Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - wackojack

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 ... 25
31
Sleight of Hand / iac v acol hand 7 1st set: opinions please
« on: September 05, 2022, 11:08:20 AM »
All vul I was the dealer and passed
 !S K9542
 !H Q72
 !D K
 !C J862

Then:
1 !D - (1 !H) - 3 !D - (?)
I was tempted to compete to 3 !H. Then I decided that this could easily go 2 off if partner has made the 1 level overcall on no more than  !H AKxxx and an outsde ace.
So I passed. Then it went:
1 !D - (1 !H) - 3 !D - (pass)
pass - (3 !H) - pass - (?)
I think that I should have bitten the bullet and raised to 4 !H.  Instead I passed because I was obsessed by partner's failure to double. 

First of all what would a double here be showing?  To my mind a double here is a "power double)  It is saying:  Partner I have maximum strength for my overcall and if you do not have support for my hearts we could have a good penalty.  And if you do have support for my hearts then if you have  just a few points we are likley to have game in hearts. 

Partner's hand was:
!S  A86
 !H K98643
 !D A84
 !C A
As can be seen 4 !H is an excellent contract and is made easily.  I apologised to partner for being chicken.  Nevertheless, is partner's rebid of 3 !H the best bid?  Had the heart suit been only a 5 carder I think that there is no question that the power double is better.  Partner's broken 6 card suit is very risky to overcall at the 3 level vulnerable and maybe double would still have been a better bid as it gives me more options.

Of course had partner doubled, then with 3 card support I would obviously raise to 4 !H.

Opinions please?

32
The IAC Café / Re: IAC vs ACOL - Challenge #7 Sunday September 4th
« on: September 01, 2022, 06:40:06 PM »
last minute re-aarangement confirmed

Later slot: 1900 UTC
TEAM: 7NT
CAPTAIN: Wackojack
CCR3 & Wackojack
Masse24 & YleeXotee

have e maiked Sanya

33
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 October MSC
« on: August 31, 2022, 12:20:45 PM »
SOLUTIONS FOR:
Jack Goody
Guildford
England

PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: 4 Spades
PROBLEM C: Pass
PROBLEM D: Double
PROBLEM E: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM G: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Club Ace

34
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 October MSC
« on: August 30, 2022, 11:27:44 AM »
A: Pass
I take partner to have 6 hearts and likley one spade.  This leaves 4 card in the minors.  Most likley 1 !D +3 !C.  If partner does have 2 diamonds, then 3 !D could be a better contract than 2 !H, but I would not bet on that.  Pass looks the best bet.

B: 4 !S
Partner could have only 3 spades which might make a contract of 4 !S problematical.  However, in 3NT can I expect my J !C to be a stop?  A lot depends on how many clubs does the 3 !C pre-empt have.  The modern tendency is for a 6 card pre-empt not vul to be commonplace.  If the pre-empt is from 6 cards, that increases the liklihood that then partner has a doubleto club.  But it still looks odds-on that partner has only a singleton in which case my J !C will get swallowed up. 

I am therefore inclined to give my partner close to the "ideal" take-out double.   !S AKxx,   !H Kxxx,   !D Kxxx,    !C x where 4 !S looks excellent.  Take away one low spade from partner's hand and make it a diamond, then 4 !S still looks like a decent contract when spades break 4-1.  So I go for 4 !S

C: Pass

I have 17HCP and I would expect the 3 !S pre-empt to have on average 8HCP.  Partner will therefor on average have 7 or 8 HCP.  I cannot construct a hand where 3N will make when partner has 7 and fewer than 3 spades.  Even if partner has 5 hearts I cannot construct a hand where  !H is a decent contract.

D: Double

With those hearts Michaels does not tempt me.  Double

E: 2 !C

Question:  What does the 1 !S bid show?  BWS says:

"A new-suit bid by an unpassed advancer is natural and nonforcing.  (Then: a cue-bid by intervenor is artificial and neither shows nor denies a primary fit for advancer's suit.) A new-suit jump is invitational. "

I hate that treatment but we have to live with it here.  It  tends to suggest that partner is betting that a spade contract is better than a heart contract. However, I have a strong overcall and so I am taking a slight risk (of partner's bid really being a rescue) and cue bid 2 !C to get some clarification from partner.   


F:3 !C

I have a very good 14.  What can I expect from partner's 2 !S bid.  I think 5+ spades, just possible 4 diamonds, just possible 4 hearts and just possible a stop in clubs but of course not all of these.  Crucially partner did not make a take-out double showing at least 4-3 in the majors and did not cue showing a good  diamond raise. I need clarification and think I am strong enough to bid 3 !C.  In this position it is asking partner to bid 3NT with a club stop.  With no club stop and 4 hearts partner could bid 3 !H otherwise will have to support diamonds possibly with a 3 card suit. 

Very awkward but better than the distortion of bidding a 4 card minor suit twice. 

G: 3 !D

I need to make a game force and my spades are not even good enough to rebid a non forcing 3 !S.  I will go for the game forcing 3 !D.  Partner will certainly bid 3 !S with 3 of them and bid 3 !H with a heart suit.  Then I bid 4 !S or 3NT respectively. 

H: A !C

Declarer has 11 tricks off the top: 4 !S +2 !H + 5  !D.  If dummy has 6 diamonds then 12 off the top and I have to make 4 discards on the diamonds.  Discarding a spade gives a trick and discarding 2 hearts give 2 extra tricks.  If the declarer is an expert I expect him to make 13 tricks unless I take my A !C at trick 1.

 

35
The IAC Café / Re: IAC vs ACOL - Challenge #7 Sunday September 4th
« on: August 29, 2022, 08:48:18 PM »
I have finally got confirmation that I have a team.

Later slot: 1900 UTC
TEAM: 7NT
CAPTAIN: Wackojack
Veeree & Wackojack
Masse24 & CCR3

Will email Sanya now

EDIT: Thanks Jack, your team is registered - Sanya

36
The IAC Café / Re: IAC vs ACOL - Challenge #6 Sunday August 7th
« on: August 08, 2022, 02:24:43 PM »
I have to say that I have sympathy with the bidding and I might have done the same with both hands. These are my later thoughts:
Game all West opens 2 !C
 !S A102
 !H 763
 !D A10
 !C AJ832

S: QJ64
H: 85
D: K852
C: KQ9

Double?  Intuitively this has to be showing a club suit.  If opener has strong 2 !C it is only a lead director if East becomes declarer which is very unlikley. It does not have a 4 card major and so there appears no advantage to letting 2 !D by East to be passed around to you.  So a double is likley to be saying "I have a hand that wants to compete so worth an opening bid and likely no 4 card major and certainly not 4-3(4)  in the majors"  North has a good 13 points with 5 clubs and 3-3 in the majors and so qualifies for a double.
Pass and wait?  No because you cannot double 2 !D and cannot compete at the 3 level.

Round to South after 2 !C-(dbl) - ?
2NT?  A balance 11 count with no aces? I partner has 5 clubs and 12 or so points 8 tricks may be all we can take.
3NT?  If partner has 6 clubs missing the K and Q and 12 or so points we could easily have 9 tricks. 

A finely balanced decision. Alas 3NT was the losing decision losing us the match.  As at our table partner's weak 2 !D opening bid was passed out going 1 off.  Beating par but losing 5 imps and thus the match. 

37
The IAC Café / Re: IAC vs ACOL - Challenge #6 Sunday August 7th
« on: August 08, 2022, 08:54:16 AM »
Good Acol weak no trump players have a well rehearsed run out to a penalty double.  It is similar in many ways to the Coyote run out but somewhat simpler.  See Halmic or Helvic on their convention card. 
 https://www.bridgewebs.com/porthcawl/HALMIC%20DEFENCE%20TO%201NT%20DOUBLED.htm
https://www.bridgewebs.com/northfield/Helvic%20-%20one%20no%20trump%20doubled.pdf

One of the good things about theese challenge matches from the iac pov is the exposure that iac players get to unfamiliar bidding situations.

Another situation that we in iac would do well to have experience of is the 2 way 2 club opening bid which is popular this side of the pond and is banned? on the other side.  A 2C opening bid is either a weak 2 in diamonds or a normal strong artificial 2C that we are all familiar with.  Partner of the 2C open is obliged to respond 2D (unless very very strong)  and opener passes if it is a weak 2D or continues bidding if strong.  We lost out when it came up at the other table in our match.

You may ask what advantage (besides its anfamiliarity) does this convention give? 
Answer:  It releases an opening of 2D to be used for other purposes. Usually in my experience:
2D = A weak 2 in a major
2M = weak with a 5card major and 4 plus cards in an unspecified minor.  (Officially called Muiderberg or Dutch 2 or sometimes erroniously called  a Lucas 2)     

38
The IAC Café / Re: IAC vs ACOL - Challenge #6 Sunday August 7th
« on: August 05, 2022, 04:57:09 PM »
I have now completed a BBO cc for Todd and I. Playing 2/1 UDCA
I note that there is little room for detail.   

39
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 September MSC
« on: July 30, 2022, 02:05:30 PM »
SOLUTIONS FOR:
Jack Goody

Guildford
England

PROBLEM A: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 4 Spades
PROBLEM E: 4 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM G: Pass
PROBLEM H: Heart 8

40
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 September MSC
« on: July 30, 2022, 01:56:36 PM »
A:  3 !D Going with BWS hint

B: 2 !C  Someone will bid 2 !H

C: 2 !H support with support.  OK I take the risk that partner has a min opener with 4432 distribution.

D: I will give up the slam possibility and just bid 4 !S

E: 4 !C forcing

F:  3 !D Initially choes double.  Reconsidering:  better to show with 3 !D rather than ask with a double.

G: Pass.  I will come in if conditions favourable

H: 8 !H.  Looks like west is 4414 and East maybe 4252.  I don’t like leading a doubleton ♥ but this looks least likely to give away a trick

41
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 September MSC
« on: July 26, 2022, 10:20:18 AM »
First Thoughts

A:  This one completely floors me

B: This one floors me too

C: 2 !H support with support.  OK I take the risk that partner has a min opener with 4432 distribution. 

D: I will give up the slam possibility and just bid 4 !S

E: 4 !C forcing

F:  Double.  If partner bids 3♣ I will give delayed support with 3♠ not forcing.

G: Pass.  I will come in if conditions favourable

H: 8 !H.  Looks like west is 4414 and East maybe 4252.  I don’t like leading a doubleton ♥ but this looks least likely to give away a trick


42
The IAC Café / Re: IAC vs ACOL - Challenge #6 Sunday August 7th
« on: July 25, 2022, 08:48:53 AM »
OK I will email Sanya officially our registration.

Team:  The Wacko's
Captain: Wackojack
CCR3 + Kenberg
Masse24+ Wackojack

Apologies to Vee who approached me later to play in the team and had to reject. 

Knowing that there are others who are interested in playing I hope Vee can make up another team.  Alternatively I am happy to play also in the earlier slot to make up a team if necessary.

43
Sleight of Hand / Re: Shape, LOTT, all that jazz
« on: July 16, 2022, 07:30:18 PM »
Quote from: kenberg on July 09, 2022, 02:02:25 PM
The problem with opening it 2S is not that I am worried, or not terribly worried, that I will be playing 2S off a few but rather I worry that partner will expect, or at least hope for, more with my vul opening and compete at too high a level, as happened at the other table.

So, first round,  I just passed,

Rest assured Ken.  If my partner opens a weak 2 then I will believe it to be a weak 2.  Ofcourse if my partner happened to open the weak 2 with a 10 count and we had game on I would be very annoyed that partner opened a weak 2 with a 10 count. 
A weak 2 is a weak 2 and therefore not a 10 count in my book. 

Had you opened 2 !S I think I would have passed with the good heart suit.  Had opps then doubled and bid 3 !D I would have taken that as a likeley 9 card fit and so competed with a LAW raise to 3 !S.  No way would I be tempted to go to 4 !S.


44
The IAC Café / Re: IAC vs ACOL - Challenge #5 Sunday July 3rd
« on: July 16, 2022, 06:39:20 PM »
A quicky Ken.

 I went to the island of Samos where lived Pythogoras, Aesop, and my hero Aristarchus.

Aristarchus of Samos was born in 310BC and was the first recorded human giving the heliocentric model that placed the sun at the centre of the known universe.  Sadly he was ignored by the bigwigs of Athens and Rome (Ptolemy et al who refused to give up the geocentric view) Ptolemy went through ridiculous contortions to explain the retrograde motion of the planets that the heliocentric view explains easily.  He spent a large part of his life producing the Almagest a huge work on Astrology.  Even today so many still believe in the Astrology the basis of the Almagest . 

It took another 1800 years or so for Copernicus to take on the heliocentric model.  Amazing that Aristarchus idea took so long to be accepted.   

45
The IAC Café / Re: IAC vs ACOL - Challenge #5 Sunday July 3rd
« on: July 16, 2022, 10:37:49 AM »
Just back from Greece and on my computer again.

Thanks Ken, Todd and Joe for making up the team. 
Apologies to Sanya and Acol Club for the unavoidable late registration of my team.  Nevertheless  I suppose better late than never.

Re B1.  As Ken said we play MultiLandy and I am not sure we were on the same page on this board if Ken says that double is a relay to 3 !C.
Without researching further my understanding is that the double of a weak no trump is for penalties.  This has to be because a penalty double is needed unlike the strong no trump where double shows a hand that wants to compete with 4M 5+m.

My hand was:
 !S A75
 !H 106432
 !D J54
 !C J10
Since a penalty double of a weak no trump needs about 15+ or 7+ tricks off the top, my 6 count looked good to let the double stand.  Whe RHO bid 4 !S strictly I should have doubled for penalties  However, the uncertainty of our agreement made me coutiously pass and Ken understandably bid 5 !C making.

The issue here is "were the opponents misled by Ken's alert albeit in good faith?"
Now I am looking at the convention card that ken posted and I note that there is no weak no trump variation.  So ken's alert was accoring to his cc and even though it was not what I thought, that is irrelavent.

There is an other issue however.  That is I am not allowed to refer to the posted convention card and I didn't.  So even though there was a misunderstanding between me and Ken we did not break any rules.  Had I coverltly looked at our cc during the auction I would have been cheating.     

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 ... 25