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Hi all, after a longer bridgeabstinence I longed for the BBF... I didn't touch any card after Verona, but then I went to the annual German bridgecamp to Rieneck where I met many, many goood friends and also made new ones. This year we had members from several countries: Germany (of course *hehe*, many league players), Netherlands (which was represented by Gerben42), 3 persons from several parts of Russia, USA, Greece, and a Swiss team :D (I hope I didn't forget somebody!). The mood was excellent this year, we had THE German professional TD working for us who guaranteed very well organized tournaments with duplicated boards and bridgemates. Many different kinds of tournaments were played: individual, board-a-match, IMPs across, Swiss pairs, "PIT-bowl" = pairs, inividual and team in 1, teams, speedball, butler, patton and several pair tournaments with gadgets. It is forbidden to play twice (or more) with the same person as well as to play only with strong players (the last rule is not easy to follow because the overall playing strength is not bad :huh:). In some tourneys you get a partner by chance. We had 2 shows (the musical ELISABETH, and the "performance" on the last evening where in theory everybody should do something :lol:), and after midnight life went on with other games, chats and gossips, dancing. As you might see right now: what comes short is sleeping but who cares, the year has 354 other days for that. Next year we meet from the 27/08/07 - 05/08/07, and if you are between 1 and 40 years old, you are very welcome (and perhaps your family, next year we'll have someone who takes care for the youngest kids so that the parents can play the afternoon tournament, too): www.juniorbridge.de , our big boss is Blade (Michael Gromöller) who organizes this event with some others VERY well! Last night was the first night at home and I had this dream: playing in a team league, I sit down for the 3rd match. The match before a star player and teammate watched the last 3 boards with a face like this :lol: Break with coffee and cakes for free. I sit down against a pair of the wellknown LOLs but face the starplayer. Huh? Ouuukkkeeeeyyy.... The bidding starts pass 3♠ pass and I look at [hv=d=w&v=b&s=sj1098732h32d32c32]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] ???? The LOT tells to I bang down 7♠, we have 14 trumps, ok, ok, only 13 with AKQ654. Oh, those starplayers are too sophisticated for me.... Caren :D

Ciao a tutti :) Torneo individuale, la gente sa come giocare :) Il tuo partner apre 1SA (15-17) e vedi su [hv=d=n&v=b&s=skjxhkjxxdkxxxxxc]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv] Che cosa pensi e che cosa consigli?

Happy birthday, Matt! Have a nice day with a big, big birthday cake!! When does the party start? ;) Caren

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Alex, happy birrthday to youuuuuuuuu! I didn't know that you are already that old ;) Have a nice day and at least another 40 years as slothy! Shhhhhh... 6 x 7 or 5 x 9 :)

;) Thx for the offer! The landscape seems to be very nice! And I also like those crazy things like tooting while passing Buddha who is watching videos for not being bored! But although I LOVE motocycling I think I would be scared to do there. What the hell is a Durian? I know that one of the dishes here in the BBF is/was a Durian cake. Do people play bridge where you are right now? Did you during the last months? Unfortunately I must work.... Best wishes, Ron!!! Caren

Back home now I am glad that I played in Verona, it was a real good experience. Working on the system payed because we had no misunderstandings, bad results were caused by bad play / defense / judgement. In the beginning I made myself "small" when facing "famous" people, later I noticed that ALL have problems from time to time and grew ;) The atmosphere was nice, playing with screens is comfortable. Meeting friends was important, too, I love that; especially talking some words with Fred, Sheri and Brad was something that I don't want to miss! For what it's worth, I found it remarkable having played against Bill Gates. I am usually not after famous people (and I don't want to be in his skin, I love to have my personal freedom and peace), but still... My partner was excited and wanted to take pictures. I hate being on pictures and found the whole situation embarrassing, so I ran to the toilet. He borrowed a camera and was proud of having taken 10 fotos. In the end he had forgotten to open the lense..... One night when I returned from a nice Tango event and waited for a taxi, a crowd of bridgeplayers arrived, among them Michael and Debbie Rosenberg and some other wellknown players; similar situations happened also when sitting in a restaurant: you could see for example the Hacketts or Bob Hamman sitting there or passing by. That is special, isn't it? During the tournament I swore never to touch any card anymore in future, but now I would do it all again ;) I thank all who answered here or in private for the support and use Michael Jackson's sentence: I love you all!

What about a meeting on friday evening at 19.00 or 20.00 in front of the convention center? Or on saturday after the last round? From there we could decide where to go...? Whoever is interested can send me (or Gerben) a PM and ask for my cellphone number. I will be off tomorrow at 17.00 (sadly only until the 17th :o). Btw: I noticed that 2 ladies together and 2 men together will play the Mixed (Gromov and Gromova). Funny... This question came up: can homosexual pairs play a mixed tourney together? :P Is it necessary to post the system? We did not... OT: is someone interested to go to tango on the 13th in Verona?

Thx Kathryn!:) The goal is not to be last; for the sake of bridge (and my nerves) I hope never to be on BBO vugraph ;) I was once in Rieneck (the annual German bridge-camp); after the first 2 minutes I forgot it completely, still remembering the first hand: I had to play 7♣, an ambitious contract (and slight overbid, I was responsable for 30% :P ). I thought about everything I ever heard of squeezes (an endplay was obviously out), but no chance. The rest of the session was relaxing :P Funny when you hear the crowd bawl and don't yet have an idea why: good or bad decision, something spectacular at the other table or just the arrival of a famous person? I said already in another thread that I don't think to end up among the first rankings. But we live in an area where it is hard to find stong competition. And it is easier to fly to Italy than to play in the middle or south of Germany. I love Italy, I like to meet friends, I like bridge and I am curious. Perfect circumstances for this event, or? An argument against might be the fee....

http://www.emmeti.it/Welcome/Veneto/Verona...a/index.uk.html

The countdown runs, 9 days left ;) I'm very interested to say hello to or to change a few words with the BBF/BBO members who will be in Verona, but still have no good idea how to organize that. Does anyone else have? Last year I have been at the place where the competitions are played but it is a very big building and I cannot exactly remember where a good meeting point could be....

My music taste seems to be strange, it could not find what I was looking for :P

I thank you very much for your replies!! I think I come out of my hole again and am happy that I did not write a "goodbye-thread" ;) , but I know myself: the world looks deep black when I am tired, next day it is usually better and I have most of the time a solution or way to handle the situation. My partner and me talked about that all today (he knows already that I panic before a bigger event). We decided to stop "working on bridge" at the end of this week and think that our system is ok so far. Today we compared sheets on which we both bid 180 given hands for varied bidding situations, there were only 5 different answers (but not lightyears between the decisions) in difficult hands! Yes, Verona will mainly be holiday :) But I cannot deny to be ambitious... With what I also stressed myself was that I feel shy to play in a WC, I hate self-overrating and sometimes do the opposite. Pony Nehmert told me today that many bridge tourists will also play, so.... ♥! Caren

Hi! I am posting because I am interested whether others had this feeling before. I am so tired of all that working on a system, on technics, on partnership understanding, on everything. That what started as a pleasant hobby and then becoming sports is at the moment a kind of duty. We (me too!) want to play in a big event (one time in life...) and therefore it is natural to work, being last is neither a goal nor a thrill. BUT as it turned out I have not much time for relaxing (only 2 or so hours in the evening), the rest is filled with work: uni, house, BRIDGE --> partnership bidding, being killed by the GIBs in matchpoint scoring (weird scores from others, and the GIBs are most of the time hard opps, they play well imo: find the right switch, give ruffs, declare well). My partner has more time than me and expects the same enthusiasm (I had this, of course, and suggested working, so he did nothing wrong! But after 6 months I feel I am done, my head is full). Since it is a gift to have a partner, I don't want to disappoint him (I never want to disappoint ANYone), I don't take the break which I would need, also because time runs out. A real dilemma. When I read what other members of the forum play and know, what and how many books they read, which programs they use to improve and so on, I feel like being the most stupid mouse on earth. Better to go back into my hole... *piep* :(

Oh, I feel with you! My son lost 2 terms because he decided to sign for the necessary tests on early monday morning but the fixed time ended already on friday afternoon. My experience is that "katastrophies" (and there were some in my life) had also their good side and some sense. Hard to believe right now, sounds like a fatalistic statement, I know... A big hug! Caren

Ooops... I was too busy that I didn't see it :( Was on the phone for a longer time and started to type this thread hours before "sending" it, running BBF in the background.... Sorry all! And thx for answering :)

Hi! Discussing competitive bidding, we discovered that we don't have a defined system in these situations: i) (3♣/♦) 3NT (p) ??? ii) (3♥/♠) 3NT (p) ??? 1.) 4♣ = ? 2.) Do you play transfers? 3.) 4♠ = ? 4.) 4NT = ? 5.) cuebid = ? It might be discussed already somewhere here, but I didn't find anything... :) :blink: Thx for help! Caren :)

Gerben and hotShot, with my question I did not mean the system changes that weaker or more unexperienced players make, I am interested why a pro- or expert+/ worldclass partnership does within the system :) And since there is a system, changes often influence other sequences as well. Changing the whole system is another case, like changing from 2/1 to a Relays or HUM system, for which reason ever.

Good morning all! Yesterday I read here: http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=14039&hl=, where Fred says that his partnership made a system change. I know an expert who loves to change the system every now and then (which leads sometimes to confusions...), especially when he watched wc players on vugraph or read their latest system scripts, or sometimes after a bidding accident. My question now is: what makes an experienced and longtime expert-/wc-partnership change their system? I think that there doesn't exist the perfect system, every convention has its price, and a change will be well considered.

Now I know what a muscle-shirt is :D Perhaps a suggestion for the dress codes?

The result of my previous thoughts: http://reeperbahn42.blogspot.com/ :) Now I don't bother here any longer, promised!

Hi Gerben! Where does the invitation start? 9,10,11 pts? How does the bidding proceed then? 3♣/♦/(♥) = shortness? 3M = minimum, 4M = maximum without shortness? How to bid ♠-singleton after 1♥ 2NT? What does 3♣ mean in your PC version? And again the OT question because the partnership has a different view about that: do you (all of you are asked B)) show also a stiff K/A as shortness? Imo showing a stiff K is senseless, the stiff A might be ok, but who am I? Another OT: I miss Ron's (The hog) postings, who also played PC, at least sometimes.... Btw: he is fine and living an exciting life (...my perspective, drawn from from his emails...)

Hi! Opening 1M, we show support and / or GF this way (mainly taken from Jassem's WJ 2005): - 2♣ = GF, maybe only 4 ♣s, 3 crd M support possible - 2♦ = GF with ♦s or 6 ♦s 9-11 --> Rebid in ♦. 3 crd M support possible - 2♥/♠ = 6-9. (9 with 3 M support, otherwise 3♣) --> Opener can bid Romex - 3♥/♠ = preemptive (4 - 8), 4 M support - 2♠ (after 1♥) / 3♦ = 16+, SI, at least 2 of 3 top honors - 2NT = limit: 10 or 11 >> 3 trumps, (continuation: short suit trials) OR very strong - 2NT and later 4NT = RKCB 1430 - 3♣ = 9-11 >> 4 trumps --> 3♦: "inviting" - 3♠ (or 3NT after 1♠) = unknown mini-splinter, 10-12 --> 3NT (4♣ after 1♠) asks - 3NT/4♣/♦ (4♥ after 1♠)= splinter, 13-16 - 4M = preemptive I find it hard to bid GF with support, especially with 4 crd support. Now we use 2NT or 3♣ and then bid on with a stronger hand, but I don't feel really good with that. Where is the hole? We discussed to switch the meanings of 2NT and 3♣ using 3♦ as a bid to show a non-minimum hand, but I am not sure if that is a good idea. We don't want to change the whole bidding structure here, but suggestions are really appreciated!! Thx! :) Caren OT: Do you splinter with a K or A?

Hi! I heard of blogs for the first time some weeks ago here in the BBF. Suddenly a "journey" began and now I feel I must restrict myself before I "space away", before I become addicted to a second thing (normally I really don't tend to addictions). One finds an interesting/nice blog, reads some comments, looks on some profiles or links and is already on/in the next one. A comment here, a comment there, people write back, the atmosphere is friendly, and 1-2-3: 5-6-7 hours are nothing, all in front of the PC. Some years ago chatting was it, the forum takes a lot of attention, but a blog is somehow more fascinating. There are different kinds of blogs: the more informative (news, articles about this and that, Justin's bridge blog, etc.), and the private ones (about feelings, passions, whatever). Isn't the latter kind of blog a bit surreal? People sit in front of a PC, perhaps telling EVERYBODY who surfs along more than they ever would f2f? One part of the bloggers discloses his personality, the other refinds himself in it. It is secure because of the anonymity, and that is what seems to be paradoxical: people look for contacts, for expressing themselves, for finding the twin soul but use a machine. Is it a flight? To create something where one gets or can give a (most of the time positive) feedback, putting in it / watch nice or remarkable pictures, cool music or videos. The cost is low, most have a flatrate nowadays, and time doesn't seem to be a factor. Even at work I find myself reading / writing although I should be working (fortunately I still manage to do my work in time). This all reminds me of the Tamagochis. Here in Germany they complain about the decreasing birthrate. No wonder :) I also sit here in front of my pc expressing myself in the watercooler which has some parallels to a blog, I do because I feel familiar here after all those years and because most of you are experienced internet users, and because I am very interested in your opinion. Now I go dancing ;) Caren

Happiness has many faces. For me it is (in no particular order) to love and be loved the children like to come home the smile of a baby (must not be the own) having friends a warm spring-/summerday when a cat decides that I should be its person someone says, "I didn't see you for a long time and just want to say hello. How are you?" a man in demand comes and asks "would you like to dance?" a piece of music that goes to the heart you practised hard and suddenly know whatfor the flesh begins to creep whilst being 1 voice in a big choir / orchestra understanding without words a fine meal and a good wine a coffee kiss laundry in the wind being healthy having survived a disease having managed a strange situation a trip with the motor-cycle having a work that I like no severe worries about material things being needed people trust me and ask for advice nature in spring a bath in the sea a nice poem or picture or sculpture an unexpected phonecall / letter from a nice person being able to look sharp again because of new glasses an interesting conversation / discussion ......... Funny, no(t much) money necessary for all that. I am so happy ;)

You would love that I bet. True Scots do not wear anything underneath! You have your tango in the Water Cooler, now perhaps you want to add jitterbug where the men must wear kilts? Any more frivolous suggestions? :rolleyes: Roland Roland, I saw already twice a naked man :blink: Perhaps it is you who has the frivolous thoughts (springtime)? I just meant to bypass the dress code wearing a costume. I remember when Michael Gromöller (Blade) and a friend played a tourney together on a very hot day, wearing a Burnus and a Kufiya which they had bought when they were in Dubai :P