[wclass___]

I want to share my experience with some boards i saw in vugraph. Maybe you have something to add for discussion.

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Lauria-Versace were the only ones who didn't get to 4♥ despite 2 pairs opening this in 3♣. The bidding [P]- pass - [1♦] wasn't a popular one and repeated only once, but East (Balicki) found a 1♠ in the same situation. Would you have found it?

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I think this was an interesting deal both system and judgement wise. I don't know what 2NT meant, but double was presumably was some good ♠ raise. There was only one other pair who X-ed. It was already mentioned Balicki - Zmudzinski who had the same auction, but they ended up in 3♠, but it was still +6 IMPs. Most other pairs who bid 2N or 3♥ (Like Helgemo - Helness) ended up in 4♠-1. Some went went for more cautions immediate 2♠ (like Wijs - Muller and Nystrom - Upmark). I remember reading about this auction in Revision club and author gave quite good arguments why X should be some ♠ raise, interesting why other pairs haven't adopted the same treatment..

Let it be 3.

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North basically has 12-14 balanced. In other tables bidding started also with 1N and 1♦. Helgemo-Helness faced auction in diagram and passed in tempo. Balicki faced [1♦] - 1♠ - [4♥] and doubled. At least one other pair faced [1♣]- 1♠ - [4♥] and bid 4♠. How do you plan to handle this hand?

[han]

1. I like the 1S reopening, especially as a passed hand. I'm short in diamonds so I'd like to compete. Being 5-4 in the majors the chance of pushing them to a game is small. To be honest the reason for bidding 1S is not the fear of missing a game.

2. I know people who double here with invitational 3-card raises but the double does not show 3-card support. Maybe it is good to play the double as a good 3-card raise though, but you'd be stuck on some other hands. The 3NT bid looks pushy but good.

3. This is a very uncomfortable situation, and I would have been in it as well. It's a crap shoot between pass and 4S, I would never double. 4S feels wrong.

[ahydra]

I cannot understand Pass as west AT ALL on the first one. You have a clear 1NT or X-then-1NT, surely?

Second one - if playing 2NT in competition as takeout then X here makes sense as a spade raise since you "no longer need a responsive X" (in basic systems the X here is normally something like Ax xxx Kxxx Qxxx, is it not?). But the real issue of getting too high if West shows a good spade raise suggests that perhaps in these days of light 1-level overcalls, perhaps you need a bit more than a 5332 with ropey 5-card suit to make the bid? Or maybe East should take it easy with his 5332 and ropey trumps, I don't know.

Third one - do you mean (1D)-1S-(4H)-p; p-? To be honest I think I'll just bid 4S anyway - 4H may well make, but regardless of whether or does it not 4S rates to be cheap (if it's even down).

ahydra

[billw55]

I am also surprised by west's pass over 1♦ on the first hand. I hesitate to second guess Lauria or Versace, but I admit looking at just the hand I would rate x, 1NT, or 1♥ above pass.

[Codo]

1. As Lauria Versace outplay and outbid us by far, they will have their reasons. I try to guess:
If East shows a strong NT, his most likely score will be 2 spade after a transfer sequence or 1 NT. Will this outscore 1 Diamond - 2 if West - who surely has short diamonds- is unable to enter the bidding? But if he passes, a lot of good things can happen- they can still reach game, they can reach 1♦ doubled....

And West may has other standards for a reopening then some posters here. So I guess we should overthink our standards...

Board 7: Great performance by e/w.

Last hand: I may had doubled after (1 ♣) 1 ♠ (4 ♥) pass (pass) but not now.

[quiddity]

On the second one I thought it was a common trick to overload the responsive double to show a balanced 3-card limit raise.
On the third, is this hand too strong to preempt after the opponents open the bidding?

[mcphee]

Not fond of passing 1D. The 2 bids of choice for me are 1N and 1H. Should I happen to end up defending S a H is the lead I want to see. I think the 1H o/c has the most going for it.

Double is t/o and is responsive in nature and best by a long shot as there are all sort of weaker hands that would bid 2S.

I would hate to have this 3rd hand early in a match. The colors are teasing me between 1S and a heavy 2S over the club opening. I would usually bid 1S, pass there after.