9xxx
I opened here 1HE instead of 3CL, because void. If I open 3CL after take out dbl contract will be probably from bad for me side - I must lead. Even opps discover my psyche more chances my p to be on lead and may be I can menage to help him to lead DI.
Misho

[inquiry]

Quote

2. 1098x, Jxx, -, AJ9xxx

I wonder what happens if you bid 2H instead of pass 2D. Could you play 2H undoubled in your 3-3 fit?

Ben

[mishovnbg]

Hi Ben!
Before to answer I tried to make a discussion about the ethic and the rules, when somebody bluffing. Sorry, it was not very sucsessful :-[. Despite that I have received some answers, the main target of that chat. Generally: ethical is to alert and describe all you(partner online) can know about your bids; the rule is to not have bids, which show bluffs = "controled psyche". Now I will answer how I play in same situations.

1. Rdbl: SOS, partner cant pass even with fit. Show preference to play in uncheap suit. I will give you an example from our practice:
You hold: xxx, Jxxxx, xxx, xx
Bids:
1CL -pass(you)-3CL(pre)-dbl(me)
pass-3HE(you) -pass -pass
dbl -pass -pass -rdbl(*)
pass-?
1. SOS = I want to play on DI (most uncheap suit), but also possible to play on SP. By private chat kibitzer ask me what my partner must bid, if he have no choice, like in an example. My answer was: dont pass, other bids depend of hand. 4HE is also possible bid, I did it several times. With hand in exampe I like 3NT bid as preference between 4HE and 4DI. With 3433 - directly 4DI is better. With 4xxx - 3SP ofcourse. With 6HE-2+DI - 4CL; with 6HE-1-DI - 4HE (not a perfect world).
I had something like AQxx,Qxx,AQ10xx,x. My RDBL was bad, because as you said I ask you for suit and you bid it - what more? But next time I can have AKxx,Qx,Axxxxx,x and 4DI will be right contract.
2. Cheapest suit - I want to play on this suit , but also possible to play on some suit above. In example above 3SP show hand like Axxxx,Qx,AKxxx,x
3. NT - I want to play on middle suit, but also possible to play in suit under it. In example is near impossible but show minor 2 suiter.

Example:
1SP-(dbl)-pass-(pass),
?
rdbl: show HE suit, possible to play at DI
1NT: show DI suit, possible to play on CL
2CL/DI/HE: to play

In case of my example 2 in current post.
pass-pass-1HE -pass
2DI(1)-pass-pass-dbl
pass-pass-3CL-pass
?
rdbl: CL suit, can play on HE or SP.
2HE/2SP/3CL: to play
2NT: CL suit, can play on DI. Why flee then - because hope for better contract on CL.
Same bidding is universal escape scheme and dont depend are you psyche or just try to find better contract because bad break of suit.
Misho

[luis]

Quote

2. 1098x, Jxx, -, AJ9xxx
I opened here 1HE instead of 3CL, because void. If I open 3CL after take out dbl contract will be probably from bad for me side - I must lead. Even opps discover my psyche more chances my p to be on lead and may be I can menage to help him to lead DI.

My friend Misho, you continue to amaze me. We definitively can play together on TV :-) My last 1h psyche was two years ago with:

Kx, void!!, AJxxxxxx, xxx

I also opened 1h with xxx, AJx, xxx, Jxxx once in a South American championship but that was another story :-)

[mishovnbg]

LOL Luis!
Will be nice show, if adequate hands ofcourse. In my opinion bluffing is last chance to fight for deal, if I have real one I dont psyche only for pleasure .
Misho

[luis]

There's a tin line between a psyche and a creative bid.
If your pd overcalls and you bid a new suit with Axx and nothing else with support as a directoinal bid are you psyching or are you making a creative bid. Last time I did that I was "prosecuted" for psyching and I said I cannot be accused of psyching for bidding the only card I had. Lead directing bids are frequently tagged as psyches, I don't know if that's right or wrong.
My definition is that a Psyche is a bid that can backfire, which means put your side in a lose-lose situation. If a bid cannot lose then it's not a psyche regardless if you have the bid or not. What do you think of this definition?

[inquiry]

A true lead directing bid should never be called a psyche for goodness sake. Imagine a simple auction...

(1C)-2H-(2S*)-3D 2S=game force
???

What is 3D? Just an opportunity for them to dobule 3D or bid some game (4S or 3NT for instance?). Cleary the 3D bidder has nothing much at all. This is either a fit nonjump or simply lead directional, in either case with heart support.

Now compare that bid with this one...

(1C)-1H-(P)-2D, if you turned up with the same junky hand with heart support and a face card in diamonds as on first auction above, arguing that 2D was "lead directing" would not help much. Because 2D here is generally not thrown in for lead directing purposes, but....

1H-(DBL)-Pass-2C (where 2C showed Diamonds)
2D-(DBL)-Pass-2H

Here 2C showed diamonds, but when you retreat to 2H, it suggest the "diamond bid" was for lead directing purposes. This can be pretty much the same hand as the first auction up above. Sounds like you need new directors down there Luis. :-)

Ben

[luis]

Quote

A true lead directing bid should never be called a psyche for goodness sake. Imagine a simple auction...

(1C)-2H-(2S*)-3D 2S=game force
???

What is 3D? Just an opportunity for them to dobule 3D or bid some game (4S or 3NT for instance?). Cleary the 3D bidder has nothing much at all. This is either a fit nonjump or simply lead directional, in either case with heart support.

Now compare that bid with this one...

(1C)-1H-(P)-2D, if you turned up with the same junky hand with heart support and a face card in diamonds as on first auction above, arguing that 2D was "lead directing" would not help much. Because 2D here is generally not thrown in for lead directing purposes, but....

1H-(DBL)-Pass-2C (where 2C showed Diamonds)
2D-(DBL)-Pass-2H

Here 2C showed diamonds, but when you retreat to 2H, it suggest the "diamond bid" was for lead directing purposes. This can be pretty much the same hand as the first auction up above. Sounds like you need new directors down there Luis. :-)

Ben

I know we need directors here or at least improve the ones we have :-( But it's what we have in the third world :-( embarrasing.

[mikestar]

I once directed for a non-sanctioned bridge club at a senior center which had a house rule making psychics illegal. I ruled on a lot of allegations about psychic bids, and Luis' advance on S A x x would have been ruled a legal tactical bid and upheld as such by the LOL's on the club's governing board.

My experience is the kind of psychic bids most players get upset about are opening 1SP on a singleton or with 3 HCP.

To my mind, the only way Luis' bid could be an issue is if there is an undisclosed explict partnership agreement or it happens often enough to create an implict agreement, in which case the issue is the failure to alert, not the bid itself. (I seriously doubt either is the case here.)

[Trpltrbl]

Quote

First question: do YOU bid pass the first time, or is your partner?

1. pass (NV doesn't deliver enough)
2. pass (psychic opening)

We think alike But I wud like to know how weak the NT is on first hand, and if they open all 10 counts as weak NT or does it have to be certain types of 10 counts etc.

Mike ;D