Cave_Draco

Interesting hand, Ben, ;D. There are lessons to be learned from many of the contracts it was played in! While it would be inappropriate to comment on individual mistakes, I would recommend using the hand viewer and Deep Finesse to get an idea of how play could be improved.

A good partner doesn't waste bullets... http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/bennett.htm

<Someone once said, "Beware the 4441; they are hard to bid and do not play all that well either in suit contracts or in NTs". I can understand this comment> 4-4-4-1s are a top in waiting, ;D. S/he who handles them best... gets a top. Why else would Precision reserve a bid for them?

If it works... Don't fix it, ;D. One of the problems with teaching to count is... "How do you do it?" It becomes automatic, you only notice when you lose count! I play at a slow table? I lose count, lol. I use short-term memory to count, if I start thinking "That wallpaper is nice" I lose count! Hands only get into long-term memory after I stop playing. "Ah, yes, that 3D contract..."

With respect to systems... it would seem appropriate to favour BridgeBase Basic for Novice/Beginner tournaments. It is a sound but simple system that requires a minimum of alerting and it allows the widest selection of partners. While other systems have their merits, I feel that coping with the Weak NT, etc. may just muddy the waters? Intermediates, fine - Precision/Acol whatever, ;D. I don't really know, I'm not suggesting barring other systems, but when I learnt the game... we all sang from the same song sheet & only later did we diverge.

Lol, Maureen, good points! (a) Beginners need time to think; only the other day an intermediate asked us to slow down! (:) Actually, it's all in the mind! Novices/Beginners/Intermediates are allowed mistakes... try Advanced/Expert, lol. © Anyone who consistently wins against B/N/Is is not a BNI, ;D. Good idea, Ben. Even better if Advanced/Expert players can find the time to go over the hands played. Doesn't have to be on an individual basis, just a review of the hands played.

Depends on the system (I assume 5-card majors), and who is the pro, but... I can defend 1S-5S-6S, ;D.

Sorry about the error, corrected it now, ;D.

Revolving discards More confusing than Lavinthal... However, the contract is 3NT, Diamonds are led & you wish a Spade from P; how do you signal with a discard? Playing Lavinthal a high Heart or a high Club; playing Revolving? A high Heart or a low Club! You wish a Heart? A low Spade or a high Club, etc. They are also played the other way round... Partnership agreement, which opps should be informed of. The difference is... Can I afford a high card signal? Revolving is an attempt to avoid that probem, ;D.

The sequence (p)-p-(1S)-p-(p)-1NT? Shows what? Denies Hearts? Promises a Spade guard? Why not just double, ;D?

As a short addendum to Ben's post... Remember, bridge is a partnership game, ;D. Communication in the bidding is important; communication in defence can be vital. Especially on the opening lead, partner did not have the information avalable that you do! In the light of that, consider what your partner needs/wants to know. Like most things in bridge, there is no quick-fix. However, experience guides your judgement as to what partner needs/wants to know; and when you should keep your own council.

Don't know about Netscape 4.7, but using Netscape 7... Edit>Preferences>Navigator>Helper Applications At the bottom is a little box called "Opening Files", click on Reset, ;D.

Both Ben & I picked extreme cases, :). Ben's was (1S)-1NT, where I agree pass, on the hand I showed, is fine. I looked at (p)-p-(1S)-1NT, a different situation, ;D. In the balancing seat... What does 1NT say that double doesn't? Pick a suit, or NT or penalties, P! In the direct seat, X has a specific meaning. A Strong NT hand can afford a few liberties, whereas a Weak NT just has to shut up! Suppose opps buy the contract, seems like a partial anyway: playing a Weak NT in direct tells opps "Finesse at your peril", Weak NT in balancing says "Hello, finesse me". Psychologically, I know which attitude I prefer.

In his beginner's guide, Ben said "(1S)-1NT show 15-17, 15-18, or 16-18 depending upon your style. You need the good values, because your partner's hand is unknown. However, (1S)-P-(P)-1NT is typically 11-13, 10-14, 12-14, something like that (you have to agree with your partner what your balancing NT range will be). But here, you know your partner has some hcp, so you bid NT with less. This allows you to bid with hands where DBL or overcall don't make sense." I have always played them the other way round! It still seems more logical, ;D. In the first case (1S)-1NT says I have a 1NT opener (12-14), with a Spade guard. As it does in the sequence (p)-p-(1S)-1NT, partner knows the limit of competition and can assess their hand appropriately. It happened yesterday, I held AT5-K84-AT9-J982, a perfect Weak NT, we played in a Heart partial. If I don't play a Weak NT, I have no bid... Say opener's partner raises to 2S & partner balances? What is my bid? In the second case, am I really going to announce that I have balanced rubbish sat under an, almost, unlimited opener? Need a finesse? Guess what! Nah! With a Weak NT in balancing position, double is just fine, :). In fact, it's ideal! But, partner plays them the "wrong" way round... I guess I have to adapt, lol. P.S. Ben played that one too, & defeated 2SX... WD Ben.

Demerara Rum? Yes, please, ;D.

I have a bid... probably 3NT, ;D.

1. It's not a bluff, it's a judgement, ;D. If I wish to pass with 24hcp, more fool me. I am not aware of a rule that says 12+ hcp MUST open. It's not a forcing pass either, P will be misled too! 2. Yes, if partner opens 1M 3rd in hand, I cannot jump; I am prepared to reverse though... I know there are objections to reversing with 5-5... Pah! A more likely scenario is that opps bid a major, Ben said 1D, ok; consider 1D-(1H)-p-(3H)-4C?? as opposed to p-(1H)-p-(3H)-3NT! 3. Yes, there are objections on the grounds of compromised defence... you don't, however, lose the penalty double. 4. Sacrifice, see 2. above. Missing a minor suit game is, IMO, only a small risk at MP, at IMPs it's different. However, the most probable result of opening is a minor partial... small loss at MP! PS. If shooting, I would definately pass, ;D.

Debating with A1P... 1st in hand, I would probably pass with: AQ-x-Axxxx-Kxxxx Opinions? ;D

Lol, does the Drongo really migrate the wrong way? Not bridge related, just curious, ;D.

No Prob, Maureen, ;D. Luis started a string on signals, :). Concentrate on counting... HUGE rewards! I support Ben 100%. If you see opp is 5-2-4-2, elimination & throw-in ceases to be "Advanced".

The most comprehensive treatment I have come across is Vinje, old now but, http://bridgeguys.com/VGlossary/VinjeSignals.html is a reasonable summary, if abbreviated, ;D.

Sad to say, it depends what you call "encrypted", opps bid an obvious 6-3 fit... Is P's signal Prism or not? You know because you have 1-2-3 cards, Declarer has no idea! Fine as a punishment for picking a long suit, ;D, but it is information available to the defence that is "encrypted"!

Lol, Luis, I posted http://forums.bridgebase.com/in...lay;threadid=24 on Prism signals. I still don't know if they are banned by the EBU; the Vinje trump signal was banned by the EBU as "encrypted" signals (Declarer does not have the same access to the information by virtue of the fact that declarers tend to pick suits where they have more cards) &, as Maureen pointed out... Beginner & Intermediate string, ;D. Perhaps a string for signals? The Vinje trump signal is not as involved as the version of Prism that you describe but can still lead to "information overload". PS. on another string I said that if counting hand patterns doesn't work re. Zzzzzz, count suit distributions. I know they appear the same, this was just echoing a comment of Ben's... If you count both, they MUST dovetail... If they don't? Someone is fibbing!

Also, when kibitzing, only look at one hand, ;D.

Weak 2s are a test of risk assessment, ;D. Against strong opps, they are testing but not a problem... Against weak opps, they can be devastating... Confidence is the key; win the post-mortem, lol.