[jchiu]

East opens 1♦. State your line(s).

Scoring: IMP

---

[helene_t]

3N looks as having more than 50% chance. If North declares, I think I have tempo to duck two spade tricks. Then test spades for 3-3 and if that doesn't happen, try the clubs.

Oops this doesn't work with a heart lead.

[Apollo81]

I would want to be in 3NT by North on

(1♦)-X-(p)-1♠
(p)-2♠-(p)-3NT

I think this has excellent chances. If you want a line of play then give us the declarer and opening lead.

[dcvetkov]

It certainly has very good chances. i expect heart finesse to win, West should be broke, so declarer may not matter, but I still prefer North to be declarer.

I can foresee an endplay on East in diamonds, if we manage to extract him from exit cards.

[jdonn]

Are you asking for an auction or a contract preference?

I can almost not imagine any auction but

DBL 2♠
3♦ 3NT

Which is also the contract I want to play.

Sorry Noble I think your auction is nuts. 1♠?? 2♠??

[Apollo81]

Well, if North had a small diamond instead of the ♦J, 2♠ would be insane. Thus it's close.

You don't think South's hand is worth a bid over 1♠? If you don't want to pass, I don't see many good choices.

[jdonn]

Apollo81, on Apr 22 2008, 02:10 PM, said:

Well, if North had a small diamond instead of the ♦J, 2♠ would be insane.

One man's insane is another man's obvious. What do you think 2♠ shows?

Quote

You don't think South's hand is worth a bid over 1♠?

Nope, although I'll grant you are consistent. Partner denied enough for game and the support is xxx, bidding would be very undisciplined.

[Apollo81]

jdonn, on Apr 22 2008, 04:00 PM, said:

Apollo81, on Apr 22 2008, 02:10 PM, said:

Well, if North had a small diamond instead of the ♦J, 2♠ would be insane.

One man's insane is another man's obvious. What do you think 2♠ shows?

Quote

You don't think South's hand is worth a bid over 1♠?

Nope, although I'll grant you are consistent. Partner denied enough for game and the support is xxx, bidding would be very undisciplined.

For lack of a more precise definition a hand worth 10-12 "total points" upgrading liberally, so arguably I should be bidding 2♠ with the OP hand. I don't think a balanced 9 count with only 4 spades, no spots whatsoever, and a poorly placed ♦K is appropriate for that 2♠ call.

[jdonn]

This is all I can find online on the topic, though many websites are blocked where I work. Emphasises (Emphases?) added are all mine

Karen Walker's website: 8+-11 pts. -- Jump a level in your longest suit to show strength (1H - DBL - Pass - 2S, 3C or 3D).

Bridge World Standard. A noncompetitive raise of a noncompetitive one-level advance of a takeout double indicates four-card support and approximately a four-HCP range beginning one ace above a minimum double.

[Apollo81]

Ok so that range is 1 point lighter than I said. I guess I make takeout doubles a little more liberally than normal. I would bid 2♠ with Axxxx xx xxx Axx, but this is a WAY better hand than the 9 count we're talking about. Also I guess 12 hcp + no spots + only 4 cards in the major + non-working HCP in their suit is a normal game force? That seems weird to me.

As for the BWS comment, it seems strange that one would raise with a 4414 14-HCP hand but pass with a 17-count. At least I think the OP hand is certainly an Ace better than a minimum takeout double with 3424 shape. Anyway change the ♥Q to a jack and I agree it's a pass.

[kenrexford]

My auction:

1♦-1NT-P-2♣
P-2♥-P-3NT-all pass

I like the contract.

I expect a diamond lead. So, I win in hand to play a club to the Queen. I hook the heart, expecting that to win. If that fails, I give up. At this point, I have insufficient data. I want to know what happened in diamonds as far as pips. I want to be able to duck a spade now, but I am not sure what is going on in diamonds.

If I get a spade lead, I duck up to twice, if they let me, before doing all of this. If I get a heart lead, I duck a spade immediately after winning as cheaply as I can. Same with a club lead.

The issue is what happens with diamonds. If I received a diamond lead of the 10, 9, or 8, I will have covered it with the Jack-Queen-Ace, presumably. Now, when I duck a spade, even if LHO wins this tricks, a second diamond will not be devastating. If it is a small diamond, I duck to my 6 and still have RHO blocked from leading that suit again, which enables some endplay or squeeze possibilities. If it is higher than the 6, smothering the 6, I can cover and mainain some positional advantage.

If the initial lead was a diamond smaller than the 8, presumably the 10, 9, or 8 from RHO forced my Ace. I don't like this as much. If that happens, I think that, after winning the heart Queen, I will cross to the spade Ace to lead another heart toward my hand. If RHO has to play the King, I duck for intuitive reasons. If small, I win the Ace and hope the clubs come in. If they do not, I exit with a heart and hope RHO was really squeezed or failed to jettison some things early on (like the heart King) to avoid a throw-in.

Something like that.

[TimG]

What's "GMAT"?

[Mbodell]

TimG, on Apr 22 2008, 07:14 PM, said:

What's "GMAT"?

GMAT is the business school standardized test in the US. Like the SAT but for post-undergrad students. GMAT = Graduate Management Admission Test and SAT used to be the Scholastic Assessment Test but now is just a word all of its own.

There was a thread on r.g.b about developing standardized tests to tell people's level rather than the self-styled experts or advanced players that people complain about. Sample questions included a wide variety of subject matters such as what is a reverse, is this bid forcing, etc. so I assume this is a sample question that the OP thought would be good for this type of test.

[Echognome]

Mbodell, on Apr 22 2008, 04:54 PM, said:

There was a thread on r.g.b about developing standardized tests to tell people's level rather than the self-styled experts or advanced players that people complain about. Sample questions included a wide variety of subject matters such as what is a reverse, is this bid forcing, etc. so I assume this is a sample question that the OP thought would be good for this type of test.

Actually I'm sure he wrote GMAT Question because he phrased the poll to mimick the style of answers you find on the Data Sufficiency portion of the GMAT exam. I wouldn't read anything further into it than that.