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The Tao of Bridge: 200 Principles to Transform Your Game and Your Life by Brent Manley I am making TaiChi since some years and I love bridgetips books, so the title attracted me when I surfed through an internet bookstore. It was a nice reading! I don't know if it is a book for those who worked through "Adventures in Cardplay", but the beginner up to at least advanced can find common and useful tips for every aspect of bridge (and life as well).

IMO it is hard to find a good answer to the question because it is important which group you teach: a group of students or a group of midfifties who has a new hobby after raising children (the 2 extremes). The first group is used to follow even theoretical lessons whereas the other group needs different didactical methods, constant repetition and breaks for improvement. Also the goal may be different: the first group wants perhaps to play tournaments as soon as possible, the second is more interested in playing "socially", both groups may be intermediate in their context. For the first group everything is "food", even tips which bridgebooks to read are fine. For the second group it is important from my experience (not as member :) ) to get theory on a small dosis and then practise shortly after (but be careful: they do perhaps the right thing because they "know" what comes and what they are expected to do. Therefore it is good to have some hands with older stuff among the new *hehe*), they want to hold the cards in hands. What they expect from their teacher is immediate success... What people of group 2 enjoy, is to sit around a big table with a full hand on the table, discussing ALL what can be discussed about this hand like bidding, best lead, counting tricks, etc. My personal favorites for lessons besides the basics of playing technics are partnership aspects, above all the carding. Bridge is different from other games in this case and many people have problems of accepting that they have a partner (-> no need to complain of bad cards; to accept partners mistakes; to communicate with the given tools, etc.) - it can be fun for one or 2 sessions with prepared hands to draw conclusions from bids or played cards what did NOT happen, I mean: why did partner NOT bid this and that, which card(s) does he NOT have when he plays this one, why did partner NOT lead his/my suit, etc. Negative inferences are powerful. GL! Caren

I was TD in f2f tourneys but stopped some years ago because I had not the nerves anymore. One works like a dog and earns a lot of complaints about everything and nothing. One lady wrote me a kind of letter on a paper handkerchief (and it was not a thank you...), another threatened with an advocate because she did not get the prize she wanted and so on. I can imagine what running an online tourney is like and I always admire you TDs!! Thanks for not giving up, it is a great offer!!!!! Caren

Hi Kathryn! I am very sorry what happened to you! Please: don't give up!!!! I have been several times at such a point, too, depending on frustration (sometimes I stood in my own way) or bad behaviour and rudeness. Leaving and giving up is not the right way, we meet always and everywhere stupidity and ignorance, BUT we meet also always friends, they just change with personal progress. Don't give the idiots room and power, you will get new perspectives for sure! Perhaps those people don't like what you do, but others do! Caren

:ph34r: after some hours of relaxation I see that there is no real problem. ♦J is the ONLY way. Knot in brain *argh*

I hope this was not serious :) Computers deal better than humans, and the breaks/hands will be the same as the %ages expect them to be over the long run. This should not really be a factor in determining your line of play. No, not serious, just a psycological trap :D

♠A

I think that p "corrects" to ♠ with equal length because the stronger hand declares, the "known" hand is dummy. I would :D

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=s842h1064daq8642c9&s=sjhakqj87dj7caq82]133|200|Scoring: MP contract: 4♥, lead : ♠7[/hv] Hi experts! I have sometimes problems when there are different possible lines of declaring + the pressure of MP here. In this tourney you play computer dealt hands and you faced already some really bad breaks. Which is the best line and why? Thx :D Caren

Here is another problem: opening is 1NT (15-17) and you hold[hv=d=n&v=b&s=sj10xxhkxxxxdxcxxx]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] Stayman or transfer? + Stayman: -> possible ♠-fit. If p bids 2♦ and you bid fit-fishing weak 2♥, p probably passes because the ♥s are better or he has 2♠s and 3♥s - Stayman: -> if p bids 2♦ and you bid fit-fishing weak 2♥, he might bid 2♠ and you play in a 34 fit although you have a 53 fit in ♥ -> when your side has no ♠-fit you are forced to ruff on the longer side and lose control; or opps play ♠ whenever they can and in the end you play "NT" + transfer: -> partner might have 3+♥s. Even if not, the 25-fit is better than a 34♠-fit in this case - transfer: -> you might miss a 44♠-fit I think that transfer is better. Caren

I don't know the answer but here is a true story which happened some years ago in my local club: a 92 years old lady, playing together with her retired son, and me had dinner together at the same table. She chose fried and pickled herrings. After she ate one of the two she had enough but did not want to give the 2. back. So she opened her white handbag, took the fish by the tail and put it into it with the words "for tomorrow". Her son was eating together with others and could not prevent that, and I was too astonished... This lady walked her dog by driving her open red VW Cabriolet, doggy running beside it, until she became 90 and her son decided that she should not drive anymore. Absurd things do not only happen in Ireland :) Caren

Lieber Ron *sniffsniff* So soon????? Time is really running fast these days.... I will think of you at least every friday at 12.00 (my time). Ich trinke auf dein Wohl und hoffe, dass wir das auch mal gemeinsam unter Freunden tun werden :) Alles Gute, mein Freund! Deine Caren

The argument for bidding with a weak hand is that the small trumps make tricks and enable taking finesses. Weak hands are most of the time useless until opener has the ideal cards and a the layout is perfect. But let him have AKQ to your Jxxxx: the suit is high but blocked in NT. In this hand it depends on my mood. I don't like to play with this balanced hand on the 3-level. Should I play puppet-stayman also after 1NT I would bid on because I can play 2♦. I would give it a thought to bid stayman and pass any rebid because of the 2 small ♣s. But today I pass. ;) Caren

Nonono, I have a handbag with many fans :) And would men carry all those things themselves..........

*hehe* That sounds funny, I'd like to come over, only problem is perhaps to find a partner... My handbag is full of nice things (men often ask for something like an aspirin, handkerchief, chocolate, chewing gum, a pen, a piece of paper, need a place to put their purse or keys into, etc.). And a drink from time to time is nothing I would refuse (...after the tourney...). ♣(with 4 leaves) Caren

a.) When leading from x-x-x against NT in Partner's bid suit, do you like Top, Middle, or Bottom? Which general lead-agreements does the partnership have? I like playing 2./4. against NT, so: middle. With some partners we lead 3./5., then small :) If I supported partner's suit, we play attitude and the lead would be the highest. b.) When leading from x-x-x against NT in a suit not bid by partner, do you like Top, Middle, or Bottom? I follow again the general lead-agreement of the partnership, but personally prefer 2./4. . Perhaps we play Smith-Peter ;) Is it an Indy or a pick-up partnership I would assume standard lead is 4th best and play top of nothing in both cases. non-expert Caren

Hi! In a 44 boards tourney we had 2 times trouble with this decision. We play 15-17 NT and both times the auction went 1NT 2♣! Dbl (we play Lebensohl) case 1: 2♣ was DONT = ♣s + any higher, the full sequence was: 1NT 2♣! dbl 2♥* pass 2♠ dbl all pass alerted (!), I asked and LHO said, his p does not like clubs, he was not really sure what 2♥ showed (♠-group) :) ... I held ♠KJxx. He fell 2 times but we should have been playing 3NT. case 2: 2♣ was a self-made convention, aked for majors but could have been any hand without majors. The full sequence: 1NT 2♣! dbl pass pass 2♥ dbl all pass [hv=d=s&v=e&e=saqxhxxdjxxxcqxxx&s=s9xxxhakdk10xcak10x]266|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] Partner led a trump, won the ♦return with the Q, LOW♠ (we play attitude there) which declarer won with the A, playing a low♣ from dummy which I won with the K. Do you have an idea of the whole distribution right now? I had not and played trump A, followed by a ♠. Partner held ♠Kx, so I must have been playing ♠, p returns trump to my A and I could give him a ♠-ruff. We set this contract only 1 time for a zero, others played again 3NT. My LHO is known as "crazy and fearless" bidder, he was 6-4 in the majors with 4pts. My questions now: A.) Who, opener or advancer, decides under which conditions to dbl opps or to play 3NT, if Lebensohl is out because both are balanced? I >felt< both times that we should play 3NT but I followed the captaincy principle (wrong understanding here?) B.) Which weapons do you have against NT defences in general? Just Lebensohl? C.) Which weapons do you use against such "could be this or could be that, does not necessarily show that and that"-conventions? D.) Which exact meaning has partner's dbl? Caren

Stupidity, envy and greediness often rule :( Look what happens in the name of God (our, theirs,....), look how people deal with nature, many more examples can easily be found. Whoever thinks it could be different in bridge is perhaps a dreamer (me included) although the ability to draw conclusions and making reflections is there (at least at a higher level ...ehemm..). We can just do it better by putting things on the table and discuss them - even controversal but always with respect. Then there is hope that people understand where the quality is and where they feel good; and the crowd grows (I know what I am talking of, look at my member number ;)). I feel that my bridgehome is BBO, thanks to you who made it to such a place!!♥♥♥ Caren

Congratulations!!! :rolleyes: It is impressive how the players performed over this long distance! It must be VERY strenuous to play every day under such a pressure. I am already glad to relax after 1- or 2-day-tourneys.... Hat off!! Caren

Yes! I agree to everything the others said already B) Caren

This is exactly also my opinion! People have their habits and if they like something they stay, if not, they leave, it is easy. BBO is a great place and the products that bridgebase sells are great, no need to be scared of competition. I liked seeing the link to the Estoril site, it showed -for me- self-confidence and not the opposite...

I don't like already the opening bid. With 55 in the black suits some open ♣ first , but with 65 the longer suit has priority. When the opening is not "kosher", it is nearly unimpossible to show the hand correctly later. Ok, the opening WAS 1♠ here. I cannot see any reason why it should be useful to introduce the ♥s rather than showing immediately the strong ♠-support since we have also gf sequences available with support and the 2/1 argument is not so important (mo :rolleyes:). The ♥s will be working well in a ♠-contract. Ok, a ruff might threaten should we have a ♥-fit as well, but they must find it :blink: So I don't pick a bid of the list, both players chose the most difficult path and fell into the gorge instead of going for an easy walk. Caren

...wellknown as the feared LIPTONGUEY-SQUEEZE...

Hi! If you are bored or you want to make some face-gym or your TFT is too clean, train this 42 times. And loud, please :) step 1: Three witches watch three swatch watches. Which witch watches which swatch watch? step 2: Three switched witches watch three Swatch watch switches. Which switched witch watches which Swatch watch switch? step 3: Three swiss witch-bitches, which wished to be switched swiss witch-bitches, wish to watch three swiss Swatch watch switches. Which swiss witch-bitch which wishes to be a switched swiss witch-bitch, wishes to watch which swiss Swatch watch switch? :) wdp C.

Hi! I was reading in a book about MP strategy and it is recommended to open light in 3. seat (yes, old hat; no further bidding explained). So far so good, I understand the reason. BUT... ... when a major is opened we have Drury to ask for a minimum opening. What if the opening is in a minor? I feel a big problem when partner has a "maximum pass" with a balanced hand without 4card major. A jump to 2NT seems to be dangerous (if not weird), or? And a simple raise or a preempt with some, let's say 10-12, points seems also crazy since the opening is not guaranteed light. And with a balanced hand + 4card major: what does a 1NT rebid by opener show? Does he repeat his suit when he is weak? ;) Caren