42

So much brain work in bridge B) I prefer an embrace to a tenace, an ocho to a nine, squeezing a (wo)man instead of squeezing dummy, to dance the sandwich rather than to bid in....

Try wearing a kilt. Or a Burnus. Or NO trousers.... Perhaps some ladies never saw a naked male leg, they must be protected! It is always the same: a shortcoming somewhere (bridge skill for example) makes people care about clothings or other person's love affairs B)

My avatar already says a lot: I am addicted to tango. I wanted to learn it since many years but this and that came in between, I then had a first glance at university where I work and therefore can participate in low-cost (to zero) courses. Some months ago I decided to go to a tango school in town, and that changes my whole life as it seems. It is great fun but also kind of hard work: to control the body whilst dancing in an elegant and easy looking way as well as the interaction with a partner and sometimes the other people on the dance floor (it is an absolute no-no to trample upon anybody else's feet or to bump against another pair, obviously...), all this according to the wonderful music. The aspects of knowing the technics and interaction with a partner are the same in bridge. Tango becomes an undescribable experience when the body knows what to do because the music and a slight "sign" from partner makes it a logical and natural movement, you are ready to dream a wordless dream, things are just ok right now and here. Sure, to reach that, it needs a lot of practising :unsure: Those moments occur at my level not yet often LOL Why do I think I am addicted? There are many signs: shoes: one of the first activities was to buy comfortable (and beautiful) dancing shoes. I like to wear more often high-heels but must admit that mocassins are much more comfortable... And I would not mind to buy some more pairs of wonderful dancing shoes clothings: the style changes. Usually I wear jeans and a t-shirt, ready. Now the rate of wearing a skirt or a frock increases significantly. Preferred colours are red and black, perhaps white. The makeup and the hairstyle also changes. friends and family: some just don't understand what is going on. It is hard to explain what tango is like and why it is fascinating. Most heard about it; it usually has a special touch for them. They ask: "What does your husband say when you go alone to TANGO?" (can someone keep another one anway from what that person really wants to do? There are only 2 possibilities imo: to accompany or to say nothing...) When they want an appointment, it now goes this way: "Hm, let me think.... monday taiji, tuesday tango, wednesday tango, thursday choir, friday tango, weekend perhaps a workshop (milonga or tango).... I'll call you when I have time, ok?" bridge: it was my passion over years. I start to loose a bit interest. When I have a choice to dance or to play bridge, I choose tango... house: the big room in the cellar is a dance floor, I have already a lot of tango-music internet: the sites are more and more related to tango; new nicknames have to do with tango even the broom becomes a dance partner plans: which town might be nice for a tango festival visit? Will I miss lessons / a workshop when I go to a tourney on the xx.yy.200x? To be continued...... Luis, do you dance tango? :) Caren

*hehe* the good old Coke-coup :rolleyes: Recently I was asked to play in a local club tourney, the officials had invited Danes who had all drinks for free (guess what happened ;) ). After that tourney I knew again why I rarely go to play there... But all in all I had a lot of fun! Every pair got a prize: because it was a German - Danish meeting they had decided for Italian products to win; we were not the winners but lucky enough to have an early chance to decide for the 42th ovenproof dish and Cantuccini B) Playing against a local couple, we had a not so nice score because of this: wife: 1♠ (pass) hubby: DBL I asked if she plays that weak (this was possible because she is much better than he is, both play since many year btw.). He understood nothing. She: "You cannot DBL ME!" He: "Ehm, what shall I do instead??" She: "Anything else but DBL, man!" Shaking his head, sighing, he painfully grabbed out 2♠, just made. When she saw the dummy with ♠Ax and 13 balanced points, she nearly fell from her chair. What shall I say? 3NT would have been down.... Another experienced local couple, again she better than him and rumours say he shows signs of Alzheimer: wife: 1NT = 12-15 (pass) hubby: 2NT (pass), she alway accepts, so: 3NT. I lead my 4th highest ♥, dummy laid down 6 of them, 12 pts. Is it necessary to tell you what kind of score this was for us?

Hello all! Has someone perhaps a good description of the whole story of Leaping Michaels (further bidding by advancer)? (2M) 4m (pass) ? 4oM is clear cuebid (4M) 4NT 5m is clear 5om 5oM oM = other Major, the suit promised by 4m bidder om = other minor How does the structure change after 2♦ Multi? Thx! :D

Yes, it is :) But also opener has his chance: 1♠ 1NT 2♦ 2♥ ?? or 1♠ 1NT 2♦ 3♣ ??

Hi! This hand haunted me last night: [hv=d=n&v=n&n=saj9xxh9dakxxcqxx&s=sxhakjxxd10cj1098xx]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] Partner opens 1♠ (12-17). System: responder - 1NT = 7-11 - 2♣ = GF - 2♥ = 9+ with 6°, otherwise 10+/11 opener's rebids after 1NT (natural continuation after any other bid) - 2♣ = artificial, 15+ - 2♦ = 12-14, nat. The field is not strong. What is the contract you would feel well in, playing a.) MP like here, b.) IMP? How do you bid on according to the given system?

I know in general the advantages of transfers and how to bid them B) But I do not know the specific requirements in this special situation (after intervention). It is easy to see (even for me) that it must be good with a weak 6° suit, but how does the bidding proceed when responder is intermediate/strong with 4-6 cards?

equality has some huge downsides as well... I am happy with Switch, as you described in your PDF.. Maybe you should post that here. Hi! I now have some additional questions: - what is switch? - how works "equality"? - what are the main advantages of playing transfers? Is a negative double out? If so, how do you show a hand with both open suits? Is the range for transfers only 6+ pts? What do you do later when 4th man preempts and you have a GF hand? I think I did not yet get the idea of transfers (= being a 4+ or 5° suit?) B)

We defined that this way, but we had a discussion about whether it is invitational, plain GF or slaminterested. Most of the time, you just bid 3NT with a GF hand and hope that they don't lead the M that isn't well stopped, or? In order to discuss this, it is very important to define the structure of transfers over 1NT. a. What does it mean if you xfer to a minor and then bid your major, in terms of strength (inv/GF/slammish) and promised length in the suits ? b. What does it mean if you xfer to a MAJOR and then bid your MINOR, in terms of strength (inv/GF/slammish) and promised length in the suits ? (e.g. some people, including Fantoni-Nunes, and many others in Italy, play that xfer to a major followed by showing a minor is INVITANTIONAL only, and shows 4 cards in the major and 6+ in the minor). We don't play 4-way transfers. We bid 2♠ which is either invitational for NT, or responder has a long minor, weak or slaminterested. to b.: they play transfer to M and then bidding a minor with 4M6m? Not via Stayman?

We defined that this way, but we had a discussion about whether it is invitational, plain GF or slaminterested. Most of the time, you just bid 3NT with a GF hand and hope that they don't lead the M that isn't well stopped, or?

At least the start of the new year is brilliant B) In fact I made a lemon-creamcake using a kind of Mascarpone :P (did not yet find a good recipe for THE Crema Catalana...) Sono stata piena come un uovo (I got 2 books for improving Italian with the really important words and sentences :))

Hi! System: 1NT = 15-17, Stayman and transfer to M (showing a long m is possible via 2♠). When a fit is found through Stayman and responder has slaminterest ,you have a special system for bidding on, starting with 3♣. So in this case Splinter is out. I am interested in how you understand these sequences (opps silent): 1. 1NT 2♣ // 2♥/♠ 3♦, 2. 1NT 2♣ // 2♥/♠ 4♣/♦ 3. 1NT 2♦ // 2♥ 3♣/♦/♠ 4. 1NT 2♦ // 2♥ 4♣/♦ 5. 1NT 2♥ // 2♠ 3♥ Ty ;)

Thank you! ♥♥♥ To explain the 7: I feel like being 27, look perhaps like 37 (people say so :P ) and in fact I am now 47 (can't believe it...). But what is a number ;)

Hi! Meetings with experts are always a dwell of joy. Yesterday the controversal discussion arose whether it is better to play negative freebids* or to play a new suit by responder as forcing. The "YES" expert said that the majority of experts /wc plays negative freebids (therefore the poll which might give an idea of the truth). Assume the answer is yes: - what is the idea behind? As far as I understood responder gives an immediate picture of his hand whilst doubling first (negative) with the intention to bid the long weak suit later might take too long and opps are taking the space. - what is the worst and what the best suit you would bid as nonforcing? - is there a restriction to the level? Here most people play them on level 2, a new suit on level 1 and level 3 is forcing. If the answer is no: - what keeps you away? *situation: 1bla (1/2 blubb) new suit

I admit that it usually takes at least 2 big cups of coffee before I am able to do anything in the morning, but a few things work always :) Near to my hometown on the countryside we have 2 bigger music festivals every year, 1 for classic (Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival) and 1 for Jazz (Jazz Baltica). Besides the concerts one can go and listen to the auditions or jam sessions after a concert. It is a very familiar atmosphere. 2 years ago we did that when Nigel Kennedy was there. We met him on our way to the car and he was VERY nice and talkative. When I was very young I was babysitting my nephews. The telefone rang and I was talking to the acting Bundeskanzler (my sister-in-law was married to an important journalist). That was kind of a shock :(

When we played the league some weeks ago, Herman van Veen, one of my favourite artists (singer, music-clown, violin player, etc., etc.) from the Netherlands sat at the table next to ours at breakfast. We watched each other but tired and into bridge as I was I recognized only after some minutes who I was flirting with, too late and embarrassing to change the table ;) They had given a concert the night before; I should have been going to listen instead of sweating over the hands :lol: I go to his concerts since -ehm- more than 20 years whenever he is next to or in my hometown, last autumn I went one day and the following :lol: Later, waiting for the elevator, I talked with the terrific guitar player. She asked what we were doing, she was sure it had to do with bridge. Amazing, or? That story will not impress many of you, I fear, but I was...

I won't watch that movie. First of all I strongly dislike the commercial background. And what can we learn (not that I only watch movies with a moral!!!)? Suppose you are in an extremely dangerous situation which might take place everywhere: some have the strategy to become motionless, other just do something which has the big advantage that one doesn't think too much about what will happen soon. It appears to me that we shall look up to heroes who defended the evil. It is not even clear that the passengers wanted to defend America because they already had the oversight of the whole matter of terrorism and how much it wounded America and the Western civilization, I think the shirt is closer than the trouser. Here it is pretended to tell the truth about the last hour, but it is only a reconstruction, using some puzzlepieces, or? Another point is that I don't like any kind of voyeurism. It is clear that such a situation is extremely bad, noone wants to come into. Why should I watch? I have my personal moralistic principles, they will not change because I saw such kind of movie. And I don't need it neither to overcome my fears or come near to emotions, nor to understand better political strategies. It might be an exciting story but.... no.

Hi! Recently I was kibbing a trainingsmatch of 4 female starplayers, among them Sabine Auken and Daniela von Arnim. Their opps had a bidding sequence (I forgot the details but they aren't important for this topic) which led to an unsatisfying result because Sabine and Dani knew enough now to find easily the best defense. After that hand the main point of the discussion was that often an accurate exchange of informations tells opponents too much about the hand. I had thought about that before. What is your opinion? When do you just bid a contract because you "feel" it will be right, when do you prefer to rely on your perfect system? :blink: Caren

What is "the message" of this topic?

*hehe*I did the same a few weeks ago, it really feels gooood ;) What let you make this step (I am just curious...)?

My bid was 3♥ (it felt natural ;) ), p said 4♥ with ♠ Q92 ♥ 842 ♦ AQJ9 ♣ QJ4 . He suggested that I should pass, he never lets them play 3♣ and bids 3♥ himself. I said that I wanted to express the more offensive character of my hand with my 6th ♥, he took it for an invitation. I was more and more confused like so often when I start to think deeper: is pass weaker (HCP) than 3♥ in this context? Since the range for an overcall is 8-16: how can I invite opposite a partner who has 3° support and 10+? Perhaps our methods have still some holes :(

Good morning all! I hope you had a Happy Easter :) I found some time to play, and we had different opinions in this hand: [hv=d=e&v=n&s=sk8hak10765d42c532]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] The bidding went (1♣) 1♥ (pass) 2♣ = exactly 3 ♥s 10+, or any strong hand without fit 3♣ ?? Wich action is ok with overcaller's hand and why? Are there some "guidelines"? Thx and sunny greetings! Caren

I don't agree, at least not for Germans: we all have to learn at least 1 language besides German, in higher schools at least 2, there are many projects where children already learn English in the Kindergarden and elementary school. I find some "discussions" here more and more embarassing, BBF isn't the same anymore for me. People who cry loudest don't make the truth. Caren

Italian ice cream is best :angry: BACIO *slurp*