rogerclee

OK maybe I am out to lunch but to me it seems really bad to play 4S is a cuebid here. Yes you can construct hands like AKQxx xxx xx xxx where it's awesome to be able to bid 4S, but to me, there is clearly a large set of hands that wants to bid a natural 4S over 4H, and not a large set of hands where I specifically want to cuebid 4S and feel uncomfortable bidding blackwood, 5C, 5D, or 5H.

No, 7K total dps.

There has been a solo barb HC clear as well, think it was 1-2 days ago. HC barbarians that focus on LOH/resist/vit and don't care that much about damage will do well. I think the one that cleared inferno solo stated he had a DPS of 7k.

I think the opposite is true. DH was pretty much godly until hell mode, I was never in danger of dying and could 1-shot entire packs with multishot. I think I made it to hell mode after something like 14 hours of play with no assistance.

Lagspike + fast licker + far away from entrance, almost made it but they got me. I might start up another HC character, since I don't think SC is very fun, especially with the crazy new nerf'd drop rates.

Yes. Also I'm playing HC now, if anyone wants to play. I'm a level 52 DH right now in hell mode, so a monk/barb tank might be a good combination.

Monks are underpowered in general, they need great gear in order to be as effective as Wiz/DH players that can mostly focus on damage, whereas monks really need great all-around stats. That said everyone who just gets to A2 is not powerful enough to handle it, the A1 gear simply isn't good enough. I recommend mostly skipping A2 if you can, A3 has a similar level of difficulty, the enemies aren't as annoying, and the loot drops are way better. Also the prices of mid-lvl gear have really gone down as more and more people become powerful enough to farm A3/A4.

I can't imagine doing anything but playing a low spade now.

I thought south bid his hand well and that north's 4H overbid was the root of the problem. If your methods require you to bid 4H with all 18-19 balanced hands with 4H, then I would suggest playing new methods.

I think it is resulting to say that EW can reach 6D at matchpoints after 1D (3C) 3S P 4S, it is just a huge position from the east hand's perspective to not play in his AKQ9x that just got raised. At IMPs I agree that it would be a big mistake to not offer diamonds with the east cards.

The problem isn't the 5-3 fits, it's the 5-1 fits.

this

I loved hardcore in D2 but it seems much more difficult in D3. I'm going to try to make some headway into inferno before I start a HC character.

Anyone else playing? Send me a PM or add me, rogerclee#1982

I am a junior flying in from California and I much prefer 10 and 3. My main reason is that the Spingold/Vanderbilt/GNT currently end very, very late. Whether you are playing 4 or 6 handed, it is very difficult to keep your concentration going in the evening session, particularly the last segment. My primary purpose on these trips is to try to do well in the major events, and I will be playing at least the GNT 4-handed, so I would like to maximize my ability to play bridge well. I also seldom have a hard time adjusting to the change in time (if anything, at nationals I always wake up too early the first day) and often end up doing nothing between sessions, since I don't like to eat a big meal and just want to relax (but not for 3 hours).

I guess I just don't follow the thinking that a good way to increase variance is to make mild improvements in your system at the great detriment of a small percentage of handtypes. I don't think you have to go to such lengths. Playing weak NT, strong club, an aggressive style of preempting, or any combination of those 3 drastically increase variance without making your system unsound. What I was originally trying to say most of all though is that I think this is an unhealthy and self-limiting way of approaching bridge.

I think you are overestimating how much you can affect your expected results, particularly in long events, by merely changing your system.

I don't think you are supposed to run.

I once lost 4 imps for 3C= vs 7D-1. At our table, the guy opened 3C thinking he had opened 2N and played it there.

3S = I think I can make 4S, but I need some help 4S = I think I can make 4S, and I don't need very much help 4S is stronger, not merely different.

lol

No, I was joking haha. It's a good hand and not really hard, but the reality is that playing 4-handed in a long/tough team match, you will always make a few mistakes that you shouldn't make. If this is the worst thing I do all week, that's okay with me.

Thanks Phil. Yeah, I misplayed this hand :(

I think pass is obvious but I've seen a lot of hands recently where bidding is a big winner (you have a lot of points but they pick off your long suit).

This was a textbook hand from the US team trials, see if you play this one carefully. [hv=pc=n&s=saqjhk94dkq43caq7&n=st62hj85da52ck653&d=e&v=e&b=6&a=p2np3nppp]266|200[/hv] Trick 1 goes ♠4 - 2 - 9 - Q ♠4 = attitude lead