ArcLight

LHO has 5+ spades Pard has a spade void. RHO doesn't bid spades? We have 3. Where are the spades, what is going on with the opponents bidding? Spades are: 6-4? Then why the 2♣ bid (which doesnt show a good hand over a DBL) rather than bidding spades or redoubling? Jordan 2NT is available. Spades are 7-3? ReDbl then bid spades. Spades are 8-2?

>Comment 2: I have absolutely no desire to see Wolff enjoy a penny of income . When I do read said book, I'll be borrowing it from a friend, checking it out from the library, or purchasing a used copy on Amazon. Is he that bad a guy? What did he do? >>Chapter 14 Losing Team Wins! The inside story of how the Canadian team was robbed in the Geneva world championship, losing a match they had actually won as a result of politics What year was this? >>Chapter 16 Paying the Piper The Nickell team -- the glory years, the break-up of the Hamman-Wolff partnership, and Wolff's firing I am somewhat interested in what caused their break up. Hamman wanted more complexity and Wolff refused? They played together a long time so it seems there was no clash of personalities (like Hamman indicates he had with Mike Lawrence). I am interested in this book too.

The problem with rating other players is: - whats to prevent me from making some BBO nics and rating my pal Expert and him reciprocating - whats to prevent me from rating people I don't like 1-2 levels below what I perceive their skill to be. If I ask what a bid means and you don't answer (maybe you don't speak English) you must be Intermediate or lower. - how do you know what an expert / world class player is unless you are very good? Suppose you balance 3♣ with 5 mediocre clubs and a balanced hand and it works? Are you Advanced because this one time you got lucky? You pard might think so. A few months back I was playing a pick up game and a nationally recognized player happened to sit as my pard B) Against 3NT I lead a suit and had pard won and returned it we would have set them. But the correct play was to duck, and he did, and they made the hand. He apologized, but later said it wasn't clear to have taken that trick. Would many players have rated him a Beginner? What I would like out of a rating system is the ability to play in games at (or above) my level, and not be fooled into wasting my time (and becoming frustrated) with much weaker players. I don't need the system to be very accurate just accurate enough that the players I play with aren't too far below my level.

Imps All White ♠ A K x ♥T x x ♦K Q ♣A K 5 4 2 What do you open? Lets say you open 1♣ 1♣ - p - 1♠ - p ? Now what? 2NT? 2♥? Other?

>Isn't Drury "...a control that allows the partnership to scientifically "field" the psychic"? No. Teh partnership has a different definition of a 3rd/4th seat opening bid tahn in 1st/2nd. They may open weaker hands in 3rd or 4th seat than they will in 1st/2nd. Maybe this should be alerted, although it seems very common that 3rd/4th seat oepners can be substantially weaker than in 1st / 2nd. Its not fielding a psyche, its fileding a potentially very wide range opening bid, from lets say 8 to 21 points.

Jannersten is an excellent writer, probably not well known in the USA. >Cards on the Table. I may be mistaken but I think this is the same book as "Card reading; the art of guessing right at the bridge table". Its an excellent book on gathering clues on how to play the hand based on the bidding and play. But don't stop there, Jannersten has other good books! Find the Mistake - Over the shoulder you follow declarers play and he makes teh contract. Can you spot the missed chance or mistake? Play safe -- and win - Card play technique - The Only Chance - you are in a bad contract, what reasonably layout shall you play for to make it? Winning Pairs Technique - decent general MP coverage With Open Cards - I found it very hard and put it down. 110 Double dummy problems involving more advanved squeezes and other weird plays. I'm sure there are quite a few excellent books that have never been translated into English :(

playing with a pick up self rated expert you don't know. 1. IMPS, all white. Do you open with (no flannery)? ♠A J x x ♥K Q T 9 8 ♦x x ♣J x I opened 1 heart. Bidding went - 1♥ 2♣ 4♥ 5♣, ??? What now? (I passed - leaving it up to pard - was that ok?) 1♥ 2♣ 4♥ 5♣, p - p - X pard doubled with ♠ T 9 ♥A x x x x ♦Q 9 x x ♣Q x What would you lead? Pard lead the heart Ace, ruffed in dummies void. Result 5♣ X making 6 Pard yelled at me for opening 1♥. I asked what the double meant, and he said "cards" He said I should have not opened and that I should have pulled his double. What went wrong? 2. IMPS white on white RHO deals pass - pass - 1♣ - 1♥ (by pard) 3♦ (weak jump shift in competition) - ? What do you bid with: ♠ K x x ♥ A x x x ♦ x x ♣ T 9 8 x Do you bid 3♥? Pass? (no special fit jumps, conventions) ------------------- The bidding continued: p - p - 1♣ - 1♥ 3♦ - p - 5♣ - p p -?? What do you bid over 5♣? pass? DBL? other? The "self rated pick up BBO expert pard" passed, result: 5♣ - 4 for a bottom. At most tables 4♥ made 4 or 5 3. Lastly. Playing UDCA, this pick up pard said you lead the lower card from a doubleton. x from Yx rather than Y. Thats news to me! I know some may have an agreement to do that, but thats independent of signaling. What I found surpising is the willingness to freely apply ones own preferences regardless of if they are standard.

>Matchpoint Tricks. Axelsen & Dam I second the recomendation. The book has many problems on deception, either how to steal an extra trick, or make a bad contract. I don't think it's especially focused on MP problems like Kelseys excellent Test Your Pairs Play I liked this book more the second time I read it.

I am confused, why is 2♠ not a reverse? Pard has to bid at the 3 level. Doesnt this promise extra strength? Since pard made a 2/1 (in competition) he probably has a decent hand (not 5-8) so maybe less is needed for a 2♠ bid, but shouldn't it still be more than a minimum?

Frank Stewarts Bridge Club The book is good, with 120 good problems, and 90 SAYC bidding problems. I'm not sure I agree with the anlysis of every problem but its still a solid book. Decent problems on card placing and technique. B+ for Intermediates and Beginners. Probably too simple for Advanced players. Frabk Stewart has a number of EXCELLENT books. I consider him one of the great "unknown" bridge authors. A lot of his books are available used for around $5-7. Buy them rather than the Horton book.

4♥ was making, a spard had 4 hearts to the KQ. His club suit ws Q J T 9. Declarer played poorly and 4♦X went for -800. But I think I should have bid game, withb a known 9+ card trump suit. My concern was the ratty spades, and pards wasted values in clubs. But the advantage of bidding game is maybe the opps bid one more and then they can be doubled.

An obvious 1NT bid so I get to play the contract! :D Seriously, I would bid 2♥ to show my support. I just hope pard doesn't get too excited. Offsetting this pard will know I have at least 3 trumps. And it may shut out a minor suit overcall by LHO after 1NT. Playing with pick up pards I am routinely subjected to them not supporting my trump suit. "I don't like to support with fewer than 4 cards" I was told when they didn't support my 5 card suit was the most recent line.

IMPs, Favorable Pard is not a super light opener, their opening bids are consider sound. You are East and hold: ♠J 9 x ♥J 9 8 7 6 5 ♦A K x x ♣ void bidding goes: S . W . N . E p 1♣ 2♣* 2♥ 2♠ 3♥ 4♦ ? * = alerted as a natural club suit and not Michaels. This si a pick up game so you suspect LHO may think this is Michaels (5-5 in the majors) (Any disagreement with the 2♥ bid?) What do you bid now after 4♦? - DBL (penalty) - Pass (give pard the final choice) - 4♥

IMPS, red on white. P - 1♣ - (1♠) - X 2♠ -? What do you bid? (how would you bid white on white?) Pass, 3♥, other? ♠ Q J ♥ Q 9 x x ♦K Q x ♣A 9 x x EDIT - sorry I goofed when I posted this and wrote the opening was 1♥, it was 1♣, plus I messed up a card. :)

>The very idea of any other bid is an abomination I think this is an overstatement. But I would bid 4♥. What does the 4 ♣ bid show? Is it a 7 card suit headed by the Jack? Or 8 cards with 3 of the top 5 honors? The weaker, the more likely I am to bid. I bid 4♥ because: - 4H may make, though I wouldnt be surprised if the success rate was < 50%, its still a game bonus, vs +50 or +100 - 4♣ may well make (depending on what their 4♣ bids show) We are void in clubs, and pard with a decent hand will never bid with 2 small clubs and maybe not with 3. We may go down, but its not so likely LHO has a trump stack, still Q T x x is possible. Bid because the game bonus is worth the risk of -50, -100, and occasionally more. Bidding will also get you to a rare slam.

On a somewhat different topic, I think a 1 year suspension is rather harsh. And the threat that it will be even longer if they don't agree is extremely unfair. If the USBF or ACBL wants to punish them, I think 1 year is far too long. Why not 3 months? With a probabtion condition of much longer than 1 year. What I wonder is how much of the push for punishment comes from the ACBL. If the ACBL contributes a sizeable amount of the funding (even if less than 50%), they can still wield enormous influence.

http://www.dealmaster.com/ this is a nice software package

>I use standard leads - 3rd and 5th vs suit contracts. I would be very careful what I call"standard". 3/5 is not standard against suit contracts all over the world. I would clearly list out 3/5 to make sure Based on books I've read from the UK, I get the impression that its common there to lead the 2nd highest from a weak 4 card holding (ex 7 from 8 7 5 3) Is this used in expert circles anywhere?

question on bididng 2♣ or 2♦ - If you are a passed hand, and pard couldn't act over 1♣, isn't it a bit risky to go to the 2 level by yourself, when the opps might not even have a fit?

4♠ was the correct bid, because 4♥ makes (vulnerable). Opps doubled us, down 2 for -500, which beats -620. The reason I ask is this is opposite a THIRD seat opening bid, which may be weak. I was wondering if you pull back a little opposite a potential weak 3rd seat opening bid.

IMPs, Red on Red, 2/1 Pass - pass - 1♠ (by pard) - 2♥ ? What do you bid holding: ♠Q x x x x ♥ x x ♦x ♣ K x x x x 3♠? 4♠? Other? (what?) [Note - pard may have a below strength hand to open in 3rd seat, do you cut him some slack?]

Playing 2/1 If you open 1M (♥ or ♠), and pard responds 2♣ what does 3♦ mean in expert partnerships? Is it a splinter in support of clubs or an excellent 5 card ♦ suit? or Other (for Ken Rexford :P Which is more common in expert partnerships?

I think its unlikley that 3♥ will make. Also RHO didn't raise ♥, so (s)he may not have 3, and ♥may be 7-2-2-2 or 7-3-2-1. I don;t think that we are all that short, its not unlikley pard has 2 hearts. Passing is a likely +50. Lets say there is a 2/3 chance of setting them, passing = a net -13. [-140 +50 + 50 = -40 / 3 = -13] The advantage of doubling is pard can pick his long suit. Since LHO is long in hearts, its liklely the suits will break poorly, even so, pard is likley to have a suit of kind. Also, its possible pard has a small but useful heart holding such as KJx or AQ behind declarer and will pass. If you make its +130 or +140 (or more), if down it may only be -50, though there is a risk if pard has a bad flat hand. I think the percentages are in favor of bidding (double). Probably a net +60 or 2 IMPS to double. In fact it may be higher, with the chance of game more than offsetting the occasional down doubled results. Maybe the expected result is closer to +80 or even more. Even if 4♦ was down 1, might 3♥ have made? I wouldn't judge the decision by 1 hand.

Master Play in COntract Bride by Terence Reese Great Intermediate plus level book on card play technique. A good set of hands (unfortunately double dummy) on a variety of topics suh as: trump control, timing, communications, deception, finessing, loser on loser. Nothing simple else it wouldn't be in this book. Some of the hands were blown in high level competition. Nothing you haven't seen before, just a good set of hands. If you are interested in card play technique you will enjoy this, plus you can probably find an inexpensive copy since its 47 years old (and still good) ================================================ I pretty much agree with Phil Claytons assesment of the books he listed. I greatly enjoyed all the Kelsey "Test Your XXXX" (I finally own them all!) :) The Darvas book is very clever and well written in addition to having great hands. I've Owned Card by Card, just haven't gotten to it yet, probably early next year.

I note the user "Fred" hasn't played many hands recently, maybe I can have that one? :P