dugite

I'm not sure if I follow you Arclight.You state you are into "deductive reasoning" but what is deductive reasoning?To me that would mean the applying of logical thought to a set of conditions and coming to a decision consistant with all the factors.How do Brown Sticker conventions stop you from doing that?In fact lots of these bids give away too much info, making the deduction part easier. I use BS cons because my partner and I like the precision we have built into them.I know after 2 bids what his distribution and loser count are.Surely as a defender how can the same knowledge be of lesser interest. Maybe I should state a con that is being banned.We play myxomytosis 2's(we have -of course--modified them).An opening bid of 2 of a suit promises either a strong 2 in the suit called or a weak 2 in the next suit or 5+ 5+ in the other 2 suits or a NT value starting at 19-20 and increasing with each suit.eg 2 ♦ means either strong ♦ or weak ♥ or 5+♠ and 5+♣ or 21-22 balanced(may have 5 card major).The responder either calls the next suit(with <16 and no suit) or a suit of his own(shows opening hand and 6+cards)Opener then shows what he holds by passing,calling NT,recalling the opened suit or calling 1 of the 5+suits{the order of these suit calls shows strength}Now that is logical and takes about 5 minutes to learn.Defence is easy--double for partners suit(the X doesnt show shortage) or bid the next suit up for takeout of that suit(as it is usually the weak 2 option) or bid a good suit of your own.Or you can pass,wait for clarification and then X or suit call.Easy eh?A lot easier than defending precision 1♣. These methods dont take much time or effort to learn. The reason given for these changes is the one that the ABF gave.To be just like the rest! I have yet to meet an Australian who wants these changes but I must admit they have been implemented by stealth with little or no notification so the vast majority probably dont know they have occurred. It takes no great intellect to have defences prepared against likely cons/treatments.Something as simple as, strong over weak weak over strong, X for takeout,a suit is x losers or HCP,NT shows HCP and stoppers etc etc. Is deductive reasoning only useful when all the information is held and no bidding space consumed. I'm not sure about the rest of the world but in Oz we musthave,at all times, 2 copies of our system on the table.So all bids are known or will be explained.Reasoning should be easier knowing what has and hasnt been called. Sorry about the rambling but I am writing this while my "life outside bridge"is moaning about uncut lawns and unwashed dishes. See youse round like a rissole Dugite

A timely topic for all Australians.The rules have just been changed(to take effect on 1st October)and now we too have been stricken by these unfair and illogical restrictions. Brown Sticker regulations have been promulgated.For the life of me I can't see why. I know that I am coming from a position of playing and wanting to play conventions now outlawed but if someone could explain to me what good is being served I will be greatful.My partner and I always offer to explain our bids (before ,during and after the bidding).We also have print outs of the defences we use when confronted by these conventions so if a team has no defence they can use ours. I think what annoys me most is the choosiness of the regs.Old conventions are excepted but new ones are covered by these rules.A state level director explained that calls that have no anchor suit are considered Brown Sticker---except the popular ones; multi2D,Precision 1 ♣ & 1♦, Benjamin 2's etc etc.My cynical mind tells me that maybe the rules committee play these and dont want to learn anything new but who knows-shrug! The new regs state (rule 2.2) "Certain types of conventional calls or treatments are considered to place demands upon the opponants' defensive preparations.The conventions/treatments are catorgorised as Brown Sticker" Well hello!! :) what conventions don't put demands on oppo's defense?Why do we bid then?To make it easier for them?And why do some cons place more demands than others? How many average club players know how to defend Precision 1 ♣? Isn't that why people play Precision? Is there a lack of defensive teachers out there?My partner has only been playing for about 18 months but in that time has taken time to research defensive conventions and treatments so that we have a comprehensive list of defences.Maybe not always the best but we are consistant and are prepared for weird systems and bids.Recently we were playing in a state level swiss pairs event and were suprised by a pair playing a forcing pass.In two hands we had cobbled up defence which must have been ok as we acheived a small win on the set.We came to the conclusion that is was a glorified Precision and used our defence against strong ♣.We have defenses against most of the common cons and lots of uncommon ones too.We are not particularly good players --just average players who like to get better.If we can do it, why do the rest have to be helped by the law makers. We have in the last week(since we discovered our opening 2 bids are now illegal)altered our 2 openings to meet the new regs.This had had the effect of weakening our system(because the new variety is not as efficent as the last)and also making a mockery of the new laws(as they still are 1 or 2 suited and weak or strong)so what has been achieved? I have been told that the reason for these changes is for Australia to be the same as the rest of world.LOLOL.We have never been like the rest.If we use this concept to in the rest of life what changes we would see?No more Vegimite?Would we play soccer?First past the post elections?Voter turnout of about 40%instead of the 90+%currently?No more universal health care?Even more American TV shows?Would we replace marsupials with placentals? Is there a logical reason outthere why we are being over regulated?Please let me know if there is.And to all you Ozzies reading this--Be warned the rules have changed(with no notifcation)--and if you feel like me send emails and letters to the ABF and maybe we can get the return of sanity(they claim a 6 month trial). See youse round like a rissole Dugite

G'day. I must say that I agree with ErickK.Roman Jump Overcalls do it all.All the 5/5 combinations are catered for with no ambiguities.You know exactly what suits are held. Another advantage that I feel RJO's have over Michaels and others is the ability to use at any level.You are only constrained by your level of bravery(or foolhardiness)as to how high to bid.For example pass-3 ♠-5 ♦ is a very strong with ♦ and ♥.I have even used it at the 6 level 4♣ was opened and my call was 5 ♥ meaning "5+ in both majors please give preference".Of course my hand was very strong.My partner called 6 ♥ and the slam rolled in.We were the only pair in the room who called 6 ♥most were in 4 ♥ making +1(my hand hand 7 ♥ and 5 [_HE♠)This was in a redpoint event.I'm not sure if other 2 suited overcalls can and are used at higher levels but I have never seen or even heard of them being used over 2 level or higher openings(not counting unusual 4NT). Bye for now Dugite

People leaving tables at inconsiderate times is a drawback to all online bridge.For some reason, some people seem to think that being polite is showing a weakness of some sort. It costs nothing to be polite. :) It costs nothing to be nice. ;) I dont leave tables during bidding or during play and it pees me off when others do.So what you have scored a dud partner?Play one hand make some excuse or(if you must)tell them that they are not up to your lofty standard and take your leave. But there is another issue here as well.I feel that BBO encourages table leaving by having the annoying feature of taking players from tables to tournaments.That bloody message "I have left to play somewhere else"Tuff Titties if your hand is half played and you have to sit for 15 minutes whilst players pop in and out look at the hand and and contract and leave.Surely there must be another solution to this problem.If a player is intelligent enough to consider playing a tournament then he/she must be able to tell the time and be able to attend the tourny on time.Or even(shock horror!! :( )leave where they are before time(after saying thx and bye) and make their way on their own.If there is no programming solution(e.g. stopping a player who is regged to play tourny from starting a new hand within 5 mins of the getgo)then we need to raise the ethics of those who show bad manners. My spleen vented no I am off to bed. DUG

Hi I am dugite aka howsthaat aka goldribs(for any old yahooies or swannies). I have been playing offline for about 20 years and online for about 6. I live in Perth Western Australia(which is rated as the worlds most isolated city--which may explain the strange time zone and weird sense of humour). Sometimes I am expert and at other times a prebeginner,but usually I am about intermediate. I will play with anybody anytime regardless of rating or other facors. My picture sums up what most people think of my heretical bridge ideas. One of my interests is collecting greetings from arround the world so when you arrive at my table I can say hello in your own tongue.I need more of these so come tell me hello and goodbye and thanks in other languages. I am looking forward to playing with as many people as possible. See youse all later(or round like a rissole) DUGITE

I am looking for tables of proper play for all types of holdings.I am not quite sure how to word this but I need to find out best plays to maximise tricks etc in NT and suits.How to play certain combinations for best result. Please post any urls that might help Thanks ;) :D

As far as I can see the best system is the one that you enjoy playing the most. :) If you find one system doesn't suit your style try another.And then another untill you hit on the one that suits you best.It might be helpful to play the systems that most in your area play(unless you have a regular partner--then go for the most fun one)so you can always find a compatable partner. Some areas and clubs have restrictions as to what may be legally played so it is best to check with the authorities. I have never played an "authentic"system but have added on,invented and stolen a few ideas from this system or that system to form a composite. As an aside.People seem to need to know the name of your system.Not sure why but they do.When I start at a new table I give the blurb of "5 card majors--short club--16-18 1NT--transfer preempts--myxomytosis 2's--reverse count and attitude--revolving odd/even discards--weak openings in 3rd seat--weak1NT in 4th seat--PORI and PODI--Roman Jump Overcalls".Our convention card is always on the table too.Often the ops say "OK Thx but what system?"When I say one of my own they get hot and bothered and moan(1 even called the director)but if I make up a name like NOSTRO or ORSON(both names I have used being made up of part partnership names)they are content and say"Thx never heard of that one" I started with a very rudimentary form of ACOL(we won the 1st two weeks and were then told--That is not ACOL Our system evolved to acol with 5 spades,then acol with 5 card majors, it then underwent a complete mutation to about what it is today(changing and losing partners along the way) Each system seems to draw different sorts of people so find the one that suits you and go for it!If you find your chosen system doesn't suit chuck it away and find a new one untill you find your place in the big scheme of things. Online is the best place to learn a new system.Have ie running in the background with a bridge site ready with bidding and treatments for your chosen system,put on your profile that you play it and then consult the open webpage to check what is going on(you can always pretend a bad connection if you are too slow :D Bye

Where oh where has the sort by empty seat button gone? Please may we have it back.It makes finding tables to play at a lot easier. Thanks for the site

With my usual P I am one of the alerters.We have a lot of cons and love trotting them out(we play here to practice for analogue bridge).Some are quite complicated and take some time to type in(sometimes ages as my typing finger gets sore and the keys seem to change positions on the keyboard when I am not looking).We find that the easiest way to explain is by using the "chat to ops"button so as not to have cram 30 words into a space sized for 10 words.There is a problem sometimes---when the ops query what a bid means anything you have already typed in is wiped and you must do it again.We also often explain the entire auction after it is over. One thing that makes alerting harder online is the difference in rules arround the world.What we alert here in Oz is not alertable in the US and vice versa. I use the principle that if the ops may not know what a bid means then I will alert.I strive to be ethical online as well as at a table.It costs nothing to engender some good will. Any bridge is good bridge but happy bridge is better. The Snake

The 1 thing that bugs me in BBO is the instant disappearence of players to play in a tournament. 1 second they are there.........and then the quote that says "I have left to go somewhere else.Tough luck if you playing" I find this rude in the extreme.We all know when tournies are starting so why start a hand you can't guarantee to finish. I have played with people who are only at a table for 2 minutes before they disappear in a cloud of red.Poor form I reckon.Good manners cost nothing so why not just say "sorry I am playing in a tourny.Thx for playing.Goodbye"and leave before the server grabs you by hair and wrenches you from your seat. Maybe the programmers can make it impossible for a player(who is regged in a T) to start bidding within 5 minutes of the T starting.This (if possible)would stop this occurring and end the bad will that usually eventuates when 1 or more players disappear. Sorry for the whinge but maybe some don't realise that lots of players don't appreciate being left to sit and hope someone will take over a hand midway through or waste good bidding and play. Dugite

When in BBO I usually say(when playing with my usual partner "5 card majors,asking C,16-18 1NT,Myxo 2's...We will alert via chat box if no room in alert box"or something similar. In Swangames it is a lot easier as you can save a macro and post it at every table you go to or when new ops arrive. As for OK...I only went there twice and found the players to be rude,arrogant and condescending(even worse than Pogo{if you can imagine that})so I have no idea how to post it there. In offline bridge we all have convention cards that must be on the table at all times but we still say 5 card majors etc every time. In Australia ,at most club events, bidding is done silently(we bid using pens on printed slips)and alerts are explained by the bidders partner(often it is wise to ask once the bidding is done-in case the ops are lost).

Me 3 Strange when I put my 1st post up it was working.Is on my favs list.Oh well...the others will have to do. Snake

Hi ;D Yes MrTamMan is still there and just as useful.Your URL is not the same as the one i use to get there however. I use www.users.qwest.net/~jplanier/bridge/linksCT.html I hope this helps The Snake

I dont want to appear dense but I am having problems finding out about clubs.I see posts about this club and that club but where are they?How do you join?What function do they fullfil? While I am asking.....why the fuss about self assessed skill levels.I have mine as private because I can't rate myself objectively.Some days I am better than others.At some clubs in my city people are wary when I join their table but at others I don't even rate a disdainful look.In BBO I have played with and against "experts" that seem to have trouble even sorting their hands........in fact most intermediates I have come across are better players than the ones who call themselves experts.Vanity seems to get in the way of honest assesment. It is much the same as rating players by how many masterpoints they have.I am (in the ABF[Aussie Bridge Fed])a State master with a star....big deal.I know Life Masters who are not as good as me and then I also know Local Masters who are better.It is a function of how many times a week you play and where you play that get promotions.In my state we get less than half the M.P. for winning a club event than they do in Sydney.I play once a week and a couple of tournies a year, so does that make me a worse player than someone who plays 10 times a week in a low standard club who gets lots of MP? I like playing against good players but will settle for nice players which is why I play in BBO..if I can't find good players there are always lots of nice ones. Excuse my rambling but I have wanted to say that for a while ;D 8) ;D The Snake

G'day John West Oz is GMT +8 which makes GMT +10 for most of Ozzie members.This is not counting daylight saving that starts soon in most states. Once daylight saving starts WA is GMT+8,SA is GMT+101/2,Qld is GMT+10 and NSW,Vic and Tas are GMT+11. Oops...I forgot the territories--NT is +101/2 and ACT is +11. I hope that if you are willing then someone will come and be taught. 8) The Snake

My regular partner(in on and offline bridge)and I use a couple of conventions that need special defences.In Bridgebase I sometimes feel it is almost cheating when we use them. Ad hoc partnerships cannot be expected to have the expertise to deal with them,but we use this site to practice bidding and play.I feel almost ashamed to take advantage of nonknowledge(is that a word?). As an example:we play modified Myxomytosis 2s.These openings promise a number of options.EG 2H=a weak 2 in S or =a strong 2 in H or =5+C and 5+D(with strong,weak or intermediate strengths) or =23+HCP and a balanced hand. I know that at other sites I could link a page of suggested defences to my profile.Is there a way I can do similar here?.We always alert and explain our bids but somehow this doesn't feel like it is enough. I have thought of making a webpage and putting the URL in my profile but I am almost computer illiterate and if there is an easier then bewdy bonzer ripper ;D Thanks for listening, Dugite

G'day there are lots of sites that you can get this info from. ;D While I am playing here I have IE or Mozilla running in the background with 1 or more of these sites running(so I can check that I have things right....and give me the highground when disputes arise). http/:nikocity.de/kwiese/konvent/allkonv.htm www.bridgeguys.com www.gwilliams.org.uk/index.htm www.users.qwest.net/~jplanier/bridge/linksCT.html I hope you get some joy out of these. Dugite