Lesh18

I have a QUERY on this: Regarding the fact that my opponents have to know all information that my partner knows: Am I suppoed to tell them things like 1♥ opening promises 12+ HCP points and at least a 5-card suit? I mean, do they have to know all the HCP points requirements that we use? For instance, that an simple overcall on the second level promises 10+ HCP and 4-card suit... Basically, do I have to tell my opponents literally everything my partner knows? Including all HCP and suit distributions requirements for particular bids?

And if I have 3 more players to play with, but we do not really want to compare our scoring with the computer or previous results, would you recommend that we use a Rubber or Duplicate scoring for a casual play?

Hi all 1) Is there a difference in tactics between Rubber bridge and Duplicate bridge? If so, where? 2) Which type of scoring is more common and which one would you recommend that a beginner like me should play? 3) Can you actually play a Duplicate bridge style with just four players? (Without several tables playing same hands) ? Thank you

Hi As I beginner I have learnt a couple of bidding conventions and implemented them into my play: Strong 2♣ Stayman Jacoby transfers (after 1NT) Blackwood Gerber (after NT opening) Takeout doubles Are there any more important conventions a beginner could add and use alongside with these? Some that are both useful and frequent to use? And I have also noticed that opening a preempt (2♥ for instance with 6 hearts, strong suit and weak hand) never worked, me and my partner always ended up with this contract and never managed to do it. Are there any more useful alternatives to opening on a second level? Thank you

Hey all 1) Playing Omar Sharif II game application on symbian, I came across this weird hand: My partner (computer) was sitting north with this hand (which I found out later) [hv=pc=n&n=skqj9862h95dq2c82]133|100[/hv] I was opening the bidding with 1NT, and my partner bid 3♥. I though it is some kind of a jacoby transfers or something, so I bid 3♠ but he kept rebidding hearts (as seen in thes schedule): [hv=d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1np3hp3sp4hp4sp5hp]133|100[/hv] My question is, what time of a convention is it? Apparently he was strong in spades, but he bid hearts, and kept rebiddig hearts. Or is it just a bug in the program? 2) Omar Sharif II is mobile phone application. Do you know this game? Do you know what kind of conventions are used in the game, apart from those listed in the "bidding conventions"? 3) What is a "2NT = 11-12" convention? Is it an opening bid of 2NT balanced hand, 11-12 pts, or is it just an overcall? Is it convenient to use this? Tradition 2NT opening is 20-21, so this may be an overcall or a rebid. Thanks Thanks

Right, and I was also confused about game contracts. The 300 pts. bonus for a game contract: Does it only apply to any contract succeeded, that includes 100 or more pts. in one go? Or can I first, win a 2♠ contract and then I win a 1NT contract (having 100 points under the line): Will this give me those 300 pts. as well? What about the slam contracts?

Hey guys Playing Rubber Bridge, do you include scoring points (50 pts.) for a partial? 300 pts. for a game, 500 pts. for a small slam and 1000 pts. for a grand slam are obvious. I am just not quite sure with a partial, much to the fact that the 'Learn to play Bridge' software gives no points for a partial, but on ACBL's website they do give 50 pts. for a partial. So how is it? Thanks

Hey all 1) I have been contemplating the usefulness of the 5-suit major opening rule in Standard American. Would not it be easier and more convenient to open with 4-suit major also, hoping for a partner to hold his 4-suit major? Is the reason behind this SAYC rule that the cards tend to devide 5-3 more often than 4-4? 2) SAYC suggests opening with 13+ pts. I have seen a couple of videos by Andrew Robson (who is British) and he opens with 12+ pts (assumingly using ACOL). I am also not too sure if he uses long-suit points or not. Do you use long suit points or only high card points? With how many points to you open? 12 or 13? Thanks

Hey guys Having covered the 'Learn to play Bridge' software, I have come across a slight problem. It taught me to use three types of signals when playing defenders: Attitude, Count and Suit preference. I have tried it already and must say that it is almost impossible to rely on those signals throughout the whole deal, much to the fact that I or my partner never seem to have those spot cards required to signal our messages at a right time. Thus we ended up using only Attitude signals (giving a message about the strategic honor card or preference to play a suit) by playing low or high spot cards. However, we only kept this rule for the first 4 tricks played, since later in the game we tended to run out of correct spot cards and ended up in confusion and misleading the partner. Is there any way how to securely approach using signals? Are there, perhaps, any more reliable signals out there? Is it good to only use attitide signals for first few deals and then abandon it altogether? Thanks

Ok, thanks, but do those three guidelines apply to all tricks during the play, or just the first trick started by the opener's lead? And third hand high -> does it only apply when the west leads (assuming south is the declarer)? Or the east can lead also, and then west is to play high? And likewise with second hand low, does it only apply to west when declarer leads, or also to the east when the dummy leads?

Hi all I have been wondering, what exactly "third hand high", "second hand low" and "splitting honors" rules mean. Do they relate to the very first trick played in the play, the one started by the opening leader? Or do they relate to any trick played? How do they exactly work, and, especially, why? Thanks

I am sorry, but what is N/B? I would be more than happy to post there, if it is more appropriate. thanks

Hi all I have been wondering, what exactly "third hand high", "second hand low" and "splitting honors" rules mean. Do they relate to the very first trick played in the play, the one started by the opening leader? Or do they relate to any trick played? How do they exactly work, and, especially, why? Thanks

Yes, I am closely following the ACBL software. In NT contracts when I, as a declarer, need to make some finesses to succeed, I need to identify a dangerous and a safe opponent. The dangerous one is the one with the long suit and the safe opponent is the one with the short suit in colour that they can use to win successive tricks. How do I identify who is dangerous and who is safe?

Hi all I have two quetions in particular: 1) I do not quite ged the hold up play. When am I supposed to duck? (it is the same as to 'hold up', right?) I think it has something to do with disrupting entries for my opponents, what how does it work and why in particular? Can it be used on any other matter? 2) I have been struggling with counting loser points. How do I do it? Am I to consider my cards and the dummy's cards together? Dealing with suits separately, one by one? Why could I not just count winners when playing a play with a trump? Thank you

a) 2H (transfer) what is it? It is not jacoby transfers, right? ACBL teaches me that a 2-level response to a 1NT is a sing-off, denying possibility for game or higher contracts. So your 2H (transfers) is some kind of a convention, right? What about playing stayman in that case? Or that might not be as effective, since I would be quite happy with 3 cards in that suit to have a fit with my 5 cards, and stayman asks for 4 cards in major? What about a 3C jump as a respond to 1NT? Could it be something like a stayman, asking the partner to bid his strongest (at least) 3-card major suit? He would bid 3H or 3S and then I will immediately know if there is a fit and i will sign off a game in trumps, or 3NT? b) I have also been struggling with planning the play. The ACBL software teaches me to count winners in no-trump and losers in trump plays. I have no problem with counting winners, but I struggle with counting losers. Are all trump cards considered winners, and thus not losers in this sense? How do I actually count losers? And also, If I have AKQ and my dummy has J10 all in the same colour, that only makes for 3 tricks won, right? Or is there a way I can get 5 tricks out of it? Perhaps cashing some trumps or other colours from the declarer and discarding those J10? Is there any point in that?

Oh right, that makes sense, of course, the opener with 1NT cannot have two doubletons. I have other question, just a brief one, but do not want to make a new thread, so: South(me), West, North(partner), East East opens the bidding with 1♣. To overcall at 1-level with a new colour I need 10 and more pts., 5-cards suit (trying to avoid minimum hands, rather having a strong suit or extra pts.) So let's say I have those requirements and bid 1♠. West passes and North is to bid. Does North consider my bid as if it was an ordinary opening bid (except for the lower points, of course)? Meaning if he wants to single raise, he needs 6-9 pts. and 3-card support OR if he wants to propose a new suit at the 2-level, he needs 10 and more pts. and 4-card suit? Or are there any special rules for responding to my bid, that was an overcall, not an opening one? Basically, do all responses to openings hold when those "openings" were played as overcalls?

Right a) I have 5 spades and 5 hearts. I force a game with 3♥, if my partner has 3 hearts, he bids 4♥, if he only has 3 or more spades, he bids 3♠. If I do not have 5 spades for a spade-fit, and as I know that there is not fit in hearts, I will sing off 3NT. 3NT is playing safe after investigating the fit in both major suits (which proves there is no fit). b) You say that I should bid 3♠ with those cards. Now my partner does not have his 3 spades for a fit, so correctly bids 3NT. Now, having those 5 hearts, I might investigate for a heart fit, I bid 4 hearts. My partner does not have his 3 hearts for a fit, so is left to pass to keep the contract low. Now I do not even know if he passed due to hopelessness or due to the heart-fit (that would make those 4♥ too) So, apparently, both strategies have investigated a major suit fit, but the first one ends up being more safe than the second one. So, intiutively, keeping the bidding low all the times, thus going for the lower-ranking suit should be a more successful strategy. Why is ACBL promoting going with higher-ranking suit? Does it have something to do with pre-empting? Thanks

"After you bid the second suit, partner can give preference to the first suit without raising the level." How does he give preference? What do you mean? By bidding 3NT? If I go for 3♠, he bids 3NT how do I know whether I should stick to 3NT (was it a sign off or not? - I don't know) or should I propose hearts 4♥? I still don't quite get it Thanks

Hey all I have been closely following the ACBL "Learn to play Bridge" program (that promotes Standard American Bidding System)but I have come across a slight problem: My partner opens 1NT = 15-17 pts., balanced hand If I am the responder and I have 5 hearts and 5 spades and 10+ pts., according to the program I should always go for the higher-ranked suit and invite a game by bidding at the 3. level, thus bidding 3♠ in this case. If my partner has a 3-card fit in spades, he is to bid 4♠, if he does not have the fit, he should bid 3NT. The thing that confuses me is that I do not see the point in bidding the higher-ranked suit. There very likely is a reason behind it, but I just do not see it. Because if I have 5 hearts and 5 spades and my partner has 3 hearts and 2 spades, and I bid 3♠ my partner will sign off 3NT, even though we have a 8-card fit in hearts. Should not I bid the lower-ranking suit, hearts 3♥, and then he will sing off 4♥ if he has 3 hearts, or he will bid 3♠ if he does not have those hearts, but has 3 spades. If I have those 5 spades, I will know a 4♠ contract is possible. Why should I always bid the higher-ranking suit, when bidding the lower-ranking suit makes more sense to me? (when 4-4 I am to bid the lower-ranking suit, which makes more sense) Thanks

I see, so weak of 2 is below 10? 0-10? Or do I need to have at least 2 high cards from the long suit? I have been following the ACBL learn to play bridge programme, and they say I should have 13 points to open the bidding at 1-level.

Hey guys I have been following SAYC system recently and come across a slight problem: SAYC says that opening bid of 1♠ = 13-20pts., 5+♠ and opening bid of 2♠ = 6-9pts., exactly 6x♠ If I have 11 or 12 points and 6x♠, what do I bid? Should I pass because it does not fulfill above criteria? Thanks

Right, if I do a preemtive bid of 4♦, then I risk that my opponents will just let my team play 4♦ for which I am not confidant and will eventually lose. So doing a preemtive bidding always includes a risk ending up with the contract, you did not actually want? Or is there any way to prevent ending up with a preemtive bid? Thanks

Hey guys I was just wondering, when one team bids 1 of Spades, but their cards are way too better for 1S (Let us say they could score 11 tricks) but opponents´ cards are not good so they can do nothing but pass. How can these opponents with weaker cards make life harder for the first team? Like, force them not to play secure, but bid 4S for instance? Is there any way? Thank you

(How do I delete a post I accidentally wrote?) this one