Kaapo

Happened to spot this quote from José Damiani in World Bridge News 1/2011: Any guesses how this automated recording system will be used and whether it really is in operation in Veldhoven? How will this impact vugraph coverage on BBO?

Getting back to a remark made by mtvesuvius early on: I have saved an FD convention card labeled "vugraphe1_Steve-Rob" dated May 8 2007. It is for the Tarzan Club system played by Muller - de Wijs who were on Vugraph then. I think the operator was Rob Helle, who's pretty fluent in the sysytem and apparenlty has created the CC. Not sure if it's still possible for the operator to upload a CC. Must give it a try next time I'm doing it. :)

A very nice way to learn about the history of BBO and vugraph (and bridge) is to read Deals of the Week Fred used to publish: http://bbi.bridgebase.com/dotw/dotwlin.html (you need the BBO Windows client installed in order to read those LIN files). December 24 2001 DOTW would appear to be the first one mentioning the BBO vugraph, advertizing the Cap Gemini tournament that would be held in the Hague in January 2002. The Christmas edition also features a deal very well played by Simon de Wijs from the Netherlands. While online vugraph is great, I think it's even nicer to read about the deal in the Bridge Movie format. That way you don't have to wait too long to see Simon finally play a card. :) Dec 17 DOTW of the same year features some celebrities, and also be sure to look forward to the special DOTW 7-year hiatus edition due in March 2011, right Fred? :)

I think it's because of other activities (ballet etc) at Kursaal. They need to throw us out earlier if there's a show coming in the evening...

There's an announcement in Deal of the Week 241: http://bbi.bridgebase.com/dotw/dotw241s.html . Btw, DOTWs make for some great reading. Perhaps Fred'll make a few more of those sometime? :unsure:

In the classic Windows version of the BBO client you can determine whether you are connected or not by looking at the number of people online (Lobby). If it keeps changing you are receiving data from the server, and if it just keeps displaying the same number then you quite certainly are not. I cannot remember if the same goes for the Flash version, and I'm unable to check that because I don't seem to be able to access BBO with the Flash client using this computer.

In a chat message, The Finnish/Swedish letters (åäö) sent from a Flash BBO client turn into rubbish if the receiver uses Win BBO. Is there something that could be done? In Flash -> Flash it seems to work all right.

OCR twos (2♥ showing either ♥+♣ or ♠+♦, 2♠ either blacks or reds, 2NT either minors or majors) are still part of the Finnish Modern Standard. While the system isn't very popular (or modern) any more, those 2-level openings might easily still be the most common structure for 2-suited openings over here. Some strong clubbers play what they call Roman 2's: 2M showing an opening hand with 5+M and 4+♣. And it's not very uncommon to play the 2NT opening to show a 5-5 hand with *any* 2 suits. Also, I've seen some play Muiderberg-ish in a way, where 2♠ is used for both majors (instead of 2♥ that was in the list). Personally I'd choose 5M-4+m nonvulnerable and 5M-5+m vulnerable. I didn't vote, because perhaps you can't really classify OCR as a form of Muiderberg.

Once a BBO commentator was commentating on a ladies match. At a late point of a certain board's play, he probably meant to say something like this: "She has a complete count." Unfortunately the last word was missing one important letter...

I would've voted for both 1 and 4, because I have a bidding system called Chicken (or KaNa in Finnish - Ka comes from my name, and Na is for Natural(ish)). I'd quite like to know what ty son foods has discovered about Chicken preempts and Chicken sacrifices let alone about opening one Chicken heart. Chicken are not usually considered game but perhaps they know something about Chicken game tries, as well. On the other hand, I also have a system called Terroristi (strong club with 9-14 openings; "risti" is Finnish for clubs, and I played it with someone who's name is Tero, thus Ter[r]oristi). So it's very likely that Tyson will knock out Terrorists with his Fists, er, Foods in no time. One can only wonder what happens when they finally start examining Magic Diamond, or Bart Simpson Club (another strong ♣)...

This was the full deal: [hv=d=n&v=e&n=saq87hq8da7653cat&w=sj543h52d84ck7653&e=sk62hkj743d92cq82&s=st9hat96dkqjtcj94]399|300|Scoring: IMP North East South West 1♦ 1♥ 2NT pass 3NT[/hv] The ♣3 was led (5th best - and I think most Finns would lead the 5th best from a 6 card suit as well). I took ♣A and immediately played a club back. That was not a success since, having scored his ♣ tricks, West fired a ♥, removing my entry for the squeeze. I ended up down 2 after an unsuccesful ♠ finesse as a last desperate attempt for a make. At least this time it would be right to grab ♣A at trick one, run diamonds, and then exit in ♣s.

This hand really took place on BBO. Unfortunately most declarers received a ♣ lead from ♠Q♥J753♦AJ43♣AQJ8, after which it was a different story.

You declare 3NT. Scoring is IMPs: [hv=d=s&v=e&n=skj4hkt2dk872c763&s=sat7haq96dqt96ckt]133|200|Scoring: IMP South North 1NT 3NT[/hv] West leads the ♦3 (4th best), which you let ride to your hand (East plays the 5). Next you play ♦Q, which is won by West, East discarding a spade. West doesn't help you with your ninth trick, but continues diamonds instead. You take the marked finesse against ♦J. These cards are left: [hv=d=s&v=e&n=skj4hkt2dk872c763&s=sat7haq96dqt96ckt]133|200|Scoring: IMP South North 1NT 3NT[/hv] You've won 2 tricks. How do you play the rest?

With only the opponents vulnerable and IMP scoring, you declare a game at no trumps: S AQ87 N E S W H Q8 1D 1H 2NT pass D A7653 3NT C A10 S 109 H A1096 D KQJ10 C J94. Lead: C3 (3rd or 5th). How would you play?

If anybody in the South seat accidentally had two sixes in the same suit, he would have to win the first round of trumps with the "stiff" ace without breaking the tempo. He might then continue a spade. This would likely induce declarer to play for a bad trump break. For the defence to have any chance, then, North must hold the 10 of trumps. Otherwise declarer could simply ruff the spade high in dummy. So declarer ruffs with a low trump in hand, partner discarding. Declarer cashes the ♦A and needs to be able to cash ♣AK. Then he continues with another high club. If North discards, declarer plans to throw a diamond from dummy. At some point North would have to ruff, or otherwise declarer would have just trumps left in his hand. Dummy overruffs, and since North must have a diamond or two left, declarer can (cash a diamond and) cross-ruff the rest. But of course, declarer will be shocked to see South ruff the 3rd club with a newly found six of hearts. If declarer is convinced of the bad trump break, he may play like this even when holding both minor-suit queens. But if he has the ♦Q as well, he can afford to play another round of trumps before touching the minors. In that case the ♦Q serves as a later re-entry to hand to play another ♣ in case North ruffs.