[Phil]

All matchpoints. About 50-50 good and weak players in the field.

1. ♠Kx ♥T8xx ♦T7xx ♣K8x

w/r

pass - (pass) - 1♦ - (1♠);
dbl - (1N) - pass - (2♠);
?

2. ♠JT9xx ♥AJxx ♦xx ♣Ax

r/w

(pass) - 1♥ - (2♣) - 3♣'
(pass) - 3♦ - (3♠) - 4♥;
(4♠) - 6♦ - (pass) - ?

[G_R__E_G]

#1 seems like a clear pass to me.

#2 is really interesting. I have a policy to not bid a grand at matchpoints unless it's a really strong field or unless I can clearly count 13 tricks. This hand might be one where I violate that policy.

[pooltuna]

1) 3♦

2) 6♥

[xxhong]

I may start from 2D for the first hand.
For the second one, 7H looks good, although I may bid 5D over 4S with - KQxxxx AKQxx xx, so 6D perhaps also indicates a second round C control, like - KQxxxx AKxxxx x or - KQxxxx AKQxx Kx

Phil, on 2011-July-18, 10:32, said:

All matchpoints. About 50-50 good and weak players in the field.

1. ♠Kx ♥T8xx ♦T7xx ♣K8x

w/r

pass - (pass) - 1♦ - (1♠);
dbl - (1N) - pass - (2♠);
?

2. ♠JT9xx ♥AJxx ♦xx ♣Ax

r/w

(pass) - 1♥ - (2♣) - 3♣'
(pass) - 3♦ - (3♠) - 4♥;
(4♠) - 6♦ - (pass) - ?

[semeai]

3♦, 7♥

[nigel_k]

1. I would definitely have raised to 2♦ the first time. Now I guess to bid 3♦ or whatever I do to show a weak hand with diamond support.

2. 6♥. Maybe grand makes but I'll take my average minus and get it back by making an overtrick in 1NT on the next hand.

[the hog]

I will bid the pedestrian 3D and the pedestrian 6H.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

#1 I am bidding 3D, although pass is certainly a reasonable alternative, maybe even the wiser.
#2 6H, I have a nice hand, but I am certainly min. for my bidding, if I would be a passed hand,
you could talk me into bidding 7H.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Cyberyeti]

1. would have passed first time, not enough to X, 2♦ would have been inverted, 3♦ now.

2. Very close, what is partner's shape and what is RHO's. If partner has say void, KQxxxx, AKxxx, Kx a 5-1 diamond break will still scupper you in 7 unless the hand with one diamond also has one heart. RHO appears to have 6+ clubs (LHO didn't raise) and presumably 4+ spades, but if he only has 4 spades, I'd guess he has a 7th club so he has somewhere to go if doubled. I think the chance of bad breaks outweighs the chance of partner holding ♦Q and possibly J (could pard have bid 5♠ voidwood with solid ♦ ?), so 6♥ for me.

[rhm]

1.) 3♦.
I consider pass terrible when white at any form of scoring. Yes LHO could have a singleton ♠ and tomorrow you may be overrun by a bus. I presume that 1♦ can not be opened with 3-3 in the minors, but this is a good example why 1♦ should guarantee 4 cards in general.

2.) 6♥.

7♥ too speculative.

Rainer Herrmann

[Phil]

Here's what happened:

1) I bid 3♦. Partner held AT8x, Qx, AQJxx, xx. 3♦ was -100, 2♠ should make, but wasn't by most of the field.

2) I wanted to bid 8 with this! Partner is bidding 6 and inviting 7 opposite a hand simply accepting a game try. Along with the opps bidding, partner chose not to bid RKC, so partner is marked with a spade void. I thought: void, KQxxxx, AKQxx, xx was a certainty.

Nothing matters, and partner admits he lost his mind. However, so did the opponents, as partner's hand was x, QTxxx, AKQJxx, x. 7♥ was -200 with the heart finesse losing. 6♥ gets the same MPs.

4♠ is very expensive, but I can't see how we are going to defend that at these colors. RHO was 4=1=1=7.

[whereagles]

1. ♠Kx ♥T8xx ♦T7xx ♣K8x w/r

pass - (pass) - 1♦ - (1♠);
dbl - (1N) - pass - (2♠);
?

3♦. Looks like a no-brainer. What am I missing? (Ok, 2NT if you're playing lebensohl here.)


2. ♠JT9xx ♥AJxx ♦xx ♣Ax r/w

(pass) - 1♥ - (2♣) - 3♣'
(pass) - 3♦ - (3♠) - 4♥;
(4♠) - 6♦ - (pass) - ?

Not had to see pard with something like

Ax
KQxxx
AKQxx
x

Without the spade ace he'd probably bid a mere 5♦ over 4♠, so I think there's a good case for jumping this to 7. Still, I would stick to 6 only because a) pard need not be so strong (he could have tried 5♠ over 4 with a monster like this) and b) diamonds/hearts may not break well. For instance, 4-2 diams and 3-1 hearts sort of jeapordize 7.

[Zelandakh]

Did you misread auction two eagle? Can the opps really be saccing in 4S on a 6 card fit?

[whereagles]

Yeah I missed something. As in, I forgot the shape I had