Povratnik

We can go even further. If a team match with matchpoints is played (where you can make only TOP, ZERO, or 50%), trying to drop the stiff king is definitely (mathematically) better than safety play. Definitely, but only slightly; so I'd ignore that. I know you'll agree (with the blue strategy), but for the sake of other readers: If I played such a match, I'd try to make as educated guess as possible - what would my direct opponent (South from other team) do. If we have a lead in the match, I'd try to play same as him. If we're behind, I'd try to play differently than him. But in big and heterogeneous field, I'd always chose to make the game (see below)... You've chosen a pretty small and very homogeneous field, so I can't disagree with you (though you couldn't claim even a 0.013 points advantage for chasing an overtrick - if you didn't count the fact that clubs are 3-3). However, I am used to pair tournaments where every board is played by 15+ pairs, some of them players of international class, some of them (nearly) beginners. In such heterogeneous field, my experience is: If you always make 620 in boards where -100 and 650 are also possible - your net result will absolutely and definitely be (well) over 50%. (I could elaborate why is that, but this post is already too long) In the end, I'll just take a liberty to bring your attention to a certain direction: In every deal, a percentage advantage (if exists) of chasing an overtrick is fixed, always the same. Points advantage of making a game (or slam) tends to grow in bigger and more heterogeneous fields...

So you think the gain of making 650 (instead of 620) is bigger than the loss if you make -100 (instead of 650)?

I agree with you, barmar, when it concerns competitive games. But on teaching table, such a feature could be very useful (even revoking!). Let's say, an instructor and three students play. In each deal, when declarer reaches a stage when s/he can claim, the instructor could replay the whole cardplay and analyze&comment literally every card played. It's true that the instructor can make a LIN file and send it to everyone, but there is no such thing as a "live" discussion, where you can ask questions in real time. One such thoroughly analyzed deal is more worth than several dozens that are just played... Of course, such feature would work only if all players had checked the appropriate check box. (Not that I ever was on a teaching table, maybe similar possibilities already exist)

Apologies to everyone, I was occupied by some RL issues. The fact No1 We could have a cold slam with same strength and same distribution in my hand (Ad instead of two queens or just a Qh instead of Qc) The fact No2 Even if I had Ad, I'd still bid only 3h, being just TOO flat It's the combination of those facts that disturbed me enough to open a thread. So the final verdict is: If I played with competent human, we'd play a game, but there still wouldn't be a slam try by my opponent. OK, I can live with that, though the deepest motive for opening a thread was the HOPE. I was hoping that I'll learn something magical. But no matter how magically atractive the game of bridge is - it seems it just doesn't contain magical solutions...

[hv=pc=n&sn=Povratnik&s=s72hak72dqt6cq972&nn=Robot&n=sakjt853h8654dk9c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1sp1np2hp3hppp]399|300[/hv] I don't know whether it's an AI limitation, or a system limitation (I never played 2/1 with human, so I'm semicompetent at best), but this auction (with this cards) should be impossible even in semicompetent human partnerships. Since robot doesn't have intelligence, it also doesn't have responsibility - so the grave mistake is undoubtedly mine. My 3H bid was obviously lethal, but the question is - would my bidding be wrong even if I played with competent human? - if the answer is YES, what should I have done? - if the answer is NO, what would my competent partner do? (I am not whining about missing game, it's about the hand my partner has. He/she/it has to be aware of very real slam possibilities...)

Sorry, I'm pretty tired, so maybe I erred somewhere in my calculations. And I certainly haven't read all posts carefully enough. Anyway, I'll give my two cents now; if I'm wrong, will try to correct it tomorrow... Well... It depends. So you're missing two high cards (J and T) and three small cards (6,5,4) Event A LHO has at least two small cards and RHO has at least one high card. (That you learned before deciding whether to play Ace or 8 from Dummy.) Event B LHO has at least two small cards and RHO has both high cards. We want to know P(B|A) - the probability that B will happen, knowing that A has happened. Before you played first heart, there was 32 possible splits, each with roughly equal probability. So we can say that P(A) was (roughly) 12/32 or 0.375. The same way, we can tell that P(B) was (about) 4/32 or 1/8. P(A|B) is obviously 1, so according to Bayes' theorem: P(B|A) = P(A|B)*P(B)/P(A) = 0.33 So your decision to make an impass was the correct one... According to mathematics. HOWEVER... That was pure math, without real understanding of bridge. The mandatory bridge question is: would your RHO ever throw Jack from Jx doubleton? If he would, how often? I certainly don't know the answers, but IF the RHO would never played Jack from Jx doubleton, we have slightly different version of the first event... Event A1 LHO has at least two small cards and RHO has at least one high card, BUT NOT a high-low doubleton. P(A1) = 6/32 = 0.1875; P(B|A1) = 0.67 So when we mix math and bridge, we come to conclusion: The probability that you played against the odds is somewhere between one and two thirds, depending on your right hand opponent... Now I should check are there some new posts, but I'll just press SUBMIT. Wherever I'm wrong, tomorrow is not to late for correction(s)...

Wow, this is VERY useful! Thank you to the Moon!!

So I could watch it if I was savvier... Thanks (Though it would be nice to have a possibility of watching finished matches...)

I saw it at eight twenty something CET... And for the first time in my life - I remembered to check on Vugraph. Found nothing. Don't know if there is a match, in the first place. And especially, I don't know whether the match would be broadcasted, even if it was played... The question "how to play" is easy - just apply in good time and diana_eva will walk you through the process. But I have a tougher question - "how to WATCH"? Is it possible at all? Can I watch some older match?

Completely agree with this. I'd just like to additionally emphasize the convenience of putting East into hand (by diamond, of course). Just imagine East's possible returns and West's possible returns...

I hate robots' play in general, but this time I agree with them in both cases 1. case - You are short in their suit - You have a ratty minor suit that you can't bid on first level - You have nice 3-card support for both major suits - There were two passes 2. case A double isn't horrible, but I like pass more. Your hand is very good for defense in any case. It could be also helpful in offense, IF your partner have: - relevant strength - very offensive hand, COMPATIBLE with your hand I deeply believe that pass is better bid in majority of distributions...

Well, it did. I guess my view is now as clear as possible, without actually playing a few dozens of tourneys... I'll play forum individuals and I might even show up tomorrow on the pairs. Once again, thanks to everybody

Thank you all, you were very helpful! The chaos in my head has been halved; if I think some more, it may be quartered. I might reopen some questions, but - for now - enjoy your well deserved peace :D... There are some simple things, however, I could address them now: Are you sure? I never saw anyone registering with less than 100 logins when I have that restriction in my tourneys. We'll see the answer very soon - my first junction point (end of the first month) is in less than a week... That was extremely helpful! I did as you told and almost succeeded. Now I have a realistic hope. Repeated tries should bring me to the goal... You gave me a nice opportunity to ask now, what was one of my future questions: When Mike Lawrence says "2/1" he has a normal 11+ hand in mind. But my intuitive impression is that today "2/1" exclusively means "2/1 game force". Is it so? (I play 1NT non forcing and 2/1 11+. So if someone asks me whether I play "2/1", I should answer "no, absolutely not"?

Hello, All my questions are tournament related, so I am posting here. Before starting with questions, I'll tell a bit about myself and my plans here, so you could understand from which perspective I'm asking those questions... I used to play on pretty high level, but that was long time ago. I quit playing in the first half of nineties. Now I'm back. Being reluctant to contact my old partners (I'm afraid that someone could persuade me to start playing live bridge before I'm ready :D), I'm on my own. Though far from beginner in the game itself, I have several reasons to feel as a beginner: I've never played online bridge. I've never played any kind of bridge in this century. I know nothing about customs in worldwide bridge society, without clear central regulation. There is no system that is universaly accepted as natural. I haven't a clue what should I alert and what should I not... But still, I decided to stay several months on my own. This is my plan: - to fully reconstruct my old system - adapt it to "new age demands" - to start making regular partnerships In the meantime, to play a lot of individual tourneys. If/when I somehow manage to 'fit in', I'll also play pair tournaments, with random and casual partners. Now lets go to the questions: How long a new member carries the label "new member"? A month? Three? Six? Or is it a certain number of tournaments? Or a combination of the two? So far I played only the lowest kind of tournaments - "Express automated fun". Hoping that TCR80 and TCR90 versions are at least a bit better, I'm eager to try them. However, they don't accept new members and that's the reason for upper question. Are there some more levels? I mean - when I get rid of the "new member" status, shall I be free to play all open tournaments? Or there are some more steps to climb? Alerting I heard about alerting your own bid, not waiting for partner to do it. Is that custom universal on BBO, or it applies only on certain kind of tournaments? If the latter is true, how should I know? Regular dayly/weakly tournaments open to everybody Please, recommend me some. Clicking on various tourneys, only to find out they aren't open to me, could be pretty frustrating. I'd like to make my own scheduled list of suitable tourneys and check it every time I'm logged in. Two specific tourneys I managed to spot, but never played Sunday evening individual (20:00 CET, 2pm ET) for forum members, ran by diana_eva I'm certainly going to play that one. But I need to know which system (or part of system) is assumed. If there is no assumed system, what should I know and what should I do? Robot duplicate IMP, ran by BBO Ten tables IMP tournament; at every table, one human and three bots. I have a very strong impression that tourney shows up in my list only AFTER it's filled. Are there anything I can do to make myself a chance to register? Enough for now, thank you in advance :)