thepossum

Thanks, yes I wish I had showed my diamonds. That is how people found their way to competing to 6 It was terrible leaving them unmentioned. I almost opened diamonds Always disappointed when I consider competing much higher and chicken out Someone even scored well redoubled

Hi all This hand came up recently in an MP Bot tourney (correction IMPS) I considered competing further but ended up being part of the crowd who tried defending 4 or 5 spades (some unfortunately 5Sx) [hv=pc=n&s=skthjt762dakq52c8&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=pp1h1s2h(Free%20raise%206-10)4s(4%2B%20S%209-12%20pts)]133|200[/hv] Without the interference I would have been considering possible slam (not really) Also white versus red but something stopped me (and others) competing too far - maybe the hearts You can afford 3 down doubled can't you? P

Deleted sorry. I should read the whole thread first 🙂

That's what I thought that after the game try being rebuffed that was it But I accept maybe the Bot was thinking slam

Thanks, yes I was a bit unsure as to how close to Game we were. Decided on going for 3+1 rather than 4 or 6 or 7 minus etc I still get a bit confused about all possible responses to game tries with two small losers

Sorry I appreciate some cultures do not get my culture's sense of humour. I apologise for leaving off a signifying emoticon I thought people would give me more credit for my Bridge knowledge and competence by now (ie some) It was a comment on the defence especially after a clearly indicated weakness in clubs At least I thought I had indicated a lack of strength in that area It didn't stop some tables managing to find and make slam, only being down one keycard

Hi I was concerned that my lack of protection in Clubs was ignored I didn't even think game was on But I respect that it had enough for game at least What does the Game Try mean? Quite a few tables managed to find the obvious Slam and all 13 of the tricks available [hv=https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|thepossum,~~M2995,~~M2993,~~M2994|md|4SAT84HAK9653D4C65,S7H74DQT983CAQJ72,SKJ6532HQDA62CT94,SQ9HJT82DKJ75CK83|sv|e|rh||ah|Board%206|mb|P|mb|1H|an|Major%20suit%20opening%20--%205+%20!H;%2011-21%20HCP;%2012-22%20total%20points|mb|P|mb|1S|an|One%20over%20one%20--%204+%20!S;%206+%20total%20points%20|mb|P|mb|2S|an|Simple%20raise%20--%205+%20!H;%204%20!S;%2011+%20HCP;%2012-15%20total%20points|mb|P|mb|3C|an|Game%20try%20suit%20--%203+%20!C;%204+%20!S;%2010+%20HCP;%2011+%20total%20points;%20forcing%20to%203S%20|mb|P|mb|3S|an|5+%20!H;%204%20!S;%2011-14%20HCP;%2012-15%20total%20points|mb|P|mb|4S|an|3+%20!C;%204+%20!S;%2012+%20HCP;%2013-17%20total%20points%20|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|HJ|pc|H3|pc|H4|pc|HQ|pc|DA|pc|D7|pc|D4|pc|D3|pc|S2|pc|S9|pc|SA|pc|S7|pc|H5|pc|H7|pc|SJ|pc|H2|pc|SK|pc|SQ|pc|S4|pc|C2|pc|D2|pc|D5|pc|S8|pc|D9|pc|HA|pc|C7|pc|D6|pc|H8|mc|13|]400|300[/hv]

Hi all I appreciate many of us like to be somewhat flexible with quantitative NT bids. This hand feels like it needs 34, this one feels like a 32 This one intrigued me since GiB (despite being a bot with precise bid descriptors) asked on the basis of 1 point less than the 12 specified Nobody's complaining except those who didn't open 2NT [hv=https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|thepossum,~Mwest,~Mnorth,~Meast|md|4SAJT3HK87DKQCAKJ2,S76542HQDJT87CT94,SKQ9H543DA95CQ863,S8HAJT962D6432C75|sv|e|rh||ah|Board%206|mb|P|mb|2N|an|Two%20NT%20opener.%20Could%20have%205M.%20--%202-5%20!C;%202-5%20!D;%202-5%20!H;%202-5%20!S;%2020-21%20HCP|mb|P|mb|4N|an|Quantitative%20invite%20to%206NT%20--%202-5%20!C;%202-5%20!D;%202-4%20!H;%202-4%20!S;%2012%20HCP|mb|P|mb|6N|an|2-5%20!C;%202-5%20!D;%202-5%20!H;%202-5%20!S;%2021%20HCP|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|HQ|pc|H3|pc|H6|pc|HK|mc|12|]400|300[/hv] I am curious is this the result of a sim saying. We can get away with 32 this time. Only 2 Aces out. No problem

Hi there I appreciate you can put a description in your table to help players searching for a game with strangers Not many use it though Could there be some kind of friendliness scale of emoticons that indicate quickly as you scan tables as to the level of friendliness towards strangers of different competences dropping in P

I always struggled with some of that pretentious set back in the 80s. Before I arrived in Oz. Thanks for the link I'm more familiar with the culture of Nikolai Gogol and people he influenced such as Bulgakov, Kafka, and Dostoevsky who I actually understood ( a bit more than Australian art school types - they all showed up round the same time in my consciousness and are still a mystery) I'm still at a loss what to make of the current terrible mess. I don't like to think I understand complex places at all I am learning much from the likes of Garry Kasparov who was highly influential/interesting to me as a student Maths undergrad. You could throw in Bobby Fischer if you like (high school) - not that I learn anything about the current situation from the latter - more my interests back then - Bobby Fischers 60 most memorable games etc When will we know the truth of what ever goes on anywhere I think back to all the scary rubbish we dealt with when young. These scary people. I see the same again now

Maybe I misunderstood but I assumed everyone is in A stratum (sorry), bottom approx 2/3 in B stratum and bottom 1/3 in C stratum - based on BBO points in BBO tourneys and ACBL points in ACBL tourneys??? Gives lower rank/less experienced players a chance to earn points in B and C In any individual tourney you can get a ranking in all the strata you play in (in that tourney). You could do well in A, B, and C in some tourneys which is worth more etc It also appears to give the effect of providing accelerated scoring of points at first (lower levels) and gradually slows down as you reach your level :) - that's what happened with BBO points anyway

I don't really know what to think of what is going on but when a leader is happy to fight until his whole country, city and people are wiped off the planet you start to ask questions I do admire standing up to bullies but it is not often the best survival strategy

As I said I have hardly ever used Gerber in my life and rely on clearly flawed 33-34 points, occasionally fewer. But I have been known to check for Kings when missing an Ace But what are the chances of that particularly unfortunate outcome from 33 points I occasionally like to play with other SW (eg QPlus Demo). Indeed hearts were the preferred route. But when forcing a Gerber bid it checked for Kings and ended in 6NTx. A crude sim gives a chance of 88% of making 6NT :) oops that without checking for Kings. Its only 70% if you check for kings. Average tricks dropping from 11.8 to 11.5 approx

Without wanting to appear like a propagandist its going to very painful for a lot of people everywhere who don't deserve it This is a just a few of those who will be hurt according to a propaganda rag RT.com Beware propaganda It doesn't even mention all those about to suffer food shortages etc Given past history squeezing Russia takes a long time and doesn't work I forgot. Reportedly 10s thousands of foreign fighters going to fight on both sides. Many of those joining the Russians are anti-ISIL types etc

Which to anyone in any discipline would appear eminently sensible. If any Jo Public had to choose to between a general or overly specific vaccine. Not too general etc I realise also I have a tendency to oversimplify. You should see my approach to modeling sometimes. When I found that the RAT could diagnose all forms of SARS with reasonable accuracy I was curious too. Maybe people are concerned about knocking out beneficial variants. Or maybe some other reason that I don't understand. But I know nothing of the practicalities or detailed technical issues involved Can I ask a question of those who do know any of this stuff. From my part-wikipedia level understanding of the immune system doesn't it have a fairly non-specific, complex, allow for error kind-of approach at targetting different parts of invading viruses or other unwanted invaders

Highly unfortunate I could easily see myself getting to 6NT via my ambitious quants sometimes I don't use Gerber much but could it not ask for Kings

I know I'm in the wrong forum again but when I read about the 234 rule on Mr Pavlicek's site I have found it easier to at least get a rough idea on what type of reasonable pre-empt I should make. I didn't know about 3,4,5 yet I sometimes even use 234 for my 1 and 2 level bids too It definitely helps for people like me to have a fairly simple rule for 3 and up preempts though. Something I could even write on a Card :) I could just say sound to light style

I'm trying to brush up on my knowledge of the Kyivan Rus and the birth of Russia I imagine its all propaganda I think Mrs Bailey needs to be dealt with World History with Mrs Bailey Another interesting piece of trivia looking at the area covered (at some time) by the Kyivan Rus is that the White Sea is at the top and the Black Sea at the bottom. And to other interests apparently the Black is at the top and the Red at the bottom. And some people just call it the Sea. Wikiversity :) Which explains some different colourings on chess boards perhaps But I am not happy at those cheering on World War 3. Not after what happened last time. The people of the world deserve a break. Those who leave others alone do Another thing that crosses my mind is the fairly recent history in that region of those who subscribe to constant conflict. Give us a break. I know its meant to be progressive and good for us all

Duplicate

One of my favorites is the risky takeout double of 2M which is often left in. I try to avoid doing it. Remarkably sometimes it works as penalty Today it worked because it had qjtxx of trumps opposite a monster hand. It scores ok but it's not quite satisfactory

As always I run the risk of having a ton of bricks dropped on me from a great height. That's nothing like an unnecessary war I don't know enough really to comment but despite the Russians being seriously uncompromising in defence of their interests, I ask all the other empires/hegemonies represented here how they would act to some of the rumoured aggressions, threats, on their borders and people. Also I hope there is bit more informed discussion on the history of that area than what we have heard so far from global media Don't pick on the people ever, no matter what is going on But I get scared at very one sided global narratives. Always. Sometimes they are justified I know I shouldn't keep doing this (adding stuff) and its risky. Imagine any other alliance trying to push into California or Pennsylvania or even Washington DC I really don't know enough about the history of that place, ancient and immediate to know what is going on at all But all my principles and ideals are torn. You all know how I feel about freedom and authoritarianism PS Apologies as always. I don't like populists. I don't like any use of ad hom. I don't like a world. I guess I'm old fashioned and wars should not be determined by social media. More accurately I don't trust anyone depending on any form of populism because of the interests that may influence them. And maybe this says something about me but I don't trust media stars, entertainers, heroes, people who put their ego ahead of people's interests. And I hate to sound selfish but I never know when I will be silenced on any/ all platforms simply for expressing a well informed but personal opinion. I don't like being bullied, threatened, defamed by someone/anyone who thinks they are that important. Sorry for preemptive defense but freedom can deal with alternative points of view. It doesn't need Gulags. Hope that request for decent behaviour and lack of arrogance from some is not seen as motive for a war. Some of us defend ourselves from known threats very early. I said I hated ego and "its about me" but its not. People are being silenced and hurt. Innocent people. Be careful. I think I am entitled to be pre-emptive here. Some others need to be more carful their behaviour and attitude

I'm starting to feel old as an English born person having to live through two whole eras like that. There will never be another one though. How could there be

In the wrong forum but here to learn. Just had an experience where a 20% minor grand got 100% against a 30% small NT slam plus one, in a small ACBL MP tourney. Admittedly GiB does not often show up in this forum It needed a lot more than a finesse but NT did not look good. Its possible (without the knowledge of people with better skills than me) that it required a double finesse which I thought about but fortunately only went for the King, not the Jack too :) - but I reverted to begiiner distributions and stats on finesses MP strategy is a very interesting ting to think about, is it not? I forgot, it was 11th hand of 12 and things were not going brilliantly at that stage It counted as a very happy moment :) .... and I am sure the rather slight psyche aspect of the bidding didn't make any difference at all

"Lindsay Lohan blows everyone’s minds by revealing we’ve been saying her name wrong all this time" (Metro Entertainment) I appreciate many people don't appear to have much to "blow" but it seems something of an exaggeration; and I find these types of headlines alarming in the extreme. And they undermine the ego or the self completely. What a wasted life

Me too I'll be happy if it doesn't kill me or do something scary to my immune system :)