ArcLight

I ran 260 hands through Deal Master pro. I specified 7 clubs, less than 5 cards in any major, and either KQ or 3 of (K Q J T) in clubs, 5-11 HCP. Note - on a few hands one of the defenders had 7 spades, and weak hands. I didn't factor in if they would bid. 4H or 5C was making around 3 out of 4 hands. The club game has around a 2/3 chance of making 4H by itself was making around 50% of the time. This was a double dummy analysis, and included hands with any number of hearts, and may also be making 11 tricks in Clubs. If opener has 3 hearts, game is around 85%, though this is not that common, perhaps 20+ percent. What was interesting is much of the time it was making opener (the preemptor) had just 2 hearts. Around 75% of the time 4H makes, opener had just 2 hearts. If opener doesnt have 3+ hearts, the club game was likely to make. Assume with 2 of fewer hearts opener rebids clubs. It seems that overall, game has a reasonable shot (depending on what your agreement is for the 3C opener, if its J65432 then pass) and its worth bidding. It does seem to be worth bidding 3H, then 5C over 4C. And passing 4H. 3NT is less than 50% though better than I expected and not that far off. 5D was unlikely to make, around 20%

Since I work in the financial industry I am all in favor of the bailout :) I do think its rushed and not thought through. >An actual vise is a tool that is used to clamp something down to a workbench. It's not something pleasant to have one's genitals caught in it. A Vise is a type of Squeeze :)

I have done both of Woolsey's Cavendish 1&2, and plan on doing them again, along with Larry Cohens 3 Life Master Pairs programs. When I first did them I liked some hands but not others. I didn't think they were great, just decent. I think Mike Lawrences Counting at Bridge 1&2 are superior. My recolection is the Woolsey hands were Ok, but not great. Perhaps I will like them more the second time around, now that I am (hopefully) better and more experienced. Mike Lawrences Defense is also a great program. As for hand 4 - it is neat if you have that kind of agreement, but I think you will get burned many times if you can't tell if pards signal is Count or Suit preference. I don't think this is such a useful lesson for non experienced pairs. It's neat to see this, for illustrative purposes, but in practice there will be plenty of partnership harming disasters. If you don't use Count, then the suit preference can be fine in this case. One last point - pard can signal for the higher suit by playing the higher card. But since he must follow suit, the lower card doesnt automatically mean, the lower suit, it just means the absense of a signal. In this case you can work it out that its for the lower suit. I do not think this is a "safe" lesson on signaling for most partnerships. But it is interesting to read. I did like the part on the carding and deception. The lessons are worth doing, but "partner should be able to figure this out" can lead partnerships that are not good and experienced to get into fights - which is quite bad.

>Many many local clubs are playing something new where super experts are forced to play with nonexperts. Presumably not as their partners! :) Just on the same team. :)

I think this is the way to do it.

I consider none of these easy or obvious. These are all good questions. >All of the problems below generated derisive 'wtp' snorts from either partner I would not like that. I would not treat pards "silly" questions with contempt. Same for team mates. 1) xx 10xxxx xx KQ10x On the one hand we have good heart support. On the other hand if pard has AKxx in hearts is not unlikley we will have a trump loser. The other thing is will pard know that 4C is a cue bid in support of hearts, as opposed to a suit of your own? Lets say yes, then he will probably bid 4D, and then you bid 4H. I think it will take a monster to make slam. with 2452 shape, pard needs 4 key cards plus some kings. Is it likely 5 hearts will be down if pard bids Blackwood over 4H? I think you are safe at the 5 level. If pard is 1453 it may be a good slam. I think 4C is OK (3). Maybe the experts who post after me will explain why this is a good/bad bid, >2) Qxxx x AK AK9xxx, red v white If you Dbl again, pard may bid diamonds and then what will you do? If you could tell pard to bid only spades or Clubs you might consider +50/100 vs making a vulnerable game. I would pass. >3) K Qxxxxx AJx K10x, white v red, LHO dealer I don't want to bid this at the 3 level, despite RHO being weak. If spades are 4-1 and hearts are lead, declarer may lose control. The values are not so good, under opener. I pass. [related question: if you hold J10xx A10x Q1098x x and you hear (1♠)-P-(2♠)-3♥; (P)-? to you, do you think you have a 4♥ raise?] I pass as pard may have been trying to push teh opps higher, and I have a defensive hand and 4 trumps. >4) KQJ10x AQx x xxxx, both vul, partner deals and opens 2♦ (weak) you hear 2♦-(P)-P-(2♥); P-(P)-? back to you. I pass, let 2 H try and make. 2Spades needs 8 tricks, I probably have 5. Is pard good for 3? (I rate 2S=4) 5) xx xx J10xxx K10xx, both vul, partner deals and opens 1♠ you hear 1♠-(4♥)-P-(P); X-(P)-? back to you. Pard is 5134? He didnt open 2C, and will need a 2C hand to make 5m. I would expect the minors to splite badly, so clubs may be 4-1. I pass.

IMPS, Unfavorable, playing with a pick up pard LHO passes, pard opens 1NT (15-17) RHO passes What do you bid holding: S: x H: A J x D: x x x C: K Q T 9 x x How would you respond with your favorite pard?

Why did RHO lead a trump? Probably the Spades and Clubs are split. And he may have the Dime Q. The problem with playing on spades is if they are split, you will have 1 loser and still need a discard for your club. You win if LHO has KQ, lose if RHO as KQ, unless tight. In the split case, you need the off side honor dropping in 3 rounds. OR the dime finesse. I think its best to pull trumps, and take the dime finesse. if it loses, you still get 3 discards if the dimes split 3-2. I dont see a way to combine the chances, such as cashing 2 dimes to see if the Q falls. Because you are then exposed to a trump promotion. Also, if the Dime Q is coming down in 3 rounds, you might as well finesse in dimes and later get the 3 discards.

Since this is MP, wont the field be in 1C - 3C? So isnt that the bidding you want to follow? Also, I want pard to declare, with the heart, and perhaps second Dime stoppers. If pard has Qxx in Dimes, and Kxx in hearts, along with a few Clubs, he should declare.

>- At Yahoo-Bridge experts play at "advanced" tables. The most prominent feature of an "advanced" player is his understanding that bridge is, above all, a game of quick reaction. Once you stop clicking on cards, rest assured at least one player at the table will tell you "Faster please", "Faster", '"Fast", "FASTER" or "FASTER!!!". If you don't immediately click on a card then he will either boot you or, when unable to do so, leave himself. This is usually followed by several people coming to the table and, seeing that you are in the middle of a hand, leaving right away. To a lesser extent, I encounter this on BBO as well. I am trying to count and reconstruct the hands so I don't play as fast as others. I may stop and think (when its my lead). Hands I play may take 30 seconds longer than at other tables I label my table "Thinking Allowed - not Speedball" I have dummy telling me to play faster , both as declarer and defender. BBO is MUCH better than Yahoo, but there still many rude people. (And some nice ones too) >Similarly, more than half of BBO is above average skill-wise... in fact, probably close to a third is expert or world class.... :(

>Win the Q♥. Play the KJ♠, then low to the queen if necessary. That eliminates trump, and i still have the ace of clubs entry to cash my heart winners. Who do you think has the trump ace? Hint - look at the bidding. What happens if they win on the first round, what might they do? Can you protect against that?

Thats not true, Ken Rexford must have a bid to handle this ...

I wouldn't have bid this way. 1NT is not a great bid. I would have bid 2D. Partner has shown 5D and 4S after all. Why do you say he has shown 5 Diamonds? Why cant he have 4? 4-1-4-4 with 18-19 HCP? He might not bid 2NT his second time, instead looking for the Spade fit.

Only if you have to ask! :( noob = newbie (inexperienced player) Just teasing JoAnne :lol:

Josh, What is wrong with passing, and seeing if pard can bid 2S with 5-8 HCP, as opposed to 0-3? I guess the issue is will pard bid with 5-8..

Partnership Bidding - Robson + Segal I liked this book more the second time reading it. Having more experience helps! :) I remember Slothy making a comment years ago about reading this book at the right time in his career. I had not read it at the right time the first time. This was teh right time. Are these ideas widely used (outside of a few in the forum) - such as the fit bids and jumps? I especially liked the chapter on presure bidding. Recommended for partnerships with some experience. You don't need to be experts, but it helps having a few years of experience.

I agree with what MikeH said. question - Once LHO rebid 1NT, shouldn't pard have made a penalty double with his hand?

>>1S 4C (strong spolinter, 13-15) Is this 13-15 HCP, or 13-15 support points. Since a limit raise is 10-12 support points, I think many use 13-15/16 support points as a splinter range, then move on to J2NT. 13-15 HCP implies 16-18 support points. 13-15 HCP outside of clubs (unless a stiff ace) I don't think this is clear because strong splinter may just mean its not a mini-splinter. I don't think Arend uses bad methods so suspect its 13-15 support points Assuming 13-15 support points I would pass 4S. I also would not have bid 4H.

This is what happned IMPS, Unfavorable [hv=d=s&v=n&n=sj7hkjt94dq96ct87&w=s5hq8732dak43c953&e=sk98643h5dt52cqj4&s=saqt2ha6dj87cak62]399|300|Scoring: IMP 1♣ (1♥) PASS 1 ♠ , PASS, 1NT? PASS 2♠[/hv] How should the hand have been bid? I was Opener and was criticized for not bidding 1NT over 1S. I see no entry to dummy for any spade finesses and no source of tricks. I think the opps bidding of 1NT over 1H was silly, and bidding 2S assured them of going down. Should I have Xed? I dont think so. 3NT was making our way. Pard kept yapping I should have bid 1NT, all the way to 2 hands later. LHO was gloating (a real prick). How should this have gone?

#1 1S -X - 1NT I assume the 1NT bidder doesnt have 3 spades. They probably have 2 . So Spades are 5-4 or 6-3. I assume pard has 4 hearts to go with 3/4 spades. Leaving 3-3 in the minors? 4-4- 2-3 / 3-2 is not a great take out double with a minimum hand. Lets assume 3-4-3-3. With 3-4- 4-2/2-4 its risky unless playing Equal Level conversion. 2 Clubs leaves room for 2 hearts by the Opps. Maybe thats ok, since hearts will be 4-4 or 3-5 with pard having 4. 3 Clubs can buy the contract. Do we want that? IF pard has a club honor it can be ok. I think 3 Clubs can be ok. #2 Pard made a support double, showing 3 spades. Why is it a take out double? His last double was penalty. Pass.

Auction 1 - When pard doubles you are forced to bid (unless you pass for penalties) even with 0 HCP. A jump response shows 9-11 points and a 4 card suit. In the context of auction 1, your 1♠ bid showed 0-8. You have near the top end. You have a 4 card spade suit. You have no wasted values in the opps suit, the T9 in clubs could be useful as pushers thru the opener. You have shortage in openers suit. Thus in the context of the current bidding, you have a good hand. I would bid 2 Hearts. Pard will assume I am eitehr 4-3 or 5-4 in the majors. We don't yet know his hand. Give him room. I dont see how 3 Clubs helps pard. #2 - pard is showing 0-8. We have 18, and shape. I would start with 2Clubs. If pard has crap, we can stop in 2 Spades. With more we go on to game. I don't want to be at the 3 level opposite a bust. How come LHO didn't bid? Seems like pard should have 5+ and/or RHO has a bit more than a minimum. If pard has anything like hand #1, and bids 2 Hearts or 3 Dimes in response to 2 Clubs, we can go onto game in Spades. If pard has xxxx xxx Qxx Qxx we dont want to be in 3/4 spades

Unfavorable, IMPS you deal with: [hv=d=s&v=n&s=saqt2ha6dj87cak62]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] You open the systemic bid of 1 Club (agree?) Bidding goes 1♣ (1♥) pass 1♠ ??? - what do you bid? ==================================== On a different hand, IMPS, You are vulnerable, opps not. Pard opens 1 Club (SAYC), RHO Overcalls 1 Heart. What do you bid with: S: J x H: K J T 9 4 D: Q 9 6 C: T 8 7 1NT? Pass? Other? ====================================

Josh, I assume, and I could be wrong, that RHO has 4 spades for the 3♠ bid. Also, I assume that opener has 5♠ rather than 6 - only because 5 is a fair amount more likley than 6. I don't think it that likely pard has a stiff spade. I guess the chances are around 20% (opener has 5 spades vs opener has 6 spades) Assuming RHO has 5 HCP, that doesn't leave much for pard (5 HCP?) I just think its unlikley that 4D will make. Maybe this is too timid. I admit I am not an expert. It just seems like the correct percentage play. Maybe MikeH is right and pass is the losing action over a large number of hands. ----------------------------------- I don't understand pass: it is playing 'scared bridge'. We can see an easy route to +100 by passing, and we may even get +200 if partner can chip in. Of course, when he does, that increases the chances of our making 5♦ (except when his contribution is a stiff diamond ). And, there will be hands on which he can't raise 4♦ even when game makes: xx Qxx Kxx xxxxx, with everything breaking well.

Is that likely to happen? I would think opener will pass, or penalty double your 4♦. Is 4♦ a 2 way bid? As a save over 3♠, and it may make? I dont think 3♠ is making. 4♦ might not make either, though 5♦ can make if pard has a few dimes to the King and heart/club Queen. Since we are all vulnerable I'll pass and take the +100, rather than +130 (4D making) and miss out on game or -200 or -500.

>I happen to have my own opinions about which conventions are awful and I like to think that I can back up these opinions with logic. But no matter how dumb I think a given convention is, there are always players I respect who disagree. That is enough (for me at least) not to draw any general conclusions about the likely skill levels of those who happen to see things differently than I do. Fred, PLEASE post these kinds of analysis, thoughts!!!!! ;) I would love to read this!