badderzboy

As a beginner / intermediate - I think this club can only be a great thing for BBO. It is an honour to watch a table with one Gold star but the opportunity to watch a table of 4 says it all. We get the opportunity at Vugraph events to watch World class players when the opportunity arises but the tournaments will allow us to do this MORE frequently and also to attract more World class players to what must rate as the top place to learn and play bridge across the world. BBO has given the thirst to learn to this challenging game and I believe this club will insipre far stronger players to acheive even greater heights. Those who are worried by the exclusivity - How many would play with a table of Gold stars now to match their skills? I wish all the best of luck in this venture and look forward to kibbing a tournament soon and who knows in 2020+ I might even play there lol :-) Steve

Hi all, What do people feel is the best approach for openers rebid following a Game force opening eg 2C SAYC/ACOL or 2D Benji Acol and partner responds 2NT showing no 5 card major and 8+ points and a balanced hand? Steve

A friend has been playing with us on BBO and every 20 mins they are red-dotted then disconnected. Does the BBO server poll the modems at all or is it likely to be a setting on the PC itself Thanks Steve

Pardon my inexperience but I would try the following... Following the J Heart, win with King H, A S & K S - hopefully Jack falls with 2-2 split or is in hand with 3+ hearts... ruff low heart with S9, then club ruff back to hand and heart ruff back to dummy with 10S to dummy leaving.. S Q7 H A D void C K98 S - H - D T C T7653 Finesse K C and if it works SQ to draw last spade if they broke 3-1 then A H losing last two clubs and 1st trick... I know it's bound to be the wrong way but I've been told play the cards to be where you need them to be if it's the only way you can see to make the contract... Steve

Hi all, My bridge class is potentially going to play a 'fun' teams session with either 4 or 5 teams playing about 15 boards in total. Does anyone have an appropriate basic movement or link to a site to provide a basic movement. Many Thanks Steve

Hi all, I was very interested to read all the comments I've played the game for 19 months and find it both mentally stimulating and challenging and also a very friendly and honourable sport. I don't think the opps were cheating at all but I'm interested in the etiquette of the game and I was keen to understand your expert views on the subject if this is a pysche per se or just a bid that worked well or whether if you do this often it should be on a CC as ptr is likely to understand a bid that the opps don't. It was very effective as in the hand where it went 1NT-3NT I had 4 hearts and led into the 6H stack because normally 1NT-3NT denies a four card major in responders hand unless 4-3-3-3 and I was 4-4-3-2 myself with the other 4 in a minor! and we had the minor suit sown up... Steve

In response to the questions - I asked the question because it seems like a reasonable idea in teams if you can see no fit but before I would use this sort of approach sparingly because I also think it's a little dangerous, I wanted to check if you're allowed to do it! because it's not the system you claim to play? It was the first time I've ever played in a match and I know you shave to make games but was interested if I going to have a director growling at me ! The gentleman who tended to play the 3NT was a far better player than me and I enjoyed watching his card-play! The game itself was a local district match at some-ones home so pretty friendly and no directors and no sour grapes - best team won! Steve

Hi all, I played my first live match against a team claiming to play ACOL, the bidding tended to go something like :- 1 anything (incl NT) (p) 3NT unless there was a fit immediately and irrespective of pts! The bids weren't alerted and after one hand which looked something like S Axx H AQxxxx D x C Kxx went 1NT - 3NT! Unfortunately the corresponding hands always seemed to fit (ie KJ H in openers hand) so we couldn't take them down Question is one of disclosure - the above bidding isn't ACOL so should i be alerted, this happened on about 8 of 20 boards! Would these be classed as pysches as their ptrs clearly know that the 3NT doesn't promise the true response ? In a tournament, could you appeal? Interested Steve Thanks Steve

I would like to agree with the last comments, I tend to play even "live" with new & different partners at bridge classes and the like of differing abilities. I enjoy the competition and concentration you need to avoid misunderstandings and of course they do happen. You bid 4C as cue-bid and it's read as Gerber and so on. Clearly playing with my regular partners we make less mistakes - but we still do! My attitude is to smile and apologise over the mis-understanding and play the next hand. If I was playing for hard cash ( I don't - long way to go to be good enough!) I'd grimace inside and smile! This game is an incredible challenge but you can only play one board at a time and it can be 7NT made one hand and 1NTX - 4 the next! SO I guess my moral is - no need to MOAN! chin up ( I'm a brit) and where's the next hand.... Steve

No-one Vul : Dealer S North S K Q 6 3 2 H 7 4 D K Q J 7 6 2 C Void West East S A 9 S J 7 H J T 8 5 H A 6 3 2 D A 4 C T 8 3 C K J 7 6 5 D 9 8 4 2 South S T 8 5 4 H K Q 9 D 9 5 C A Q T 3 Hi All, A few questions over the bidding (playing ACOL weak NT) here:- Sitting South I passed, opps open 1C , ptr bids 1D, RHO bids 1H?, I bid 1NT, (P - 3D - 3H - P - 4D - all pass) Question 1:- Over an overcall should 1S by South me show / 5+ cards so is 1NT ok (9-11 stopsl in both suits I hope) or should I dbl as a negative X showing 4 cards in spades? Question 2:- Over the 1NT would 2H by North be a transfer to spades showing 5 and thereby showing the 6D-5S shape? Question 3: How would everyone bid this board... Question 4 : Are there any good websites/notes on responding to DBL/Overcalls ... Thanks, Steve K

I think it'll top 5000 - so 5034 is my guess...

If we're vunerable my ptr should be looking for two winners then my spades should be pretty robust and 10+pts and 7/8+ of them (in ACOL) so I would use RKCB to find out the composition of the spades... We have three key cards so... 5C 0 keycards - rebid 5S no chance of more... 5D 1 Keycard - Ptr should have queen for opening but has he the DK? bid 5NT ask for kings if yes then 6NT if no drat 6S and plan to void ptr's D's before starting on Spades... 5H 2 without Q - bid 5NT ask for DK if yes then 6NT if no drat 6S and and plan to void ptr's D's before starting on Spades... as I should get 6S/3C/2H/2D discarding a winner somewhere along way to SQ unless she drops 5S 2 with Queen - Where's that 7NT card at counting 7/8S, 3H,1D,2C only prob is 4-0 split with Ptrs LHO but how likely is that... I tend to be a bit of a gambler but is there a better way or system? Steve

I had this little hand at a bridge class today ( playing ACOL) S Void H AQ1072 D A1098763 C K Bidding I opened 1D LHO bids 1NT (was actually 12-14 not 16-18 as I thought!! but not alerted - it was a class..grrrr...).Ptr passes... Is a 2H response forcing - if not should I bid 3H or anything else? Thanks, Steve

Justr a quick note with only 1 Key card Only missing cards are AKQ H, AKQJ D and QJ C. My partner has at least 12 pts so at worst 2 Aces missing! but he must have KQ Heart and so 6S only loses to AH as I cover Diamonds... If missing AK hearts are opps likely to lead it twice? Thanks all for comments Steve

Thanks All, I'm still learning the game (just over a year) so although I have a working knowledge of cue-bids and splinters I'm not confident enough to use them. I must admit I got inventive and bid 2D to transfer to hearts! The key to the right slam for me was ptrs heart holding and knowing if he held at least two of AK H and A D and thenfind out about Q so I thought RKCB in Hearts tells me all I need to know! Opps thought 2D was a little naughty as it suggest 5 hearts in my hand but as ptr is in the dark I assume it's effectively a pysche bid and so legitimate. After the transfer I bid 4NT RKCB and got 5S response and so bid a fairly solid 6S which made 7 as K was onside for finesse. Ptr's hand S xxxx H AQx D Axx C Qxx Therefore bidding was 1NT 2D ; 2H 4NT; 5S 6S I must admit though all were puzzled/bemused by the 6S bid!

Partner opens 1NT with 12-14 playing transfers etc and 3014RKCB but not cue-bids/splinters... You hold :- S AKQJ96 H J103 D Void C AK53 What do you respond?

Playing last night, I bid a small slam based on Losing trick Count which fortunately made but was it sensible to bid it as no-one else in the 16 matchs did? Hands Vul N/S Dealer N N S Kxxx H Void D KJ10xx C AQxx S S A H K98xx D 97642 C K8 Playing ACOL partner opens 1D , RHO overcalls 1H which means Ptr could be 4144 (suit below singleton) or more likely 5+ diamonds I bid 4NT (RCKB) and receive 5H (2 KC no Q) and place contract in 6D... Was it right to try it and was there a better route to it? Steve

We had two interesting hands at an ACOL beginners class... The first was :- N opening :- S 9 H AKQ7 D AQJ9 C K852 S S 105432 H 5 D K87652 C 4 5D makes easily and 6 if Aces not lead off the top... How do you bid it - we went 1C-1D-3D-5D... The second hand was N S AQ8 H void D KQ1096532 C A4 S S K9532 H AQJ852 D A4 C Void 7NT is a walk in the park - how do you get there ? Our bidding was Acol bidding was 2D-2H-3D-3S-4S-4NT(Reg)-5H-5NT(Reg)-6D-6S at the club 2 Diamonds is 8 Playing tricks with Diamonds as trumps... Steve

I played this hand last night sitting South playing ACOL with few gadgets, how should it be bid to the Hear Slam? N S AKQ852 H AQJ9 D A10 C J S S 4 H K10642 D 7 C 1076432 The hand was opened 2C - with 7 losers is 2D Negative the right response? - Ptr then bid 2S, I responded 3C (should ptr then bid 3H and I bid 4NT (Blackwood?)) then ptr jumped to game in 4S making 11 as E had J1093 of Spades... Thanks for the advice, Steve

Hi Allan/all I would have been daft enough to play the mighty Hrothgar etc but I'm away this weekend but would love to try another time! I'd have nothing to lose with 1yrs experience it would be like Dover from Vauxhall Conference beating Man U (UK Soccer reference)... or winning the lottery... I think the teams league option would be a great way to play 'relatively' competitive bridge against good players with different systems in case I ever play face to face with similar systems!!! Steve

I'm very keen for the guidance so far on this thread and my partner and I are considering ASTPRO. One maybe silly question for the experts is there any reason not to steal transfers and use say Puppet Stayman for the defence as it should find all 5/3 or 4/4 fits in one level, ie. 2C asks partner for 5 Card Major and responses as for puppet... (say 11-15 range) , pass <10pts and use DBL for 16+ Partner could then use Puppet in reponse... Transfers for remainder with 11-15 and 5 Card major by bidder. If opps bid trfr themselves then DBL shows bid suit and 5Cards in bid suit... I'm sure I'm not the first to think of it and it must have some major flaws... Steve

As an Acol player we use weak NT 12-14. I agree with the comments that you have to scramble sometimes but if partner's got <3pts then opps should be in game anyway. When I started playing bridge I learned SAYC via LTPB et al and being a Brit had to learn ACOL to play at home and at first hated the weak NT especially when dbld by LHO! but it's value is in it's pre-emptive nature and immediately give's your partner the benefit of shape and value via stayman more often than with the stronger variety! With my limited knowledge I would reply to previous question:- However, what do you do after opening hands like the following after 1D-P-1H-P-?: Qxx-AJxx-AJxxx-x (14 dummy points) or Qx-AJxx-AJxxx-xx I would just raise to 2H (weak hand 8 card fit) with both hands

I would like to add my vote behind Maureen's comments. I am a youngster per se (34) and have my name, e-mail address and skill level (beginner) on my card as I've been playing a year now. It is a matter of courtesy to do this as my partner won't expect an expert, they can refer to me by name etc. If people don't want to play with a 'beginner' they have the choice to find a better player! I will avoid playing with 'private' written all the card as what system do they play even! I can understand people prefering nicknames or 'handles' but it's pleasant to call people by their real names as well!

For those of us learning the game, the basics I have been taught would with the hand below would be ACOL : 1C or 1D depending whether playing up the line or below singleton SAYC : 1D 4+ in minors If partner replies then 1S In Acol: this can be 4 spades if followed by 1NT then 3C or 3D to show 16+pts and shows 4441 as all 3 suits bid! In SAYC : Same 4 Spades else you would have opened 1S? unless 6-5 I suppose... Could you not then show 3rd Suitwith 3C? Partner gets points and dist'n his choice of contract. S: KXXX H: A D: KTXX C: AQXX As I'm only learning I would be fascinated in your advice as 4441 are the hardest hands to bid/play for us beginners! thanks, Steve

I think this would be a great idea and a gentle way to break into playing tournaments. I've been playing for about a year so I qualify as a beginner and haven't yet played in a tournamment online although I've kibitzed a few. The potential to let down a partner against such austere opposition has put me off a little! One minor suggestion would be to ensure that people alert the conventions they are using whilst bidding in those tournaments or ensure the convention cards are completed. This would introduce us to the other systems and at potentially get a basic understanding of the others A potential tournament could even be teams of ACOL vs Basic SAYC v's Basic 2/1 v's Precision for beginners. In terms of excluding players who are too good, if someone wants to play to boost their ego then never mind more fool them. What will they achieve, I would suggest that the makeup of the tournaments would be similar people and so people might want to praise them and suggest they are no longer a beginner/novice etc. It's also a reasonable way of finding out what your profile should be! I suspect mine will be spot on....lol