Conference turris::bridge

    #1.  First of all, a 4th seat preempt is NOT to preempt. It should
    describe a max weak 2, and given that, pard should raise with his 12
    pts.  But this should have been all avoided by using the rule of 20,
    11 HCP + 10 in longest 2 suits, ergo, an easy 1 bid.
    
    #2.  Someone is lying...  Trust that it isn't pard, and DBL. (either
      responsive, or card showing). Given vulnerability, should be good.
    
     #3. limit raise w/3 pieces;  bid 3H. Unless pard is bare min, he should
    go on to game. 
    

    
      #1 100% East for not opening one heart like everybody else.  You're
     thinking too much, here.  Just do the normal thing until you know
     something.  I would have passed twice as West - his passes are
     correct.
    
      #2 I double, but I also object.  I would have overcalled 1NT.  As it
     is, I have no idea what is going on, and at Imps, would pass.  But
     at matchpoints, when you don't know what is going on, double.  If it
     is -730, double again next time to get back to even.
    
      #3 Now here I think it's close between 2NT and 3H.  The hand is
     basically worth an invite.  Don't tell a soul, but I'd raise Rick
     to 3H, but play hog with 2NT opposite lesser performers.
    
      bb

re: Hand 1:

Depends on your methods.  I play that a 4th seat hand doesn't
preempt, but is an intermediate hand with 6+ card suit and
will play well in game across from any limit raise or even
many good single raises.

If that was the method used here, then the AQx-AQx-xxxx-xxx hand
should definitely raise.

However, I don't know for sure that I wouldn't have opened
that hand 1H, given too many possible places for the final
strain.

re: Hand 2:	You (E) hold Axxx-QJ9-AQTx-Q9
Vul.: N-S	N	E	S	W
Dlr. N		1S	P	P	Dbl
		3S	?

Why didn't you overcall 1NT when you had a chance?  Now
it is a guess.

re: Hand 3:	You (E) hold Qxx-JT8-Kxx-AJxx
Vul.: None	S	W	N	E
Dlr. S		P	1H	P	1N
		P	2H	P	?

I raise to 3H.  Partner can trot out 3N if it looks like a
reasonable alternative.    
    
					- Mark

    Hand 1.  One of these days, Mark has to get his notes out on 4th seat
    2-bids.  I thought they were supposed to show a hand that wants to be
    in game opposite a constructive raise, has a chance at game opposite a
    normal raise, and a chance for slam opposite a maximum passed hand.  So
    I would think that 6H is possible, and start by cuebidding 2S.  On the
    actual hand, I just open it 1H, and we'll easily get to 4H.
    
    Hand 2.  I would have overcalled 1N the first time.  If you were
    expecting it to go 1S-P-P-X-AP, then you have to double now.  If not,
    then why didn't you say 1N in the first place?
    
    Hand 3.  3H, showing a 3-card limit raise.  What else?  Why should I
    offer up 3N when we have a 9-card trump fit?  If partner thinks I've
    raised on a doubleton, and wants to offer up 3N, fine.  But I certainly
    can't bid 2N letting partner think I have a singleton.

1. East should have opened 1H. Before we assign too much "blame" 
notice that if West's diamonds and spades had been reversed than even 
3H would have not been cold.

I saw in some other responses that some of you play that 2H in 4th 
chair at matchpoints is some kind of "intermediate" hand. From a 
frequency point of view, I don't see how that is the most effective 
use of the bid. Aren't there more hands when your message is "I 
expect to make 2H more often that not" given that your partner has 
something like a doubleton heart and a 9-10 count?

2. If I didn't bid 1N before I would *PASS* now. My second 
alternative would be 3N. Partner is a brave soul that I don't want to 
punish. East, if they are a good player, believes that they can make 
3S opposite a passing partner and I don't have anything that 
convinces me that they are wrong.

3. 4H

90% of the time I bid game when I've got a 6 card major and partner 
raises directly. The other 10% I just invite. The problem with 3H is 
that I doesn't really promise a 3 card limit raise, it can also be a 
10+ count with 2 hearts and not suitable for 2N.

    1. I blame W 100%, as E has opening alternatives, but W has no
       responsive such, under the circumstances. Here, in MP, most W 
       would open weak 1N, or 1D, but this is marginal. E's 2H is a 
       typical MP bid after 3 passes, as 1H might enable fav_vul N-S 
       to compete in the pointed. (Notice that one is more entitled to 
       opene 1S with S instead of H.) Now W  *must* raise to 3H, which 
       E would convert to 4H.
    2. X for 500. Of course, 1N/1S is mandatory.
    3. 3H with max 1N (SA) and 3-card support.
    

I played with Craig Zastera at the Victoria BC Regional
in early April.  We did fairly well in Flight A Pairs.

It's probably too late for meaningful input to note 1966.*, 
but I'll give it a West Coast perspective anyway.
My comments on lines starting with =


   			Matchpoints
    			===========
Hand 1:

Vul.: E-W	W			E
Dlr. S:		AQx			Kxx
		AQx			K9xxxx
		xxxx			void
		xxx			KQxx

Bidding:	S	W	N	E
		P	P	P	2H
		AP

Result:		Making 5
Please assign blame

= West should certainly invite with 10 HCP "in the shell"
= and decent heart support.  East's 2H bid is about right
= on playing strength, but I would much prefer a hand
= with more concentrated strength/length in the trump suit.
= A 4th seat 1 heart opening bid looks obvious to me.


Hand 2:		You (E) hold Axxx-QJ9-AQTx-Q9
Vul.: N-S	N	E	S	W
Dlr. N		1S	P	P	Dbl
		3S	?

= Pass smoothly.  Partner is obviously short in spades
= and should have balanced with very light values.
= I don't hang partner for competing in a close situation.
= Where are the defensive tricks?  I don't even have
= good prospects of tapping declarer.

= I am somewhat amazed at the apparently unanimous support
= in the followup responses for an immediate 1N overcall 
= with this hand.  It is dead minimum in HCP, 
= negligible spade texture, very slow tricks, considerable
= danger at the unfavorable vulnerability.  In other words,
= all minuses and almost no pluses for this marginal action.
= I do not think that partner (or declarer) will be
= especially surprised by this holding.  Adding the
= heart jack to an otherwise motley 14 HCP hand does
= not turn it into something magic.

Hand 3:		You (E) hold Qxx-JT8-Kxx-AJxx
Vul.: None	S	W	N	E
Dlr. S		P	1H	P	1N
		P	2H	P	?

= 3H like everyone else.  Shows game invite with
= either 2 or 3 hearts.  If more of these mushy
= points were "in the shell" then I would jump to 4
= with the same shape.  Example: xxx-QJ8-xxx-AKJx