jogs

That never occurred to me. In the USBC finals there were 30 swings of 9 imps or greater. Only on 5 of those boards were both teams playing in the same contract. On 25 swings the winning side was either in a better contract or got lucky. The best players in the country have problems evaluating hands. Can you imagine how badly the rest of us bid?

4=5=2=2. How many points? Maybe he should have bid 4♣. Maybe he should have pulled 3NT to 4♠. You should have a 4-card major for your double.

Is this imps? What's the vulnerability? Think most experts would pass. 1♥???? Bad suit, bad hand. Double???? Only 8 points outside of the suit.

The points are won and lost from the play. The bidding is more interesting for post mortems. I believe that statement.

♠ AQx ♥ QJxxx ♦ -- ♣ xxxxx 6♦ is virtually cold. 4♥ may go down. Partners will pull 3NT to 4♥ with any 5-card heart suit after a support double. Not just 'good' five hearts.

Points-schmoints, the object of the game is to make tricks. 3NT is to play. It is not shutout.

You don't get rich doubling opponents on the one level, especially if you hold fewer trumps than they.

You should consider only playing 2♠ that way after a minor suit opening. 1♥ - 2♠ is spades/hearts, strong spades, or notrump hand with spades. Think this is semi-standard with better players playing SAYC or 2/1. 3 way bid to be clarified in the next round.

Announcing 3-card trump support isn't an end in itself. Its purpose to to assist partner in judging during the auction. Do you want partner to pull to 4♥ whenever he holds five hearts? 1♦ - p - 1♥ - 1♠ X - p - 2♥ - p 3NT - p - 4♥? ♠ xx ♥ QJxxx ♦ x ♣ KJxxx 3NT is probably the better contract.

In fifties and sixties there was a concept of a biddable four card suit. A major could be opened in a four card major which contained at least four high card points. Somewhere along the way that concept got lost. ♠ 5432 ♥ AJ5 ♦ AJT ♣ KQT 1♠. Only four card suit. ♠ 5432 ♥ 32 ♦ AK6 ♣ AKQ8 1♠?!? Looks like a 1♣ bid to me. Why did four card biddable suits morph into any four cards? Qxxx facing Jxxx. Do you really want to play in that trump suit?

Normally doubling to show three hearts is best. On this board there is likely nine tricks in notrumps as long as opponents play spade, spade on the first two tricks. Sorry, if they find four club tricks after taking the spade ace.

Why does it promise five clubs? 4=2=3=4 What do you rebid with that pattern? 3♠. If partner can make game opposite this hand, he should have just bid game.

The business RDBL is a inferior treatment. Why warn opponents that they will be doubled? You hold a good misfitting hand, partner opened, and RHO doubled. LHO has nothing. Often RHO will raise, but not if you warn him that LHO has nothing.

You see no difference in asking pard to bid another suit on the two level and asking pard to bid another suit on the five level? Holding that pattern(4234), why would you think there are 21 tricks on this board? That's why the pass is clear-cut. The double should be cards, not penalty or t/o.

6♥. It will be spectacularly wrong if partner holds ♠ QJxx ♥ AKxx ♦ Kx ♣ xxx I would bid 3♥ also. 4♥ should show a singleton, not a singleton or void.

Why is this a t/o double? Opponents often jump to 4♥ after 2♥ with only two hearts. t/o to what? We already announced that our suit is diamonds.

I hate 3♥ on xxx or Jxx. Opponents are given a road map to proper defense. Dummy. ♠ Qxx ♥ xxx ♦ xxx ♣ KJxx Please cash your three heart winners. Don't attempt to cash two diamonds. Declarer. ♠ AKxxxx ♥ Jxx ♦ x ♣ AQx The field makes 9 or 10 tricks. You always make only 9.

We're not playing this game in a vacuum. 1♦ - (2♦) - 3♣ - (p) 3♥ - (p) - 4♦ - (p) This auction isn't the same as 1♦ - (p) - 2♣ - (p) 2♥ - (p) - 3♣ - (p) In the first auction one opponent has shown 9 or 10+ majors. The likelihood that opener is bidding hearts with a suit is small. Opener has a 6-card diamond suit quite often and would like to know about your three card support. In the second auction he's showing 4=5 in hearts and diamonds.

HSGT. Is there any agreement among bridge authors what help suit game tries means? Does opener promise anything in hearts? H xxx Can he ask about hearts? Or does he promise something in hearts like H Qxx?

Pretty sure in MSC the plurality answer would be 2♦ on the first hand. The suit sucks for 3♥. Partner will be disappointed when he puts you in 6♥ with Kx or hearts and you lose two trump tricks. Rebidding hearts later implies six weak hearts.

Many of the younger players are able to play poker multiple screens simultaneously. 4 screens means they can play about 200 hands per hour. Can't imagine anyone playing two screens of bridge. And it's really hard to play faster than 12 boards an hour. It's possible to become a strong poker player after about 12-18 months. Takes years to become a halfway decent bridge player.

I like this auction. 1♦ - (2♦) - 3♣ - (p) 3♥ - (p) - 4♦ - (p) 4♠ - (p) - 5♣ - (p) 6♦ - all pass Think you didn't need 3-3 clubs. RHO had to have 3+ clubs. Which he should have in this auction. Did dummy have the ♦8? You can pitch two spades and ruff a heart.

Also view the hand histories. See how everyone else bid and played the board.

Blackwood is both overused and misused. This happens all the time. One player Blackwoods. After hearing partner's response, he tanks before placing the contract. That means he had no business using Blackwood. Knowing the number of aces wasn't the most critical piece of info. Often one needs to know which ace. Don't remember Truscott. Wasn't aware that this was commonly played. Stayman is necessary. I like Jacoby. Don't need Bergen, Drury or any of the other stuff.

Play a natural system. Play as few conventions as possible. No blackwood of any form. Use cue bidding.