jmc

If you are looking to play with people outside of a trusted group the overhead of setting up the game becomes prohibitive. Who wants to spend 15 minutes putting together a table of unknowns in order to play 10 minutes before one leaves. Ratings like those on other sites do not help the situation in my opinion. It just makes people even more paranoid about playing with only similiar levels of players, else see their precious rating decrease. All this overhead to starting a bridge game with random ops or especially with random partners, is why I'd rather just play some chess, read the forums, or muck cards in texas hold'em than set up a random game. jmc

The best information I have found on pass-double inversion is in the Auken book "I Love This Game." Do you have any other sources Keylime? jmc

Marty Bergen and larry Cohen were an incredibly succesful early partnership. They won the Cavendish in 84 and 89. They won the Blue ribbon Pairs in 83 and 88. They won the Lifemaster Pairs in 83 came in 2nd in 86. 4th in the Bermuda Bowl in 93. They were 2nd in the vanderbilt in 1990. In 85 and 91 they won the Reisinger. They won the Spingold in 84 and were 2nd in 83. Now, they don't play together, though I have heard they are still good friends. Does anyone know why their partnership disolved? Why did Bergen largely disapear from the tournament scene? Do people see him at regionals etc. in Florida. Does anyone know why Larry Cohen no longer plays the Cavendish? Info, rumors, and gossip appreciated. jmc

Thanks for the response. I understand that software changes are non-trivial. It would be worth it to me, but I understand it wouldn't be to many. Thanks for the information. jmc

A fee is an interesting idea. I am also happy to report that Okbridge still allows kibbing of its tournaments. I hadn't used my membership their in months but have been using it as a new source for kibbing tourneys. I still do not understand why kibbing but only showing the dummy is a problem. This stops self kibbing which was the main reason for the ban. Could someone explain why we cant just kib the players seeing only the dummy? jmc

This is a .pdf all about signals leads and discards by Marilyn Hemenway, a grand life master and multiple national champion. Its free and can be found at: http://www.omahabridge.org/MHemPubs/L_S_D2.pdf It is probably not as good as some of the books mentioned but it is very good for a free web publication. jmc

Last time i lead a singleton and it didn't work out I spontaneously muttered, "Damn Benito Garozzo." Unfortunately neither opponents realized he recomended singleton leads unless they looked wrong. Later the opponents asked my partner if I was mentally ill. LOL, I am not. jmc

I wanted to ask how this has been working out. I know I've seen you playing it some. Any thoughts now after some real hands and experience? Jmc

awm, you play this in a non-2/1 system, a 2/1 game force unless suit rebid system, or just a version of sayc? jmc

I believe that support dbls with minimum balanced hand should be optional and not mandatory. I would rather not play them than play mandatory support dbls. I also feel strongly that 99.9% of 12 point hands should be opened. Even hands that may be an optional pass because of a lack of quick tricks, gain value by entering the auction first and early. This would be less of an advantage in good fields, but in the normal mixed club games or bbo tourneys there are plenty of pairs that will find ways to mess up over light openings. This might be because they are talked out of bidding or of going to game. It might be because they end up choosing to overcall the light 1M with 2m when 5422 and miss a major fit. There are plenty of pitfalls. jmc

Keylime, what is the name of the team? Jonathan

Cherdano, your right of course that the 18,19 2D opener does not solve the problem. I do think that taking the 18,19 balanced out of the 1m openings makes it easier than otherwise. I usually play 10-13 NT's in a big club system. I prefer not to play weak NT's playing standard or 2/1 unless using the 2D gadget. Playing it I find I guess much less than otherwise. jmc

The problem jdonn highlights here can be somewhat solved by playing a 2d bid showing 18,19 balanced. This removes those hands from 1m and allows partner to assume you are 15-17 bal or unbalanced when opening 1m. I think this makes the weak nt in a 2/1 or standard system much more playable. Many people who play weak nt's do not require extra values for 1M. These people still open 1M with 12+ and a 5-card major. One of the posters above implied that 1M in this context shows extras. Some players play 1h-1s-1nt shows a 15-17 nt but some play it just shows 12-15 ish or something sort of standard. jmc

My partners have agreed that if you have already started a count signal in a suit that your second card is completes the signal and gives suit preference. i.e. Partner leads trump and declarer plays 1 round of clubs. Holding 983 of c I play the 9 (udca, top of equals)on the first round. if declarer then pulls trump and I have a pitch i can finish showing three clubs by pitching either the 8 or 3 of c, BUT the 8 asks for higher side suit and 3 lower side suit. If you haven't already given a count signal then we discard UDCA count starting with second discard. (our first discard is attitude) So playing against NT you lead a c and I want to signal my diamond count on my second discard and diamonds have never been played, then from 10683 I play the 3, udca. I am interested in how others do this. jmc

I have often wondered if subsequent discards are UDCA or standard. So declarer is running his long suit and I decide to pitch 2S because I want a spade. My next discard is ostensibly a count signal, so, if i have 4 clubs, 8632, do I play 2? I have had some very good players tell me that when discarding playing UDCA, you still give present count using standard methods. Marilyn Hemenway has a little article about this that she calls "LSD: Leads Signals and Discards." You can find it here: http://www.omahabridge.org/MHemPubs/L_S_D2.pdf How do you and your partners do it? Mhem gives an example on the bottom of page 26 that illustrates the issue well. Dummy is 104, 853, KQJ96, 932 and the ops are in 3nt. You hold J7, QJ764, 10872, K10. Partner leads a C and your Kc wins, partner overtakes the 10c and returns the Qc. It is probably time to discard and give partner a signal. If you want to give a count signal in diamonds what do you play playing UDCA? If your methods require first discard to be att, pretend you want to give a d discard as your second discard, having already used the first discard to show h values. jmc

My personal philosopy has been to still stretch to respond with possible fits. Our agreement is that partner can pass whenever game is not possible and bidding doesn't seem to make much sense. If I hold x, xxx, xxxx,xxxxx and as few as 2 queens after p bids 1S, I will bid 1NT forcing planning to pass any response by partner. I really dislike playing with some "old style" precision players who might pass with this hand and up to 9 high card points. i think letting the opponents find their fit doesn't usually work out to well. its important to consider that I do not play in as good of fields as many of you here play in. jmc

I prefered Death Proof, but I could see how some would feel it wasn't as action packed. I thought Kurt Rusel was great. I went to the 11:40 A.M. showing and the theatre was half full. That seemed amazing to me on a Monday morning. jmc

I thought that Grindhouse was entertaining. I think that the Kill Bills and Pulp Fiction are better, though. I also wouldn't suggest you take your girl freind or significant other unless she is the kind of woman who enjoyed Sin City. jmc p.s. I did not take any bbq.

What if kibitzers are only allowed to see the dummy and none of the other hands. This will thwart the self kibitzers and allow other people to watch the hands be played. Granted its a little less fun than being able to watch 4 hands or even 2 hands, but its way better than nothing at all. I think this has a lot of upside without much down. jmc

If I take BBQ will there be some scene in the movie to make me regret it? If its just a set the mood food, then I'll dial up some Famous Daves and see it tomorrow. jmc

After 2c-2NT-3H-4H-4NT-5C (1430)-5NT-(guarantees all the key cards)- Cant responder consider bidding 7H on his own? He knows partner is interested in the grand and he has 5 clubs his partner doesn't know about. If partner needs something extra for the grand, what could it be other than some extra shape. Responder could even show club king and then over openers sign off of 6H or 6NT bid 7H in my opinon. Is this partner punishment? jmc

This thread has been somewhat hijacked by run out system discussions. What I am more curious about is... What agreements or system and agreements do you use when playing against a weak nt? jmc

How about 1NT-X- pass= I have a not great hand, pass or rescue yourself XX=business 2x= that suit and a higher suit ala DONT 2S=one suited s Hands that are too broke to let p toil in 1NT-X- stretch to bid a 2 suiter or lie about it. This method can play both 1NT-X and 1NT-X-and XX. jmc

Adam, I like your suggestions and I know you have offered them in several threads I have read here. At one point I was convinced that being able to play 1NT-X was a great thing. My concern is what responder should do after 1NT-x- when he has the game forcing hand at both red. 1NT x making 3NT is not terrible, maybe its a good gamble. I am really curious what agreements you have when you play against weak nt's. What system do you use and how do you run, invite, penalize etc. jmc

Eric, I am curious what your prefered run out would be over the weak NT? I found his DONT recomendations fairly interesting. I currently play SWINE and I dislike having to play 1NT-x-P as either weak run out or wanting to play 1NT doubled and redoubled. I agree that take out dbl after starting with a penalty dbl can be a bit difficult when the opponents psyche a 2 level run out, but at the level I play this is pretty unusual. I am interested in other strategies against the weak NT but other than the one I proposed I rarely here of other methods that are very detailed. I think part of the problem is that judgment is necesary in these situations and its not easy. Thats why the weak NT can be such a devastating weapon. jmc p.s. I'd like to here what methods the better players here use over the weak nt? Are they highly structured, more by feel, etc?