woodych

I think we all appreciate the crisis we are all facing. My cards are now 5 times the size they used to be I now have a columb I never asked for which squashes the cards up further I can no longer get hand results showing Perhaps the layout can be returned to normal once we are all through this?

I have seen this many times. Just played a hand and my GIB partner threw a trick, deliberately. Dummy was east of me and my partner had the King of trumps with 2 others. Having reached 5 tricks (ops bid 2H so were one trick from being set) my partner lead his king of trumps which of course got taken by west with the ace. There was absolutely no need to do that. The king was safe. Fortunately we still set the ops but we should have set by 2 not 1 trick. As I say, I have seen this done many times before. Are GIBS programmed not to get over tricks or to set by more than is required? Thank you

Thank you Diana_Eva Yes they are back:)

Oh and :( I will just sit back and see what happens tomorrow. They are very good though:)

Hi Just logged in this morning to find that the all day long tournaments have gone. I assume they have now finished but I am not sure of that? Thank you

Blimey thank you

I need some help to understand the bidding by a GIB. I opened 1NT to which the GIB responded 4 hearts. I assumed a transfer so bid 4 spade. He replied 4NT assuming asking for aces to which I replied 5 diamonds to show one ace. GIB then bid 5 hearts!! This confussed me as I did not see any point in my partner transferring again, why did it not just go direct to 5 spade. As I was confused I thought maybe he actually did not transfer the first time and meant hearts so I foolishly left GIB in 5 hearts and we crashed. I do not believe a real person would have made a 2nd transfer but maybe I am wrong? Thank you

I wish I knew how to save and show the hands concerned. It is where I have a long suit and my gib partner also does, although often still shorter than mine. I have no support for his but he has a couple of mine. I bid that suit maybe twice and gib bids his a 3rd time so I give up at that point, but after hands I see my bid was the right one. Hard to explain sorry

The Gibs keep overbidding me and it turns out more than half the time my bid was the right one. Grrr, why do they keep doing this!!

PS. Apologies for cap lock.

WOW,THANK YOU FOR SO MANY GREAT REPLIES i WAS NEVER EXPECTING THAT MANY. I think I will for now stick with 11+ face card points as a possible start and I will read some books. I appreciate the time you have all taken to reply thank you:)

Thank you both and I wish I could show you that hand but I withrew from the tournament as I felt bad about the hand. I will loom at that link, thank you Peter

Hmmm, just tried what you both suggested opening with low points because I had a void suit with 6 spades my partner took my opener as i assume more that 10+ points asked me for aces we got doubled and went down badly. I give up..lol

Thank you for those replies Looks like I have to re-learn this game from scratch as I have always been told not to open that light.

I am a beginner trying to improve my game by playing in BBO free tournaments and watching other players bid and play. I am coming across many hands now where my partner opens 1 in a suit and I have maybe 11-15 face card points and assume it is game on. At the end of the hand we have gone down having clearly overbid because my partner opened with 7-10 face card points on the basis of having a 5 card suit. I have always been advised only to open (rather than a response bid) with at least 11+ face card points otherwise I am giving my partner the wrong signals. It has now got to the point where I can no longer assume my partner will have what I would call opening points so I afraid to bid with what I have. Can anyone please confirm if it is ok to open with so few points just on the basis of having 5 in a suit? Thank you Peter

Lol, Faulty Towers one of those great classics.

Thanks Rik I loved that final analogy (and a very sore toe to boot!)oh so true. I'm sure we have all been tempted to throw our computer out the window, but I always stop just in time when I realise I will have no computer (to pay bridge on)and however long it takes to replace it (all that extra cost) I will feel very sick indeed until I get to replace that. I do have to balance all those unpleasant messages with one I did receive recently from a partner who told me bad luck on the hand going down and that I did all I could with that hand, we all went one down with 4S, so nothing to be ashamed of. Best Wishes Peter

Thank you Vampyr and Rik for your replies and comments. I do play rubber with friends most Fridays through to Sundays, but at other times I decided I needed to get some serious game play to improve my game. I started with GIBS (who never complain) and then decided I needed to try some games with real people. I have learned so much the last month or so from playing in the BBO free automated tournaments (I do not really have the money to splash out on paid tournaments) I enjoy watching (polite) Experts to gain insight into how they bid and play the game and it has definately helped me. On ocassions I have felt frustrated by a partner I have been with and wanted to ask them why they did or didn't do what they did, but I know that is pointless as we are all human, we all have off days, we all make mistakes. The last private message which prompted my post today came from a player that I have only just checked on and realised his average match points was worse than mine. There are of course many reasons for that, who you have as partners etc, but it has made me realise that not all those who send nasty messages are necessarily good players them selves. Peter

Sighs, yet another private message from some sad player who has nothing better to do than send other players unpleasant messages. I always used to believe that experts/advanced players would be more tolerant of beginners and allow for the fact that they won't play like an expert. Of all the online sites I use this has to be the worst for such things. I used to believe that bridge was a game that intelligent, polite and good people played, how wrong was i! It seems to be full of nasty, arrogant and basically very unpleasant people. People that they have never met, and yet they believe it is socially acceptable to do such things, they must lead very sad lives!

Thank you Zelandakh Obtaining advice like that is great on the forums, thank you. I do not feel completely useless after that summary. I will keep on trying.

Thank you 1eyedjack I will remember that next time if i can work out how to do that.

Thank you Zelandakh The problem with the hand today was I had 14 points and I guess i should have jumped straight to 4NT? (or maybe not?) But we are all human and sometimes do not bid what we know afterward we should have. I have no problem taking advice when it is made in a friendly constructive manor, but when players message unpleasant complaints it just gets ones back up and one goes on the defensive. That player has instead of passing on what might have been good advise has just made an enemy, although he probably doesn't care about that. Such is life!

Urgh, another private messenger moaning about my bidding. Maybe he should have asked me for aces he was the one with the big hand. Yes I could have gone direct to 6NT but i have done that before and we lost so i just cant win!

Thank you for those replies, much appreciated.

Yes it is as I am finding out the more tournaments I play rather than relaxed with friends. I do have another question though if anyone has the time to reply some time? I have always been advised it is best to lead back the suit my partner does when defending a contract with the ops. I tend to agree becuase my partner may have a singleton, may have a good face card etc IT doesnt always mean that, but there is a good chance it does, so i do tend to almost always lead back what my partner first did unless I have a very good reason not to do so. I only ask because in a few hands my partner/s never lead my suit back and we lost the hand because of that. Many thanks