From: geppo@spot.wustl.edu (Giuseppe Bianchi)
Subject: Re: Problems from Portland
Keywords: Just two fewer mistakes...
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis MO
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 19:59:19 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.230024.2100@rayssd.ssd.ray.com> sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Steve Myerson) writes:
>1. None vul. East dealer. You are West: AJ9542, T, Q7, AT32
>
>West   North   East   South
>               pass   pass
>1S-1   1N-2    pass   2D       1. 11-15 HCP, at least 4 spades
>pass   2H      (all pass)      2. 15-17
>
>After West passed, South announced that there had been
>a failure to alert, and that 2D was a transfer to 2H.
>The director then permitted West to take back his final
>pass if he wished.  What do you do?

I'd have opened 2S immediately, thus I'd say 2S now. With nobody
vulnerable I expect 2H to be a bottom for us, while 2S (down?) to be
an average board.

My only concern is that, after the failure to alert and the pass already said, 
opponents can find out a double. But. again, why didn't you open 2S? Your
life could have been *much* simpler!


>2. Both vul. South dealer. You are East: T74, KJ52, K7, Q975
>
>West   North   East   South
>                      1D-1     1. Shows at least 4
>dbl    1S      dbl-2  1N       2. Responsive, 6-9 HCP
>pass   5D      ?
>
>Your call.

pass. What else?




>3. NS vul. West dealer. You are West: Q863, J63, 632, AQ6
>
>West   North   East   South
>pass   1C      2N-1   3H       1. 6-12 HCP, at least 4 spades and 4 diamonds
>3S     4H      pass   pass        with at least 9 cards total in the 2 suits
>?
>
>Your call.

I've already said everything with my free bid in spades. Thus Pass is
absolutely right.



>4. Both vul. South dealer. You are North: QJ95, T97, AKT762, void
>
>West   North   East   South
>                      1S-1     1. 11-15 HCP, at least 4 spades
>pass   2C-2    2H     pass-*   2. artificial, forcing to game
>3H     ?                          opener may not pass short of game
>                                  2C bidder may pass short of game on misfit
>
>* - To help with the bidding system:
>
>  double - would be for penalties
>  2S - would show 5
>  2N - would show a heart stopper
>  3m - better than minimum opening plus a suit
>
>so the pass says only 4 spades, no heart suit or decent stopper,
>not a distributional hand, and on the low end of the HCP range (11-13).
>In other words, your basic garbage balanced opener with 4 spades.

Difficult hand. can be an easy six with Qx diamonds and stiff heart,
as it can be a difficult 4. Everything depends on the kind of hand that
partner has. Thus why don't give him the possibility to tell something more?

Thus PASS (of course it *must* be forcing!). And if you want me to
necessarily bid (because, for example, your agreement is that pass now shows
clubs), the only alternative is an awful 4S.


>
>5. NS vul. East dealer. You are South: 9, J4, AK7654, JT94
>
>West   North   East   South
>               pass   ?
>
>Do you preempt or not?

I open 2D, if you call this a preempt. I know this is not the perfect 
second seat weak two opening, but I think a 2D bid is the best way to
describe my hand. Those are my considerations:

1) I have all the strenght in diamond, and this is what you expect from a 
   second seat weak two opening.

2) I'm absolutely scared for what can happen after my partner opens 1S,
   my 1NT and his rebid of 2/3 H/S. How can I describe my hand?
   better anticipate the description of my hand with 2D, now!.

3) It is a *diamond* opening! This is usually much simpler to handle when
   partner has a strong hand than, say, 2S.

4) and in the case of very strong 3rd hand, at least I gave in advance 
   useful infos to my partner (lead, possible defence).

I think that these advantages fully compensate the drawbacks of having
awful diamond spots and JT9x in clubs.

BTW: Just an info for eventual future flames: I wouldn't open 
     AK7654, xx, x, JT9x in 2nd seat. In this case the item (2) - and (3) - 
     are no more effective: I can bid spades at the one level on
     all the possible openings of partner and further redescribe easily my 
     hand.
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