Tola18

To add to Analysimis excellent answer: Double asks primary for a four in the other major. If you have it, fine. But if you dont, and your minors are same or almost same lengh, (and your points or holding in enemy suit not so many you want to pass for punishment), you bid 2NT scrambling: bid your best minor partner, I dont want to guess. Lets play 3 in a minor, unless you have a real GF-hand. Scrambling is thus a very logical, easy, very useful little gadget. I believe Larry Cohen writes about it somewhere in his books, either To bid or not to bid, or Following the law. There is one danger with scrambling nowadays, though. Many of the modern players plays Lebensohl as soon anything moves! One player playing scramble, and partner playing Lebensohl - tends to mercilessly lead into a cathastrophe, like 3C doubled down, when 3D was cold. As Lebensohl CAN be played in this position too... Real example I had the other day... :) But we still come 6 of 36. :)

The switch of pairs is common yes, and also switch of the boards midway in each half. Ie, you really play 4 quarters, if you want to see it so. But in short matches there is usually no switch! (no boards, as both tables getting all boards ready duplicated). No seats switch either. Thus. Apparently it isnt really necessary for the swich to satysfy the rules and the law. It is apparently merely a practical custom. Almost like changing sides at sports matches. I have observed it is quite commone they DONT swich sides, especielly in indoors matches.

The problem is perhaps not the uneven standard of the TDs - which of course must happen, or the ruling is now and then faulty. ALL judges do some mistakes in sports. Fotball, basketball, you name it. Some percentage is always wrong. No, I think the major problem is the whiners tend to get right, as mentioned already. The more ruthless and unpleasant fellow, the better for their intentions. It is the ruthless who can make up a good cause. The aggressor tends to win and gets also the ruling with himher. I think the only remedy is to actively rule against aggressors. Ie, not only to abstain from ruling, but actively rule against them. In fotboll (=ie european fotball = soccer) there is nowadays a rule it is forbidden to "film", ie pretend. They do get warnings in clear cases. Why not in bridge too?

The standard on mentors is very good. Most are experts, many as I understand it are established nationals. Both female and male. I´m in fact one of the few mere advanced. But in other words - you dont must be a strong expert to be welcomed as mentor here. A sound advanced is useful, too. :) ..................... I want also to mention the Jakon´s tourney on sundays during the school-term. 16 European time, 10 EDT. Partly the same people. Here too there is a partnerships room before the tournament. Presumeably it will start again after the summer in Europe and North America is over...

a solution may possibly be to use only the main-bridge scores as results. thus relaxed club players would se their own board of course, as compared against the main club. Not perfect, but the lesser evil I think then have main club results fouled by comparing also with relaxed club.

Isnt it supposed to be U28 in Beijing?? We are supposed to talk about the junior-title, ie -26. Or is this year 2008 U28 to substitute for the usual -26 this year? Not entirely fair, but what to do...

Im lending the announcement: and look also at the thread in this forum "better game pairing system", where we talk quite a lot about the JuniorBBO, and finding juniors on BBO.

How is it working? Does opener bid 3C: pass or correct, unless shehe has game on own hand? A little á la Lebensohl? Better is, I think, similiar but another modell. In Sweden it is common with 2D as almost mandatory relay. Exception: long, weak major 6+ hands. You bid these, opener can pass. Bids on only with either a good fit OR selfgoing gamehand. This makes many Swedes reverses the 2NT: 2NT=22-24, 2C followed by 2NT is the usual 20-21. The risk is thus much lesser that 2NT - 3x, 3M goes one down if responder has a yarborough. Now, it is easy to build up that convention into a further agreement, as all bids are empty: 3C and 3D similiar weak hands. Perhaps even 2NT 55 in minors.

This proposal of a "pair-club" was up some year ago, with a lot people here supporting it. Our (my) compromise suggestion was to change the Master club which almost nobody uses, into such Pair club. Im rather surprised nothing has been done. :)

Yes, the junior club isnt optimal for the aussies and kiwis. But yet there ARE a lot of such ones around that time. Of all ages. Maximum for BBO is around 17-24 european time. Hopefully there are also other "lost souls" reading this thread and using the info. ;) I think it would be be good if moderator moved this thread to Youth Bridge - forum.

Arent you coming Ian??

I would guess he does mean some sort of basic polish club (WJ). It is usual if a polish grandmaster says heshe plays natural, heshe means polish club, a not too fancy variation. If he REALLY means natural he would probably say Acol, or SA if the material written for american or BBO public.

This is a excellent tip. Other names to look into here are juniorsbbo = Paula xxx, an enthusiast in charge of the club (also registers newbe´s). Reisig, who is the main teacher at the analysing table afterwards. vdoubleu is another enthusiast, teacher and helding the pairing table half an hour before the tournament starts. So every junior gets always a partner, mentor or junior. Mentors / adults wanting to play with juniors gets also usually a junior-partner. :) Most of the mentors are strong experts, male and female. Im one of the few mentors being a merely advanced. Only complain is the niveu is rather too high for novices. So it is a place more for good intermediates / advanced who wants up, then a school for novices to get experience.

Agree with the others. There are also quite many australian juniors playing on BBO, most of them better then most of the club-players at my local clubs... You are warmth welcome into the junior world on BBO. You can contact me too, although Im not a junior and Im doing some "teaching" if allowed. :) Not seldom by analysing my own mistakes. :)

Right. So the solution to many problems seems to be most simply using X as take-out, and for the more advanced, together with some nice variation of Lebensohl. So is my though too: most easy so. But the alternative using X as business-proposal (point-holding) is very attempting. Especielly when they are in red. Worth mentioning is Lebensohl originale was based on a point-holding balanced double. It is why it can get complicated in some variations!!! Playing Leb with a take-out double is much easier. I read once poll and discussion on this theme by about 100 swedish experts. They debated the pro and contras of the two different D approaches. They finally agreed they were theoretically about equal. But you must know which one you do play with, and decide yourself which one you feel best with. For a advanced and steady pair, the best would perhaps be to play it depending on zone? Question: Ok, D should be negative / take out. So how few points are allowed?? Ie. Should this take out be constructive, with some possibility to business pass, or it may be allowed as fighting for partscore, with few points but excellent distribution, say 4414?

Stolen Bid X isnt that bad. Easy to remember, and easy to understand. It depends of course also on whom is telling. For a beginner it is a great improvement over being helpless and forced into sheer guessing. Probably one of the first own made conventions. (was myself there!). Surely not the best weapon around, but better a semi-decent weapon then none weapon at all... And listening to knowleable and perhaps even friendly opps isnt not bad at all. As long as you dont automatically copy everything they say. :) You can very often get some interesting ideas if you listen actively. Often also from opps who arent no experts, as long they are honest and well wishing people.

In think you mean in Poland, the city of Wroclaw. (as retold be the swedish delegate)

The swedish delegate Micke Melander rewrites and tells today on the swedish junior-forum: EUROPEAN JUNIOR PAIRS – WROCLAW - POLAND Monday 14th July– Opening Tuesday 15th – Qualifications Wednesday 16th – Semi-finals Thursday 17th – Finals and closing The categories will be: Under 26 Open Under 26 Girls (if we have at least 40/50 pairs) Under 21 Entry fee150 €/pair Translation: Tournamnts are open for all who wish to participate. I know there will be arranged also really cheap living-possibilities with all meals. The travels will cost of course. More information will come. Greetings M.

Perhaps it isnt so bad as it sounds, as it seems it isnt no World pairs but European Pairs. The swedish delegate Melander did said so earlier, it seems he has right. What happens with World Pairs I dunno.

Ah yes, old memories. When I was a beginner, I often played in a semi-private club owned and run by old Tom Wennberg. In the system he taught there it was allowed to open on 4-cards major, but it must be sound cards. Thus it was often necesssary to open with a preparatory club, on down to 2 clubs. Although I dont remember if they used 1D as negative. - Perhaps something alike your system Helene?? The system was much for counting points. I suppose it was easier for many beginners, count points instead of try to value the shapes. (I myself was taught and used a basic version of the swedish national system Modern Standard, a mix between Acol and Sayc, with four cards openings. Still a favorite of mine, although nowadays I play it more sophisticated).

Yes, I choosed this as the best solution at hand. :)

Yeah. Rumors and hopes and perhaps nothing more(?). The most serious is of course the status of the event is diminishing with every day. A REAL World Mastership is announced in good time. The exact place - may come later, but not the event as such. As it is, it is easy to get the feeling it is simply another one junior tournament. Not to mention, as no safe facts are given, federations and players are making another planning. Feks as I understand it, Norvegian federation is going to have an international junior camp at the same time. Sweden seems not planning for this at all. It would perhaps be better to let this be this year, let C. Rimstedt and S. Sivelind regain their crowns one extra period - contend with a traditional junior tournament + camp for those who wish, if possible - and go all out for a REAL championship next time, in good time, at acknowledged place and well organized. Where Rimstedt + partner are welcomed as defending champs.

Two weeks are gone, nobody answers. I take it then nothing is confirmed, the meeting not more then rumors and hopes, smaller and smaller with every day going...

About setting a extra high level. The big hole is of course, can you play according to that level?? If yes, there is no problem. But it will be probably a no... Thus you will only cause people will be dismayed and irritaded and boot you. A novice must have somewhere to do hishers training. Thus I always play out at last some deals with a novice before I quit. And if shehe is a nice person, I often set himher on friends list. But a self appointed expert who apparently isnt no expert gives usually only contempt. (although I may tolerate himher if shehe is a nice person). Lesson? Being a nice person, you will always find both friends and a place. The level you play on comes by itself. :)

This is a classical dispute between machine predealt cards - like in barometers, and hand shuffled and dealt hand, like in common club-pairs. It is true, the distributions arent exactly same taken statistically as a whole. Why? a: it is like others said (feks Marlowe): hand shufflers dont shuffle well enough. If a hand shuffler shuffles 4 times, shehe is unusual thorough. It should be 7.... b: it is a myth a randomly distribution is even. feks throwing a penny. I had this experiment done several times in school classes: Pairs of pupils throwing a penny, ten pairs, 10 times each if in hurry. Otherwise, 100 is still better. (one throwing, one writing down the result). Did they fell one this, next the other? NOT AT ALL! There were PLENTY of series of 5-6, even 7, of same in a row! But the whole class, taken together, did gave a practically 50-50 count. Thus: With correct shuffle / predeal, there should be quite many rather wild distributions. More then someone unprepared would expect.