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Messages - hoki

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16
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 October MSC
« on: August 24, 2022, 10:16:36 AM »
3♦ - showing extras plus a real diamond suit.

4♠ - hoping that East can't overruff dummy in clubs.

Pass.

Dble - keeps all suits in the game and the level lower.


2♣ - neither 3H nor 2NT would have occurred to me.

3♦.

3♠ - not strong enough for a jump shift which is GF.

♠10 - surely declarer can not make more than four spade tricks.

17
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 August MSC
« on: June 23, 2022, 11:32:05 AM »
A - 4♠, offering game in our 5-2 fit in the hope that pard's extra points
include a more robust suit than K-x-x-x-x.

B - 3♠, the suit could be worse.

C - 3♣, I can't say any of the alternatives hold any appeal.

D - 2♣, am I really supposed to double or, even worse, pass?

E - 4♥, isn't that what I want to play?

F - double, responsive, but if I'm told that is penalty (horrors) I'd have to put my thinking cap on.

G - double, "negative", most flexible option surely.

H - ♦7, when leading trumps always lead your lowest, they say.

18
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 JULY MSC
« on: May 25, 2022, 10:25:01 AM »
A 4♠, otherwise Jock's 6♣ is fine.

B  3NT, I'll take down one since there's no guarantee that 4♠ or 5♦ will make either.

C  3NT, but could easily live with Jock's false preference of 3♦.

D  6♠, lacking the science to explore for a grand slam.

E  1NT and if that's not forcing I quit.

F  3NT, on such a distributional hand there's no guarantee we can defeat 4♠ so we need to come up
with something to put West off track - either this or 5♣.

G  4NT, hopefully keycard but BWS might well have something less obvious in mind.

H  ♣3, being a simple soul.

19
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 June MSC
« on: April 29, 2022, 08:12:51 PM »
A - double and 1NT over 1S; plus 90 is better than minus 70, Jock;
B - double,  pard is a passed hand, so I see this is a partscore deal;
C - 3H, purely competitive with many alternatives if wanting to invite game;
D - double but strongly disagree with the first double, 1NT being perfect;
E - pass;
F - 2S, not strong enough for double and then 3S;
G - 3D, I always thought that a reverse while not GF promises another bid;
H - S6, the singleton club looks far too dangerous to me.

20
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 MAY MSC
« on: March 22, 2022, 11:40:53 AM »
Agree with A, C, and D and offer the following alternatives on the others:
B = Pass and rely on any opportunity to balance later;
E = agree with double;
F = 2NT will take the hint for a change (the hand is nowhere near strong enough to force to game with 2C initially);
G = 4C to torture partner and probably 6S next time;
H = C2 (but H6 if I felt RHO held only four hearts).

21
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 April MSC
« on: February 22, 2022, 07:47:33 AM »
Being stubborn, I'd rather make the bids I can stand to rather than the
bids that score well on the MSC panel, so of course I'm going to ignore
the hints and all the slam moves where nothing is clear, like 4♠ on A; 3♥
on B (so I won't have the headache of deciding what to do if pard bids
5♦ in response to my double - my partners do that but no MSC panellist
ever would); 5♦ on C which rates to go down less than 3NT where my
pard can't stop clubs more than once if that; and 3NT on D, a pure guessing
situation.

On E the old school to which I belonged always claimed that if we are fixed
we stay fixed - so I pass when today's world always takes a view with half
gaining on me and the other half paying out.

I'll be in a minority of one no doubt with making the book bid of 2♦ on F.

G: 2♠, having run out of arguments by now.

H: ♣7, really what else? How can a diamond ever be right?

Oliver

22
The IAC Café / Re: How about challenging the Acol club to a teams match?
« on: February 18, 2022, 09:24:25 PM »
Am happy to make myself available ... to play with anyone,
Todd, Joe, Donna, Dima, Ken, Dmitry, whoever.

Oliver

23
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 March MSC
« on: January 28, 2022, 06:17:57 AM »
A 4♣, with less I'd try and sign off in a major; this allows pard to bid four
of a major while inviting 5♣.

B 3♥, it's not inconceivable that the opponents can make their contract
if partner is balancing aggressively with a diamond singleton or void.

C 2♠, we are far too strong to sign off in game, so I'm going slowly
but have no idea how the auction will actually proceed but I can certainly follow up
with a club cue bid later - and if that is going to torture partner, then so be it.

D Pass, I would normally double but BWS's modern system doesn't allow
us to make this most flexible of bids.

E Pass, my hand made a minimum response and opener's jump is clearly
based on a distributional hand. I don't have more than what I said.

F 3♣, maybe I'm overlooking something but this looks to be obvious.

G 3♥, doing what pard asked for.

H ♦10, pretty much by elimination.

24
Sleight of Hand / Re: In 4th seat would you open 1NT or 1 of a suit?
« on: January 28, 2022, 05:58:29 AM »
For me I don't think the seat matters. Even in first seat I have nothing
against opening 1C and then rebidding 1H over 1D, raising 1H to 3H,
raising 1S to 2S (a slight underbid), and raising 1NT to 2NT (a slight
overbid). Also, I have nothing against opening 1NT and that would
apply in any seat.

Sorry but somehow I doubt that the above will be of any used to you, lol

Oliver

25
Sleight of Hand / Re: Are there different meanings to an immediate double of a 5 level bid?
« on: January 28, 2022, 05:53:46 AM »
Pass - 3D - 3S - 5D
?
I prefer a double here to be takeout, length in the two unbid suits
and some spade tolerance. With the actual hand I would pass and
hope for a plus score, maybe glad that we're not in 4S since I have
only a singleton spade. The "theory" is that when the opponents
preempt the bidding it is more useful to say "I have a little something
and maybe we can make something at the five level" - rather than to
increase a +50 score to +100.

I'm not sure about the second part of the question:
Pass - 1D - 1S (?) - 5D
?
While I still prefer a double to be for takeout if partner could only
overcall at the one level maybe you could make a case for double to
be penalty. To be consistent and unless I'd discussed it with pard I'd
stick with takeout. If pard has no defence and declarer ends up with
only one diamond loser why do I think we can defeat 5D with my actual
hand, as provided?

Hope that helps,
Oliver

26
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 FEBRUARY MSC
« on: December 29, 2021, 07:11:54 AM »
Thanks. On problem D I'm bidding 4D (think I might
have overlooked partner's double - but passing is
too risky at IMP scoring).

27
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 FEBRUARY MSC
« on: December 27, 2021, 10:35:03 PM »
WTP  =  ?  please/sorry

28
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 FEBRUARY MSC
« on: December 27, 2021, 04:42:43 AM »
Quote from: blubayou on December 24, 2021, 11:31:13 AM
A:  Splinter,  looking for Axxx, Kx, Axx, xxxx dummy, since we can easily end in 4 !S  if it's not "Christmas"
Okay, I'll go along with 4♣ as a splinter bid since it doesn't cost and we can still
come to roost in 4♠.


B:  2!S
I prefer the equally sick 2♣, preferring to play in a 5-1 fit than a 4-2 fit.


C:  Was so happy to leave in 1S X I can't resist declaring in  !S  now.
Double. Do you think opener psyched the 1♠ bid?


D:  So, they have AJxxxx and Kxx trumps; where will they find 3 more tricks if we can make 4-something? pass
Pass. With the spade queen a potentially worthless value I'm reluctant
to show any encouragement - and the hand is too flat to try for 4♦.


E:  Easy pass, and they didn't ask, "Will you leave in a reopening double?"   [ yes I will ]
Pass is not forcing, so partner is not obliged to bid again. Hence I double.


F:  Double,  THEN if partner squeaks " !H " off to 3NT
What if partner squeaks 4♥? Now 4NT is surely keycard and 5♦ is a
control bid. Nope, I'll probably settle for 5♦.


G:  Partner skipped probing in  !D s,  so 3NT despite wide open spades here  (WHY did I bother to show clubs in the first place, you might well ask.  ;D )
Here's my take, but I can understand J's point: 3♣ shows a club suit (in
addition to one four-card major) and partner's 3♥ bid is a control bid,
showing club support. So I bid 3♠ to show first or second round control
in spades - with slam interest in clubs.


H:  "Take a peek"  still looks ok 3 weeks later --  !D Ace
Partner doesn't seem to have much at all, so I look for a passive
lead: the three of spades.

29
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 JANUARY MSC
« on: November 26, 2021, 07:30:11 AM »
Thanks for your comments Jock and thanks for listening to my comments.
So if 3♦ is forcing on E, can I bid 3NT?  Any other bid would seem to show
diamond support with slam interest - and I have neither four-card diamond
support nor slam interest with my absolute minimum. Or is partner fishing
for a three-card major in which case I should bid 3♠.

This would not be the first time that I find BWS cumbersome. If a transfer
followed by a new-suit bid is game-forcing with slam interest, I agree with
you that Stayman followed by a new-suit bid should be treated likewise.

Btw, I think you've got E (Stayman + minor) and F (dubious queen) the
other way around.

30
IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2022 JANUARY MSC
« on: November 23, 2021, 04:27:49 AM »
A 3♥.  Partner has made a two-level overcall vulnerable. I would not fault my partner
for looking elsewhere for partners if I passed a perfectly respectable 11-count.

B  3♠

C  4♠

D  1NT

E  changed to 3NT (thanks to Jock)

F  2♥, okay my diamond jack is worth a point, but I look askance at my lone queen.

G  3NT, but I accept the argument that we probably make only eight tricks.
I'm really rather now wishing that I'd passed this aceless collection unless my
partner is aware that I sometimes open trashy hands.

H  ♠J - someone asked to be talked out of leading the king, so I'll try. The
worst scenario that I can think of is Q-x-x with declarer and A-x with partner.
How sick would that make you feel, partner rightly unblocking the ace and
returning your suit?


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